As football and sport in general started to return, it was inevitable the Europa League would return also. As like the Champions League, the questions were how and when?
With the winners of this competition qualifying for the Champions League the stakes are naturally high, but now, with this one off game tournament to be held in Germany, it has brought an exciting new element to the competition that’s bound to enthral the fans and peak the interests of neutrals around the world.
Below is my preview of the teams still left in the competition dreaming of a European glory.
THE FAVOURITES
There is no doubt Manchester United are the tournament favourites and all eyes will be on them. They also have a very favourable draw to the finals. They still have a last 16, second leg game to play but the way they laid down a maker in the first leg, away tie, to destroy Lask Linz 5-0, just confirmed what everyone already thought.
A huge plus for them is how they ended their Premier League season to finish third, behind arguably two of the best teams in Europe. That, combined with their FA Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea, will give them extra incentive and motivation to claim a second Europa League win in four years.
If it wasn’t for their end of season form, I would have made Inter Milan my top favourites, but they were unable to match their blistering form before lockdown, when they returned. Not that they lost many games, but they found themselves drawing games they should be winning.
Inter dropped out a very demanding Champions League group containing Barcelona and Dortmund, which could leave them in good stead for this tournament.
However, they have a tough route with a tricky one off game with Gatefe in the last 16, if they make it through that, it could be a possible QF game against Shakhtar. But with three ex Man Utd players, there is potential for a very interesting Europa League final.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s one and only European trophy came in this tournament in 2009. Although a regular qualifier for the Champions League, they have only made it out the group stages four times in the last 20 years. They dropped out a tough group which had Man City and Atalanta, by just one point but managed to take points of both teams.
That will give them confidence going into this tournament. Especially as they have won the Ukrainian league for the fourth year running.
However, they have to navigate a last 16, second leg home tie against Wolfburg, where they are winning 2-1 from the first leg. If they get through that, they are due to play either Eintracht Frankfurt or Basel in the quarter finals.
In the last 11 league seasons, Bayer Leverkusen have finished outside the top four, on four occasions and one of them was this season, where they finished fifth.
They have been a regular in the Champions League, which should give them confidence going into this tournament.
They dropped out their group stage behind Juventus and Atletico Madrid by some distance. Although they have top level European experience, they have never been past a European QF in over 10 years.
They go into their last 16, second leg game at home against Rangers already leading 3-1 from the first leg. If they get to the next round as expected, they will possibly have a potential tough looking quarter final against Inter Milan.
THE POSSIBLES
When you think Europa League royalty, you cant help to look no further than Sevilla, the most successful club in the competition’s history with five wins, including their unprecedented three-peat Europa League win in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Since then, they’ve had two runs in the Champions League, reaching the QF in 2018. After a disappointing last season, they have unexpectedly improved this season, finishing fourth in La Liga and are on a decent Europa League run, but they have a real tough, exciting, one off game against Roma in order to progress to Germany and get into the quarter finals.
After finishing 3rd or 2nd in Serie A for five straight seasons, Roma finished 6th last season and fifth this. They had been involved in the Champions League for the past five seasons, reaching the semi finals in 2018.
Last June they hired Shakhtar coach Paulo Fonseca who went to work overhauling an ageing squad. He has done well to navigate the changes while improving the team, however, they have a very tough looking, one off, last 16 game against Sevilla. If they can get through that, the possibilities could open up.
One really for a dark horse category, Wolves seem to be everyone’s second team and have not only captured the hearts of Premier League fans, but fans abroad with their swashbuckling brand of attacking football.
A very respectable seventh place Premier League finish will give them confidence going into their last 16, second leg home tie against Olympiacos, after a decent 1-1 draw in Greece. However, the Greek outfit beat Arsenal in London to get to this stage, so by no means can they take them lightly. Win that and a mouth watering QF tie against either Sevilla or Roma beckons.
