Europa League Recap: Where the likes of Man Utd, Wolves and Inter left off
Now all major European leagues are finished, attentions now turn to completing UEFA's two club competitions to round off a long, eventful 2019/20 campaign.
The Europa League resumes at the round of 16 stage on Wednesday and Thursday. Six of the eight ties were able to play the first leg before the break but that wasn't the case for Inter-Getafe and Sevilla-Roma.
While the others will play out their return legs over the next two days, Inter-Getafe and Sevilla-Roma will contest in a straight shoot-out for a place in the next round. That will be the format for all teams going forward this season in a bid to streamline the competition.
All one-legged games will be played at netural venues, with Inter-Getafe and Sevilla-Roma being contested in Germany.
While Inter-Getafe and Sevilla-Roma prepare for their straight knockout game, it's not so straightforward for the other six remaining fixtures, who played the first half of their tie five months ago. Here we recap where all the ties left off back in March.
FC Copenhagen vs Istanbul Basakehir (0-1 aggregate)
Date / KO: Wednesday, 17:55 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 3
Quarter-Final Opponents: Man Utd vs LASK
Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir will aim to defend a 1-0 lead from the first leg when they travel to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen on Wednesday. Edin Visca scored an 88th-minute penalty to separate the two sides, while FC Copenhagen may rue not getting an away goal back in March. Istanbul Basaksehir have scored in all but one of their Europa League away matches this season, while FC Copenhagen have conceded in all but one of their home matches in the competition.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg (2-1 aggregate)
Date / KO: Wednesday, 17:55 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport ESPN
Quarter-Final Opponents: FC Basel or Frankfurt
Shakhtar Donetsk are in the driving seat in this tie after coming away from their trip to Germany in March with a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg. Junior Moraes and Marcos Antonio scored either side of a John Brooks effort for the Ukranian outfit. Wolfsburg are at least unbeaten away from home in the Europa League this season and will need to draw confidence from that in order to overturn their first leg deficit.
Manchester United vs LASK (5-0 aggregate)
Date / KO: Wednesday, 20:00 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 1 / BT Sport Extra 1 / BT Sport Ultimate
Quarter-Final Opponents: FC Copenhagen or Istanbul Basaksehir
Manchester United are all but through to the next round of the competition after thrashing LASK 5-0 away from home back in March. United had five different goalscorers on the night, with Odion Ighalo, Dan James, Juan Mata, Mason Greenwood and Andreas Pereira getting in on the act.
The Red Devils have won all four of their Europa League home matches this season without conceding. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will use Wednesday's return leg to hand game time to some of the club's fringe players, while Luke Shaw will not feature again until next season due to an ankle injury.
🤯 European football returns for the first time in 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 months this week
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 4, 2020
🔢 We have previewed every Europa League round of 16 match with team news, probable XIs and predicted scorelines 👇
Date / KO: Wednesday, 20:00 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 2
Quarter-Final Opponents: Bayer Leverkusen or Rangers
This one-legged tie will be contested at Schalke's stadium in Germany. Inter, who dropped down from the Champions League group stage, defeated Ludogorets Razgrad 4-1 on aggregate in the last round and finished the Serie A campaign with three straight wins without conceding a goal. They are also on the verge of extending Alexis Sanchez's contract from Manchester United beyond it's current expiry date on Friday.
Getafe, meanwhile, pulled off a shock in the last round to dump Ajax out of the competition. They have only won two of 13 matches since then, however, and haven't played a competitive match since the middle of last month.
Date / KO: Thursday, 17:55 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 3
Quarter-Final Opponents: Wolves or Olympiacos
Two big Europa League heavyweights will lock horns in Germany on Thursday, with their round of 16 game being hosted by third division side MSV Duisburg at ther 31,000-capacity stadium. Sevilla have only lost one of eight matches in the Europa League this season but have failed to win their last three inside normal time. Roma, meanwhile, have also only lost once in the Europa League this season. Both sides finished their respective league campaigns in good form, with Sevilla unbeaten in 17 and Roma winning seven of their last eight.
Sevilla will be unable to call on creative ace Ever Banega, who has left the club and moved to Saudi Arabia, and also WhoScored LaLiga Team of the Season left-back Sergio Reguilon, who has returned to parent club Real Madrid following a loan spell. Roma, meanwhile, have lost WhoScored Serie A Team of the Season centre-back Chris Smalling back to parent club Manchester United.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers (3-1 aggregate)
Date / KO: Thursday, 17:55 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 2
Quarter-Final Opponents: Inter or Getafe
Rangers have it all to do in order to overturn their 3-1 first leg deficit when they travel to Germany for Thursday's match. Leverkusen know they are firm favourites after scoring three away goals back in March. George Edmundson pulled one back for Rangers after Kai Havertz and Charles Aranguiz put Leverkusen 2-0 up in Glasgow before Leon Bailey struck late for the Bundesliga outfit to potentially put the tie out of reach for Steven Gerrard's side. Rangers started the 2020/21 campaign on Saturday with a 1-0 win away to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, while this is Leverkusen's first game since DFB-Pokal final defeat last month.
FC Basel 1893 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0 aggregate)
Date / KO: Thursday, 20:00 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport ESPN
Quarter-Final Opponents: Shakhtar Donetsk or Wolfsburg
FC Basel pulled off a shock 3-0 victory away to Frankfurt back in March to all but put their name in the quarter-finals, with Samuele Campo, Kevin Bua and Fabian Frei all on the scoresheet. The Swiss side have a 100 per cent record at home in the Europa League this season (4/4), making Thursday night even more ominous for Frankfurt.
Wolves vs Olmpiacos (1-1 aggregate)
Date / KO: Thursday, 20:00 GMT
TV Coverage: BT Sport 1 / BT Sport Extra 1 / BT Sport Ultimate
Quarter-Final Opponents: Sevilla or Roma
Wolves welcome Olympiacos on Thursday night with the tie evenly poised after a 1-1 draw in Greece in March. Pedro Neto equalised for Wolves just 13 minutes after Youssef El-Arabi put 10-man Olympiacos ahead in the second half. Wolves have won six of their seven home matches in the Europa League this season, including each of their last three without conceding, but Olympiacos have already triumphed in England this season. The Greek giants defeated Arsenal at the Emirates in the last round of the competition to set up a round of 16 meeting with Wolves.
