By the interval Shels were two up ahead and coasting. Harry Wood's sublime 23rd minute goal and Ali Coote's deflected finish seven minutes later meant the tie was over as a contest by the break. The Blues avoided further damage but in reality they were swept aside. For Linfield and their manager David Healy, this is a third play-off defeat in six years.
The Europa League final, which they lost to Tottenham Hotspur, was Manchester United's last chance to qualify for any European competition as they finished last season in 15th place in the Premier League.
Rangers are set to miss out on Manchester City's Callum Doyle, with the England youth defender closing in on a 8m switch to Wrexham. (The Athletic), external New Celtic defender Hayato Inamura has been told by Brendan Rodgers he is not good enough to play in the Champions League - yet. (Daily Record), external Barry Ferguson would have targeted Dundee's Josh Mulligan and Lawrence Shankland of Heart of Midlothian if he had been retained as Rangers manager. (Scottish Sun),
Four of Scotland's five European representatives remain in contention for UEFA competitions, with Celtic, Rangers, and Aberdeen seeking places in the Champions League and Europa League. Hibernian faces a tough Conference League qualifier against Legia Warsaw without a safety net, as UEFA's nation ranking depends on points collected over five years. Scotland ranks 17th and aims for 15th to improve future qualification routes, needing to close a 2.8 points gap from Austria, which is equivalent to winning seven league matches.
While Bohemians have transformed into a surprise package this season, Sligo Rovers find themselves firmly in the relegation zone, making this a crucial matchup.
Now, however, after it looked as if Chris Wood's diving header had lifted them into fifth place, Facundo Buonanotte's late equaliser means that Champions League qualification is out of their hands.
