Europa League 2021: Preview and Predictions for Round of 32

The UEFA Europa League knockout round will serve as a chance for some of the top clubs in Europe to either continue terrific seasons, or land a trophy to salvage otherwise disappointing campaigns.

Ligue 1 leader Lille, second-place English Premier League side Manchester United, second-place Serie A club AC Milan, as well as a few other domestic title contenders in Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen headline the list of 32 clubs.

English sides Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will try to use the Europa League as a chance to claim a major trophy amid otherwise poor seasons.

The best teams from the lower-tier European leagues are also part of the knockout round. Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Club Brugge (Belgium), Ajax (Netherlands), Rangers (Scotland), Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), Young Boys (Switzerland), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Olympiacos (Greece) and Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) all lead their respective domestic leagues going into Thursday.

The first leg of the round of 32 will be played on Thursday, with the second leg coming a week after that. In the United States, the games can all be found on CBS All Access.

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Real Sociedad

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. ET at Manchester United

The marquee round-of-32 tie pits Real Sociedad against Manchester United.

The Europa League serves as a second chance on the continental stage for the Red Devils, who finished third in their Champions League group following a dramatic Matchday 6.

Both teams went through some rough patches since their last foray into European play, but United has a four-game unbeaten run and Real Sociedad won its last two matches in their respective leagues.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani lead the more notable attack of the two sides, but La Real has quite the strike unit that could carry it to a deep run to the final. 

Mikel Oyarzabal, Alexander Isak and Portu have 24 league goals between them. Oyarzabal has four goals in his last five games, and Isak found the back of the net on four occasions in the last three contests.

If Manchester United plays well in the first leg, it has a chance to finish off the tie at home. United has not lost on the road since Dec. 8 to RB Leipzig. Its road form could be the difference-maker in a close matchup.

Prediction: Manchester United

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Braga

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. ET at Roma

Braga and Roma both finished the group stage with 13 points, but only the Italian side won its group. Braga took second behind Leicester City in Group G.

Roma enters with three wins in its last four games, and it scored at least three goals in all of those victories. The only loss in that stretch came against Juventus. The Group A winner carries plenty of experience in attack between Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pedro and Edin Dzeko.

Mkhitaryan, Dzeko, Borja Mayoral and Jordan Veretout all have eight or more goals across all competitions, while Braga has a single player with over six tallies in Ricardo Horta.

Braga's defense has been more stout through its league campaign and held Gil Vicente, Moreirense and Santa Clara without a goal in three of its last five games.

The Portuguese club must contain Roma's attack to have a chance of winning either leg, which is something it failed to do in its Group G showdowns against another high-profile side in Leicester, in which it allowed seven goals.

Prediction: Roma

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Young Boys

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. ET at Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen has to be viewed as one of the favorites to win the Europa League.

Leverkusen scored 21 goals in Group C and reeled off seven goals in its last two games against Stuttgart and Mainz.

Five Leverkusen players have seven or more goals in all competitions. That group is led by 13-goal scorer Lucas Alario, who ended a five-game scoring drought against Mainz on Saturday.

Young Boys have enjoyed plenty of success in the Swiss Super League, with seven wins in the last eight games. In their last five victories, Young Boys scored 14 goals, but it may face some difficulty against Leverkusen's back line.

Bayer Leverkusen held Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig to a goal each during a recent three-game stretch.

If Leverkusen combines that defensive form against top teams with the lethal attack that posted seven tallies in the last two games, it should have the right combination to get past its Swiss foe.

Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Wolfsberger

Second Leg: February 25, 12 p.m. ET at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur rank near the top of big-name teams that could be susceptible to a round-of-32 upset.

Spurs have been in dreadful form, with their only win in six games coming against relegation fighters West Bromwich Albion.

Austria's Wolfsberger AC was one of the group-stage surprises, as it took 10 points in Group K to beat out Feyenoord and CSKA Moscow for second place.

Wolfsberger should play with no fear as the clear underdog, and it comes into Thursday with victories in two of its last three games.

Of course, Tottenham could use the European stage to turn things around, like Liverpool did on Tuesday in the Champions League.

If there is one saving grace from the last three games, it is that Spurs produced six goals, four of which occurred in the FA Cup loss to Everton. Harry Kane scored against West Bromwich Albion and Everton, and Heung-min Son netted once against West Brom.

If Spurs carry that scoring form into the Europa League, they should get past a Wolfsberger side that has struggled to keep the top Austrian teams from scoring. The top three squads in the Austrian Bundesliga have combined to score 16 goals against Wolfsberger. The sixth-place side in Austria conceded 13 tallies to the other eight top-flight teams.

Prediction: Tottenham

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Slavia Prague

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. at Leicester City

Leicester City received a massive boost ahead of Thursday's clash when it came from behind to knock off Liverpool on Saturday.

The come-from-behind 3-1 victory was one of Leicester's better performances in all competitions, as was the 4-0 blitzing of Braga that pushed them to the top of Group G. 

