MADRID, 7 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
FC Barcelona begins this Thursday the final stretch of the Europa League with the first leg of the quarterfinals against the German Eintracht. A path that, a priori, seems affordable for Xavi Hernández’s team, who would avoid Leipzig and Atalanta, the two big favorites along with the Catalans, until a hypothetical final.
We take advantage of the start of this antepenultimate round to introduce you to the seven rivals who aspire, together with the Blaugrana, to win their first Europa League trophy in their history.
1. Concord Francofort.
It will be the first confrontation in history between the two teams. The Germans chain three undefeated games – three draws against Betis, Leipzig and Greuther Fürth – and have not lost since February 26. It is a club with a tradition in Europe, which has the 1980 UEFA Cup as a great international trophy. In addition, he was runner-up in the 1960 Champions League, after losing 7-3 to Real Madrid in the final.
Kamada -7 goals this season- and Kostic -4 goals- will be the main threats of a young, daring and talented team.
2. RB Leipzig.
Despite its short history -it was created in 2009-, the German club is a fixture in European competitions since its promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016. Its best result is the semifinals in 2019-20 against the almighty PSG. He has participated in the Europa League twice and in this edition he is one of the main favorites along with Barça. They are fourth in their league, with no real chance of winning the title, although they are already among the four best teams in the country.
Nkunku and André Silva are the goalscoring threats in a team that boasts the great quality of Dani Olmo, a former Barça player, and the versatility of Angeliño.
3. Atalanta.
Without any international trophies to their name, the Bergamo club has experienced exponential growth in recent years under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini. He has participated in three editions of the Champions League (19-20, 20-21 and 21-22) and two of the Europa League (17-18 and 21-22), giving the stature against top-level teams such as Real Madrid, PSG or Borussia Dortmund. However, this season he lives outside the European stalls, but his daring unapologetic style makes him dangerous.
Pasalic, Ilicic and Luis Muriel are the most outstanding players in a team that always prioritizes the block ahead of individuals.
4. West Ham United.
The azulgranas would face each other with this history of English football in a hypothetical semifinals. The ‘Hammers’, trained by David Moyes, a former Real Sociedad coach, have reached two European Cup Winners’ Cup finals, a trophy he won in 1965. Currently, he is one of the revelations in the Premier, sixth in the table and a contender of course the ‘Big Six’.
Their captain Declan Rice is the flagship of the project, in a midfield with a lot of quality at the hands of Fornals, and with Michail Antonio as an offensive reference.
5. Olympic Lyon.
It is the third most successful team in French football and the other possible rival in the penultimate round. At an international level, the 1997 Intertoto Cup stands out in its showcases. In addition, it has participated in the Champions League 11 times, with the semifinals of the 2009-10 and 2019-20 seasons as the best result. In the Europa League, they reached the semifinals in 2016-17, losing to Ajax. Now, far from his best level, he is ninth in Ligue 1, 23 points behind the leader.
Toko Ekambi, now injured and formerly of Villarreal, and Lucas Paqueta are two of the French’s main weapons, in addition to Moussa Dembélé, top scorer with 14 goals.
6. SC Braga.
The Portuguese club has participated in the Europa League and the former UEFA Cup on 16 occasions, with the runner-up in 2011 as the best result. Along with Rangers, it is one of the ‘Cinderellas’ of the quarter-finals. With the League Cup and Portuguese Cup titles in the last two seasons, they are currently fighting for Conference League places.
With the Portuguese Ricardo Horta as the top scorer with 19 goals, the Spanish Abel Ruiz, formerly of FC Barcelona, also plays for Braga.
7. Glasgow Rangers.
The other more affordable rival in the qualifiers has only one title at European level, the 1972 Recopa, played at the Camp Nou, in addition to having been a semifinalist in the Champions League on one occasion and having achieved a runner-up position in the Cup of UEFA in 2008.
Aaron Ramsey, formerly of Arsenal and Juventus, is the most prominent name in a squad that includes the son of former Barça player Gheorghe Hagi, Ianis, and Colombian Alfredo Morelos, who has scored 16 goals.