Following a dramatic first leg in the quarter-final round of the 2020/2021 Europa League campaign, the eight remaining teams are set to make final attempts at securing a place in the last-four stage. Last week's fixtures came with interesting turns and twists, raising the stakes of what is to unfold at four different venues on Thursday.
2019 Europa League finalists Arsenal scored late and conceded with virtually the last kick of the game to draw 1-1 with Slavia Prague ahead of the second leg match-up in Czech Republic. Relatively, 2017 finaliists, Ajax, gave up a 1-0 lead to suffer a 2-1 defeat to AS Roma inside the Johan Cruijff Arena. Manchester United and Villarreal had the best of results with the pair grabbing a 2-0 and 1-0 win over Granada and Dinamo Zagreb respectively.
Just as it was the case in the last round of matches, none of the games will be played at a neutral venue, with the four hosts welcoming their opponents to their respective home grounds. Once again, all the games will kick-off at the same time, unlike in the previous stages of the competition.
In terms of magnitude, the clash between Arsenal and Slavia Prague has suddenly become one to keep a close eye on. At the moment, the Gunners, who sit ninth in the Premier League, are not guaranteed a place in Europe next season and are exploring the Europa League route in order to land a Champions League slot. Any result but a win will not be ideal for the club as far as their objectives for the season are concerned.
Here is how this week's round of UEFA Europa League games will be played:
