LONDON: Ukrainian forward Andriy Yarmolenko was the extra-time hero for West Ham as his goal secured a 2-0 win over Sevilla to secure a 2-1 aggregate win in their Europa League last-16 tie.

Yarmolenko has been on compassionate leave as he tried to deal with the trauma of having friends and relatives back home in war-torn Ukraine.

But after making a goalscoring return to the pitch against Aston Villa on Sunday, Yarmolenko swept the Hammers past Sevilla as he converted a rebound after Pablo Fornals’ low shot had been parried into his path by visiting keeper Bono.

The 32-year-old forward, on as a substitute for Said Benrahma, looked to the skies as he marked his special moment and the London Stadium erupted in jubilation

At the final whistle, he looked almost bewildered in the moment before spotting a fan with a Ukraine flag and handing him his shirt.

Trailing by a single goal from last week’s opener in Spain, Tomas Soucek had pulled West Ham level in the first-half when he guided Michail Antonio’s cross into the far corner with a precise header.

A Sevilla side that has won this tournament four times out of the last eight seasons were a major disappointment – and came no closer than Youssef En-Nesyri’s early effort which was brilliantly saved by Alphonse Areola.

Moyes’ marvels

West Ham manager David Moyes had billed this as the tie of the round. The Scot must now be immensely proud at the way his side have navigated their way into a draw that contains, among others, Barcelona and Rangers.

The last time Moyes managed a team in the last 16 of a European competition, he secured probably his best night as Manchester United manager, when his side came back from a 2-0 first leg deficit to knock Olympiakos out of the Champions League.
As on that night, Moyes’ side had levelled the tie by the interval.
West Ham controlled the tempo of the game despite having a minority of possession.
Fornals and Declan Rice were outstanding in midfield, young defender Ben Johnson superb in a determined defensive display and Antonio – a doubt before the game – ran so hard up front that Sevilla could never rest.
In contrast, Anthony Martial was a disappointment on his return to England and, by the end, Sevilla Julen Lopetegui seemed to have run out of ideas as his side tried to claw their way to penalties.
Sevilla had not lost a European tie after taking a first-leg lead since 1981. Yarmolenko changed that history in a moment for Ukraine to be proud of, in a dark time at home.
West Ham have not had a seamless move from their beloved Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium.
However, this game exploded the myth that there is a lack of atmosphere at the stadium solely because of the running track which, in any case, is reduced in its impact since the stands behind each goal were squared off at the start of the season.
There was no lack of atmosphere on this occasion, a game, West Ham said, was played in front of the highest number of club supporters ever to see a match.
The build-up was heightened by a pre-match light show. The bubbles floated into the night sky and when Soucek’s header found the far corner in the 39th minute, the place erupted.
Celebration was replaced by tension the longer the game went on.
But when Yarmolenko struck the decisive final blow in the 112th minute, the home fans turned up the volume once more.
London Stadium has waited six years for a statement night to go alongside the memories that were left behind in the three-and-a-half mile move.
Now they have one. And on this evidence, the journey might not be over yet.

