Favourites receive favourable Europa League draw

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22/03/17

Favourites receive favourable Europa League draw

The draw for the quarter-final of the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League has been completed and the favourites, Manchester United, will be happy with the outcome.

The Red Devils have been drawn to play 33-time Belgian championship winners, Anderlecht. In truth, it’s a great draw for Manchester United and with the first leg to be played in Belgium on the 13th April, Jose Mourinho could not have asked for more. However, Manchester United will have to improve on their performance against FC Rostov in the Round of 32, if they are to avoid a tight and nervous second leg. It took a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata to break the deadlock at Old Trafford and send the home team through 2-1 on aggregate.

Anderlecht saw off Apoel in the previous round, winning both games 1-0. Having finished second in their group to Saint-Etienne, a team Manchester United comfortably defeated in the Round of 32, they will be up against it, especially with the second leg being away from home.

Lyon are the second favourites to win the 2016/17 Europa League and they will play Besiktas in the quarter-final. Despite the Ligue 1 club being overwhelming favourites to win the first leg in France, the second leg could be very tough in Turkey. Besiktas have lost just one match at home in the Vodafone Arena this season and have lost only one of their last eleven home Europa League matches. Lyon will need to take at least a one if not two goal lead with them to Istanbul for the second leg or face the prospect of elimination from the competition.

Celta Vigo, the only Spanish club remaining in the tournament will play Genk, with the first leg being played in Spain. Celta Vigo are aiming to become the sixth Spanish winner of the tournament in the last eight seasons and will be happy to have drawn the Belgian club. Genk saw off fellow countrymen, Gent in the previous round, having scored 5 goals away from home in the first leg. Celta Vigo, who are sitting in mid-table in La Liga, should prove to be a much tougher test for Genk, who have entered the Europa League play-offs in their domestic league, having finished 8th during the regular season. Celta Vigo must be fancied to come through this tie and join Lyon and Manchester United in the semi-final draw.

The fourth quarter-final features Dutch giants Ajax and Schalke, of Germany. Ajax have a huge domestic league match against Feyenoord before the first leg of this tie against Feyenoord, a game which could determine the outcome of the Eredivisie title and how they approach the fixtures which follow. Therefore, it will be interesting to see where their priorities lie ahead of the first leg in Amsterdam. Schalke sit in mid-table in the Bundesliga and their best chance of European football next season, is through winning this tournament. Markus Weinzierl’s team have scored plenty of gaols in the away legs of the knockout rounds this season, including 3 at PAOK and 2 at Borussia Monchengladbach. Expect Schalke to find the back of the net in the Amsterdam Arena and give themselves the advantage for the second leg