With the UEFA Champions League round of 16 coming to a wrap on Wednesday, the focus now shifts to the UEFA Europa League as Europe's second-tier club competition prepares to decide its quarterfinalists.
The 2nd-leg round of 16 matches will all take place on March 16 as the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Roma, Juventus, Sevilla, and Leverkusen look to make the last eight. However, tricky opponents stand in their way, with the standout game being the Gunners' home clash with Portuguese giants Sporting CP.
However, there's a lot more to be excited about outside of that Emirates Stadium clash. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming UEFA Europa League fixtures.
What are the UEFA Europa League round of 16 aggregate scorelines?
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Freiburg (0) vs (1) Juventus
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Feyenoord (1) vs (1) Shakhtar Donetsk
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Real Betis (1) vs (4) Manchester United
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Fenerbahce (0) vs (2) Sevilla
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Ferencvaros (0) vs (2) Leverkusen
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Real Sociedad (0) vs (2) Roma
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Union Saint-Gilloise (3) vs (3) Union Berlin
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Arsenal (2) vs (2) Sporting CP
Top games to watch in the UEFA Europa League round of 16?
Arsenal vs Sporting CP
Arsenal will host Sporting CP in the 2nd leg of their round of 16 showdown as the Premier League giants look to secure their ticket to the quarterfinals following that shaky display in Lisbon. The Gunners let in two goals — and could have conceded more — after a frustrating performance from Arteta's rotated back-four. However, the North London giants quickly corrected that in their following game, visiting Fulham over the weekend and beating their city rivals 3-0. Likewise, that match saw Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard both return to the pitch, which means Mikel will have more firepower in his Arsenal for this encounter.
Sporting CP also enjoyed a 3-0 triumph over the weekend, beating Boavista straight after the two-all draw with the Gunners. The Lions could have come away from the 1st leg with a win had it not been for an unfortunate Hidemasa Morita own goal. And to make things worse, Ruben Amorim's men will be without a few key players, namely their captain Sebastian Coates who is suspended. Can the Portuguese giants beat the North London heavyweights at the Emirates Stadium nonetheless? Don't miss this clash.
Real Sociedad vs Roma
When Real Sociedad drew Roma for the round of 16, a tight affair was expected. However, following the first-leg result, the Spanish club now gear up to host the Italian heavyweights in need of a brilliant comeback. This is due to the 2-0 defeat they suffered in Roma, a result which is a mere continuation of their poor form lately, having failed to win their last five matches in a row.
Mourinho's men, meanwhile, have lost recently as well, going 4-3 down at home to Sassuolo over the weekend. Additionally, the Serie A outfit have lost three out of their last seven matches across all competitions. However, the Giallorossi boast a commanding lead thanks to first-leg goals from El Shaarawy and Kumbulla.
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Union Berlin
Last week, we opted for Manchester United vs Real Betis as one of the must-watch games. However, with the Red Devils commanding a comfortable 4-1 lead, there isn't much left to play for bar an incomprehensible collapse from Ten Hag's side. With that in mind, Union Saint-Gilloise's showdown with Union Berlin made our list this time around.
These two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg in Germany, with Sven Michel scoring an 89th-minute equalizer for the hosts to help the Bundesliga outfit avoid defeat. This means the Belgian club will have the advantage heading into the 2nd leg given the venue. However, it should be noted that these two clubs faced off in the group stage as well, with Union Berlin losing at home before beating the Belgian Pro League side on the road 1-0. Will we witness a repeat of this? Tune in to find out.
Who's out for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 1st-leg ties?
Sporting CP: Daniel Braganca and Hector Bellerin (injured); Sebastian Coates and Hidemasa Morita (suspended)
Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny and Eddie Nketiah (injured)
Roma: Ebrima Darboea, Ola Solbakken, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Andrea Belotti, and Diego Llorente (injured)
Real Sociedad: Umar Sadiq, Aritz Elustondo, and Martin Merquelanz (injured)
Manchester United: Donny van de Beek, Christian Eriksen, and Alejandro Garnacho (injured); Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof, and Marcel Sabitzer (doubt)
Real Betis: Nabil Fekir (injured); Martin Montoya (unavailable)
Leverkusen: Andrey Lunev and Charles Aranguiz (injured)
Juventus: Arkadiusz Milik, Alex Sandro, and Paul Pogba (injured) Kaio Jorge (doubtful); Angel di Maria, Bremer, Leonardo Bonucci, and Federico Chiesa (doubtful)
Sevilla: Karim Rekik and Marcao (injured)
Union Saint-Gilloise: Fully-fit squad
Union Berlin: Andras Schafer (injured); Jerome Roussillon (doubtful)
