The UEFA Europa League returns to action today! The second leg of the round of 16 is set to commence on Thursday, as per usual, with the likes of Barcelona, Lyon, Bayer Levekusen, Porto, and West Ham all fighting for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Due to the cancelation of RB Leipzig's showdown with Spartak Moscow, only seven games will take place, with the aforementioned Bundesliga giants receiving a bye to the last eight due to Russia's war in Ukraine. Who will join the German side in the next round? Here's everything you need to know about the 2nd leg of the round of 16.
What are the aggregate score lines for the UEFA Europa League round of 16?
-
Galatasaray (0) vs Barcelona (0)
-
Bayer Leverkusen (2) vs Atalanta (3)
-
Red Star Belgrade (0) vs Rangers (3)
-
Monaco (0) vs Sporting Braga (2)
-
Eintracht Frankfurt (2) vs Real Betis (1)
-
West Ham (0) vs Sevilla (1)
-
Lyon (1) vs Porto (0)
Top games to watch in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 2nd leg
Galatasaray vs Barcelona: This is a must-win game for the Blaugrana. Despite boasting the home advantage and all the possession in the first leg, Barcelona were unable to capitalize, instead drawing 0-0 with the Turkish giants. As a result, with the away goal rule being scrapped, only a victory would see the Spanish giants progress to the quarterfinals. Fortunately, Xavi's men have been playing extremely well as of late, as the visitors boast a 10-game unbeaten run, winning seven and drawing three.
As for the hosts, they enter this tie on the back of a much-needed 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Besiktas. However, the Turkish giants still remain in the bottom half of the Super Lig table, currently occupying the 11th spot. Galatasaray would need to be perfect in order to knock out Ferran Torres and Co.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta: When these two teams faced off in the first leg, they played out a five-goal thriller, with the Italian giants just about edging the win courtesy of a 3-2 score line. Malinovsky cancelled out Aranguiz's 11th-minute opening goal before Muriel bagged a brilliant brace to put Atalanta in the driving seat. In fact, Gian Piero Gasperini's men were in danger of running away with the tie but Diaby pulled one back for Leverkusen, meaning the game is not yet over. Unfortunately, the German giants will be without influential attacker Florian Wirtz after suffering a horrible ACL tear which has now put his World Cup hopes in doubt. Can Die Werkself pull off a win and secure their spot in the quarterfinals in the absence of their star player? Tune in to find out the answer.
West Ham vs Sevilla: Two credible title challengers go head-to-head in this tie, with either West Ham or Sevilla set to bow out of the competition. The Spanish heavyweights boast the advantage heading into the second leg, but it's a slim one, having beaten the Premier League outfit 1-0 in the first encounter. It's not hard to see why Lopetegui's men achieved that lovely result as they are second in La Liga, boasting the best defensive record in the Spanish top-flight. However, this game will take place in the Hammers' home soil and David Moyes' men have shown this season that they are a side to be feared. They enter this tie on the back of an impressive 2-1 win over Aston Villa and will now be out for revenge over Kounde and Co.
Who's in and who's out
Here are the list of players ruled out for the upcoming round from the UEFA Europa League's top clubs:
Barcelona: Samuel Umtiti, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Moussa Wague, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, and Balde (all injured); Dani Alves (unavailable for selection)
Galatasaray: Arda Turan (injured)
Leverkusen: Florian Wirtz, Karim Bellarabi, and Andrey Lunev (injured); Patrik Schick, Robert Andrich, and Jeremie Frimpong (doubtful)
Atalanta: Duvan Zapata (injured); Josip Ilicic (unavailable); Aleksey Miranchuk (doubtful)
West Ham: Vladimir Coufal, Angelo Ogbonna, and Jarrod Bowen (all injured); Aaron Cresswell, Nikola Vlasic, and Michail Antonio (doubtful)
Sevilla: Papu Gomez and Suso (injured); Lucas Ocampos (suspended); Marcos Acuna, Erik Lamela, Gonzalo Montiel, Diego Carlos, and Karim Rekik (doubtful)
Lyon: Rayan Cherki and Sinaly Diomande (injured)
Porto: Wilson Manafa and Fernando Andrade (injured); Otavio (suspended); Pepe (doubtful)
