UEFA Europa League scores, results: Arsenal, Tottenham get leg up in round of 16; Manchester United draw Milan

Europa League round of 16 action kicked off Thursday

The UEFA Europa League round of 16 kicked off Thursday with first-leg matches. Eight first legs are in the books, and Arsenal, Tottenham, Ajax and Roma are among the teams who will take advantages into next week's second legs. Arsenal scored three crucial away goals in their 3-1 win over Olympiacos, while Tottenham beat Dinamo Zagreb at home. 

Manchester United, meanwhile, looked like they were going to be a first-leg winner, but the Red Devils allowed a stoppage-time goal against AC Milan at Old Trafford in a 1-1 draw. Second-leg matches will be held on March 18. You can stream every Europa League knockout stage match on Paramount+.

Find the scores from the day, as well as key takeaways, below.

Europa League round of 16 scores

• FINAL: Slavia Prague 1, Rangers 1 
  
• FINAL: Manchester United 1, AC Milan 1
  
• FINAL: Dynamo Kiev 0, Villarreal 2
  
• FINAL: Ajax 3, Young Boys 0
  
• FINAL: Granada 2, Molde 0
  
• FINAL: Tottenham Hotspur 2, Dinamo Zagreb 0
  
• FINAL: Olympiacos 1, Arsenal 3
  
• FINAL: Roma 3, Shakhtar Donetsk 0

Takeaways

Odegaard opens Arsenal account with authority

Martin Odegaard opened his goalscoring account with Arsenal on Thursday in impressive fashion. On loan from Real Madrid, the midfielder received a ball from Thomas Partey into space and just outside the box and placed force behind the shot for the opening goal against Olympiacos. 

The Greek side equalized on an impressive goal of their own by Youssef El-Arabi just ahead of the hour mark on a terrible error in the back by the Gunners.

The deadlock was short lived as Arsenal took control of the match as the second half progressed. Gabriel scored the go-ahead goal for Gunners in the 79th minute. Mohamed Elneny connected on goal after a mere three minutes on the pitch as a substitution to give the Gunners one foot in the quarterfinals.

Roma look strong

Roma saw little possession but dominated on the ball in the final third, making Shakhtar pay in transition throughout the match. Look at this breakaway goal from Stephan El Shaarawy, who scored in the 73rd minute after subbing on just 10 minutes prior.

Rangers earn draw on the road

Slavia Prague stunned Rangers with a goal in the seventh minute by Nicolae Stanciu.

The first 45 minutes remained competitive as Slavia Prague continued to generate attacks and Rangers were on the hunt for the equalizer. The pay-off came in the 36th minute with a goal by Rangers defender Filip Helander. Despite a disjointed game from Rangers, the 1-1 draw means they carry a solid away result into their second-leg home fixture next week.

Ajax, Villareal notch wins

Ajax dominated Young Boys despite lots of missed opportunities. Ajax outshot their opposition, 7-1, in the first half and retained  69 percent of possession. Despite controlling the tempo of the match and getting into the final third, the finishing was lacking.

The breakthrough on goal finally happened after the hour mark as Davy Klaassen connected on goal in the 62nd minute. Duan Tadic and Brian Brobbey extended the scoreline in the winding minutes of the match.

Villarreal, meanwhile, established tempo early against Dynamo Kiev, controlling the game in the opening 15 minutes. The La Liga side pulled ahead on a goal from Pau Torres in the 30th minute, and Raul Albiol extended the lead in the 52nd minute.