Europa League

The year of Marcus Rashford continued Thursday as the Manchester United forward scored the lone goal against Real Betis at Estadio Benito Villamarín, giving the Red Devils a 5-1 aggregate victory and easy passage to the Europa League quarterfinals.

Before the World Cup, Rashford had a total of eight goals in 19 appearances across all competitions. Since the tournament in Qatar, the 25-year-old has found the back of the net 18 times in 24 games. The total of 26 from 43 is already a career best and the Red Devils are still competing on three fronts.

I've been actively losing sleep due to feeling bad for Rennes defender Jeanuël Belocian. A freak Belocian own goal vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in the 119th minute of Thursday’s Europa League playoff match tied the aggregate score at 3-3 and sent the two teams to penalties.

Shakhtar would win the penalty shootout 5-4.

MANCHESTER, England - It was Groundhog Day for Barcelona at Old Trafford on Thursday as Manchester United fought back to earn a 2-1 win that knocked the Spanish side out of the Europa League, leaving the Catalans licking their wounds after another continental failure.

Last season they also ended up in the Europa League playoffs after finishing third in their Champions League group and were knocked out of Europe's second tier competition in the quarterfinals after a 3-2 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou.

Heading into Thursday's Europa League playoff between Sevilla and PSV at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, the Spanish side simply needed to protect the 3-0 advantage they'd earned at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán last week while the Dutch club needed its own remontada.

PSV supporters willed their side forward, but the opening 45 minutes passed without much goalmouth incident. Sevilla's strategy was clear as early as the 33rd-minute when Marcos Acuña was booked for time-wasting over a throw-in.

Ángel Di María scored all three of Juventus’ goals in the Italian side’s 3-0 victory vs. Nantes to advance to the Europa League Round of 16. The Argentine was unstoppable and set the tone five minutes in.

In the fifth minute an insane Di María goal put Juventus ahead 2-1 on aggregate. Look at the curve on this shot.

Di María goal vs. Nantes

ÁNGEL DI MARÍA STOP THAT. pic.twitter.com/NgYfrwUJLf

BARCELONA - Barcelona fought back to earn a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in a pulsating Europa League knockout round playoff first leg on Thursday.

United were the better side for large parts of the game and controlled the tempo but were denied by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen who made three outstanding saves in the first half.

Another huge save from Marc-André ter Stegen. pic.twitter.com/2HI7Wdzm9c

NYON, Switzerland - Barcelona and Manchester United will meet in the Europa League playoffs for a place in the competition's last 16.

Spanish side Barcelona met the 2017 Europa League winners twice in the 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals, winning on both occasions, while United lost both legs of the 2018-19 UCL quarterfinal meeting between the pair.