West Ham have had some memorable European nights over the past two years. They need another one at the London Stadium next Thursday.

They should have been coasting through, but still have a lot of work to do. But this Freiburg side should be swept aside in London.

David Moyes will be wondering just how his side have managed to lose this one, if they do so. Two minutes to go.

Just after Freiburg's goal, West Ham brought on Kalvin Phillips on for James Ward-Prowse.

Kurt Zouma tries to volley in an equaliser but fails to get a clean contact from Tomas Soucek's header down.

Benfica are back level against Rangers.

Connor Goldson.has just headed into his own net.

Follow the closing stages here.

Freiburg are down in ninth in the Bundesliga so may need to win this competition to get back into Europe.

Michael Gregoritsch sends a tame header at Lukasz Fabianski, before James Ward-Prowse's effort lacks power at the other end.

Great tracking back from James Ward-Prowse to watch the run of Ritsu Doan, who had got into a dangerous position. West Ham starting to look the better team here as they look to take a lead to the London Stadium.

A change from David Moyes as Emerson comes off and Aaron Cresswell is on.

West Ham have already beaten Freiburg twice this season and another win is very much there for the taking. Twenty minutes plus a bit of injury time to get the breakthrough.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, Rangers still lead 2-1 in Benfica - you can follow that here.

While former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored twice for Marseille, who are thrashing Villarreal 4-0.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has scored again for AC Milan - his third goal in three European matches - as they lead Slavia Prague 3-1.

The game is getting more open, and that nearly leads to West Ham striking first.

The Hammers spring a counter-attack and Jarrod Bowen cuts in from the right and curls one left-footed. It's going in too, before Noah Atubolu, flinging himself to his right, gets fingertips to it to push it around the post.

Brilliant save from the keeper to keep it 0-0.

Chance for West Ham. Mohammed Kudus, arguably West Ham's best performer so far, flights in a cross to the back post and Lucas Paqueta is there, six yards out, but can only head it over the top.

Frustration on the face of David Moyes. It has been one of those nights so far for West Ham.

James Ward-Prowse has created 22 chances in this competition, more than any other player in the Europa League this season.

Freiburg captain Christian Gunter drills a cross / shot through a crowded penalty area. Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski can just watch it go wide, but he'd have been much more worried if a Freiburg player had got a touch.

From the following corner it is a gorgeous delivery from James Ward-Prowse and Konstantinos Mavropanos is there at the back post, he gets above his marker but heads against the foot of the post.

A half chance for West Ham. Jarrod Bowen crosses from the right and Lucas Paqueta has set himself and is just about to volley at goal. But brilliant defending from Ritsu Doan as he gets a foot in from nowhere to deny Paqueta.

As is often the case in these type of games, there is an immediate improvement at the start of the second half. Mohammed Kudus looks to inject some class into proceedings and runs at the Freiburg defence.

He gets into the penalty area and shoots left-footed but it is straight at Noah Atubolu.

At the other end, Matthias Ginter goes airborne for a spectacular bicycle kick. It bounces off Tomas Soucek and that makes it easy for Lukasz Fabianski.

Back under way in Germany.

It's a great game at Benfica.

Angel Di Maria levels on the stroke of half time but Rangers retake the lead in injury time through Dujon Sterling.

Follow that on the BBC Sport website here.

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool will go into Sunday's huge Premier League game with Manchester City on the back of a seventh straight win after taking control of their Europa League last-16 tie against Sparta Prague.

The Reds were at their ruthless best in the first leg, scoring three goals before half-time to silence the home fans on a chaotic night in the Czech Republic capital.

They took the lead through Alexis Mac Allister's sixth-minute penalty after the Argentina World Cup winner had been fouled by Asger Sorensen.

Darwin Nunez's wonderful dipping finish from outside the penalty area doubled the lead - Liverpool's 1,000th goal under boss Jurgen Klopp - before the Uruguay forward's 16th club goal of the season, a fierce shot from the edge of the box, made it 3-0 in first-half added time.

Despite the handsome margin, Liverpool were thankful for Caoimhin Kelleher who once again underlined his importance to the team in the absence of injured first-choice keeper Alisson.

Kelleher made a string of crucial saves including one at 1-0 when he took the sting out of Lukas Haraslin's shot which saw the ball spin towards the net before Joe Gomez hooked it off the line.

Sparta Prague reduced the deficit when Reds substitute Conor Bradley scored an own goal with his first touch in the 46th minute while trying to make a clearance, only for Luis Diaz to restore his side's three-goal advantage with a deflected finish seven minutes later.

Substitute Dominik Szoboszlai scored the fifth goal with virtually the last kick.

Liverpool, who saw Mohamed Salah return from a hamstring injury as a 74th-minute substitute and have a goal ruled out for offside, will be confident of advancing to the quarter-finals when the teams meet for the second leg at Anfield on 14 March (20:00 GMT).

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport

Image source, Soccrates Images

Aston Villa were held to a goalless draw by Ajax in the first leg of their Europa Conference League last-16 tie.

In a game of few clear chances, both sides finished with 10 players after Villa's Ezri Konsa and Ajax defender Tristan Gooijer were both shown a second yellow card in the final 10 minutes.

Emiliano Martinez produced the save of the match midway through the second half to keep out Kenneth Taylor's left-footed strike that seemed destined for the back of the net.

The second leg is at Villa Park in a week's time as Villa manager Unai Emery will look to extend his quest for a fifth European trophy of his career.

Emery's side have been formidable at home this season and set a record of 15 consecutive home league wins, beating Treble winners Manchester City and Arsenal along the way and keeping eight clean sheets.

Ajax meanwhile, failed to win any of their three away games in the Europa League this season before they dropped down into the Conference League.