In the end, two outstretched hands were decisive. The first, from Bruno Fernandes, probably denied Manchester United their victory; the second, from André Onana, definitely denied Real Sociedad theirs.

United deservedly got themselves into a first-leg lead when Joshua Zirkzee guided a side-footed shot beyond Alex Remiro that appeared to set them up for a win and potentially even one big enough to virtually see them through. But an eagle eye and a video replay revived their Basque opponents, allowing Mikel Oyarzabal to equalise from the spot with 20 minutes left and in the last of those they nearly scored again. Which was when a figure in yellow flew to the rescue.

If Ange Postecoglou was hoping that things might be different for ­Tottenham in the Europa League, then he was sadly mistaken. An abject ­display in which his side fell behind to an early own goal from the unfortunate Lucas Bergvall and then failed to lay a glove on AZ Alkmaar means the ­Australian’s chances of maintaining the proud record of winning a trophy in his second season at every club he has managed now rest on next week’s second leg.

The home side – who are known as the cheese heads – could have been out of sight after repeatedly finding holes in the Spurs defence had it not been for two excellent saves from ­Guglielmo Vicario, including one to deny the Tottenham academy graduate Troy ­Parrott in the first half. Even though Spurs have not even reached the quarter-­finals of this competition in five attempts since 2013, ­Postecoglou said ­beforehand that his players sensed an opportunity to win it now that some of them are back from injury. But the sight of Tottenham’s record signing, Dominic Solanke, limping off late with a ­suspected back problem on his return from seven weeks out with a knee injury potentially made it an even more disastrous evening for the head coach.

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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.

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.

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Ruben Amorim talks to TNT Sports. “We need to be really strong … especially at the beginning of the game … it will be really intense … they are ready … we have tried to manage the load … I know in the second half we will feel it a little bit [after extra time in the FA Cup last weekend] … we are excited to be here … we can cope with the physicality of the game … we watch the opponent and try to see the spaces … they put a high line and [Rasmus Højlund] can use this space … he needs to enjoy again playing football … to stay focused on the small things … he will be OK … we need possession of the ball … if we have the ball it is impossible to score against us … if we lose it in the build-up they are really strong and fast to go to the goal … we are prepared for that … we need to improve the way we have possession … that is the main focus.”

That aforementioned 4-0 win for United in 2021, then. You wouldn’t think Sociedad think of that rout fondly, but they do. Kind of. “They overran us so clearly; the difference was huge,” their keeper Alex Remiro explains. “We could compete in terms of play but physically they were better than us in everything. It finished 4-0 but it could have been seven or eight. We were awful. And watching them it was like: ‘Bloody hell, this is …’ It was: ‘Wow!’ … From that game, from that loss, we started to place more stress on the duels.”