Title favourites Arsenal and Atletico Madrid start their Europa League quarter-finals with home dates against CSKA Moscow and Sporting Lisbon respectively today High-flying Salzburg aim to continue their strong run at Lazio and RB Leipzig host Olympique Marseille in the other two first-leg games.
Arsenal were impressive in their last 16 win against AC Milan but run into a CSKA side which ended Olympique Lyon’s hope of featuring in the May 16 final which is played in their home stadium. Winning the trophy is the priority for manager Arsene Wenger and his Gunners as it offers their only real chance to play Champions League football next season, given a 13-point deficit on fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League.
“We are just trying to focus on the game,” the Evening Standard quoted defender Calum Chambers as saying. “You can get too wound up with things going on around it. At the end of the day it is a football match and we want to go and win and get a good result so I think everyone is fully focused on them, how we are going to play against them.”
Striker Alexandre Lacazette, who scored in his return from injury at the weekend, could be in line to start with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible after moving from Borussia Dortmund and Danny Welbeck nursing a back problem.
CSKA beat Arsenal twice when they last met, in the group stage of the 2006-07 Champions League. They have won five of their seven away games in Europa this season but one of their defeats was a 2-1 at Manchester United in the Champions League for a fifth straight loss overall against English opposition. Atletico coach Diego Simeone could have full-backs Sime Vrsaljko and Juanfran Torres back for the Sporting date after both returned to full training without problems but Uruguayan Jose Gimenez is doubtful with a bruised left ankle.
Sporting coach Jorge Jesus has no illusions as he heaped praise on Atletico star Antoine Griezmann and his team-mates from the 2010 and 2012 winners. “He is a great player who could play in any top team in Europe. They are the clear favourites with all the possibilities to end up winning the competition,” Jesus told Marca. Salzburg are enjoying their best season in Europe in their current status with major backing from Austrian energy drinks makers Red Bull, although the association with them has changed owing to UEFA regulations because Red Bull-backed Leipzig are also in the event.
The Austrians are unbeaten in 19 European matches and accounted for Borussia Dortmund in the past round but run into a Lazio side boasting Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile.
“We have been improving in the Europa League and we must continue on against Salzburg, who are unbeaten in Europe. We will have to prepare the game very carefully,” Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi said. Leipzig are meanwhile the best European debutant from Germany in more than two decades, and after ousting Napoli and beating runaway leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga also hope to prevail against Marseille. “We want to achieve something big. There will be pressure but you have to live with it. I love it, now come the big games,” forward Emil Forsberg said.