UEFA Europa League Knockout Round: Play-Offs Preview
Sevilla FC vs Dinamo Zagreb
An intriguing set of knockout round play-offs in the Europa League begins with the clash between Sevilla FC and Dinamo Zagreb. A competition so familiar to record six-times winners Sevilla FC. Rojiblancos finished third in their UEFA Champions League group behind both LOSC Lille and Red Bull Salzburg and thus dropped into the Europa League. If being the record winners of this competition was not incentive enough for Sevilla to try and make it seven victories come May, this year’s final being held at their home Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium should add an extra motivation.
Sevilla are currently enjoying their strongest league season domestically since the 2006/07 season when they were still in contention for the La Liga title until the very last day of the campaign. Rojiblancos currently sit 2nd in La Liga, just four points behind league leaders and favourites Real Madrid.
Embed from Getty ImagesCoach Julen Lopetegui was aided in his quest to try to bring a first La Liga title to the Red and White half of Seville since 1945/46 by the Sevilla board who strengthened their squad in the winter transfer window. In came right-sided player Tecatito Corona from FC Porto and forward Anthony Martial on loan from Manchester United. Crucially as well, Sevilla rejected bids from Newcastle United for key central defender Diego Carlos and managed to retain the services of the Brazilian defender for now.
Record Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb go into this tie currently embroiled in a fascinating four way title race in the Prva HNL alongside Osijek, Hajduk Split and Rijeka. Since the resumption of Croatian domestic football after the winter break, Dinamo have been on good form, four straight league wins have allowed them to build up a three-point lead at the top of the standings, the latest of which being a 2-1 home win over HNK Gorica at the Maksimir Stadium.
One player in form for Modri (Blues) is 29 year-old attacker Mislav Orsic, who has been in good form in front of goal since the league’s restart. Orsic of course was the subject of heavy speculation linking him with a move to English Premier League side Burnley FC right at the end of the January transfer window. The move looked likely, however, late on, the proposed deal broke down and Orsic remains a Dinamo player, to the delight of the capital outfit and their supporters.
Sevilla do appear to be favourites for this tie and with the first leg being at home, there is strong incentive for Julen Lopetegui’s side to try and take a good lead to Zagreb for the return leg baring in mind they have a league title fight to focus on domestically. Dinamo will target still being in the tie going into the second leg at the Maksimir Stadium to have a good chance of still qualifying for the Round of Sixteen.
Atalanta BC vs Olympiacos FC
Another fascinating upcoming tie pits Atalanta against Olympiacos. Gian Piero Gasperini’s outfit drop into the Europa League knockouts from the Champions League after finishing third in a UEFA Champions League group containing Manchester United, Villarreal and Young Boys. The Bergamo outfit had a little wobble recently in Serie A, winning only one of their last five Serie A matches.
However, they go into the tie on the back of a 1-1 draw at home against Juventus, a game where Ukrainian attacker Ruslan Malinovskyi scored arguably the goal of the weekend in Europe to boost spirits. Jeremie Boga was the Bergamo outfit’s major winter window signing, joining from fellow Serie A club Sassuolo. However, the loss of left sided star Robin Gosens to Inter Milan is a major blow.
Embed from Getty ImagesOlympiacos go into the contest in good domestic form with four wins from their last five matches, and they currently sit nine points clear of second placed PAOK at the top of the Greek Super League. Pedro Martins and his players are chasing a third straight title victory and a 47th overall in May and after finishing second in a Europa League group containing Royal Antwerp, Fenerbache SK and Eintracht Frankfurt, will also hope for a strong run in the Europa League.
Thrylos have prepared themselves for the second half of the season by dipping into the transfer market this winter. The most noteworthy arrival has been the return of former hero Kostas Manolas, the veteran Greece international defender returning to Piraeus after seven years playing in Serie A with both Roma & Napoli. Midfielder Joao Carvalho has also joined from Nottingham Forest in the English Championship in addition to two youngsters, Bandiougou Fadiga from Paris St Germain B and Diby Keita from Real Madrid Under 19s.
Atalanta probably are still favourites, however, their wobbly recent form and Olympiacos’ good winter transfer window certainly gives the Greek side an opportunity to progress. Staying in the tie for when the second leg comes about in Greece will be crucial to Olympiacos’ chances.
RB Leipzig vs Real Sociedad
In a theme of well-balanced and difficult to predict ties in this first knockout round to preview, RB Leipzig vs Real Sociedad is no exception. It has been all change at RB Leipzig in recent months. In early December, manager Jesse Marsch was fired by Die Roten Bullen. In Marsch’s place came Domenico Tedesco, back in football management after a near six-month break following his departure from Spartak Moscow at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
36-year-old Tedesco generally performed well in his 18 months at Spartak, in what was an impressive redemption job after things went sour at Schalke 04 during his second season in charge in 2018/19. Since coming in at RB Leipzig, four wins in their last five matches have propelled the eastern club up to 4th place in the German Bundesliga in addition to progress to the DFB Pokal Quarter Finals.
