The Europa League had a lot to live up to, following the scintillating action that had been played out in the Champions League this week. European football’s secondary competition did not disappoint with some big storylines of its own. Read about all of the action from the Europa League quarter final second legs here: Salzburg […]
Author : Danny Lewis
Europa League Round Up: Atletico Madird capitalise on Sporting’s mistakes to open up advantage
The quarterfinals have started in decisive fashion, with three teams now having a large task on their hands to qualify following the first leg result. There were some fourteen goals across the four games including brilliant strikes and defensive mishaps. Atletico Madrid 2-0 Sporting Lisbon When a team is playing the favourites to win […]
Bruno Fernandes: Sporting’s Europa League saviour
Atletico Madrid have breezed past any opposition they have faced in the Europa League this season, since dropping down from the Champions League. Their first opponents were Copenhagen, who they beat 5-1 on aggregate, a result which was followed by an 8-1 hammering of Lokomotiv Moscow over two legs. They should have a much larger […]
Stefan Lainer: The full back leading Salzburg’s Europa League charge
Full backs are more important in the modern game than they have ever been before. Whether it’s a wing back bombing up and down the pitch all game, a more defensive full back who allows others to push forward, or someone who finds a balance of both, these players are beginning to be regarded as […]
Europa League Round Up: Danny Welbeck’s controversial penalty helps Arsenal beat AC Milan
The latest round of fixtures brought controversy, comebacks and heartbreak for one side who fought back incredibly well after losing in the first leg, only to be defeated in extra time. With a place in the quarter finals up for grabs, there was a lot at stake for the teams involved, you can read about […]
Europa League Round Up: RB Leipzig and Salzburg in pole position after the Round of 16’s first leg
The Europa League always seems to provide shocks, entertaining matches and some superb goals. This week was no different, as it included a win for RB Salzburg against Borussia Dortmund, Lazio’s battle with Dynamo Kyiv and Saul Niguez’s incredible strike against Lokomotiv Moscow. AC Milan 0–2 Arsenal Arsene Wenger and Gennaro Gattuso have had very […]
Why Zenit St Petersburg should be considered among the favourites to win the Europa League
With the Europa League Round of 32 over, people can’t help but think about who are the favourites to win the competition. The upcoming fixture between AC Milan and Arsenal is widely seen as a game that could produce the tournament’s eventual winner, while Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have also been widely touted to […]
Europa League Round Up: Ciro Immobile leads Lazio comeback while Celtic are knocked out by Zenit
With a place in the Round of 16 at stake there was plenty of action, with Lazio and Zenit St Petersburg overturning deficits from the first leg to progress. Arsenal, Athletic Bilbao and Borussia Dortmund were close to forfeiting their place in the next round, but just about managed to hang on. Lazio 5 (5-2) […]
Europa League Round Up: Manuel Fernandes and Michy Batshuayi inspire brilliant comebacks
Two months after the culmination of the group stages the Europa League is finally back with the first leg of the knockout rounds. There were brilliant comebacks from Borussia Dortmund and Lokomotiv Moscow, an upset from FCSB, resounding wins for Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Marseille as well as some draws which have given no […]
Europa League Team of the Group Stage
The Europa League is returning this week after a lengthy break following the culmination of the group stages. There will be an abundance of talent coming into the competition from the Champions League with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Dries Mertens, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic among those who will be fighting to get their […]
Nabil Fekir: Lyon’s classy captain and talisman
In recent years Lyon have always had enigmatic talents coming through their youth ranks to help them towards success. They are even nicknamed Les Gones which directly translates to The Kids. When the French club reached the Champions League semi final under Claude Puel in the 2009-10 season they had Sidney Govou as a prominent […]
The European nights offering temporary respite from AC Milan’s domestic troubles
Having shown themselves to be one of the powerhouses of European football in the past, AC Milan’s fall from the top has been well documented in recent years. With high profile signings such as Leonardo Bonucci, Andre Silva and Ricardo Rodriguez in a haul that cost over £150 million, it seemed as though they would […]
Alejandro Gomez: The man leading Atalanta’s Europa League charge
When Everton supporters saw their draw for the Europa League group stages they were pretty confident of getting through to the knockout rounds. However, their opening match against an Atalanta side led be Alejandro Gomez showed them that they weren’t in for an easy ride. La Dea’s incredible first half performance swept Everton away, with […]
FC Astana: The eight-year-old club in the Europa League knockout stages
There have been many achievements made by clubs already during this Europa League campaign, but one that hasn’t had enough attention as it probably should is that of FC Astana. The side who have topped the Kazakhstan Premier League this campaign have also qualified for the knock out stages of European competition for the first […]
Why you should pay attention to the Europa League knock out stages
In the past the Europa League has been a competition that hasn’t really been taken seriously by many of the English public. However, with the calibre of clubs in it this season, especially since the third-placed teams in the Champions League dropped down, there is a quality in the Europa League that deserves a certain […]
Emiliano Rigoni: The Zenit winger topping the Europa League goalscoring charts
Zenit St Petersburg are beginning to get a large Argentinian contingent, with Leandro Paredes, Matias Kranevitter, Sebastian Driussi and Emanuel Mammana all representing the Russian club. However, it is Emiliano Rigoni who has made the biggest impact for them in the Europa League, becoming the top scorer in the group stages of the competition. Rigoni […]
Europa League Round Up: Athletic Bilbao and Lokomotiv Moscow through
This is it for the Europa League group stages. Teams such as Arsenal and AC Milan were already through while the likes of Everton and Hoffenheim were confirmed to be missing out. Despite this there were still plenty of places in the knockout rounds up for grabs. The teams who made it through will also […]
The Europa League stars to watch out for at the World Cup
The World Cup draw automatically makes the competition feel much closer and gets everybody looking forward to the summer of football. Players and supporters alike will now have the tournament in Russia at the back of their minds as the rest of the season unfolds. This is the same for those in the Europa League, […]
Europa League Round Up: AC Milan and Villarreal qualify
Lazio were the last team to have a 100% record in the Europa League this season but they lost it this week. More importantly though, with this being the penultimate game week of the group stages plenty of teams have had their fate decided by now. This round up will tell you all you need […]
How Jack Wilshere can regain his England spot
Sporting films often seem to follow the same plot. There is the meteoric rise of an athlete oozing with talent, a fall from grace that places them firmly in the background and then finally the sweetest of redemptions which leads them to greatness. Jack Wilshere’s career to date is reminiscent of the first two stages […]