After the 2022 World Cup in
Qatar,
this week the action of the main club competitions in Europe returns to the soccer fans' agenda.
The first round of 16 matches of the
Champions League have already been played,
with
Messi, Cuti Romero,
Enzo Fernández
and
Nico Otamendi
in action, and now it is the turn of the
UEFA Europa League
, which will have more world champions with the Argentine National Team with stake.
The direct elimination phase, in this case,
starts from the 16th.
final and the eight first-leg matches will be played this Thursday.
It is the second most important competition in the Old Continent, but at the same time an edition with a different appeal from previous seasons.
"This Europa League is tougher because teams from the Champions League finals are playing,"
said
Jorge Sampaoli
in the preview of
Sevilla vs.
PSV
in Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán state.
Precisely, the great attraction of this instance will be the one that has two teams with a lot of history, who have even met twice in the Orejona definitions:
Barcelona vs.
Manchester United,
on Thursday 2:45 p.m. (Argentina time) at the Camp Nou and broadcast by ESPN.
The Red Devils paid the price for their defeat on the first date against
Real Sociedad,
who ended up taking first place in Group E by just one goal difference, and will have to face a tough tie against the
culé team that came down from the Champions League but that he straightened his course and arrives with an undefeated record of 16 games and a title
(3-1 in the Spanish Super Cup vs. Real Madrid).
Another of the powerful that lost its place in the main club competition in Europe is
Juventus
, with 5 falls out of 6 PJ and relegated by Benfica and Paris Saint Germain.
Unlike Barça, the
Vecchia Signora
fails to raise its head.
On the contrary, the sanction of 15 points in Serie A for "financial fraud" further complicate
Di María, Paredes
and company.
He will have a rival, on paper, accessible:
Nantes
from France, at 5:00 p.m. in Turin and with ESPN television.
The French team, who qualified through the window after beating Olympiakos 2-0 in Greece, hangs around mid-table in French football and is on point.
Among the former Champions League finalists that Sampaoli spoke of, another confrontation that generates attraction is that of
Bayer Leverkusen vs.
Monaco
(one way in Germany from 5:00 p.m.).
Both fought for the Orejona in the past, reaching the final in the 2002 and 2004 editions respectively but failed to win the title.
Paulo Dybala and his Roma go for the 8th.
final of the UEFA Europa League.
AFP/Andreas Solaro.
In addition, the
Roma
of
Paulo Dybala
and
José Mourinho
will visit the
Red Bull of Salzburg.
The Italian team, champion last season of the first international title in its history, the
UEFA Conference League,
seeks to go one step further and fight for the
Europa League,
while in
Serie A
they march fourth and fight inch by inch with Inter , Milan, Atalanta and Lazio for qualifying for the next
Champions League.
In addition,
Ajax
and
PSV,
the powerful of the Netherlands, will face Union Berlin and Seville respectively.
More modest in terms of its appeal worldwide,
Sporting Lisboa vs.
Midtjylland
and
Shakhtar Donetsk vs.
Rennes.
Meanwhile,
Premier League
leading
Arsenal
awaits in the round of 16 along with the rest of the top teams (
Fenerbahce, Real Betis, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Real Sociedad, Feyenoord, Freiburg and Ferencvarosi
).
The crosses this Thursday for the Europa League
Barcelona vs.
Manchester Utd
Juventus vs.
nantes
Monaco vs Bayer Leverkusen
RB Salzburg vs.
Rome
Ajax vs.
union berlin
Seville vs.
PSV
Sporting Lisbon vs.
Midtjylland Sporting Lisbon vs.
midtjylland
Shakhtar Donetsk vs.
Rennes Shakhtar Donetsk vs.
Rennes
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