With the quarter-finals pairing throwing up some interesting encounters, the bookies still have Spanish giants, Barcelona and Italian side, Atalanta as the favourite to win the Europa League.
However, for the Blaugranes to stand any chance of finishing the season with silverware, having been kicked out of the Copa del Rey and trailing Real Madrid by 15 points in La Liga, they must first get past Eintracht Frankfurt, then overcome either West Ham or Lyon in the semi-final stage
On their part, Atalanta have shown that they are a credible Champions League-level team in recent years and they have been set the task of beating RB Leipzig, then Braga, or Rangers in order to reach the final.
All The Pairings
Leipzig vs Atalanta
Frankfurt vs Barcelona
West Ham vs Lyon
Braga vs Rangers
Coaches, Pundits React
Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach: “There is only one goal in a knockout match and that is to progress […] We are happy about this draw. The club, the fans, the city, the team deserve such an attractive opponent. We want to get to the semi-finals.”
“[Barcelona are] one of the biggest names in European club football, however […] if we can beat the fifth-placed team from Spain, we can also beat the third-placed team from Spain.”
Markus Krösche, Eintracht Frankfurt Sporting Director: “To be honest, Barcelona will be a demanding opponent. They were the best team in the draw. However, we saw that Galatasaray gave Barcelona extreme problems and that is our goal too. Our mission is to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.”
Domenico Tedesco, Leipzig Coach: “Atalanta is a tough draw. I was there in October watching their home game against Udinese, and my conclusion then was that Atalanta are a very organised team, both with and without the ball. A really, really good opponent with a lot of great players.”
Peter Bosz, Lyon Coach: “West Ham are a very good team. I saw them against Arsenal, that was a solid game. When you sit sixth in the Premier League, there’s no doubt you’re good. However, we’re doing well in the Europa League.”
Owen Hargreaves speaking about Rangers on BT Sport: “They’ll fancy themselves, they’ve been brilliant in this competition. I think they’ll win there. Obviously, you’ve got to respect Braga, but [Rangers] have been so good in the competition and they’ll get into the next round. Credit to [Rangers], Van Bronckhorst and his players, I think they could be a surprise finalist.”
Joe Cole speaking to BT Sport: “I remember playing against [Lyon] in France, always a strong team. They recruit powerful players. I think it’s going to be a well-matched game physically, but West Ham will fear no one.”
The Europa League quarter-final and semi-final ties will take place as follow
Quarter-finals
First legs: 7 April
Second legs: 14 April
Semi-finals
First legs: 28 April
Second legs: 5 May
Semi-final 1: Leipzig/Atalanta vs Braga/Rangers
Semi-final 2: West Ham/Lyon vs Frankfurt/Barcelona
Final: Winner of semi-final 2 vs Winner of semi-final 1
