Berlin, 14 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick and Wilson Odobert was on target twice for Tottenham Hotspur as the two Premier League strugglers reached the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.

Fernandes converted two penalties and got the other from open play as United came from behind to beat 10-man Real Sociedad 4-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.

The Spanish visitors had led early from the first penalty at Old Trafford converted by Mikel Oyarzabal, but their comeback hopes ended in a red card for substitute Jon Aramburu, and Diogo Dalot got the final United goal.

Spurs overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against AZ Alkmaar with a 3-1 over their Dutch opponents from Odobert's brace and James Maddison.

They next face 2022 champions Eintracht Frankfurt who completed a 6-2 aggregate success over Ajax with a 4-1 home win which included a brace from German 2014 World Cup hero Mario Götze.

United's quarter-final opponents are Olympique Lyon, whose Georges Mikautadze and Ernest Nuamah also got two goals each in a 4-0 demolition of Romania's FCSB for a 7-1 aggregate success.

Spurs and United are far off the European berths in the Premier League, and their only realistic chance of European football lies in winning the Europa League which earns a Champions League berth.

Elsewhere, Spain international Nico Williams scored twice as Athletic Bilbao remained on course towards the May 21 final in their home stadium with a 3-1 success over 10-man Roma, which overturned a 2-1 defeat in Rome. The Italians had Mats Hummels sent off early.

Bilbao now take on Rangers who prevailed 3-2 on penalties over Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce who had locked the aggregate score at 3-3 with a 2-0 in Glasgow.

The other quarter-final tie set for April 10 and 17 is between Lazio and Norway's Bodø/Glimt, who ousted Conference League champions Olympiacos.

Three penalties at Old Trafford

Things looked grim for United when Oyarzabal gave Real Sociedad a 10th minute lead from the spot by sending Andre Onana the wrong way after being fouled by defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Fernandes made amends six minutes later from the spot after Rasmus Hojlund was fouled by Igor Zubeldia, and also converted the third penalty of the match in the 50th, this time into the right corner, after Aritz Elustondo had brought down Patrick Dorgu.

The visitors' hopes for a comeback ended in Aramburu's red card for a last man foul on Dorgu, and Fernandes in the 87th and Dalot in stoppage time wrapped up matters for United.

"It was a good performance. The physicality was there," United head coach Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports.

"In Spain, the players felt we could reach the next stage. During the week, the team felt that we could do this. Even without the sending off, you felt that the team were going to win this game."

Spurs also through

Spurs started slowly against Alkmaar but were gifted a 26th-minute lead when Odobert fired high into the net after Wouter Goes lost the ball to Son Heung Min.

The hosts were 2-0 up three minutes after the restart when AZ lost the ball again. A quick attack followed and Maddison got the ball back from Son to convert into the right corner.

AZ levelled the tie in the 63rd when Peer Koopmeiners pounced on a misunderstanding between Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert.

But Odebert settled matters for the hosts in the 74th when he tapped in Djed Spence's cross from the left.

“We got criticised for the first leg and rightly so. The one positive is that we came away at only 1-0 and it’s not easy for any team to come here and play against us when the atmosphere is like that, and we got the job done,” Maddison told uefa.com.

Frankfurt march on

In Frankfurt, Jean-Matteo Bahoya opened the scoring seven minutes into the game after a one-two with Hugo Ekitike, and Götze scored a classy second in the 25th when he chested a long over the top pass from Robin Koch and fired home.

Ekitike drilled the third into the right corner in the 67th, Kenneth Taylor got a consolation goal for Ajax but Götze then struck the fourth from a distance in the 82nd after Ajax goalkeeper Matheus had tried to clear far out of his penalty area.

"We laid the foundations in Amsterdam and stayed in contention today. Tonight feels very good – the win at home with our fans and a good performance. Now we have to keep going – that's our challenge!” Götze said.