EUROPA LEAGUE
All four quarterfinal matchups are well-poised with three of
them tied at 1-1 from the first leg. That includes one involving Barcelona, the
title favorite looking to win the one trophy not in its collection.
The Spanish team, playing in Europe’s second-tier
competition for the first time since 2004 (when it was called the UEFA Cup),
got a second-half equalizer from Ferran Torres against Eintracht Frankfurt last
week.
West Ham and Lyon are also tied 1-1 heading into the second
leg in France, as are Leipzig and Atalanta ahead of the return match in Italy.
Portuguese club Braga travels to Scotland protecting a 1-0 lead over Rangers.
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Norwegian champion Bodo/Glimt will be without its coach for
possibly the biggest match in its history. Kjetil Knutsen was suspended for his
part in a brawl with Roma’s goalkeeping coach, Nuno Santos, near the locker
rooms in last week’s first leg that was won 2-1 by Bodo/Glimt thanks to an
89th-minute goal.
Bodo/Glimt’s appeal was dismissed by UEFA on Wednesday. Roma
was beaten 6-1 away by Bodo/Glimt in the group stage, representing the heaviest
defeat of Jose Mourinho’s managerial career, while the teams drew in Italy.
Marseille leads PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 ahead of the return
match in Greece, while PSV Eindhoven vs. Leicester (0-0) and Slavia Prague vs.
Feyenoord (1-1) are tied going into the second legs of Europe’s third-tier
competition. -AP