West Ham crush Lyon in Europa League as Rangers see off Braga

JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

West Ham United powered into their first major European semi-final since 1976 with an emphatic 3-0 win at Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday to secure a 4-1 aggregate victory in the Europa League quarter-final.

The London side, who won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, overpowered their French opponents and goals by Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen set up a repeat of their 1976 semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, who knocked out Barcelona.

After a 1-1 draw at home, West Ham soaked up early pressure at the Groupama Stadium before hitting Lyon in ruthless fashion to lead 2-0 at halftime.

Bowen added the third goal soon after the interval and there was no way back for Lyon.

A modest 10th in the Ligue 1 standings, Lyon have little left to play for this season and their fans vented their frustration as a security cordon was deployed around their bench in the closing stages of the game.

Elsewhere, Kemar Roofe struck in extra-time as Rangers beat Braga 3-1 to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and a last-four clash with RB Leipzig.

It's the Scottish side's first appearance in the last four of a European competition since 2008.

Earlier, Leipzig's in-form French forward Christopher Nkunku scored a double to earn the German side a 2-0 win at Atalanta, sealing a 3-1 aggregate quarter-final success.

More from Sports News

  • Neymar nets first goal since Santos return

    Neymar scored for the first time in 16 months after his penalty set Santos on the way to a 3-1 win over Agua Santa in the Paulista Championship on Sunday and the Brazil forward said he was happy to be playing again after a long injury absence.

  • H.H. Sheikh Mohammed attends Al Salam Cycling Championship

    His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the fourth stage of the Al Salam Cycling Championship, which took place on Sunday at Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve.

  • Man Utd 'can't run away' says boss Amorim after Spurs loss

    Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club's plight after they suffered a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.

  • UAE to host FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour

    The UAE is the first stop on the Asian leg of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour with a visit scheduled for February 22-24.

  • Raducanu puts on dominant display in Dubai

    British debutant Emma Raducanu got her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign off to the perfect start, defeating former World Number 3 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 under the lights on Centre Court.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio