Freiburg, West Ham reunite in first leg of last-16 clash
Having already butted heads twice in the group stage, Freiburg and West Ham United will immediately reunite for the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday night at the Europa-Park Stadion.
David Moyes‘s men prevailed in both of their previous battles in Group A, thereby earning a direct ticket to the last 16 and forcing their German foes to do it the hard way against Lens in the playoffs.
By snatching victory from the jaws of elimination, Freiburg are just 180 minutes away from achieving their best-ever run in Europe – they lost to Juventus at this stage of the 2022-23 Europa League – and Streich’s men became the latest team to take points off of faltering Bayern Munich in last Friday’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw.
Upcoming opponents West Ham could certainly share Freiburg’s pain when it came to abysmal defensive displays at home, but less than a month on from shipping six to Arsenal at a half-empty London Stadium, things are starting to look a little rosier for the Europa Conference League champions.
West Ham’s Premier League standing would only be Europa Conference League-worthy, but the reigning champions of that competition now have bigger continental aspirations in mind as they gear up for just their second Europa League knockout appearance after losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2021-22 semis.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Brighton continue continental adventure when they face Roma
Kicking off a glamour tie in the Europa League‘s last 16, European rookies Brighton & Hove Albion continue their continental adventure on Thursday, when they visit Roma at Stadio Olimpico. While the Giallorossi are regulars in UEFA competition and reached this stage via a dramatic win in the playoffs, newcomers Brighton cruised through the group phase on their long-awaited debut.
Brighton boss De Zerbi returns to Italy, where several possible vacancies could open up in the summer, having helped the English club secure a first-ever continental campaign and then steered them serenely through Group B in the autumn.
Beating familiar foes Feyenoord for the third time in as many years, Roma came through the Europa League’s knockout-round playoffs last month, after a 2-2 aggregate draw sent their contest to extra time and, ultimately, a penalty shootout.
Europa Conference League winners in 2022, and Europa League finalists last year, the Giallorossi are starting to thrive in domestic competition.
Roma have lost just one of their last 23 home games in the Europa League – winning no fewer than 17 – and they have been given a new lease of life under Daniele De Rossi. As Brighton are currently below their best, the Premier League side could find themselves one goal behind heading into next week’s second leg.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Aston Villa square off against Ajax in last-16
Aston Villa return to Europa Conference League action on Thursday evening when they square off against Ajax in the first leg of their last-16 tie. While Villa progressed through to this stage of the competition through winning Group E before Christmas, Ajax came through a dramatic playoff tie with Bodo/Glimt last month.
The priorities of Unai Emery may have changed over the course of this season, with Villa once being regarded as surprise Premier League title candidates before dropping off the pace. Nevertheless, the West Midlands outfit remain very much in the running to win a European trophy as well as qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League.
Going 16 matches without a clean sheet and posting one win in six, meant Ajax were considered as underdogs in some quarters when facing in-form FC Utrecht at the weekend. Instead, Ajax were able to respond with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over a potential candidate for fifth place, with Van’t Schip’s side now back in the hunt for fourth.
In this competition, Bodo/Glimt was defeated in dramatic circumstances in the playoff round, with Ajax scoring two stoppage-time goals in the reverse fixture in Norway.
With Ajax having finally kept a clean sheet at the weekend, Villa will have to show more respect to their opponents, who are hinting at an upturn in fortunes. Nevertheless, Villa feel like a more cohesive unit, and we are backing them to earn a share of the spoils in Amsterdam.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Liverpool make the taxing trip to Sparta Prague
Returning to Europa League duty, Liverpool make the taxing trip to Sparta Prague‘s epet Arena for the first leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday evening. While the Reds bypassed the knockout round playoffs by finishing first in Group E, Brian Priske‘s side had to pull off an astounding comeback against Champions League drop-outs Galatasaray.
Two-legged victories in the 2023-24 Europa League was nothing new for Sparta Prague, who were sent packing by Copenhagen in the preliminary Champions League rounds and had to eliminate Dinamo Zagreb in the final Europa League qualifying phase to even reach the group stage.
Only one of Sparta’s last 16 European clashes with English teams has seen the Maroons come up trumps, and Liverpool arrive in the Czech Republic having already lifted one road curse this month, albeit in highly contentious circumstances at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Not since September have Sparta Prague conceded more than one goal in a competitive home fixture, and Priske’s resilient charges ought to feel optimistic of prolonging that sequence against a Liverpool side who historically do not travel well in the Europa League.
With selection dilemmas aplenty given their significant absentees and impending battle with Manchester City, the Reds may be happy to leave Prague with a first-leg draw before attempting to complete the job at Anfield in the return fixture.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
