Just 16 clubs remain in this season’s Europa League, some of which are considers to be amongst football’s biggest clubs. All of them are dreaming of being at Puskás Aréna on 31 May, so who will make it through to the quarter-finals? This article predicts who will come out on top in all eight ties, getting underway on Thursday.
📰 Table Of Contents
Manchester United vs Real Betis
Will Manchester United remain on course for a potential cup treble?
The Red Devils picked up the Carabao Cup last month, and then reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, where they’ll host Fulham.
Meanwhile, in this competition, Erik ten Hag’s team came through a colossal first knockout round tie against Barcelona, coming from behind to prevail 4-3 on aggregate.
Man United won this trophy in 2017, subsequently reached the 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 final.
Given how well they’re playing, Sunday’s drubbing at Anfield aside, another deep run seems likely.
Los Verdiblancos haven’t reached the quarter-finals of any European competition for 25 years, failing to win all three previous visits to England.
So, Manchester United are big favourites to get through, hoping to establish an unassailable lead at Old Trafford.
Sporting Clube de Portugal vs Arsenal
How will Premier League leaders Arsenal approach the Europa League?
In the autumn, the Gunners pipped PSV to top spot in their group, accumulating 15 points, their sole defeat coming in Eindhoven.
In recent times, Arsenal have been languishing in mid-table, thereby looking to this tournament to save their season.
Right now though, Mikel Arteta’s team are top of the Premier League, with many supporters therefore viewing this competition as an unwelcome distraction.
So, if the Gunners do rest and rotate, even if only a little bit, are Sporting Clube de Portugal in a good position to take advantage?
Well, Rúben Amorim’s team are currently fourth in the Primeira Liga, five points adrift Braga in the final Champions League spot, which simply is not good enough.
Meantime, in Europe, the Leões missed out on the Champions League knockout stages on the final matchday, beaten 2-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt in Lisbon.
Then, in this competition, after a last-gasp draw at home to Midtjylland, Sporting turned on the style in Herning, cruising to a 4-0 victory.
In short, of the seven teams Arsenal could have drawn, Sporting are not amongst the strongest, but they will not be swatted aside easily either.
Having already beaten Tottenham at home this season, can the Green and Whites complete a North London double at Estádio José Alvalade?
Juventus vs Freiburg
Will Juventus’ generally excellent form continue?
In the previous round, la Vecchia Signora ultimately proved to be too strong for Nantes.
Following a nervy 1-1 draw in Turin, Ángel Di María’s hat-trick in France saw his team comfortably progress.
Meanwhile, in Serie A, despite having been struck with a 15-point deduction, Massimiliano Allegri are closing in on the top four, notably defeating Torino in last mid-week’s Derby della Mole.
So, I Bianconeri are rightly amongst the favourites to go all the way, seeking to capture this trophy for the fourth time.
Freiburg meanwhile can not boast nearly the history of their opponents, but will not be push-overs by any stretch of the imagination.
Christian Streich’s side went through the group phase unbeaten, notably defeating Nantes twice, something Juve couldn’t manage last month. Just saying.
Once again, Freiburg in the Bundesliga’s top four conversation, with this already their best-ever run in UEFA competition.
After only drawing with Nantes, will Juventus this time build-up a healthy first leg lead at Allianz Stadium?
Roma vs Real Sociedad
Will last season’s Europa Conference League winners march on in this competition?
Last month, Roma overturned a first leg deficit to knock out RB Salzburg, winning the second leg 2-0 at Stadio Olimpico.
José Mourinho has already won this trophy twice during his managerial career, and would very much like to make that three in May.
Real Sociedad meanwhile return to European action here, having topped their group in November, above Manchester United by virtue of goal difference.
Imanol Alguacil’s side won five of six group games, but La Real haven’t advanced through a knockout phase tie since 1989, losing each of the last six.
So, while this is a evenly-matched tie, Roma’s expirence might just see them over the line.
Union Berlin vs Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
After these two clubs met in the group stages, the draw has produced another union of the unions.
In September, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise claimed a shock 1-0 win in Berlin, before the German outfit repeated the feat on the road in Leuven two months later.
So, no early indications as to who might win there, although it’s possibly advantage to the Belgian side, as they finished one point higher in Group D.
This season, Union SG are competing in UEFA competition for the first time since 1964, making it remarkable that they’ve already enjoyed wins over Rangers, Union Berlin, Malmö and Braga.
Karel Geraerts’ team continue to punch above their weight, both domestically and abroad, so are dreaming of la Unionistes’ first continental quarter-final for 63 years.
The same can be said of Union Berlin, who made their debut in European competition just last season.
This time round, die Eisernen reached the knockout phase for the first time ever, knocking out Ajax last month.
In summary, this tie is extremely tough to call, with Union Berlin needing to make first leg home advantage count this time at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Sevilla vs Fenerbahçe
Will Sevilla do what Sevilla do and win the Europa League?
Los Nervionenses are this competition’s most-successful club, with all six of their triumphs coming since 2006, only entering ten times during this period.
In the first knockout round, the chaos Jorge Sampaoli’s side are experiencing in La Liga right now carried over into UEFA competition.
Despite winning the first leg 3-0, Sevilla avoided a scare against PSV, hanging on by the end, given that they were beaten 2-0 in Eindhoven.
Nevertheless, los Hispalenses are favourites in this tie, and might just go all the way yet again.
Fenerbahçe meanwhile are unbeaten in the Europa League this season, winning seven of ten fixtures, topping their group in November.
The Yellow Canaries reached the Europa League semi-finals a decade ago, and are dreaming of a similarly lengthy run this year.
Will Sevilla build up an unassailable lead at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán?
Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencváros
This season’s final will take place in Budapest, so can Hungary’s most-successful club move on step closer to being there?
Ferencváros upset the odds by topping their group in the autumn, finishing above Monaco, Trabzonspor and Crvena zvezda.
Historically, the Green Eagles won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965, also beaten by Dynamo Kyiv in the Cup Winners’ Cup Final a decade later.
Now, Stanislav Cherchesov’s side will play the second leg at Puskás Aréna, hoping that inspires them to get all the way to the final at the same venue in May.
Bayer Leverkusen meanwhile played out a 5-5 thriller with Monaco in the first knockout round, before prevailing on penalties in the Principality.
Die Werkself hoisted aloft the UEFA Cup in 1988, also beaten by Inter in the quarter-finals just three years ago.
Xabi Alonso’s side are favourites to advance, but will be desperate to take a lead with them to Hungary next Thursday.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Feyenoord
In-spite of the ongoing Russian invasion of their homeland, Shakhtar Donetsk’s remarkable European adventure continues.
First, in the Champions League group stages, Igor Jovićević’s team smashed RB Leipzig 4-1 away, before managing draws against Celtic and then Real Madrid.
This saw the Ukrainian giants drop into the Europa League, where they managed to oust Stade Rennais on penalties, after both legs ended 2-1.
A total of 14 penalties were taken at Roazhon Park, with Kevin Kelsy’s calm spot-kick enough to see Shakhtar advance 5-4.
So, can the Miners now reach a sixth European quarter-final?
Feyenoord meanwhile topped their group in November, despite the fact all four clubs ended up on eight points.
Arne Slot’s team prevailed on goals scored, thanks largely to a 6-0 drubbing of Sturm Graz on matchday two.
Thus, last season’s Europa Conference League finalists are aiming to reach the last eight of this tournament for the first time in 21 years, actually lifting the trophy back then.
Expect goals in this first leg at Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw.