Embed from Getty ImagesBy contrast, if RB Leipzig were a side on the way up in the new year, it is fair to say that Real Sociedad’s 2022 so far has seen them go in the opposite direction. Top of La Liga after 13 matches of the campaign, December and January saw La Real drop down to 7th place in Spain’s top flight before snapping this poor run with a 2-0 home victory over Granada CF last weekend in La Liga.
Imanol Alguacil and his players have so far looked solid enough in European competition in addition to their overall good level shown so far domestically. Only one defeat from six Europa League group games saw the Basque outfit finish 2nd place behind AS Monaco and secure a spot in the knockout round play offs. It was overall a quiet window for La Real when it came to transfers, however, the capture of central midfielder Rafinha on loan from Paris St Germain was considered an impressive signing.
With both sides well-placed domestically, there is no hot favourite for this tie, so expect a tight match and maybe a solitary goal either way could decide it.
FC Barcelona vs SSC Napoli
Perhaps the tie of the round is next and it comes in the shape of FC Barcelona vs SSC Napoli. A scenario that seemed barely believable even just a few years ago, but Barca are now playing Europa League football for the first time since the 2003/04 campaign, when they were eliminated 1-0 on aggregate by Celtic in the fourth round. Lionel Messi had yet to make his debut for Barca, it was that long ago.
Xavi Hernandez has recently returned to Camp Nou as Barca’s new coach to replace the fired Ronald Koeman and after a slow start does look to be slowly helping Blaugrana get back on track. Upon Xavi’s appointment, Barca sat 9th in La Liga, they now sit 4th, having lost only one of his 11 league matches in charge so far. Already the legendary former Barca midfielder has put his stamp on the side when it comes to signings with the likes of Adama Traore, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres brought to the club.
Embed from Getty ImagesNapoli enter into the tie standing just two points behind current Italian Serie A leaders AC Milan in third place. Three losses in four matches pre-winter break against Atalanta, Empoli and Spezia threatened to derail their title challenge. However, a spirited 1-1 away draw against Juventus in the first game back after the break sparked Napoli back into life. Luciano Spaletti and his players have noted four wins in five games since this away draw in Turin.
When the group stages of the Europa League were drawn, Napoli and Leicester City were instantly installed as the two favourites for the competition. Both were drawn in the same group alongside Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw. To the astonishment of everyone, Spartak emerged as shock group winners despite an opening loss to Legia at home. Napoli’s two losses against Spartak eventually costing them top spot in the group and handing them this extremely tough tie.
The league instead of Europe probably will be the priority for both these sides. However, given Napoli have a great chance of a first Serie A title in 32 years, its fair to say maybe they will prioritise their domestic league over the Europa League more than FC Barcelona. Blaugrana are chasing just a top four spot in La Liga to make next season’s Champions League and are already out of title contention.
Zenit St Petersburg vs Real Betis
Two more sides flying high in their domestic leagues face off in another Europa League tie in the shape of Zenit St Petersburg vs Real Betis. Russian champions Zenit ended their UEFA Champions League group with five points, a considerable upgrade on their 2020/21 Champions League group performance when the St Petersburg outfit only managed a solitary point from their six games. A 3rd place finish in their group saw them drop into the Europa League post-Christmas.
Currently leading the Russian Premier League standings by a margin of two points, Zenit remain favourites for a fourth consecutive Russian Premier League title. They have also been active in the transfer market over the winter. Star Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun departed for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, in his place as a replacement comes 20 year-old Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto from SC Internacional. The St Petersburg outfit also added Russian players to their squad by signing defender Arsen Adamov from Ural Yeakterinburg and striker Ivan Sergeev from Krylia Sovetov Samara.
Embed from Getty ImagesReal Betis have been a club transformed under the management of Manuel Pellegrini. The veteran Chilean coach joined the Seville-based club in the summer of 2020 after a disastrous 2019/20 campaign when Betis finished a disappointing 15th place in La Liga. After just one season in charge of Verdiblancos, Pellegrini had lived up to his nickname of “The Engineer” by fixing Betis and leading them to a sixth-place finish.
2021/22 promises, however, to be even better for Betis and Pellegrini as they currently sit 3rd in La Liga. So far, the crowds at the Benito Villamarin this campaign have been thrilled and entertained, 45 goals from 24 La Liga games mean Verdiblancos are the second highest scorers in the league behind Real Madrid. Betis under Pellegrini have also done brilliantly in the cup competitions, reaching the knockout round of the Europa League and are one game away from a Copa del Rey final.
This should prove a fascinating and tough to call tie. However, one wonders whether Zenit not having played a competitive match since mid-December due to the Russian Premier League’s long winter break could swing this tie in Real Betis’ favour.
Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers FC
With West Ham United having qualified for the Round of Sixteen after winning their group & both Celtic and Leicester City dropping into the Conference League after finishing third in their groups, British interest in this stage of the competition is solely confined to Rangers FC. The Ibrox club finished 2nd in their Europa League group behind Olympique Lyonnais to set up a blockbuster tie with German giants Borussia Dortmund.