RANGERS UPSET RED STAR
Rangers reached their first European quarter-final in 14 years after a resilient second-leg showing at Red Star Belgrade sealed a landmark Europa League aggregate victory.
Mirko Ivanic drilled in an early opener to give the Serbian champions hope at the hostile Rajko Mitic Stadium.
But Ryan Kent’s deflected second-half finish ended the tie as a contest after Allan McGregor made several key saves.
Ben Nabouhane grabbed a late Red Star consolation from the spot.
Rangers were rocked for spells with the aggregate scoreline at 3-1, but yet again their veteran keeper was on hand to deliver another outstanding performance in his 99th European appearance for the Scottish champions, ensuring their advantage was not reduced further.
The Ibrox side will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday’s draw, the first time they have reached this stage since their journey to the Uefa Cup final in 2008.
Prior to kick-off, only one team in Europa League history – Valencia against Basel – had overturned a deficit of three or more in the first leg of a knockout tie – and Rangers were in no mood to be the second victim.
In a cauldron of noise at Belgrade’s ‘Marakana’, the Ibrox side were calm and composed in the early exchanges, with Alfredo Morelos first to test the goal with an ambitious strike from the right of the Red Star box.
But the hosts clicked into gear after 10 minutes and ordered Rangers to show a huge test of character when Ivanic drilled in an opener on the night.
Guelor Kanga delivered a short corner into the box and hesitant defending from the away side allowed the ball to bounce before the 28-year-old took one touch and hammered past McGregor.
Rangers’ impressive early work quickly turned to panic as Red Star came close to adding a quickfire second when Ivanic struck across McGregor on the break, but the Rangers keeper’s vital left hand tipped the goal-bound effort around the post.
Red Star boss Dejan Stankovic said his side would be “twice as strong” in the return leg, and Rangers were getting a taste of that as a raucous crowd roared on every home attack.
The visitors looked spooked, but the Serbian hosts’ desperation for more goals provided space on the break for the Ibrox side to expose.
Morelos spurned a three-on-two opportunity when he failed to find Kent with a pass, and that was almost immediately punished when Ohi Omoijuanfo nodded a back-post header into the arms of McGregor straight up the other end.
Another opening for Morelos was dragged wide of the far post, with Red Star again seeing a chance fall their way in the aftermath.
The Rangers backline failed to deal with a long ball as Milan Pavkov was able to pick up the scraps, but the Red Star forward watched his finish trickle by the left-hand post when the forward ought to have found the net.
The Scottish champions have found themselves involved in basketball-like affairs in this season’s knockout stage, but as the half progressed the game became stop-start, allowing Van Bronckhorst’s men to take breath and slow the game down.
There was still time for McGregor to make a crucial first-half intervention when Cristiano Piccini’s curling effort was tipped over by the 40-year-old – a crucial moment in the tie – and the Rangers stopper was again at full stretch to react to a Red Star corner early in the second period.
There was then a one-on-one opportunity for Omoijuanfo, who outmuscled Calvin Bassey but overhit a simple pass to Pavkov, who was lurking for a simple tap-in.
It was a sliding-doors moment for Red Star as Glen Kamara’s pass in behind the home defence soon after saw Kent race clear and guide a deflected finish over Milan Borjan.
That goal sapped the energy out the home crowd, but their side continued to pepper the Rangers goal as Ivanic had an effort drag past the back post and a header parried to safety by McGregor in quick succession.
The resulting corner saw McGregor make a rare fumble from Kanga’s long-range effort, but the keeper recovered to gather Nabouhane’s rebounded effort which really should have burst the net.
Kemar Roofe, who came on for the injured Morelos, was denied a fifth for Rangers when the substitute forced Borjan down to his right.
But it would be Red Star who would have the last say when Kamara gave away a penalty for a step on the toe of Filippo Falco.
Nabouhane converted low to the left, sending McGregor the wrong way, but it was no more than a consolation as Rangers progressed on another memorable European night for this set of players.
Man of the match – Allan McGregor
The evergreen 40-year-old was absolutely crucial again for his side, making a string of stunning saves at vital times in the game
What did we learn?
Competition favourites Borussia Dortmund? Tick. Serbian champions Red Star? Tick. Who next?
Champions League calibre opposition in Barcelona, Atalanta and RB Leipzig potentially lie in wait for Van Bronckhorst’s side – but would anyone fancy being paired with this Rangers side, who continue to shine on the European stage?
A two legged quarter-final adds more minutes and mileage to a season-defining April, but the Ibrox club must embrace a first last-eight venture in 14 years.
With Dortmund and Red Star side dispatched in empathic style, anyone with allegiances to Rangers deserves to dream.
What the manager said
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst told BT Sport: “I’m very proud – it’s a great achievement to reach the last eight. We knew it would be difficult. Our belief is only getting stronger.
“There are big teams left in the draw. The opponent will be stronger with each round. The result against Dortmund is one that the whole of Europe thinks is a great achievement.”
What the stats say
Rangers have now won only one of their last six Uefa Europa League away games (D3 L2), while they have conceded in each of their last seven such games; excluding qualifiers, it’s their longest such run in major European competition since September 1999 (run of 13).
Since the start of last season, only Bayer Leverkusen (9) have scored more goals from set pieces (ex. penalties) in the Uefa Europa League than Red Star (8).
All four of Ryan Kent’s Uefa Europa League goals have come in the knockout stages. Since 2018-19, no Rangers player has scored more goals in the knockout stages than him (James Tavernier also 4).
At 40 years and 45 days, Rangers’ Allan McGregor is the oldest goalkeeper to make at least 11 saves in a Europa League game, while it’s the most in the knockout stages of the competition since Copenhagen’s Karl-Johan Johnsson against Man Utd in August 2020 (13).

CONFERENCE LEAGUE

LEICESTER MAKE IT
Wesley Fofana made a dream return after seven months out injured as his goal helped Leicester City edge past Rennes and move into the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
Leicester won the first leg 2-0 at the King Power Stadium but their advantage was halved inside eight minutes when Benjamin Bourigeaud finished from Martin Terrier’s low cross.
But 21-year-old central defender Fofana, playing for the first time since breaking a leg in a pre-season friendly against Villarreal in August, then glanced in a header from Ademola Lookman’s corner.
The Frenchman ran and hugged boss Brendan Rodgers in emotional scenes, although that was not the last of the goals.
Rennes regained the lead on the night through substitute Flavien Tait’s low strike into the bottom corner in the 75th minute, with the hosts needing one more goal to force extra-time.
They nearly got it, but Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made a superb save with his legs to deny Serhou Guirassy in the 85th minute.
The Foxes held on to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory to move into the last eight of a European competition for only the second time in their history, after they lost to Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2017.
Rodgers said: “Wesley is an amazing player. That’s what top players do, they come in – he’s only been back in training a few weeks – and they want to go and head it.
“That’s something we’ve really missed a lot of the season. Someone with that mentality – and that’s a top player’s mentality. He’s such a massive prospect.”
The draw for the next round takes place on Friday in Switzerland.
For Leicester, 12th in the Premier League but well adrift of European qualification and well clear of the relegation zone, this competition provides their main source of excitement for the rest of the campaign.
In the past two years they have been pushing for Champions League qualification and finished fifth in successive campaigns before winning the FA Cup for the first time last season.
That took them into the Europa League but, after only finishing third in their group, they dropped into the third-tier Europa Conference League.
After the home win in the first leg, Rodgers warned his players that the tie was not over and they would have to “suffer a little bit” in the second leg in north-west France.
That was certainly the case in a hectic match at a packed and noisy Roazhon Park with the game played in a superb atmosphere.
Rennes, fourth in Ligue 1, made a bright start, scored early on and put the Foxes under pressure, before Fofana’s goal early in the second half looked to have settled the visitors’ nerves.
But Tait’s strike set up a frantic, thrilling finish with Leicester’s defenders throwing their bodies in front of the ball and Baptiste Santamaria shooting wide in the 92nd minute.
Rennes appealed for a penalty deep in injury time after Harvey Barnes headed the ball off Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s arm in the area, but, with video assistant referees not being used in the competition until the final, it was not given, Leicester survived to hang on and advance.