Europa League: Barcelona revival continues with win over Napoli

Catalans into knockout stages as Rangers progress after draw with Dortmund

Jordi Alba celebrates after scoring the first goal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Photograph: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Jordi Alba celebrates after scoring the first goal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Photograph: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images

Barcelona hit top gear to trounce Napoli 4-2 away from home on Thursday and sail into the last 16 of the Europa League 5-3 on aggregate.

Jordi Alba gave the Catalan club the lead in the eighth minute of the knockout stage playoff second leg with a rare strike on his weaker right foot and Frenkie de Jong put them further ahead with a curling shot after being teed up by a sumptuous backheel from Ferran Torres.

A Lorenzo Insigne penalty gave Napoli hope but Gerard Pique restored Barca’s two-goal advantage right before halftime.

Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham after scoring in the first half at Ibrox Stadium. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA
Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham after scoring in the first half at Ibrox Stadium. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added a fourth in the second period, netting for the fourth time in two games after hitting a hat-trick at Valencia in LaLiga on Sunday. Matteo Politano reduced the deficit to two goals in the 87th minute.

READ MORE

Rangers joined Barca in the last 16 by pulling of a spirited 2-2 draw at home to Borussia Dortmund in front of a raucous Ibrox crowd to progress 6-2 on aggregate.

Real Betis also advanced by holding Zenit St Petersburg to a goalless draw at home and winning 3-2 on aggregate. The Russians were denied a late goal that would have sent the game into extra-time as a VAR review spotted a foul in the build up to Dmitri Chistyakov's strike.

Earlier, six-times winners Sevilla were made to sweat to reach the last 16 as they were beaten 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb and had to survive a nervy finale with 10 men before progressing 3-2 on aggregate.

Sevilla’s Marcos Acuna was punished when the ball bounced on to his hand and Mislav Orsic slotted home the penalty in the 65th minute.

Thomas Delaney was sent off for a second booking in the 91st minute and Dinamo hemmed the Spaniards into their area for the six minutes of added time, even throwing their goalkeeper up to contest a late free kick.

Porto also had to scrap deep into added time to earn their place in the last 16, drawing 2-2 at Lazio to squeeze through 4-3 on aggregate. RB Leipzig won 3-1 at Real Sociedad to progress 5-3 on aggregate while Atalanta hammered Olympiakos 3-0 to complete a 5-1 aggregate win.