The draw for the next round of the Europa League takes place on Friday, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur waiting to learn who they will face in the last 16.
Both clubs have had a torrid time of late in the Premier League, but while positions of 12th and 15th are further evidence that both sides are among the poorest in the Premier League (in relative terms at least), they are the bookies’ favourites to win the Europa League.
Having finished third and fourth respectively in the league phase, Spurs and United have since been placed in opposite sides of the draw, meaning they cannot meet until the final - though one of them will play Real Sociedad in the last-16.
With clubs including a high-flying Athletic Bilbao, league-phase ‘winners’ Lazio and 2022 winners Eintracht Frankfurt still in the competition, any run to the final would certainly be difficult for the English contingent.
And while it will rightly raise eyebrows to call Spurs and United the favourites for a cup tournament at the moment, are there many clubs who could mount a challenge for the tournament, and if so, who are they?
Real Sociedad
Europa League position: 13th
Star player: Martin Zubimendi
Domestic form: 11th, 20 points behind first
One of the biggest challenges to Spurs and United could well come straight away, with both sides able to face Real Sociedad in the round of 16.
The Basque side have struggled in La Liga this season having lost Mikel Merino and Robin Le Normand, but on their day they remain one of the best sides in Spain.
And there is quality throughout the starting eleven, from Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi to Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo and local favourite Mikel Oyarzabal, scorer of the goal that won Euro 2024.
While the latter two will provide plenty of threat to the already stretched English clubs in defence, the midfield trio of Zubimendi, Pablo Marin and Brais Mendez can also hurt the English sides in central areas.
A win over Barcelona and a draw with Atletico Madrid earlier this season show that the Basque outfit can go toe-to-toe with the continent’s best sides, and with Spurs and United’s other opponent potentially being AZ Alkmaar, both sides will likely want to avoid the trip to San Sebastian.
Athletic Bilbao
Europa League position: 2nd
Star player: Nico Williams
Domestic form: 4th, six points behind 1st
Athletic Club are probably the biggest threat to the English sides, for a number of reasons – not least because they will be desperate to make the final at their home stadium.
The combination of pace and creativity across the front line could expose the English clubs, while their defence – which is the second best in the league, having conceded just 21 league goals so far this season – will be hard to break down.
The Basque side are just six points behind Barcelona and are arguably in the La Liga title race, with star players including the Williams brothers – long-time favourite Inaki and Spain star Nico – as well as emerging young talent Oihan Sancet.
With the club having built on last season’s brilliant Copa del Rey win to mount an unlikely charge for the top four (or title), their season-long form suggests that Bilbao will have enough to threaten both United and Spurs.
Lazio
Europa League position: 1st
Star player: Valentin Castellanos
Domestic form: 5th, 10 points behind 1st
The Serie A side finished top of the league-phase table with six wins, one draw and one loss, having beaten sides including Ajax, Porto and Real Sociedad. They will face Viktoria Plzen or Roma in the round of 16.
On paper, the squad is perhaps less talented than those of Bilbao or even Frankfurt, and it is certainly a far cry from the multi-million pounds teams assembled by Spurs and United, with ex-Chelsea man Pedro and 26-year-old striker Valentin Castellanos among the Rome-based side’s key players.
Lazio have lost seven matches so far in Serie A this season, and though they sit in fifth, they have done little to suggest that they can beat the very best sides over two legs.
Nevertheless, we aren’t talking about the ‘very best’ when referencing Spurs and Man Utd, and Lazio’s form against clubs like Ajax and Porto proves that they can cause problems.
Both English clubs could meet the Biancocelesti in the quarter-finals in theory, so it may be a match-up we see soon. If so, a lot could depend on whether the Premier League sides have welcomed back key players from injury – if they have, they should both have enough to beat the Italians, despite what’s been on show domestically.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Europa League position: 5th
Star player: Hugo Ekitike
Domestic form: 3rd, 13 points behind 1st
Frankfurt won this competition in 2021/22 and have kicked on from there, finishing progressively higher in the Bundesliga and now occupying third place this season.
The squad was weakened by the loss of their best player when Manchester City completed the signing of Omar Marmoush in January, but in the Egyptian’s absence, former PSG striker Hugo Ekitike has taken on the mantle of star player, with the Frenchman having scored 17 goals so far this season.
While their domestic form suggests that they have the ability to cause problems for any side in the competition, a loss to Lyon and a draw to Viktoria Plzen show that the German side can leak goals against better sides.
In addition, three successive league draws since the loss of Marmoush show that the team is still trying to gel after the loss of their talisman, and while both Spurs and United could be troubled by the Bundesliga side, either should have enough to go through given the nature of two-legged ties.
Lyon
Europa League position: 6th
Star player: Rayan Cherki
Domestic form: 6th, 20 points behind first
The French side’s domestic form has improved drastically over the last year or so, and they now sit sixth in Ligue 1, albeit nowhere near challenging for the title.
Their European campaign was stained by a loss to Besiktas and draws with Hoffenheim, Fenerbahce and Ludogorets, but the seven-time Ligue 1 champions have plenty of quality throughout the side, and certainly enough to win two matches.
Rayan Cherki remains the side’s most notable player, as he is capable of the spectacular in terms of both goals and assists. And in Georges Mikautadze they have Euro 2024’s joint-top scorer, while the midfield trio of Jordan Veretout, Nemanja Matic and Corentin Tolisso are more than capable of giving their side the edge over two legs, especially against the weakened midfields of Spurs and United.
