SC Braga will host Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg with the aggregate score tightly poised at 1-1.
Andriy Yarmolenko opened the scoring for Kiev in the first leg, before an Oleh Gusev own goal leveled the scores and gave Braga an away goal.
The other three Quarter-Finals taking place on Thursday all feature teams trying to recover from a sizable first leg deficit.
Spartak Moscow will face FC Porto with the Portugese team defending a 5-1 aggregate lead from the first leg. Villarreal will also be holding a 5-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face FC Twente in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
Benfica are the third Portugese team who will be in action on Thursday, and will defend a 4-1 aggregate lead as they travel to face PSV Eindhoven.
FC Porto will be defending a 5-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
Spartak will be looking for a quick start and to put the Portugese side under early pressure if they are to have any hope of a comeback. Midfielders Dmitri Kombarov and Alex both have scored two goals in five Europa League games this season and will both play for Spartak.
Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas stressed the tie is not over and his team will be ready. “Spartak are a serious team and they will be highly motivated so we are taking our preparations very seriously,” Villas-Boas told the official UEFA website.
KEY PLAYERS
Alex (Spartak Moscow) – The Brazilian playmaker has two goals and three assists in the tournament so far. He must impose himself on the game if Spartak are to have any hope of a comeback.
Falcao (FC Porto) – The Colombian forward netted a hat-trick in the first leg and is the tournaments leading goal scorer with 10 goals so far. Any hope of a Spartak comeback will involve keeping him quiet.
SC Braga will host Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg with the aggregate score tightly poised at 1-1.
Andriy Yarmolenko opened the score for Kiev in the first leg, before an Oleh Gusev own goal leveled the scores and gave Braga an away goal.
Braga coach Domingos Paciencia has assured his team will adopt a positive mentality despite registering an away goal in the first leg. “We will not play to get a goalless draw,” Paciencia told the official UEFA website.
Kiev know they must score at least one goal to progress but must do so without Andriy Shevchenko. The veteran striker is suspended for this game after being sent off during the first leg.
KEY PLAYERS
Alan (SC Braga) – The Brazilian midfielder is a key figure in Braga winning the possession battle, and also has scored two goals in the tournament so far.
Oleh Gusev (Dynamo Kiev) – Gusev has scored four Europa League goals at the right end of the field so far this season, and will be keen to make amends for his own goal error in the first leg.
Benfica will be defending a 4-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face PSV Eindhoven the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
PSV coach Fred Rutten vowed to come out attacking on the second leg and told UEFA.com he wants his side to “make the impossible possible.”
The Benfica defense will be looking to shut down PSV and were likely motivated when they were identified as a “weakness” by Rutten ahead of the first leg.
KEY PLAYERS
Balazs Dzsudzsak (PSV) – The Hungarian forward has four Europa League goals so far this season, and will be a key figure as they look to get an early goal and put pressure on Benfica.
Maxi Pereira (Benfica) – The Uruguay international defender will be looking to lead a solid defensive effort for Benfica and ensure a smooth path to the final four.
FC Twente will be looking to recover from a 5-1 aggregate deficit when they play host to Villarreal in the UEFA second leg.
Twente coach Michel Preud’homme told UEFA.com it “will be difficult” to overturn the first leg deficit, but he will take heart from the weekend when Villarreal were beaten 5-0 by rivals Valencia in La Liga play.
Villarreal will be without captain Gonzalo who suffered a broken leg in the first leg victory over Twente. Brazilian forward Nilmar will lead the Villarreal attack alongside Italin international Giuseppe Rossi.
KEY PLAYERS
Luuk De Jong (Twente) – The Dutch striker has three goals in five Europa League games this season, and will be a key figure in any potential comeback.
Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal) – The Italian international striker has scored nine goals in the tournament so far this season, and recorded a goal and an assist in the first leg.
The other three Quarter-Finals taking place on Thursday all feature teams trying to recover from a sizable first leg deficit.
Spartak Moscow will face FC Porto with the Portugese team defending a 5-1 aggregate lead from the first leg. Villarreal will also be holding a 5-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face FC Twente in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
Benfica are the third Portugese team who will be in action on Thursday, and will defend a 4-1 aggregate lead as they travel to face PSV Eindhoven.
FC Porto will be defending a 5-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
Spartak will be looking for a quick start and to put the Portugese side under early pressure if they are to have any hope of a comeback. Midfielders Dmitri Kombarov and Alex both have scored two goals in five Europa League games this season and will both play for Spartak.
Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas stressed the tie is not over and his team will be ready. “Spartak are a serious team and they will be highly motivated so we are taking our preparations very seriously,” Villas-Boas told the official UEFA website.
KEY PLAYERS
Alex (Spartak Moscow) – The Brazilian playmaker has two goals and three assists in the tournament so far. He must impose himself on the game if Spartak are to have any hope of a comeback.
Falcao (FC Porto) – The Colombian forward netted a hat-trick in the first leg and is the tournaments leading goal scorer with 10 goals so far. Any hope of a Spartak comeback will involve keeping him quiet.
SC Braga will host Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg with the aggregate score tightly poised at 1-1.
Andriy Yarmolenko opened the score for Kiev in the first leg, before an Oleh Gusev own goal leveled the scores and gave Braga an away goal.
Braga coach Domingos Paciencia has assured his team will adopt a positive mentality despite registering an away goal in the first leg. “We will not play to get a goalless draw,” Paciencia told the official UEFA website.
Kiev know they must score at least one goal to progress but must do so without Andriy Shevchenko. The veteran striker is suspended for this game after being sent off during the first leg.
KEY PLAYERS
Alan (SC Braga) – The Brazilian midfielder is a key figure in Braga winning the possession battle, and also has scored two goals in the tournament so far.
Oleh Gusev (Dynamo Kiev) – Gusev has scored four Europa League goals at the right end of the field so far this season, and will be keen to make amends for his own goal error in the first leg.
Benfica will be defending a 4-1 aggregate lead when they travel to face PSV Eindhoven the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final second leg.
PSV coach Fred Rutten vowed to come out attacking on the second leg and told UEFA.com he wants his side to “make the impossible possible.”
The Benfica defense will be looking to shut down PSV and were likely motivated when they were identified as a “weakness” by Rutten ahead of the first leg.
KEY PLAYERS
Balazs Dzsudzsak (PSV) – The Hungarian forward has four Europa League goals so far this season, and will be a key figure as they look to get an early goal and put pressure on Benfica.
Maxi Pereira (Benfica) – The Uruguay international defender will be looking to lead a solid defensive effort for Benfica and ensure a smooth path to the final four.
FC Twente will be looking to recover from a 5-1 aggregate deficit when they play host to Villarreal in the UEFA second leg.
Twente coach Michel Preud’homme told UEFA.com it “will be difficult” to overturn the first leg deficit, but he will take heart from the weekend when Villarreal were beaten 5-0 by rivals Valencia in La Liga play.
Villarreal will be without captain Gonzalo who suffered a broken leg in the first leg victory over Twente. Brazilian forward Nilmar will lead the Villarreal attack alongside Italin international Giuseppe Rossi.
KEY PLAYERS
Luuk De Jong (Twente) – The Dutch striker has three goals in five Europa League games this season, and will be a key figure in any potential comeback.
Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal) – The Italian international striker has scored nine goals in the tournament so far this season, and recorded a goal and an assist in the first leg.
