Key events
A Rangers supporter has died in a road traffic accident in Istanbul before the team’s Europa League last-16 game with Fenerbahce at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
The Ibrox club announced the news in a statement on Thursday morning. “We are devastated to have learned of the passing of one of our supporters in a road traffic accident overnight in Istanbul,” it read. “The immediate thoughts of everyone at the club are with their family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
“We are remaining in constant contact with both the Turkish and British authorities over this tragic incident.”
Our first emails of the night – Peter has high expectations for a certain keeper:
The AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro is on the leading edge of modern football. A hyphen in both his first/given name and last/surname! I hope his performance in the match lives up to the hyphen hype.
As do I! Can he top the two great goalkeeping performances from last night? Based on no facts, I think yes!
And Ed has belief in Tottenham:
Spurs reached the final of the Champions League a few years ago. So the snarky comment was misplaced.
No snark here! I actually think they are one of this competitions favourites. Spurs were in the Champions League final five years ago, yes but that was a very different team. I was simply quoting Postecoglou.
Who would Mourinho better suit? Celtic or Rangers? Could he cross the Old Firm divide and manage both at some point?
People can say that the Scottish League is a league of two teams, but it’s a league of passion.
For me, passion in football is everything. For me, to play in empty stadiums, to play in competitions where there is not that fire of the passion doesn’t make any sense. Celtic and Rangers, they are big clubs with big fanbases, with big emotions, big responsibilities, big expectations. Why not?
Does Ange Postecoglou regret saying he “always wins things in his second year”? Maybe, but despite Spurs yo-yo form, he still believes they can all the way and be in the final at Bilbao.
The boys really understand there is a great opportunity for us.
I said before the [Manchester] United game with the week of training that we had with some of the injured lads coming back – it was a lot of positive energy around the place and we ended up winning that game and keeping a clean sheet. It’s the same feeling now with Mickey and Cuti [Romero] back in the squad and everybody is wanting to finish the season strong.
More from the Spurs manager here.
Ben McAleer has analysed the ties and taken a look at which teams are best set to progress to the quarter-finals.
Here are some of his thoughts on how Fenerbahce shape up:
The Yellow Canaries are in good form; their 3-0 win over Antalyaspor on Sunday extends their unbeaten run to 18 matches. José Mourinho’s team are particularly strong at home, having won eight of their past nine at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
However, Mourinho will be without two key players with midfielder Fred suspended and wing-back Bright Osayi-Samuel suspended and injured.
Read more here.
Team news: FCSB v Lyon
FCSB (4-2-3-1): Tarnovanu; Popescu, Ngezana, Dawa, Radunovic; Alhassan, Sut; Miculescu, Edjouma, Cisotti; Tanase
Subs: Udrea, Zima, Stefanescu, Chiriches, Toma, Baluta, Musi, Gheorghita
Lyon (4-4-2): Perri; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhaté, Tagliafico; Tolisso, Matić, Tessmann, Cherki; Nuamah, Mikautadze
Subs: Descamps, Diarra, Akouokou, Veretout, Lacazette, Fofana, Abner, Kumbedi, Omari, Molebe, Almada, Ćaleta-Car
Referee: Tobias Stieler (Germany)
Team news: Fenerbahce v Rangers
Fenerbahce (3-4-1-2): Egribayat; Soyuncu, Skriniar, Akcicek; Muldur, Amrabat, Szymanski, Kostic; Tadic; En-Nesyri, Dzeko
Subs: Livaković, Cetin, Djiku, Yandas, Kahveci, Tosun, Tograk, Talisca, Saint-Maximin
Rangers (4-2-3-1): Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Yilmaz; Raskin, Barron; Cerny, Diomande, Jefté; Dessers
Subs: Lawrence, Bajrami, Nsiala, Sterling, Balogun, Igmane, Hagi, Kelly, McCausland, Rice, Curtis, Danilo
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (Spain)
Team News: AZ v Tottenham
AZ (4-3-3): Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Møller Wolfe; Clasie, Buurmeester, Koopmeiners; Poku, Parrott, Lahdo
Subs: Verhulst, Zoet, Martins Indi, Sadiq, Belić, Dekker, Smit, Kasius, De Wit, Daal, Van Duijn
Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario; Gray, Danso, Udogie, Spence; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Son, Tel, Johnson
Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Bissouma, Romero, Solanke, Porro, Odobert, Sarr, Van de Ven, Scarlett, Moore
Referee: Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia)
We will be following three games tonight:
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AZ Alkmaar v Tottenham
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Fenerbahce v Rangers
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FCSB v Lyon
Manchester United is also in the Basque Country to take on Real Sociedad. I will be posting sporadic updates but for minute-by-minute action join Scott Murray here.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our clockwatch of the second greatest club competition in Europe! Fine, the Europa League may not not have the champions of France, England and Spain tonight but tonight we get to see Tottenham and Rangers – true heavyweights in Europe …
In all seriousness, the Europa League may have a rap for lacking in pure quality but more than makes up for it in drama, upsets and pure smash and grabs. Like last night in the Champions League (but worse).
If that hasn’t tempted you to join me tonight then I will simply remind you José Mourinho will be in the dugout tonight for Fenerbahçe. Twenty-five years into his managerial career and he is still entertaining us in new ways.
As always, feel free to send me your thoughts, predictions, questions, complaints and favourite Europa League last 16 shithousery moments via email.
Kick-offs for the early games are at 5.45pm GMT.
