By Victor Kanayo
Barcelona and Manchester United, played out a 2-2 draw in one of the first leg Europa League playoff decided Thursday night at Camp Nou.
At the end of the crucial encounter, the Red Devils couldn’t squeeze out a win, on a ground they won the 1999 Champions League final in a dramatic fashion.
Elsewhere, Monaco came from behind to triumph 3-2 away, against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, with Axel Disasi scoring the winner in the 92nd minute.
An own goal by Leverkusen goalkeeper, Lukas Hradecky had put Monaco ahead early on only for second-half goals by Moussa Diaby and Florian Wirtz to turn the game around.
However, Krepin Diatta pulled the principality team back level before France defender, Disasi’s strike.
Also, Shakhtar Donetsk were 2-1 winners against Rennes as the Ukrainian club, played their first European game since selling star winger, Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea.
Playing in the Polish capital Warsaw, Dmytro Kryskiv put Shakhtar ahead and Artem Bondarenko netted a penalty before Karl Toko-Ekambi pulled one back for Rennes.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma went down 1-0 away to Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg with Argentine midfielder Nicolas Capaldo scoring a late winner.
Sevilla, the competition’s most successful club, beat PSV Eindhoven 3-0 in Spain as Youssef En-Nesyri, Lucas Ocampos and Nemanja Gudelj all netted.
Ajax drew 0-0 with Union Berlin, while Sebastian Coates scored deep into stoppage time to earn Sporting a 1-1 draw with Midtjylland of Denmark in Lisbon.
The second legs will be played next Thursday, with places in the last 16 up for grabs alongside the eight teams, who topped their groups.
Fiorentina were the biggest winners in the first legs of the Europa Conference League play-offs, as they trounced Braga 4-0 in Portugal.
Ciro Immobile gave Lazio a 1-0 victory against CFR Cluj while there were also first-leg wins for Qarabag, Trabzonspor, AEK Larnaca, Partizan Belgrade and Ludogorets.
