Lyon welcome Celta Vigo to the Groupama Stadium
Seeking a place in the Europa League quarter-finals for the second consecutive season, Lyon welcome Celta Vigo to the Groupama Stadium for the second leg of their last-16 tie.
The French outfit snatched a late equaliser in the first leg to leave the contest finely poised, while the Sky Blues must now regroup after letting a lead slip on home soil.
The first leg ended dramatically, as Lyon snatched a late equaliser to secure a crucial draw on Spanish soil, leaving the tie balanced ahead of the return leg.
That late leveller could prove decisive, not only in the tie but also for Endrick’s confidence, as the Brazilian ended a four-game goal drought in dramatic fashion.
Lyon’s recent European pedigree also offers encouragement, having reached the quarter-finals in two of their last appearances in the competition.
While Lyon enjoyed an impressive 13-match winning run between December and February, their recent form has dipped significantly, with no wins in their last six matches across all competitions.
Three draws and three defeats in that period, including a Coupe de France exit on penalties to Lens, underline the pressure on Fonseca’s side to deliver in Europe.
Despite Celta Vigo’s attacking threat, Lyon’s home advantage and the momentum gained from their late equaliser give them the edge. The hosts are expected to edge a tight contest and progress on aggregate.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Roma and Bologna decide their all-Italian tie
Finely balanced after last week’s first leg, Roma and Bologna will decide their all-Italian Europa tie, when they reconvene at Stadio Olimpico.
Vying for a place in the quarter-finals – where either Lille or Aston Villa will await – their last-16 clash began with a tight 1-1 draw.
By Thursday night, only one Italian team will be left standing in this season’s Europa League, as the two remaining Serie A sides were drawn together.
Twice runners-up in UEFA’s second-tier tournament – in 1991 and 2023 – Roma
also lifted the inaugural Conference League trophy in 2022, when Jose Mourinho was in charge.
Furthermore, Roma currently boast a coach with experience of Europa League glory, as Gian Piero Gasperini memorably went all the way with Atalanta less than two years ago.
However, when meeting domestic rivals in Europe, their record is mixed: losing the UEFA Cup final to Inter Milan, then exiting the 2014-15 Europa League to Fiorentina, before eliminating AC Milan from the latter competition in 2024.
Before concluding this all-Italian tie, the capital club have hit a rocky patch in Serie A, losing their grip on a Champions League qualifying spot.
After posting two defeats and a draw from three consecutive away games, Roma return to the Olimpico, where they usually raise their game in front of a partisan home crowd.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Porto look to seal passage as they host Stuttgart
In the driving seat of this Europa League round-of-16 tie, Porto look to seal passage to the quarter-finals as they welcome Stuttgart to Estadio do Dragao for the second leg.
Francesco Farioli’s men head into this clash with a one-goal advantage after securing a 2-1 victory in Germany last week, in what was the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
That result marked a sixth win in nine Europa League outings this season (D2, L1) for the Dragons, who secured direct passage to this round after finishing in the top eight, while it also leaves them on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013-14.
A strong record at the Dragao suggests Porto can get the job done, having lost just one of their 21 matches at the ground this term (W18, D2), a run that includes a perfect record on their own turf in the league phase campaign, winning all four such matches while scoring at least twice each time.
That dominance at home was evident again on Sunday, when the Blue and Whites put three past Moreirense through goals from Gabri Veiga, Oskar Pietuszewski and William Gomes, with the result moving the Dragons seven points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table.
Having ended the first leg on the front foot, Stuttgart will carry belief into the return fixture as they look to overturn the deficit, though that approach could leave space for a Porto side that has repeatedly found ways to grind out results this season.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Nottingham Forest to overturn deficit when they travel to face Midtjylland
Nottingham Forest will be looking to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit when they travel to Denmark to face FC Midtjylland at MCH Arena for the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
Five months after losing 3-2 to the Wolves in the League Phase, the Tricky Trees were beaten again by a 1-0 scoreline at the City Ground last week.
Nottingham Forest slashed their ticket prices to entice a capacity crowd for last week’s first leg at the City Ground, but home supporters endured another frustrating result on a damp and disheartening night against a familiar foe in Midtjylland.
New head coach Vitor Pereira said ‘even the rain played against’ his Forest side, who failed to convert any of their 22 shots on goal against Midtjylland before drawing a blank in front of goal once again in Sunday’s goalless stalemate with Fulham in the Premier League.
Brought in as Sean Dyche’s replacement last month, Pereira hit the ground running at Forest with a statement away win over Fenerbahce (3-0) in his first match, but the Tricky Trees have been unable to build further momentum under the Portuguese, failing to win any of their last six games across all tournaments (D2 L4).
Forest have, in fact, won two of their last three Europa League away games (L1) and they need to produce another strong performance on their travels if they wish to reach the quarter-finals of a major European competition for the first time since the 1995-96 UEFA Cup.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Europa League Fixtures
Midtjylland 17:45 Nottingham Forest
Olympique Lyonnais 17:45 Celta Vigo
Real Betis 20:00 Panathinaikos
Conference League Fixtures
AEK Larnaca 17:45 Crystal Palace
Raków Częstochowa 17:45 Fiorentina
Rayo Vallecano 20:00 Samsunspor
