From Gerrard to AZ, the key winners and losers from the latest 2018/19 Europa League qualifiers

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It’s not long now until we know the identity of those participating in this season’s Europa League.

No fewer than 48 clubs will play in the group phase, and there is plenty of British interest with Arsenal and Chelsea having booked their spots.

So, who joins them? This week saw the second qualifying round conclude including the match between Burnley and Aberdeen. And, as usual, there are standout winners and losers.

Winner: Lewis Ferguson

The name Ferguson is forever synonymous with Aberdeen, more so in a European context. It was under Sir Alex Ferguson they clinched the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup at mighty Real Madrid’s expense.

Fast-forward 35 years and it’s another Ferguson making headlines. No relation, though he is the nephew of former Rangers and Blackburn skipper Barry. Step forward 18-year-old Lewis, having made his senior professional debut last weekend against the same opposition, he’d register his first Dons goal. And what a strike.

Loser: Aberdeen’s concentration level

However, it wasn’t to be, despite a valiant effort, Burnley ran out 3-1 winners (4-2 on aggregate) on the night after extra time.

Concentration was paramount once 90 minutes were over, as it only takes a moment to go from hero to zero, unfortunately for Derek McInnes, his side was caught napping.

Andrew Considine failed to deal with Jack Cork, who rose to put the Clarets back in front before Scott McKenna callously gave a spot-kick away for Ashley Barnes to bury.

Their agony, though, was Burnley’s ecstasy. Sean Dyche’s men can still dream of European football at Turf Moor during the regular season.

Winner: Steven Gerrard

Another game, another unbeaten performance. Steven Gerrard, who became Rangers boss earlier this summer, knows tougher matches lie ahead but for now it’s a job well done.

So far, all of his competitive outings have come in the Europa League. After four matches in the competition, his record reads: two wins and two draws. Under the former Liverpool captain, the Gers have bagged four goals and conceded just the once.

Ahead of the second leg against Croatian club Osijek, Gerrard was described as a “tiny man” his opponent’s 21-year-old midfielder, Robert Mudrazija, who also declared his team “better, stronger, more skilful and better organised than Rangers,” according to the Scottish Sun.

The knowledge that it will be Rangers, and not Mudrazija’s Osijek, who face Slovenian side Maribor in the third qualifying round for the Europa League allowed Gerrard the chance to savour his response to these remarks during his post-match interview. “Sometimes it doesn’t help your players, it just motivates the opposition,” the Gers manager said. “Talking doesn’t win you football matches – it doesn’t get you results.

“We thrive on all that kind of talk. We enjoyed it. My players came out and played like men and we did our talking on the pitch.”

Loser: Rio Ave

Outside the ‘big four’ in Portugal last season, all of whom accumulated 75 or more points, Rio Ave were the best of the rest.

And they would have been expected to make this season’s Europa League group phase, but Polish side Jagiellonia had other ideas.

After winning the first leg 1-0, Rio Ave had it all to do, and José Manuel Gomes’ men fell on their own sword. Bagging four goals – a strong effort – is made redundant if you can’t keep the same number out.

Winner: Atalanta

To say Gian Piero Gasperini was disappointed after his Atalanta side threw away a two-goal lead against FK Sarajevo last week is an understatement.

Complacency at this level will always be punished, Atalanta weren’t going to make the same mistake again. In doing so they inflicted a humiliating defeat on their Bosnian hosts.

The club from Bergamo romped to an emphatic 0-8 victory, the biggest winning margin of the evening, with teenager Musa Barrow grabbing a hat-trick.

Loser: AZ

Dutch club football has seen better days with recent performances in Europe, particularly against those with even smaller resources, leaving a lot to be desired.

The latest disappointment involves AZ, who were eliminated at the hands of Kazakh outfit FC Kairat, losing 2-0 in the former Soviet republic before claiming a 2-1 win at home.

What has not helped is John van den Brom losing two huge players in the shape of Wout Weghorst and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, but with their squad, they should be doing better.

The post From Gerrard to AZ, the key winners and losers from the latest 2018/19 Europa League qualifiers appeared first on Squawka News.



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