Football writer Tom Hancock looks at the key factors as Chelsea win on the road in Europe, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are held.
George stars as Chelsea cruise to victory
Legia Warsaw 0-3 Chelsea
Tyrique George’s first senior goal and Jadon Sancho’s first goal involvements in three months helped UEFA Europa Conference League favourites Chelsea take a commanding 3-0 first-leg lead in their quarter-final against Legia Warsaw.
Chelsea have had to be patient for breakthroughs in recent weeks and that familiar story continued in the Polish capital when, for the seventh consecutive match in all competitions, Enzo Maresca’s side failed to scored in the first half.
Despite dominating the opening 45 minutes, the Blues’ only meaningful opportunity came via a blocked header by Christopher Nkunku from a corner.
As they have done several times of late, though, Chelsea got their noses ahead early in the second half.
Nineteen-year-old academy graduate George, who joined Chelsea as an Under-8, tucked away a close-range rebound, before Noni Madueke, a half-time substitute for Cole Palmer, doubled the lead with his first goal since returning from injury. Madueke was set up by Sancho’s first assist since 4 January.
Both Palmer and defender Tosin Adarabioyo were replaced at the break, a switch that was pre-planned by head coach Maresca.
Nkunku had a chance to make it 3-0, but his barren spell continued and his 73rd-minute penalty saved by Kacper Tobiasz.
The Frenchman scored 12 goals at an average of almost one every other match between the start of the season and Christmas, but he has netted only twice in 15 appearances since then.
Just 25 seconds later, however, Chelsea put the tie seemingly out of reach for Legia, as Sancho and Madueke combined again for the latter to notch his second of the night.
Once more, Chelsea asserted their defensive superiority, making it three successive clean sheets and five in their last six matches.
If they record another shutout at home to struggling Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday Chelsea will be on their longest run of clean sheets since October 2022, when they kept five in a row under Graham Potter.
Onana errors prove costly as Man Utd let lead slip late on
Lyon 2-2 Manchester United
Manchester United were denied victory in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals after a dramatic finish in Lyon, on a night when under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana was at fault for both goals.
For the first time as Man Utd head coach, Ruben Amorim named an unchanged starting XI, keeping faith with the side which began Sunday’s 0-0 Premier League draw at home to Manchester City.
That included Onana, who spent the build-up embroiled in a war of words with Lyon’s former Man Utd midfielder, Nemanja Matic, who criticised the goalkeeper in response to his claim that United were "far better" than their French opponents.
And Onana found himself coming in for further criticism midway through the first half at the Groupama Stadium, after Thiago Almada’s crossed free-kick somehow found its way in at the far post. It’s not the first time this season that the Cameroon international has slipped up on a set-piece.
Man Utd have now conceded first on 24 occasions in all competitions this season, the most of any Premier League club apart from Leicester City (27) and their most in any campaign of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Leny Yoro’s first goal for the club levelled things up deep into first-half stoppage time, and Amorim’s side left it almost as late to complete what looked like a great comeback, Joshua Zirkzee rising to meet a brilliant cross from captain fantastic Bruno Fernandes two minutes from the end of the 90.
But it was not to be for United, as, right at the death, Onana spilled a shot he really ought to have held and Lyon’s young prodigy Rayan Cherki tapped in the equaliser.
It seemed as though Man Utd - the only team across the Champions League and Europa League to remain unbeaten this season - would be heading to face in-form Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday off the back of a hard-fought victory. Instead, they’ll make the trip to St James' Park amid another round of post-match fallout and inquest, with Onana at the centre of it.
Porro on target but Spurs frustrated by heroics of Frankfurt 'keeper
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Like Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur have work to do if they are to reach the last four of the Europa League, after drawing 1-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs went behind inside six minutes to a superb counter-attacking goal from Hugo Ekitike, the France Under-21s striker who has been linked with a string of Premier League clubs.
Ange Postecoglou’s men recovered well, however, restricting the visitors to one more shot during the first half and equalising through Pedro Porro. The right-back was teed up for his 10th Spurs goal by James Maddison, who made amends for losing possession prior to Eintracht’s opener.
Spurs found Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos in inspired form and after Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur both hit the crossbar, Son Heung-min and Maddison each had a curling effort stopped by the Brazilian.
Santos then produced a fine fingertip save from Micky van de Ven's bouncing header deep in stoppage time to further frustrate Postecoglou's side.
Spurs will have been hoping to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since late February, but they will have to try and start a new sequence when they travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday.
That will be easier said than done, though - Spurs have lost seven of their 11 away matches in all competitions this calendar year, something they’ll need to avoid in Frankfurt next Thursday in order to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League as Europa League winners alive.
