The UEFA Europa League concluded its Round of 16 last Thursday. Only Roma and Bologna were forced into extra time, and this all-Italian clash saw Bologna emerge victorious thanks to a goal from Nicoló Cambiaghi, in what proved to be the highest-scoring match of the Europa League night.
Following these matches, eight teams secured their spot in the quarter-finals, scheduled for April 9th and 16th. These include two Spanish clubs (Betis and Celta), two Portuguese (Braga and Porto), two English (Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa), one German (Freiburg), and one Italian (Bologna).
UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Results:
- Braga 4 – 0 Ferencváros (4-2 aggregate)
- Freiburg 5 – 1 Genk (5-2 aggregate)
- Lyon 0 – 2 Celta (1-3 aggregate)
- Midtjylland 1 – 2 Nottingham Forest (2-2 aggregate, Nottingham Forest won 0-3 on penalties)
- Aston Villa 2 – 0 Lille (3-0 aggregate)
- Porto 2 – 0 Stuttgart (4-1 aggregate)
- Real Betis 4 – 0 Panathinaikos (4-1 aggregate)
- Roma 3 – 4 Bologna (4-5 aggregate)
UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final Fixtures:
- Braga vs. Real Betis
- Freiburg vs. Celta Vigo
- Porto vs. Nottingham Forest
- Bologna vs. Aston Villa
This setup means that if Betis and Celta win their respective matches, they would face each other in an all-Spanish semi-final. Furthermore, English clubs, Nottingham Forest and especially Aston Villa, are already seen as strong favorites to reach the final.
The Europa League quarter-finals will take place from April 9th to 16th. In your opinion, which team will lift the Europa League trophy this year?