Premier League clubs that remain in contention in Europe’s three club competitions will be saddled by disappointment if they fail to make a first ever clean sweep of continental trophies to guarantee England’s top flight an extra slot in next season’s expanded Uefa Champions League.
Manchester City are the bookmakers favourites to lift ‘Big Ears’ ahead of tonight’s second leg of their round of 16 duel with Denmark’s FC Copenhagen. Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens have once again turned on the afterburners in the season’s home straight by winning 14 out of their last 15 matches in all competitions and should dismiss the Danish champions with something to spare.
Etihad Stadium top scorer Erling Braut Haaland will be raring to increase on his five goal tally in Europe’s premier club competition as he seeks to respond to Golden Boot rivals Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe Lottin who both grabbed braces as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain progressed to the quarter finals at the expense of Lazio and Real Sociedad.
Despite losing the first leg at FC Porto’s Estadio do Dragao to a late Galeno strike, Arsenal are third favourites behind Real Madrid who welcome back Jude Bellingham for tonight’s return leg clash with RB Leipzig. The Gunners served notice of their trophy hunting hunger by clobbering Sheffield United 6-0 on Monday night to remind European rivals of their credentials.
Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen may be unbeaten in 34 outings on the eve of tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Qarabag of Azerbaijan but it’s EPL leaders Liverpool who are tipped to deliver another European trophy in Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign as Anfield boss. The Kop boast the most valuable squad in the continent’s second tier competition by a country mile and should prove too strong for Sparta Prague.
Klopp is expected to field youngsters Jayden Danns, Conor Bradley, Lewis Koumas, Bobby Clark and James McConnell together with experienced stalwarts Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez as the multiple trophy winning coach juggles resources in readiness for Sunday’s EPL top of the table clash with Manchester City.
Mo Salah and Dominic Szoboszlai could make their first starts in over a month but Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander Arnold are ruled out.
Europa Conference League favourites Aston Villa’s squad is twice the transfer market value of Fiorentina who are rated as the second strongest side in the competition. With four time Europa League winning manager Unai Emery at the helm, the Villa Park outfit should have no excuse not to get past Ajax Amsterdam.
The Johan Cruyff Stadium based outfit may command a superior European pedigree but they are undergoing a season of transition and are without injured influential Dutch internationals Steven Bergwijn and Steven Berghuis.
TODAY
Manchester City v FC Copenhagen,
Real Madrid v RB Leipzig
THURSDAY
EUROPA LEAGUE
Sporting Lisbon v Atalanta,
Qarabag v Bayer Leverkusen,
Sparta Prague v Liverpool,
AS Roma v Brighton,
AC Milan v Slavia Prague,
Freiburg v West Ham United,
Benfica v Glasgow Rangers,
Olympique Marseille v Villarreal
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Sturm Graz v Lille Metropole,
Olympiakos v Maccabi Tel Aviv,
Ajax Amsterdam v Aston Villa,
Molde v Club Brugge,
Maccabi Haifa v Fiorentina,
Servette v Plzen,
Dinamo Zagreb v PAOK,
Union St Gilloise v Fenerbahce