However, despite progress in Europe, it has been a season of turbulence so far for the Gers, manager Steven Gerrard, the architect of their first Scottish title in ten seasons in 2020/21 departed the club in late 2021 to take the vacancy at English Premier League club Aston Villa. Giovanni van Bronckhorst looks a shrewd replacement for Gerrard by Rangers. However, Celtic, buoyed by an impressive January transfer window defeated them 3-0 in the last Old Firm derby and have usurped them at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Embed from Getty ImagesBorussia Dortmund go into the match versus Rangers with many struggling to really know what to make of their season so far. There has been criticism of their inconsistencies all campaign, the first so far under the stewardship of new manager Marco Rose. Yet, despite this, BVB lie in second place in the standings, only six points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
European football so far for Dortmund has been overall a disappointment. After drawing AFC Ajax, Sporting CP and Besiktas JK in the Champions League group stage, many predicted Marco Rose and his team to win this group. However, home and away losses to Ajax combined with a 3-1 away loss against Sporting saw Dortmund finish only 3rd in the group and be forced to drop into the Europa League.
Some slip ups by Bayern recently have opened the door for Dortmund to get back into the title race in Germany. Therefore, their mindset for the Europa League will be interesting to gauge. Nonetheless, one would expect them to be favourites against Rangers.
Sheriff Tiraspol vs SC Braga
The penultimate tie in the Europa League first knockout stage may not possess a “big” name by Europa League standards in the shape of Sheriff Tiraspol and SC Branga. However, it should still prove an intriguing and close tie. Sheriff are arguably the story of the entire European football season so far. The Transnistrian club came through four rounds of qualification against Teuta, Alashkert, Red Star Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the very first time.
However, Sheriff were not done there, despite being placed in a daunting group containing Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff managed to procure four points from two games against Shakhtar in addition to securing a famous away victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. These results propelled Yuriy Vernydub’s side to a third place finish and Europa League football post-Christmas.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor several years, Braga have been tipped by many in the Portuguese game to finally turn Portugal’s Os Tres Grandes (Big Three) into a “big four after the Northern Portuguese club finished 2nd to SL Benfica in the 2009/10 Liga Primeira and reached the Europa League final the following season, losing to fellow Portuguese outfit FC Porto.
However, things haven’t quite kicked on since for Os Arcebispos since, their highest league placings were two third place finishes in 2011/12 and 2019/20. In addition, Braga’s best run in Europe since reaching the final of the Europa League in 2011 was reaching the Quarter Finals of the Europa League in 2015/16. Braga have suffered many an early European exit since, however, a 2nd place finish in their group behind Red Star Belgrade took Carlos Carvahal’s side through to the knockout rounds.
Both sides have lost talent in the January transfer window, Braga lost Brazilian wide player Galeno to FC Porto as a replacement for Luis Diaz who signed for Liverpool. Whereas, Sheriff have lost Brazilian duo Cristiano and Fernando Costanza to Fluminense and Krylia Sovetov Samara respectively.
FC Porto vs SS Lazio
Our final tie in this first Europa League knockout round sees 2010/11 Europa League winners FC Porto take on SS Lazio. The Portuguese outfit go into the contest still unbeaten domestically in the Liga Primeira, sitting six points ahead of 2nd placed Sporting CP and ten points clear of SL Benfica. Looking a great bet for a 30th Portuguese title, its fair to say that in Europe, Os Dragoes missed a golden opportunity to make the Champions League knockout rounds. A defeat in the final group stage match against Atletico de Madrid, which dropped them into 3rd place in their group and down into the Europa League post-Christmas.
It has been a busy winter transfer window for Sergio Conceicao’s side when it comes to transfers both in and out of the club. Amongst the outgoings include Mexican right-sided player Tecatito Corona, sold for EUR 3 million to Sevilla FC, after only having six months left on his contract. The headline grabbing departure though was Luis Diaz, the Colombian winger signing for Liverpool for a reported fee of EUR 45 million. New signings to arrive at Estadio do Dragao this winter included Diaz replacement Galeno from SC Braga for a fee of EUR 9 million and Canadian defensive midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, loaned in from Pacos de Ferreira.
Embed from Getty ImagesLazio currently sit 6th place in Serie A, just four points behind 4th placed Juventus in what looks like a close and fascinating chase for Champions League football next season in Italy’s top flight. Lazio warmed up for their first leg clash against Porto with a comfortable 3-0 home win against Bologna and go into the contest unbeaten in four Serie A matches.
Maurizio Sarri’s outfit managed to escape a very tricky looking UEFA Europa League group stage which contained Galatasaray SK, Olympique de Marseille and Lokomotiv Moscow. However, there may be some regrets that Alquilotti were unable to escape as group stage winners, finishing behind a Galatasaray side currently struggling in the Turkish Super Lig.
Like all the ties, this one should also be tough to call. Lazio probably start as slight favourites due to home advantage in the second leg. However, Porto should be confident on the back of a brilliant long unbeaten run.
