Man United and Tottenham reach Europa League round of 16. Mourinho’s Fenerbahce into playoffs

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Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Manchester United at the National Arena stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo celebrates with Alejandro Garnacho after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Manchester United at the National Arena stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Manchester United at the National Arena stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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Tottenham’s head coach Ange Postecoglou celebrates after the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Elfsborg at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

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Tottenham’s Oyindamola Ajayi, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Elfsborg at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

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Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski, centre, celebrates after Dane Scarlett scored the opening goal the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Elfsborg at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

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Braga’s goalkeeper Mathues saves the ball in front of Lazio’s Boulaye Dia during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between SC Braga and Lazio at the Municipal stadium in Braga, Portugal, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

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Lazio’s Gustav Isaksen, left, kicks the ball next to Braga’s Ismael Gharbi during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between SC Braga and Lazio at the Municipal stadium in Braga, Portugal, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

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Roma’s Angelino, not in the picture, scores his side’s first goal past Frankfurt’s Tuta, left, and Frankfurt’s goalkeeper Kevin Trapp during an Europa League soccer match between Roma and Eintracht Frankfurt, at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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Roma’s Eldor Shomurodov, right, scores his side’s 2nd goal during an Europa League soccer match between Roma and Eintracht Frankfurt, at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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Roma’s Eldor Shomurodov celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s 2nd goal during an Europa League soccer match between Roma and Eintracht Frankfurt, at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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Athletic players celebrate after Javier Marton scored his side’s third goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Viktoria Plzen at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

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Athletic Bilbao’s Yeray Alvarez, right, scores his side’s second goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Viktoria Plzen at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

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Rangers’ Zakariya Lovelace, top, jumps for the ball during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Rangers FC and Union Saint-Gilloise, in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

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Rangers FC fans cheer their players at the end of the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Rangers FC and Union Saint-Gilloise, in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

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FC Midtjylland’s Valdemar Byskov, center, celebrates scoring during the UEFA Europa League match between FC Midtjylland and Fenerbahçe at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (Claus Fisker/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

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FC Midtjylland’s Aral Simsir, left, and Fenerbahce’s Alexander Djiku in action during the UEFA Europa League match between FC Midtjylland and Fenerbahçe at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. (Claus Fisker/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

By KAREL JANICEK

Manchester United and Tottenham put their inconsistent domestic campaigns aside and advanced to the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.

Diogo Dalot tapped in a precise cross by Kobbie Mainoo on the hour mark and Mainoo netted eight minutes later for a 2-0 victory over Romanian champion FCSB in Bucharest.

Tottenham got goals from academy graduates to beat Swedish club Elfsborg 3-0 in London. Spurs waited until the 70th minute for substitute Dane Scarlett to break the deadlock before adding two more through substitute Damola Ajayi and 17-year-old Mikey Moore.

Of the 36 teams in the revamped competition, the top eight go directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into the two-legged knockout playoffs on Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 with the winners making the last 16.

The draw is scheduled for Friday.

United, which is 12th in the Premier League, competed the league phase of the second-tier European competition in third place and undefeated with five wins and three draws, trailing the top by one point.

“Kobbie (Mainoo) played very well in that position, with more freedom and not so much responsibility running back all the time,” United manager Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports. “The lads did a good job, another clean sheet.”

Not PARSE.LY: Kobbie Mainoo

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Man United’s Mason Mount sustains latest injury and is substituted after 14 minutes against Man City

Amorim’s squad has shown signs of improvement since he said the team was “the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.”

Thursday’s victory was the third straight in one week after beating Rangers in the Europa League a week ago and Fulham in the Premier League three days later.

Tottenham is languishing in 15th place in the Premier League. Its seven-match winless run in the league is its worst since 2008. But it won five, drew two and lost one for the fourth place in the Europa League.

Lazio, the only team that qualified to the round of 16 with a game to spare, was handed its first defeat, 1-0, away at Braga. Still, the Portuguese team was eliminated.

Lazio still topped the standings with 19th points, the same as the second Athletic Bilbao.

Bilbao secured the second place after a 3-1 home win over 10-man Viktoria Plzen, which has a playoff spot.

Frankfurt completed the league phase in fifth despite a 2-0 loss at Roma. Angeliño and Eldor Shomurodov lifted Roma with the goals at Stadio Olimpico.

Lyon was sixth despite being held 1-1 at home by Ludogorets.

Olympiacos in seventh after routing Qarabag 3-0.

Rangers squeezed in to complete the top eight by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1.

José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce avoided an embarrassing early exit with a 2-2 away draw at Denmark’s Midtjylland. The result sent both into the playoffs. The hosts were 20th while Midtjylland took 24th, giving Mourinho a chance to add to his European trophies.

Ajax ended a three-game losing streak by handing Galatasaray its first defeat, 2-1 with both teams making the playoffs.

Hoffenheim’s 4-3 away win at Anderlecht was not enough for the Bundesliga team to advance. The Belgian club finished 10th.

Real Sociedad, FCSB, Porto, AZ Alkmaar, Twente and PAOK are among other teams that advanced.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer