Europa League

[monks data]

Europa League | Group Stage

Dec 8, 2016 at 8.05pm UK

Southampton
1-1
H. Be'er Sheva Hapoel Be'er Sheva

van Dijk (91')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Buzaglo (79')

Virgil van Dijk "frustrated" by Europa League exit

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 08 December 2016

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk admits that he is "disappointed" and "frustrated" by his side's Europa League exit at the hands of Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has said that he is "disappointed" and "frustrated" by his side's failure to reach the last 32 of the Europa League.

The Saints went into this evening's final Group K game against Hapoel Be'er Sheva needing either a win or a goalless draw to progress, but a 1-1 draw sent the Israeli champions through.

Van Dijk had given his side a glimmer of hope with a 91st-minute equaliser to cancel out Maor Buzaglo's opener, but the centre-back admitted that aspects of the performance were unacceptable.

"I feel so disappointed especially because of the way we conceded the goal. We can't let that happen at this level. I'm frustrated and struggling to put that frustration into words," he told BT Sport.

"The ball was close to our own box and we tried to play out, they pressed kamikaze-like and they won it. We need to look at it and improve a lot.

"We wanted to win because if you play on a goalless draw it can go the wrong way. We had opportunities in the first half and we weren't clinical enough."

Despite being level on points with Hapoel Be'er Sheva and boasting a superior goal difference, Southampton finished behind the Israelis by virtue of the number of away goals they scored in head-to-head meetings with each other.