Football writer Ben Bloom looks at the UEFA Europa League and Conference League quarter-finals involving Premier League clubs.
European competitions are at the quarter-final stage this week and five of the seven Premier League teams that began continental campaigns are still standing.
After Arsenal's stunning 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, and Aston Villa's 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the same competition on Wednesday, the focus switches to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League and Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League.
Here is everything you need to know…
Europa League
Lyon v Manchester United
First leg: Lyon v Man Utd, Thursday 10 April, 20:00 BST
Second leg: Man Utd v Lyon, Thursday 17 April, 20:00 BST
Man Utd’s situation is largely similar to that of Spurs, already guaranteed to record their second-lowest or potentially lowest-ever Premier League points total and hoping the Europa League can provide another European campaign next year.
United have struggled for goals this season, offering little threat in their goalless draw against Man City on Sunday. Bruno Fernandes remains their only player to reach double figures for goals in all competitions this campaign.
The winner of seven successive Ligue 1 titles in the early 2000s, it has been six years since Lyon last finished in the top three domestically.
Currently fifth in the French table, having won four of their last five league matches, the French side are having to make do without manager Paulo Fonseca during domestic games, while the Portuguese boss serves a nine-month ban from matchday duties for angrily confronting a referee.
However, the rules do not apply to UEFA competitions, so he will be on the touchline on Thursday.
The last time Lyon played European football, in 2021/22, they fell at this exact stage of the Europa League against West Ham United. Two years earlier they had matched their best-ever European achievement of reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
What the head coach said
Ruben Amorim: "It's really important, in all aspects.
"The first one is to win a title, especially a European title. In this season, in this context, winning something like that is massive for us for our confidence - and then, to the future, to the next season.
"To play in the Champions League [makes the situation] completely different. The environment, the way we are going to face the summer, the budget for the summer - everything is connected with this competition.
"We know that pressure, but again, it's not the biggest problem in Manchester United. We have other strings to get this in the right way, without Champions League next year. But of course we will try to win it."
Tottenham Hotspur v Eintracht Frankfurt
First leg: Spurs v Eintracht Frankfurt, Thursday 10 April, 20:00 BST
Second leg: Eintracht Frankfurt v Spurs, Thursday 17 April, 20:00 BST
After four domestic matches without a win, Spurs defeated (and relegated) Southampton in their latest Premier League outing on Sunday.
In danger of their lowest league finish since placing 14th in 2003/04, the Europa League is deemed crucial to Ange Postecoglou’s season, offering the only remaining route to European football next season.
With a near-identical record to Spurs' in the league phase, Eintracht Frankfurt present a formidable challenge.
The 2021/22 Europa League winners sit third in the Bundesliga table, with an entertaining young side that break rapidly and have the ability to prey on any Spurs slip-ups.
The Germans saw off Ajax in the last 16, but lost to mid-table Werder Bremen on Saturday, continuing their inconsistent recent form. Spurs last met Frankfurt in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage when they shared a goalless draw in Germany before Antonio Conte’s side won 3-2 at home.
What the head coach said
Ange Postecoglou: "I’m not sure how many times the club has been in the quarter-finals of a European competition. Every time you get in there, you don’t take it for granted. You have got to make the most of it.
“Frankfurt are a good side, they are going well in the Bundesliga. They have a mixture of some really exciting young players and some experience in there. It will be a good challenge for us. When you get to the last eight of a European competition, that is what you expect.”
Conference League
Legia Warszawa v Chelsea
First leg: Legia Warszawa v Chelsea, Thursday 10 April, 17:45 BST
Second leg: Chelsea v Legia Warszawa, Thursday 17 April, 20:00 BST
Perhaps with one eye on this fixture, Enzo Maresca paid the price for starting without Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto on Sunday, when Chelsea were unable to find a way past Brentford. It was a questionable decision that appeared to backfire.
Having breezed their way to the Conference League last eight when largely using a second-string side, it remains to be seen how strong a line-up Maresca opts for on Thursday.
With 15 league titles, Legia Warszawa are the most successful club in Polish football history. However, they have not triumphed domestically since 2020/21 and currently sit fifth in the standings.
After beating Norwegian side Molde in their last-16 tie, this is the furthest Legia Warszawa have gone in European competition for almost 30 years.
What the head coach said
Enzo Maresca: "We have shown the players some of the environment in this stadium, so they can adapt. The players have to think that they are lucky to experience these kinds of games but we cannot allow external factors to change the way we play.
“We need to experience these kinds of games. For sure, we will be a better team for it. We are very young, but at the same moment need these games to improve.”
