The Europa League might play second fiddle to the Champions League, but that won’t matter on Thursday, as some of the most prestigious clubs on the European continent will battle in the quarterfinals of the international tournament.
The eight remaining teams come from eight different leagues across the continent, from traditional powers like Spain and England to less-heralded domestic leagues in Russia and Austria. Just as in the Champions League, each of the quarterfinal clashes will be played over two legs, with one home match being played at each side’s stadium.
Atletico Looking for Third Europa League Title
While the quarterfinalists are all accomplished teams, two in particular have a reputation and pedigree that suggests they might be able to win the tournament.
Atletico Madrid currently sits in second place in Spain’s La Liga, nine points behind Barcelona. On Thursday, they’ll be playing host to Sporting CP, who currently sit 3rd in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
Atletico (4/11) is listed as a heavy favorite at William Hill, and head coach Diego Simeone says that his team is heavily motivated to compete for the Europa League title that they’ve previously won in 2010 and 2012. They’ve also come up just short in the Champions League, finishing as the runner-up in 2014 and 2016.
“I have to say that I will always choose the wins,” Simeone told reporters. “It’s an important achievement to be runner-up in an important competition such as the Champions League but it’s always better to be the champion, that’s obvious.”
Wenger Respects Russians
While Arsenal is sitting a disappointing 6th in the English Premier League at the moment, the team is in the hunt for the Europa League title. The next step for the Gunners is to take care of business against CSKA Moscow, one of the traditional powerhouses of Russian soccer.
Arsenal (1/3) is expected to win easily over CSKA (9/1), but manager Arsene Wenger has made it clear that he thinks the level of competition in the Europa League can’t be underestimated.
“I believe the level of the Europa League has gone up,” Wenger said. “If you look at the teams who were involved and even some teams who went out like Dortmund, it is more difficult than ever before.”
Wegner also had praise for his opponents heading into the quarterfinal.
“Russian teams always have good technical level,” Wenger said. “Personally, I have always had difficult games against Russian teams, and CSKA are a strong side.”
The other quarterfinal clashes feature two teams that are owned by Red Bull. German side RB Leipzig (6/10) host French opponents Marseille (4/1), while Red Bull Salzburg (10/3) travels to Italy to take on Lazio (4/5). The second leg of each quarterfinal match will be played next Thursday.
Atletico Madrid are considered the team to beat in the competition, with William Hill listing the Spanish side at 11/8 to walk away with their third Europa League title in the past nine years. Arsenal (9/4) is also right in the hunt, with RB Leipzig (9/1), Lazio (9/1), and Marseille (12/1) following behind the favorites.
