Spurs through despite draw

Arsenal welcomes back fans in routine win over Rapid Vienna

December 04, 2020 09:36 pm | Updated 09:36 pm IST - Paris

Slotting in: Dele Alli scores Tottenham Hotspur’s third goal from the spot.

Slotting in: Dele Alli scores Tottenham Hotspur’s third goal from the spot.

Premier League leader Tottenham struggled to gain the draw it needed in Linz, finishing 3-3 on Thursday thanks to two penalties and securing a place in the knock-out rounds of the Europa League.

The result in Austria ensured that Antwerp — which beat Ludogorets 3-1 — will also advance from Group J with only first place in the group at stake when they meet next week.

Elsewhere in the early games, Braga, AC Milan, Lille, Villarreal, Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade ensured their places in the last 32 with one round of group games still to play.

They join Leicester, Arsenal, Hoffenheim and Roma who had already qualified.

For the first time in 270 days, fans were back inside a Premier League ground as Arsenal welcomed 2,000 supporters into the Emirates for its routine 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna.

The sparse crowd in a 60,000 capacity stadium, were well distanced between two stands and in high spirits despite the Gunners’ poor form of late in the English top-flight.

Despite Arsenal having already booked its place in the knockout stages, demand from fans to be one of the lucky few back through the gates crashed the club website on Saturday morning.

In Group H, AC Milan fell two goals behind at home to eliminated Celtic but rallied to win 4-2 and advance.

Milan is second in the group, one point behind Lille which also came from behind to win at home.

In Group G, Leicester fielded a weakened side against Zorya in the Ukraine and lost 1-0.

Villarreal secured first place in Group I as Samuel Chukwueze scored the only goal away to Sivasspor in Turkey.

Important results: Group A: Roma 3 (Mayoral 44, Calafiori 59, Dzeko 81) bt Young Boys 1 (Nsame 34).

Group B: Arsenal 4 (Lacazette 10, Pablo Mari 18, Nketiah 44, Smith Rowe 66) bt Rapid Vienna 1 (Kitagawa 47).

Group C: Nice 2 (Kamara 26, Ndoye 47) lost to Bayer Leverkusen 3 (Diaby 22, Dragovic 32, Baumgartlinger 51).

Group F: AZ Alkmaar 1 (Martins Indi 54) drew with Napoli 1 (Mertens 6); Real Sociedad 2 (Bautista 69, Monreal 79) drew with Rijeka 2 (Velkoski 38, Loncar 73).

Group G: Zorya Luhansk 1 (Sayyadmanesh 84) bt Leicester City 0.

Group H: AC Milan 4 (Calhanoglu 24, Castillejo 26, Hauge 50, Diaz 82) bt Celtic 2 (Rogic 7, Edouard 14).

Group I: Sivasspor 0 lost to Villarreal 1 (Chukwueze 75).

Group J: LASK Linz 3 (Michorl 42, Eggstein 84, Karamoko 90+3) drew with Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Bale 45+2-pen, Son 56, Alli 87-pen).

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