UEFA Europa League Quarter-Finals: What To Look Out For In The Second Legs
There is all still to play for in the second legs of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals as all four ties remain wide open following an intriguing set of first-leg encounters.
Here is a preview all the action ahead of the second legs on Thursday 17 April.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur (first leg 1-1)
Despite taking an early lead in north London through a fine Hugo Ekitiké strike, Frankfurt will have returned to Germany satisfied with a first-leg draw after their hosts then equalised and applied heavy pressure. Ultimately, it took a string of superb saves from stand-in goalkeeper Kauã Santos to keep Spurs at bay and the scoreline level.
As they have done so often in recent years, the Eagles will now look to their notoriously noisy home support to inspire them to a second-leg victory at Frankfurt Stadion, with Ekitiké telling UEFA: “They always push us, so we need to give something back for them. We have the best fans, so thanks to them.”
Spurs put in one of their better performances of the season on Thursday, yet they were left frustrated by not managing to claim a win after hitting the woodwork twice and missing numerous other opportunities.
“On any other night, we go away with a comfortable victory,” lamented coach Ange Postecoglou, though he saw enough positives to give him optimism ahead of the return. “If we repeat that performance, we give ourselves a chance. It’ll come down to moments, and we’re going to need all the lads ready to go.”
Lazio vs Bodø/Glimt (first leg 0-2)
Cold weather and an inspired performance from Bodø/Glimt may have played a part as Lazio lost the first leg 2-0 in Norway, but Biancocelesti midfielder Pedro Rodríguez remains hopeful – especially after Christos Mandas produced two late saves to keep his side in sight.
“As it is, the tie is still completely open,” said the 37-year-old. “If we score at home right away, we will be in a good position.” Indeed, coach Marco Baroni thinks a tactical change can alter the balance: “They are very good in the last 25-30 metres, and there we need to apply more man-to-man pressure.”
Kjetil Knutsen’s Norwegian champions are refusing to get complacent, meanwhile. Ulrik Saltnes, who scored both his team’s goals, told UEFA: “It will be tough and a completely different game [in Rome]. We have to be ourselves and be brave.” Captain Patrick Berg agreed: “We have put ourselves in an extremely good position, but under different circumstances away from home, it will be a tougher task.”
Athletic Club vs Rangers (first leg 0-0)
It is not often that the away side are left so disappointed with a first-leg draw, but that was the prevailing sense from Athletic Club after they failed to take advantage of playing the vast majority of their opener at Ibrox with an extra man following Robin Pröpper’s 13th-minute dismissal.
“That’s football, but the key thing is that we had chances,” said coach Ernesto Valverde, while defender Daniel Vivian added: “We couldn’t score, but we know we can change that at San Mamés.” Indeed, the Basque outfit have managed a total of 12 goals in their five home games in the competition this term, conceding just two, and will look to make amends for the blank in Glasgow.
The Gers defended heroically after losing Pröpper, with goalkeeper Liam Kelly coming in for particular praise after he brilliantly saved Alex Berenguer’s penalty with his feet. “I never actually had much to do in the game,” insisted Kelly modestly. “Once we went down to ten men, the guys in front of me were absolutely brilliant.”
It means Barry Ferguson’s charges still have a fighting chance of progressing to the semi-finals, and they may take inspiration from the fact that they have already gone away and beaten Malmö, Nice and Fenerbahçe this season ahead of their tough trip to Bilbao.
Manchester United vs Lyon (first leg 2-2)
United were just seconds away from claiming what would have been a hugely significant away victory in the first leg, only for an added-time Rayan Cherki strike to earn a 2-2 draw for the hosts in a highly entertaining encounter.
“[The timing of Lyon’s second goal] is the worst moment to concede,” admitted defender Leny Yoro, who scored United’s equaliser on the night to make it 1-1. “2-1 would have been a good result away, but now we have to win it at home. They’re a good team with a good striker and we need to be ready for everything.” The Red Devils’ season rests on the return at Old Trafford.
Les Gones, meanwhile, will no doubt be buoyed by their last-gasp leveller, which extended their unbeaten run in the Europa League to eight games (W4 D4).
“There are a few things we need to tweak, but we’re confident we can make those changes ahead of next week,” defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles told UEFA, and it will be intriguing to see how Lyon decide to set up in the return as they attempt to reach a first Europa League semi-final since 2016/17.
