PARIS: Pierre-Emerick Aubam­­eyang scored the winner as Barcelona fought back from a goal down to beat Galatasaray 2-1 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals after a scoreless draw in the first leg.

Aubameyang netted from close range four minutes into the second half in Istanbul as Xavi Hernandez’s Barca maintained their chances of ending the season with a trophy. The Spanish giants are playing Europe’s second-tier competition after failing to advance to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2004.

“We played a match of huge personality,” said Xavi.“It was a great performance to fight back on a ground like this against a very good team.”

Fellow Spanish side Sevilla were knocked out of the competition they have won a record six times, losing to West Ham United after Ukraine forward Andriy Yarmolenko scored the decisive goal in extra time. West Ham won 2-0 to advance 2-1 on aggregate, reaching the quarter-finals of a European competition for the first time since 1981.

It was the second extra-time loss on the night for the two Seville teams trying to reach the final in their home city. Real Betis went out after Eintracht Frankfurt secured a 1-1 draw with a own-goal from Guido Rodriguez in the dying seconds as a penalty shootout loomed, going through 2-1 on aggregate.

Elsewhere, Rangers reached the quarterfinals on a 4-2 aggregate score despite losing 2-1 to Red Star in Belgrade while Atalanta also wrapped up a 4-2 aggregate success over Bayer Leverkusen as Jeremie Boga’s injury-time strike secured a 1-0 win in Germany.

Portuguese club Braga pulled of a spirited 1-1 draw at Monaco, advancing 3-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-0 in Port­ugal. Olympique Lyonnais held Porto to a 1-1 draw and advanced to the last eight 2-1 on aggregate.

RB Leipzig advanced automatically as their opponents Spartak Moscow were among Russian clubs expelled from international competitions following the country’s military invasion of Ukraine.

In the inaugural Europa Conference League, Leicester City advanced 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 away loss to Rennes. Defender Wesley Fofana, playing for the first time this season after injury, scored the all-important second-half goal for Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes.

Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma needed an injury-time equaliser by England forward Tammy Abraham to salvage a 1-1 home draw against Vitesse and a 2-1 aggregate win.

Of the four Dutch teams in the last 16, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord cruised into the quarter-finals while AZ Alkmaar and Vitesse were knocked out.

PSV thrashed FC Copenhagen 4-0 in Denmark after a 4-4 first-leg draw to go through, with Olympique de Marseille also into the last-eight hat after winning 2-1 at Basel after victory by the same scoreline in the first leg.

PAOK, Slavia Prague and Norwegians Bodo/Glimt also advanced.

Barca, who also needed an away win at Napoli just to reach the round of 16, looked to be in trouble when Brazilian defender Marcao gave Galatasaray the lead in the 28th minute with a diving header from a corner.

But 19-year-old Pedri scored the equaliser with a fine individual goal, receiving a pass from Ferran Torres and leaving two defenders on the floor with great skill before tucking home from close range.

Aubameyang’s header hit the crossbar in the first-half injury time but was in the right place to turn in a squared pass from Frenkie de Jong, who had collected the rebound after a good save by Galatasaray goalkeeper Inaki Pena.

Yarmolenko netted his second goal in five days after also scoring for West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday in his first appearance since Russia’s invasion of his homeland. The substitute was on hand to tap in a rebound after Pablo Fornals’ shot was parried into his path. Czech Republic midfielder Tom Soucek headed in the opening goal for West Ham.

Borja Iglesias scored in the final minute for Betis to force extra time in Frankfurt it wasn’t enough for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

Rangers reached the last eight for the first time since losing the 2008 UEFA Cup final to Zenit Saint Petersburg despite losing in Serbia. Mirko Ivanic gave Red Star hope by scoring the opener early in the first half, but Rangers held on and Ryan Kent equalised after the interval. El Fardou Ben’s goal in stoppage time was too little too late for Red Star.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2022