Football writer Ben Bloom looks at this week's remaining European ties featuring Premier League sides and what to expect.
Arsenal – and Declan Rice, in particular – earned headlines after an historic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final, but it was a mixed bag for the remainder of England’s European cohort.
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur could only manage draws in the UEFA Europa League, while Chelsea continue untroubled in the UEFA Conference League.
Here is everything you need to know about this week’s remaining European quarter-finals second legs.
UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid v Arsenal (0-3 on aggregate)
Wednesday 16 April, 20:00 BST
It was Rice who, understandably, generated most attention with two of the finest dead-ball strikes you could ever wish to see.
But, in the wake of his side’s memorable 3-0 win over 15-time European champions Real Madrid, Mikel Arteta paid tribute to “a very complete and big performance collectively”. He was not wrong.
It took one of Arsenal’s finest modern-day all-round outings from front to back to secure a wide-margin win against such daunting opponents.
After going 338 matches for West Ham United and Arsenal without scoring a direct free-kick, Rice’s two in 12 minutes were sensational, as was the brilliant first-time finish from Mikel Merino to round off proceedings.
Then there was Bukayo Saka who, making his first start since December, caused all sorts of problems, eliciting fouls for both of Rice’s free-kicks. He gave David Alaba a particularly torrid night.
His cause was aided by Myles Lewis-Skelly, who yet again showed maturity far beyond his 18 years, stepping into midfield alongside Thomas Partey during Arsenal build-up play.
Allied with movement from central players high up the pitch, the effect was to create width for Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the flanks – something that Arsenal exploited to great effect.
Lewis-Skelly had the third-most touches of any player on the pitch, and misplaced just three of his 57 passes.
Not since 1975 have Real Madrid overturned a three-goal first-leg deficit in Europe’s top club competition, when they beat Derby County 5-1 at the Bernabeu having lost 4-1 to the English champions.
During the Champions League era (since 1992), only four of 47 teams that found themselves three or four goals behind in a knockout tie went on to win, most recently when Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield in the 2019 semi-final.
“The possibilities [of qualifying] are quite low,” said Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti after the first leg. “But we have to try 100 per cent. In football, everything can happen.”
Real have progressed just five of the 15 times they have been behind after a Champions League first-leg match.
Arteta will not allow any complacency though, insisting: “It’s just half-time, and we’re going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through.”
Real have not exited in any of their last 12 Champions League quarter-finals, and will possess plenty of threat through Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
But no English side have ever given up a three-goal lead in the knockout stage of the competition.
UEFA Europa League
Eintracht Frankfurt v Spurs (1-1 on aggregate)
Thursday 17 April, 20:00 BST
Unlike in so many other fixtures where they have failed to win this season, the first leg of this tie had plenty of positives for Spurs.
Despite falling behind to an early Hugo Ekitike strike, Ange Postecoglou’s side poured forward with intensity as the match wore on, but ended with only a lone Pedro Porro goal to show for it.
Spurs hit the crossbar twice and were on the receiving end of a goalkeeping masterclass from Kaua Santos, who repeatedly foiled their efforts.
“I’m resigned to the fact that the football gods have got their eyes elsewhere this year,” bemoaned Postecoglou.
His side head to Germany knowing this is their only hope of European football next season after a dismal domestic campaign featuring 17 Premier League defeats – most recently at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
They have lost eight of their 12 away matches this calendar year, while Frankfurt are formidable at home. The German side are unbeaten in Europe at the Deutsche Bank Park, and have lost only three times at home in the Bundesliga this season, scoring in every home match.
With Spurs’ propensity to make errors – which cost them yet again at Wolves – Frankfurt’s dynamic, rapid-breaking young team will look to exploit any slip-up from Postecoglou’s side.
“We’re going to have to go there and fight now to get what I felt we deserved tonight,” said the Australian after the first leg. “That’s what we’ll try and do.”
Man Utd v Lyon (2-2 on aggregate)
Thursday April 17, 20:00 BST
For Man Utd, see Spurs. Both teams languish near the bottom of the Premier League, both have all their eggs in the Europa League basket and both keep on paying the price for errors.
In the first leg against Lyon, it was under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana at fault for both Lyon goals, allowing Thiago Almada’s crossed free-kick to find its way into the net and failing to hold onto a shot that allowed Rayan Cherki to tap in an stoppage-time equaliser.
Onana was dropped in favour of Altay Bayindir for the trip to Newcastle on Sunday, but the Turkish goalkeeper also made a poor mistake to gift the hosts one of four goals in a crushing defeat. It remains to be seen who will get the nod in goal for Thursday’s encounter.
United were well organised and broadly comfortable for large parts of the first leg but, as has been the case many times this season, paid the price for poor finishing.
They will be without forward Joshua Zirkzee, who limped off against Newcastle with a hamstring injury. With teenager Chido Obi ineligible for Europe, Rasmus Hojlund is the only available striker.
“It’s a really difficult match, but we are playing with our fans and when we play at home, we play with one more player,” said Ruben Amorim.
UEFA Conference League
Chelsea v Legia Warsaw (3-0 on aggregate)
Thursday 17 April, 20:00 BST
There appear to be few viable threats to Chelsea’s bid for the Conference League crown, and Enzo Maresca’s side continued their serene progress by returning to London with a three-goal buffer that they will fully expect to maintain.
A first Chelsea goal for Tyrique George and a Noni Madueke double were fair reward for a dominant performance in Poland.
If there was one slight concern, it was Chelsea’s continued inability to score in opening halves – this was the seventh successive first-half blank across all competitions, and they extended that run to eight in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Cole Palmer was replaced at the break in a pre-planned change, and he has now not scored in 14 matches.