With Jamie Vardy back from his injury absence and James Maddison and Harvey Barnes in tow, Leicester has the potential to erupt for more goals against Slavia Prague. Vardy, Maddison and Barnes combined for seven of Leicester's 14 group-stage tallies.

After suffering a 4-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 6, Slavia Prague has gone 10 games unbeaten in domestic competition, including nine wins. However, the defeat that pushed Slavia to second in Group C may lead to some concerns on whether it can defeat the third-placed team in the English Premier League. 

The Czech side gave up multiple goals in three group-stage games and also conceded four times in the Champions League play-off round to FC Midtjylland.

Prediction: Leicester City

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Red Star Belgrade

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. at AC Milan

AC Milan should look at Red Star's group-stage numbers and be excited for the potential to score off many set pieces. Midfielder Sekou Sanogo ranked third in fouls committed over six games. Forward Diego Falcinelli also led the competition in group-stage fouls committed, so his aggressiveness could halt his side's momentum. 

If the Zlatan Ibrahimovic-led attack takes advantage of its mismatch with the Red Star defense, Milan could shore up the tie by the end of the first 90 minutes.

Ante Rebic has scored three goals off dead-ball situations, while Ibrahimovic has three converted penalties in Serie A. Additionally, Hakan Calhanoglu is a free-kick specialist, as he displayed with his goal against Celtic in Milan's 4-2 win on Matchday 6.

The favorable draw could produce the perfect bounce-back opportunity for the Rossonerri after Saturday's stunning loss to Spezia.

Another stunning result was the lack of goals from Ibrahimovic in the group stage, albeit in only three appearances. Milan had seven others find the back of the net.

If the Swedish legend finds form over the next few months, Milan should be one of the top contenders to win the competition.

Prediction: AC Milan

First Leg: Thursday, 10 a.m. ET at Dynamo Kiev

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. at Club Brugge

Since Club Brugge confirmed its third-place finish in its Champions League group, it stormed through all but one of its 11 domestic opponents, and it allowed multiple goals in just one of those contests.

The Belgian side's impeccable form should make it the favorite to earn a victory in the first leg of the tie with its Ukrainian foe.

Dynamo Kiev returned to competitive play Saturday after a two-month break with a 3-1 win over Olimpik Donetsk. The lack of matches in the last two months could affect Dynamo's conditioning, especially late in the contest.

Twenty-one-year-old Dutchman Noa Lang is the player to watch in this fixture. He scored a brace in Brugge's last victory and has eight goals in his last eight matches.

Prediction: Club Brugge

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Krasnodar

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. ET at Dinamo Zagreb

Dinamo Zagreb appears to have the advantage, at least on paper, against Krasnodar.

The Croatian side is riding a three-game winning streak, and the Russian club has not played a competitive fixture since December 17 because of its domestic winter break.

Dinamo tied Rangers for the fourth-highest point total in the group stage, although it faced one of the easier collection of teams in Wolfsberger, Feyenoord and CSKA Moscow.

Zoran Mamic's men topped Group K through their tremendous defense, as they allowed a single goal in six games. Since its last group game, Zagreb held six of its nine league opponents to one or zero goals.

Krasnodar earned just four points against Rennes in the Champions League group stage to take third behind Chelsea and Sevilla.

Prediction: Dinamo Zagreb

First Leg: Thursday, 12:55 p.m. ET at Olympiacos

Second Leg: February 25, 3 p.m. at PSV Eindhoven

Olympiacos and PSV Eindhoven both come into Thursday's first leg off disappointing league results. The Greek side fell 2-1 to rivals Panathinaikos, while PSV dropped points in a 2-2 draw with ADO Den Haag.

Before those results, the two sides combined for nine league wins in respective five-game stretches. In those matches, the teams combined for seven clean sheets: four from Olympiacos and three from PSV.

A clean sheet on one end seems likely since seven of Olympiacos' eight Champions League matches had a shutout. The Greek side blanked AC Omonia in both legs of the play-off round, shut out Marseille and then did not score twice against both Manchester City and Porto.

If PSV sneaks in a goal or two, that could be good enough to eliminate a foe that has not fared well in front of the net on the European level.

Prediction: PSV Eindhoven

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. at Benfica

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. ET at Arsenal

Arsenal has a chance to earn some type of consolation in its disappointing season by winning the Europa League.

However, the Gunners received one of the toughest draws in the round of 32 against Portuguese power Benfica.

Arsenal at least created some positive momentum in its favor through a 4-2 win over Leeds United on Sunday, in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang notched a hat trick.

Benfica comes into the knockout phase in a brutal patch of form, as it has one win from its last six league games.

Before its recent struggles, Benfica scored 18 goals in its second-place Group D finish behind Rangers. Portuguese midfielder Pizzi tied Lille's Yusuf Yazici for top scorer in the group stage with six goals.