THE OUTSIDERS
When you get to the later stages of any tournament, the draw could take on extra importance to a teams chances, Basel go into their last 16, second leg game at home to Frankfurt already 3-0 up from the first leg and will expect to progress to Germany.
There they will play either Shakhtar or Wolfsburg in the QF, all three of these teams have not been great on the road, so in a one off game, a semi final place is truly up for grabs. Basel will hope for some success to make up for a poor season, where they finished 3rd in the Swiss league, having lost to Young Boys for three seasons, after going on a run of 8 title wins in a row.
In the Spanish league this season, Gatafe finished 8th, following their fifth placed finish last season, they are only playing in their third ever season in Europe and this is the first time they have reached the quarter finals.
All it will take is one good performance and Getafe could see themselves in a European Semi final. However, they are playing one of the tournament favourites Inter Milan. That said, in a one off game, on a neutral ground, anything is possible, especially as in the last round, they beat last season’s Champions League semi finalist Ajax.
To get to the last 16, Greek champions Olympiacos lost at home, but won in late, dramatic fashion at Arsenal, which was no mean feat, to book their place against European novices Wolves.
However, they have only been past the last 16 in a European competition twice and the last time was back in 1999. With that said, although it seems they are underdogs, taking a 1-1 home draw from the first leg away to Wolves, after what they did against Arsenal, will go as a warning to any team.
THE UNLIKELIES
Istanbul Basaksehir are hoping to capitalise on a superb season where they won the Turkish league for the first time in their history, following a second placed finish last season.
They had never been past the group stages of any European competition, so are in unenchanted territory, which could get even better.
They take a last 16, 1-0 first leg home advantage, thanks to an 88th minute penalty to Denmark in hope of progressing to Germany, where they would play a massive quarter final tie against Man Utd.
Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg finished their league season in seventh, six points worse off than their sixth place finish last season. They have an indifferent European history, but have been to the QF’s of he Champions League once in 2016 and the Europe League QF’s twice in 2010 & 2015.
They comfortably overcame Malmo 5-1 on agg, to get to the last 16, but lost their home, first leg tie to Shakhtar 2-1 where both teams missed penalties. Thave a real task on their hands to overturn the deficit in Donetsk.
In one of the more finely balanced last 16 ties, Danish champions FC Copenhagen will host newly crowned Turkish Champions Istanbul Basaksehir in the second leg, hoping to overturning a slender one goal deficit.
They have won the Danish league for a second season in a row and this is only the third time they have been to a European last 16, their best season was reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2011. If they needed anymore motivation, a win will see them progress to Germany to play Man Utd.
THE NO HOPERS
After several impressive displays in the Europe League last season, where they topped their group and made it to the semi finals, only losing to eventual winners Chelsea on penalties. Eintracht Frankfurt were hoping to go a step further this season.
However, they failed to replace players who were sold, off the back of a great last season. They just sneaked through the group stages via a point, then put in a good showing to overcome Salzburg 6-3 on agg, in the last 32, but in the first leg of their last 16 tie at home to Basel, they were systematically taken apart 3-0 and I am not expecting any European miracles.
Although it has been done before, it’s very difficult in European competitions to overturn a two goal lead. To overturn a two goal, home defeat in Europe, is almost unheard of.
Add that to the fact that Rangers are relative novices at these stages and Bayer Leverkusen have some history, then you understand the up hill task facing the Scottish outfit.
In the first leg, Rangers were outplayed and even though Leverkusen got a late third, it was no more than they deserved. At this point, Rangers will just hope to make it competitive.
There is not much you can say in favour of unfortunate Lask Linz, they finished their regular league season in second place and the championship league season in fourth, to secure a Europa League qualifying round place.
However, after surprising AZ Alkmaar 3-1 on agg in the last 32, they ran into an inform and ruthluss Man Utd team who trounced the 5-0 in their own back yard. The only silver lining for them is I suspect United will rest many of their players for the home tie.
