Football writer Adrian Clarke assesses Thursday's UEFA Europa League and Conference League matches for Premier League clubs.
Solanke hobbles off in tame Spurs loss
AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Spurs
It was an evening to forget for Tottenham Hotspur as they fell to a narrow defeat against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, who claimed their first victory over English opposition at the 11th attempt.
On a night where Ange Postecoglou’s side registered just a single shot on target, the north Londoners were fortunate to escape without a heavier loss.
Lacking aggression and quality, they were second-best throughout.
The only goal came on 18 minutes when Lucas Bergvall sliced into his own net from a corner, after former Spurs youngster Troy Parrott fed the ball across goal from an unmarked far post position.
It was the fourth set-piece goal Spurs have conceded in this season’s UEFA Europa League, the second-highest tally of all the teams involved.
The Dutch side only had 38.7 per cent of possession but they enjoyed more than the double the number of touches inside the opposition box, creating four "big chances".
Without a couple of fine stops from Guglielmo Vicario, they could easily have gained a more substantial first-leg lead.
Parrott, who had three shots against his former club, will certainly be kicking himself he did not beat Vicario from a first-half 1v1, when centre-backs Kevin Danso and Archie Gray were carved open.
At the break Postecoglou replaced the ineffective Mathys Tel with Wilson Odobert, moving Son Heung-min into the centre-forward position, but in truth it had little effect.
After 72 minutes Dominic Solanke came on for his first appearance since mid-January, but his comeback lasted only 20 minutes.
However Postecoglou was optimistic that Solanke's injury is not serious, and remained positive on a disappointing night for Spurs.
"I haven't seen him [Solanke] yet," Postecoglou said, "but it looks like it was just a knock, so hopefully nothing too serious."
On the match itself, Spurs' 18th defeat in all competitions this season, he added, “It wasn't good, not a great result... actually the result was probably the best thing out of it in that we’re still very much in the tie."
To make it to the last eight they will need to find a big improvement next week.
See: Spurs' report and line-up
Late Onana saves keep Man Utd's tie finely balanced
Real Sociedad 1-1 Man Utd
A weary Manchester United side survived a late onslaught from LaLiga outfit Real Sociedad to ensure they go into next week’s second leg on level terms.
For over an hour Ruben Amorim’s side were extremely comfortable, rarely troubled by the hosts, who didn’t muster a shot on target in the opening half.
A narrow front three saw Rasmus Hojlund flanked by Joshua Zirkzee to his left, with Alejandro Garnacho slotting in in an unusual right-sided berth.
This surprise tactical choice paid dividends after 57 minutes when a rapid breakaway down the right saw Diogo Dalot feed Garnacho. He in turn spotted Zirkzee strolling into the centre from the left, and squared the ball perfectly for the Dutchman to hit it first-time.
Zirkzee's strike wasn’t aimed into the corner, but Sociedad’s unsighted goalkeeper couldn’t react in time to keep the ball out.
It was only his second goal for the club away from Old Trafford.
The tide turned on 70 minutes when Bruno Fernandes, who played well alongside Casemiro in central midfield, handled the ball from a corner. Spain international Mikel Oyarzabal made no mistake from 12 yards out.
Sociedad introduced fresh legs for the final 10 minutes, providing them with great impetus during the closing stages, when they were unlucky not to score three times.
Andre Onana made two fabulous full-length diving saves from Brais Mendez and Orri Oskarsson to maintain parity, before the latter fired wide with a gilt-edged chance from close range.
Based on Thursday night's result Man Utd will be reasonably confident of progressing through to the next round, but there was not too much between the two sides.
See: Man Utd's report and line-up
Maresca's half-time reboot makes it advantage Chelsea
FC Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea
UEFA Conference League favourites Chelsea put a nondescript first-half performance behind them to hold a narrow first-leg lead over plucky Danish side FC Copenhagen.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca used a 3-4-2-1 formation with Malo Gusto as his left wing-back and youngster Tyrique George in the same role down the right. Reece James played in central midfield, while up front, 17-year-old academy prospect Shumaira Mheuka made his first start.
Gusto was forced off injured in the opening half, but at the interval Maresca made three more changes that swung the tie in his side’s favour.
Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez and Christoper Nkunku all entered the fray, with George moving into the striker’s role, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall taking up a narrow right wing-back berth.
Chelsea pressed with more intensity and Maresca's "Plan B" clicked immediately when, just a minute after the restart, substitute Marc Cucurella surged down the left before cutting the ball back to James, who scored his second goal of the campaign with a 22-yard strike into the bottom corner.
Twenty minutes later the ball was cut back to Fernandez following good work down the left from 19-year-old George, and the former scored with a sumptuous right-footed effort on the run.
It should have been game, set and match to Chelsea, but the Londoners switched off badly from a wide free-kick with 11 minutes remaining, allowing Gabriel Pereira to head home in emphatic fashion. This, after Viktor Claesson had earlier run through a square back line to hit the post.
This was not a vintage Blues display with both teams mustering only five shots, and two apiece on target, but thanks to Maresca’s bold tweaks it is Chelsea who are in pole position to reach the quarter-finals.
See: Chelsea's report and line-up
