#european-competition

#european-competition

The Gunners finished top of the table in the league phase, winning all eight fixtures, scoring the most goals and conceding the fewest of all 32 teams. A top two finish was then made official after a 3-1 victory in the San Siro, meaning Arsenal are now assured of hosting the second legs in all of their knockout matches.

When Martin O'Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, the Celtic ship was listing. When he returned for a second interim spell after Wilfried Nancy's tumultuous and brief reign, the ship was taking on water at an alarming rate. Celtic have needed a safe pair of hands and a figurehead to unite a fanbase in revolt twice this season. On both occasions they have turned to O'Neill to save them.

We wanted to be aggressive, but made a mistake with the press, allowed a dangerous attack, and it scared us. So, we were too stretched out in the first half, weren't aggressive enough in the press. Having said all that, it's understandable. We knew the difficulties of this match, and when they start to pile up with six in a row every three days, you will inevitably pay a price.

Already for Ange Postecoglou it feels like an interminable wait. Just as it seemed he would record his first victory as Nottingham Forest manager in a competition he won last season, Antony levelled for Real Betis to kill the party. Igor Jesus scored twice as Forest recovered from Cedric Bakambu's opener and hit the woodwork in pursuit of a first-half hat-trick but the former Manchester United winger, derided after struggling in the Premier League, equalised in the 85th minute.

Yes, and I love it,

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been sacked by Turkish club Besiktas. The 52-year-old took charge of the Istanbul club in January and steered them to a fourth-placed finish last season. But after defeat by Swiss side Lausanne in the Conference League play-offs on Thursday meant the club would not be playing European football this season, the club dismissed the Norwegian.

Uefa has imposed a 10-year ban on FK Arsenal Tivat from European competitions due to a match-fixing investigation, involving severe penalties for players and officials.

Lyon need a cash injection of €100m and a further €100m guarantee for the next two years to potentially secure their place back in Ligue 1.

Melo believes that South American teams have proven they can compete with European sides at the Club World Cup, showcasing their quality and talent.

Bournemouth has made three lineup changes for their match against Aston Villa, with Semenyo, Scott, and Smith starting, while Araujo, Kluivert, and injured Ouattara sit out.

I'm really strong at the moment of these parallel worlds we're trying to traverse [in the league and Europe]... people are always trying to diminish it...

Celtic can confirm their fourth successive title with a draw against Dundee United. Rangers, currently trailing by 15 points, need a win coupled with a Celtic loss to delay the title.