With both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both progressing to the last 16 of this season’s UEFA Europa League, football writer Adrian Clarke looks at how they fared in their final match of the league phase and who they could face next.
A dream night for Spurs prospects
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Elfsborg
Three of Spurs' academy graduates scored their first goals for the club in quick succession to steer Ange Postecoglou’s side into the last 16.
A stunning spell in the last 25 minutes made this a night to remember for the hosts, who had been labouring against an obdurate Elfsborg outfit. Sat back in a 5-4-1 formation, the Swedes allowed Spurs to have 81.3 per cent of possession.
Dane Scarlett, recalled from a loan spell at Championship side Oxford United, stooped to head home his first Spurs goal from Dejan Kulusevski's inviting, inswinging cross.
Just three minutes and 39 seconds after coming off the bench for his first-team debut, 19-year-old Damola Ajayi lit up the stadium with a brilliant strike.
The teenager drilled a fierce left-footed finish into the bottom corner after cutting in from the right before exchanging a 1-2 with Scarlett.
Mikey Moore then got in on the act, deep into stoppage time, carrying the ball 30 yards before despatching a terrific shot into the bottom corner - his first senior goal for Spurs.
Just 17 years and 172 days old, Moore became England’s youngest ever scorer in major European competition, breaking a record set by Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves back in 1957.
On an evening when records tumbled, Spurs also became the first Premier League team to register three goalscorers under the age of 21 in the same European match since Arsenal did it in 2007 against Slavia Prague (Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Cesc Fabregas).
Those outstanding contributions from Postecoglou’s youngsters elevated spirits on a night when they lost another defender to injury, Radu Dragusin leaving the pitch with a knee problem. On the plus side, key centre-back Micky van de Ven was eased back into action with an effortless runout for the first 45 minutes.
Son Heung-min was also replaced at half-time, having produced a sensational first-half performance. The South Korean completed 10 of his 12 dribbles as he ripped Elfsborg to shreds down the left wing.
That was the most by an individual in the first 45 minutes of any match in Europa League history.
In truth, Son’s achievement was just a footnote, on an evening that belonged to the next generation of Spurs players.
Thanks to their late exploits, Scarlett, Ajayi, and Moore are three names that are now etched in the folklore of this north London club.
Mainoo shines in new role as United cruise through
FCSB 0-2 Manchester United
Kobbie Mainoo was Ruben Amorim’s main man in Bucharest, delivering a stellar display to help Man Utd progress to the last 16.
The 19-year-old was deployed in a new attacking midfield role and became the first United player to score and assist on his first major European start since Wayne Rooney on his debut against Fenerbahce in September 2004.
On the hour mark, Mainoo flashed a low cross along the six-yard box for Diogo Dalot to convert at the far post, before inflicting a telling blow of his own eight minutes later.
After being teed up by substitute Alejandro Garnacho, Mainoo calmly stroked home a finish that sealed victory.
After a relatively ponderous first-half performance, it was a smart tactical half-time switch from Amorim which unlocked his side's potential.
Amad came off the bench to provide the spark as a right wing-back, while Garnacho took up a position as their left-sided No 10, in a shape that morphed into a 3-4-3 diamond formation.
With Toby Collyer and Tyrell Malacia making way, and Christian Eriksen dropping into a deeper role, Amorim moved Mainoo from the left to become a right-sided No 10, with Bruno Fernandes adopting a more offensive central-midfield role.
Mainoo flourished on the right side and linked superbly with Amad throughout a dominant second half.
With a greater proportion of attackers on the field, more powerful running, and the passing much crisper, Man Utd were able to get into dangerous areas on a regular basis.
That is now four straight wins for Amorim in the Europa League, three in all competitions, and he is making a habit of improving his side after the interval.
Remarkably, 19 of Man Utd’s last 20 goals in all competitions have come in the second half.
Who will they face in the next round?
Man Utd and Spurs have qualified in the top eight, meaning they automatically progress to the last 16.
The Red Devils finished unbeaten on 18 points, earning them a third-place finish in the table. That is one point and one position ahead of Postecoglou's side, who ended up fourth.
This means both clubs will be twinned in the draw for the last 16, with each of them facing one of the four teams who enter the playoffs having finished in 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th place.
These are the teams Man Utd and Spurs can be drawn against: Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar and FC Midtjylland.
The draw for the playoffs takes place today (Friday 31 January); the last-16 draw will be held on Friday 21 February.
Lazio and Athletic Club finished as the top two during the league phase, which means that neither English side can now meet them until at least the semi-final stage.