Europa League

Europa League roundup: Ostersunds make history by reaching knockout stages

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 23 November 2017

Swedish side Ostersunds qualify for the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time in their history thanks to a 2-0 Europa League win over Zorya Luhansk.

Ostersunds FK have qualified for the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time in their history.

The Swedish Allsvenskan outfit reached the last 32 of the Europa League thanks to a 2-0 win over Zorya Luhansk in Group J.

An own goal by Dmytro Grechyshkin put Ostersunds ahead before Saman Ghoddos sealed victory with a long-range strike.

Ostersunds, managed by former Stoke City and Birmingham City defender Graham Potter, have risen from the fourth tier of Swedish football since 2011 and are unbeaten in Europe so far.

The other match in Group J saw Hertha Berlin knocked out after they were beaten 3-2 at Athletic Bilbao.

Mario Balotelli scored twice as Nice beat Zulte Waregem 3-1 to progress from Group K behind first-placed Lazio, who drew 1-1 with Vitesse Arnhem.

BATE Borisov and Red Star Belgrade played out a goalless draw in Group H, which was won by Arsenal despite losing 1-0 at FC Koln.

Red Bull Salzburg sealed their passage into the last 32 with a 3-0 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes in Group I, while Real Sociedad won 1-0 at Rosenborg to qualify from Group L.

AC Milan are also through to the knockout stages after an emphatic 5-1 win over Austria Vienna at San Siro.

Andre Silva and Patrick Cutrone scored a brace apiece after Ricardo Rodriguez had opened the scoring for Vincenzo Montella's side, the result putting the Rossoneri top of Group D.

Everton fell to an embarrassing 5-1 home defeat at the hands of Atalanta BC, who are safely through from Group E alongside Lyon on 11 points apiece.

Europa League results: Astana 2-3 Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao 3-2 Hertha Berlin, BATE 0-0 Red Star, FC Koln 1-0 Arsenal, Konyaspor 1-1 Marseille, Lazio 1-1 Vitesse, Lokomotiv 2-1 Copenhagen, Lugano 1-0 Be'er Sheva, Nice 3-1 Zulte, Ostersunds 2-0 Luhansk, Plzen 2-0 Bucuresti, Salzburg 3-0 Guimaraes, Rosenborg 0-1 Real Sociedad, Zenit 2-1 FK Vardar, AC Milan 5-1 Austria Vienna, AEK Athens 2-2 Rijeka, Braga 3-1 Hoffenheim, Everton 1-5 Atalanta, Ludogorets 1-2 Istanbul, Lyon 4-0 Apollon Limassol, Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-2 Slavia Prague, Partizan 2-1 Young Boys, Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 Zlin, Skenderbeu 3-2 Dynamo Kiev