Following their qualification for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday evening, attention now turns to the Europa League, the other prestigious European club competition.
Tonight, the Europa League’s round of 16 returns, featuring Ghanaian midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah and Juventus facing a challenging trip to Fiorentina’s home ground. Last Thursday, the Old Lady was held to a draw (1-1).
Meanwhile, Senegalese forward Sadio Mané, currently playing for Red Bull Salzburg, and his team are in a favorable position to secure their quarter-final berth after securing an encouraging draw against FC Basel (0-0). Similarly, Cameroonian defender Henri Bedimo and Olympique Lyonnais, after their dominant performance against Viktoria Plzen last week, are poised to progress to the next round, despite Fofana’s injury, who scored a brace in the first leg.
Tottenham, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle as they travel to Benfica without injured striker Adébayor, following their defeat (1-3) in London. It’s a daunting task for Tim Sherwood’s side, deprived of their key player.
Here’s the full schedule for tonight’s matches:
- Anzhi (Russia) vs. Alkmaar (Netherlands) (first leg: 0-1)
- Fiorentina (Italy) vs. Juventus (Italy) (first leg: 1-1)
- Valencia (Spain) vs. Ludogorets (Bulgaria) (first leg: 3-0)
- Benfica (Portugal) vs. Tottenham (England) (first leg: 3-1)
- Plzen (Czech Republic) vs. Lyon (France) (first leg: 1-4)
- Salzburg (Austria) vs. Basel (Switzerland) (first leg: 0-0)
- Naples (Italy) vs. Porto (Portugal) (first leg: 0-1)
- Real Betis (Spain) vs. Sevilla FC (Spain) (first leg: 2-0)
Tags: Alkmaar, England, Anzhi, Benfica, Cameroon, Europa League, Fiorentina, Football, Ghana, Henri Bedimo, Round of 16 return, Italy, Juventus, Kwadwo Asamoah, Ludogorets, Lyon, Plzen, Sadio Mané, Salzburg, Senegal, Tottenham, Valencia