Pizzi, Luca Waldschmidt and Haris Seferovic form a dangerous attacking trio that could cause trouble to an Arsenal defense that has conceded five goals in the last three matches.

Before Arsenal hit its current rough patch of form, it earned five clean sheets in a row across the Premier League and FA Cup.

If the Gunners fix their defensive issues and have Aubameyang firing up top, they could avoid an early elimination.

Prediction: Arsenal

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET at Lille

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. at Ajax

The Ajax-Lille showdown does not have the top billing of the matchups involving English or German clubs, but it could be the tightest round-of-32 affair.

Ajax is breezing through the Eredivisie, and Lille holds a one-point advantage over Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.

Ajax may have been viewed as the favorite with January signing Sebastian Haller in the fold. The former West Ham United striker has three goals and four assists over his last six matches.

But according to The Athletic, Ajax accidentally left Haller off the team's 25-man squad for the knockout round. That error could cost the Dutch giants passage into the round of 16. 

Even if Ajax had Haller in tow, it may have had trouble dealing with the stout Lille defense. Dusan Tadic and Antony will be the main players tasked with breaking down the French side's defensive unit. 

If you merged the top five leagues in Europe, Lille has the fourth-best defensive record behind Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and PSG.

Prediction: Lille

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET at Granada

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. ET at Napoli

Granada and Napoli both need a win in this tie to resurrect their form going into the closing stretch of the domestic and continental seasons.

Granada did not draw any schedule breaks, as it had to face Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in two of its last three games. It lost those matches and drew with Celta Vigo and Levante in its last four games.

Napoli bounced back from a three-game winless run with a 1-0 win over Juventus on Saturday that could give it the edge Thursday.

The two teams combined for 13 goals scored and seven goals conceded in six group-stage contests, so expect a low-scoring affair.

Prediction: Napoli

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET at Antwerp

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. at Rangers

Rangers have not lost in the Scottish Premiership or Europa League. The leader in Scotland has 25 wins and four draws in the domestic competition, and it earned four wins and two draws to top Group D.

While the overall numbers look great, Rangers has scored just once in each of its last four games in the Scottish Premiership .

Antwerp scored multiple goals in each of its last three league victories and comes into the round-of-32 home leg on a four-game unbeaten run, so Rangers may need to improve their offensive totals to make it through to the next round.

Lior Refaelov, who has 10 goals across all competitions, will be the biggest threat to the Rangers back line.

Prediction: Rangers

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. at Red Bull Salzburg

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. at Villarreal

Red Bull Salzburg could be the dark horse to win the competition. Jesse Marsch's men have control of the Austrian Bundesliga and have won five league games in a row with multiple goals scored.

Villarreal has not won any of its last four games and netted just five goals in its last six games.

While it would be considered an upset for an Austrian club to beat an established Spanish club, Salzburg may be the favorite to advance.

United States men's national team attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson could receive some minutes off the bench for Salzburg. He has two starts in five matches. Aaronson has not become a consistent starter yet since there is a lot of talent competing for his place in the team.

Double-digit goal scorers Patson Daka and Sekou Koita scored three of Salzburg's four goals Saturday against WSG Wattens.

Prediction: Red Bull Salzburg

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET at Molde

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. ET at Hoffeheim

While Bayer Leverkusen may be the sexy pick out of Germany to win the Europa League, Hoffenheim can make a strong claim as well.

The Bundesliga club went 5-1-0 with a goal differential of plus-15 in Group L against Red Star Belgrade, Slovan Liberec and Gent.

Thursday's meeting with Molde comes at a perfect time for Hoffenheim, who just finished a brutal three-game run against Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund.

Saturday's 2-2 draw with Dortmund should hand Hoffenheim some added confidence versus a Molde side that has been out of competitive action since December.

Molde was outscored 7-1 by Arsenal in its only matches against teams from the big five leagues in Group B. It also advanced with a minus-2 goal differential.

The long layoff and inability to score against larger clubs could hurt Molde over 180 or more minutes.

Prediction: Hoffenheim

First Leg: Thursday, 3 p.m. ET at Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Second Leg: February 25, 12:55 p.m. ET at Shakhtar Donetsk

Maccabi Tel-Aviv has been able to win games in many different fashions.

The Israeli side has five 1-0 victories in the last three months, including three in its last four games. It also captured three points in a handful of high-scoring affairs. Since Dec. 28, Maccabi Tel-Aviv triumphed in four games with three or more total goals. 

If its defense translates to the Europa League, it could limit the chances of Shakhtar Donetsk, which came off its winter break Saturday in a scoreless draw with FC Kolos. 

Shakhtar struggled to find the back of the net throughout the Champions League group stage. It was outscored 10-0 by Borussia Monchengladbach and played to a pair of scoreless draws with Inter Milan. 

You could point to Shakhtar's two wins over Real Madrid as the reason for it to advance with ease against Maccabi, but its failure to score in a majority of its continental games has to be concerning.

Prediction: Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from FBRef.com.