The Europa League action continues on Thursday with seven games taking place across the continent to take in.
There are four British clubs remaining in the competition and Brighton, Liverpool, Rangers and West Ham are the focus for our Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first-leg selections.
Roma to beat BrightonLiverpool to beat Sparta Prague
Benfica to beat Rangers & both teams to score
West Ham to beat Freiburg
Roma vs Brighton
Brighton find themselves in a rut and things will certainly not get any easier on Thursday when they face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
With just one win in their last five games in all competitions, the Seagulls have found themselves sinking down the Premier League standings and have a battle on their hands to return to European football next season.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi, who has previously been linked with jobs at Liverpool and Manchester United, now has a job on his hands to turn things around, starting with this game in Rome.
In contrast, the Giallorossi find themselves in a good place and have won their last four games in all competitions.
Roma have been in free-scoring form in Serie A, scoring 16 goals in their last five games in the competition.
Given their firepower, and the fact Brighton head into this game after a 3-0 defeat at Fulham, it’s hard to look past Roma taking a lead into the second leg at the Amex Stadium.
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool find themselves in excellent form as they switch their focus briefly away from a Premier League title race to concentrate on their trip to Sparta Prague.
A last-gasp winner against Nottingham Forest in their last outing has helped the Merseyside outfit to keep their noses ahead of reigning champions Manchester City in the Premier League table for now.
That win at the City Ground will certainly have done Liverpool’s confidence no harm at all as they travel to the Czech capital this week.
With eight wins in their last nine games in all competitions, Klopp’s side arrive in Prague in red-hot form.
The epet ARENA will not be an easy place to go to, as many sides have found both domestically in in European competition this season.
However, Liverpool’s ability to grind out results, even in the 99th minute as they did at Forest with Darwin Nunez’s goal, should stand them in good stead and they have the quality to head back to Merseyside with a lead before the second leg at Anfield.
Benfica vs Rangers
While Rangers have struggled in their recent Champions League explorations, the Light Blues have really found their level when it comes to the Europa League.
Reaching the final last season, the Old Firm outfit are unbeaten in their last four Europa League games this term.
This match will provide one of the sternest tests remaining in the competition, as Rangers head to the Estadio da Luz after a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Motherwell at the weekend.
Fortunately for Rangers, they head to Portugal to face a Benfica side who have suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of their rivals Sporting and Porto in their last two matches.
To temper that slightly, both those games were away from home and Benfica have been in a different proposition on their own patch in the Portuguese capital.
In their last 15 games in all competitions at the Estadio da Luz, the Eagles have been beaten only once and that was in a penalty shootout.
Rangers have scored in seven of their last eight games in the Europa League and it would be little surprise to see the visitors getting on the scoresheet.
However, the Estadio da Luz continues to be a fortress for Benfica and the hosts should be able to take a lead into the second leg, even if Rangers do find the net.
BENFICA TO WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
Freiburg vs West Ham
West Ham and Freiburg will be very familiar with each other after meeting twice in the group stage and they go head-t0-head again at Europa-Park Stadion on Thursday night in this last-16 first-leg clash.
The Hammers were in a bad place after eight games without a win but they appear to have turned a corner after back-to-back victories over Brentford and Everton in the Premier League.
Pressure was mounting on manager David Moyes before the turnaround, even though the Scottish tactician had guided West Ham to the Europa Conference League title last season.
Moyes has garnered plenty of experience in European competition and he will know exactly the challenge that awaits his side at Europa-Park Stadion.
West Ham can head to Freiburg knowing they have already beaten the Bundesliga outfit home and away in the group stage. The Hammers finished top of Group A to advance directly to this round, but the German club have since had to negotiate a play-off round, in which they beat Lens 3-2 on aggregate.
Hammers star Jarrod Bowen could be a popular pick in the anytime goalscorer market, with the former Hull City star enjoying another tremendous campaigner for the London outfit and is pushing for a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad ahead of the major tournament in Germany this summer.
However, the selection is to go with a West Ham win on the road, as they did in October last year with a 2-1 victory.
Freiburg find themselves in their own rough spell of form, without a win in their last six games in the Bundesliga.
Just one win in their last four home games in all competitions, a 3-2 win over Lens that required extra-time, does not make great reading either for Freiburg.
West Ham are on the up and, with last season’s Europa Conference League experience under their belts, should be able to edge this one in the Black Forest.
