The UEFA Europa League has reached the last eight, as clubs from seven different nations remain. For the octet, the chance at a final appearance could be crucial to their respective seasons.
Three former winners are left in the UEL, while a further three have reached the showpiece. We also have a debutant at this stage of the competition.
Ahead of the round of play, here is The Deck’s preview of each tie, as well as our predictions on who will make it to the semifinals.
UEFA Europa League Quarterfinals
Lazio vs Bodø/Glimt
The 1997/98 finalist Lazio will kick off the round as they meet Norway’s Bodø/Glimt, who has reached this stage of the Europa League for the very first time.
Lazio has had a very successful UEL campaign thus far. Having finished top of the league phase, they also made it past Viktoria Plzeň last round. Their reward is a first European quarterfinals since 2017/18. They have not gone farther since 2002/03, when they fell to eventual winners Porto in the UEFA Cup semifinals. This is the Biancocelesti’s second time facing a Norwegian team in Europe, having knocked off Rosenborg home and away in the 2015/16 group stage.
For Bodø/Glimt, they are enjoying their greatest ever term in Europe. This is their second quarterfinal in a UEFA club competition, three years on from their first. That came in the Conference League, where they came up short against Lazio’s local rival AS Roma, who won the tournament. All three of their wins over Italian sides – two of which came against Roma – were at home. In nine matches in the Arctic Circle in Europe this season (qualifiers included), Bodø has won eight.
Prediction: Lazio
Manchester United vs Olympique Lyonnais
Our pick for the tie of the round sees Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnais square off more than 17 years on from their last meetings.
The pressure is piling on the 2016/17 winners, who are in need of UEL glory to return to UEFA club competition action next season. There is good news for them though, as they have lost just four games all-time versus Ligue 1 sides in Europe. The Red Devils are also unbeaten in four head-to-heads against Lyon, winning both home ties while drawing the away ones. All of those games came in the UEFA Champions League group stage. It is the fourth Europa League campaign in a row where United reached at least the last eight.
Back after missing the last two seasons, Lyon has had another solid run in the UEL. Just as they did three years ago, the French side have gotten to this stage of the tournament once more. They are looking to progress past this stage for the second time in club history, having previously done so eight years ago. Curiously, this is Lyon’s third straight continental quarterfinal facing an English side. West Ham knocked them out in the 2021/22 UEL, a year after l’OL stunned Manchester City 3-1 in a one-off tie.
Prediction: Olympique Lyonnais
Athletic Club vs Rangers
LaLiga’s Athletic Club, who is having a fine campaign, battles Rangers in what should be a fascinating tie.
With this term’s Europa League final being at San Mames, there is nothing Athletic Club would want more than to lift the trophy in their own venue. They boast a perfect home record in the UEL this term, scoring 12 times in those five matches. The club from Bilbao has gone to the final twice before, losing on both occasions. Interestingly, Athletic has never face a Scottish club in an official UEFA club competition.
Rangers has become no stranger to going far in the UEL in recent years. The 2021/22 runners-up have reached at least the round of 16 of the Europa League in each of their last five attempts. After claiming a top eight finish in the league phase, they knocked off Fenerbahçe on penalties in the round of 16. They will have to be weary though – in each of their last five knockout round ties, they lost at least one of the matches. While they did advance from four of them, it is still a trend they may want to do away with.
Prediction: Athletic Club
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur
A pair of two-time winners in Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham do battle with a spot in the final four on the line. Having already met in Europe before, we should be in for a great match.
Frankfurt enjoyed Europa League glory three years ago in Seville, and is looking to head back to Spain for another final. During that run, they defeated West Ham at the semifinal stage 3-1 on aggregate. Die Adler are currently enjoying an 11-game unbeaten run at home in the UEL, winning their last four. Across 15 previous outings with English opposition, they have an even 5-5-5 record.
Spurs has had the upper hand in the head-to-head against their Bundesliga opponent. They came out on top in their only previous two-legged tie, which came at this stage of the 1981/82 UEFA Cup Winners Cup. They also met two years ago in the Champions League group phase, where the North London club prevailed at home while drawing away. Despite their regular appearances in the competition, this is just the second time Tottenham has gotten this far in the UEL era. They lost on penalties to Basel 12 years ago in their only previous showing.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur