N'Golo Kante: Europa League Win Would 'Make the Season Beautiful' for Chelsea
Apr 19, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: N'golo Kante of Chelsea and Jan Boril of SK Slavia Praha clash during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Slavia Praha at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
N'Golo Kante has insisted Chelsea are not favourites to win the UEFA Europa League, but he said it will "make the season beautiful" if they do.
The Blues will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals after seeing off Slavia Prague in the last eight. They completed the job on Thursday with a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge following a 1-0 away victory in the opening leg:
As Kante noted, the Europa League is also Chelsea's final chance for silverware this term, per Nizaar Kinsella of Goal: "We can make the season beautiful by winning the Europa League. That's the only title we can win now, so it would be great to win the Europa League. We're not favourites. We played a good match tonight and we will do all we can to get to the final. But we're not favourites."
Despite Kante's claim, Caesars have Chelsea as favourites to win the Europa League this season, just ahead of London rivals Arsenal.
The Blues have relatively recent pedigree in the tournament, having won the trophy back in 2013, the year after they won the UEFA Champions League.
They boast a superior squad to Frankfurt, who had to win 2-0 at home on Thursday to get past Benfica on away goals.
Chelsea will be away for the first leg of their semi-final tie on May 2.
As long as they are still in the tie after the first 90 minutes, Chelsea will be confident of getting the result they need on May 9 at Stamford Bridge, where they have won all six of their games in the Europa League this season.
Europa League Draw 2018-19: Schedule of Dates for Semi-Final Fixtures
Apr 19, 2019
NAPLES, ITALY - APRIL 18: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal is challenged by Vlad Chiriches of Napoli during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg match between S.S.C. Napoli and Arsenal at Stadio San Paolo on April 18, 2019 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt and Valencia are the four teams still standing in the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League following the completion of the quarter-final stage on Thursday.
The two English sides have been kept apart, with Arsenal taking on Los Che in the last four and Chelsea meeting Frankfurt after the German club's brilliant comeback in the quarters.
The semi-final first legs will take place on Thursday, May 2, and the second legs a week later on Thursday, May 9.
Here are the fixtures in full, with all matches scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET):
🗓️ SEMI-FINALS 🗓️
Frankfurt v Chelsea 🇩🇪 Thursday 2 May 🏴 Thursday 9 May
Arsenal and Valencia both made relatively easy work of their quarter-final ties.
The Gunners impressed with a 3-0 aggregate win over Napoli, which was completed with a 1-0 win at the Stadio San Paolo in Thursday's second leg:
Been very quiet here except for the pocket of away fans. Napoli flat from the off really, which is a big credit to how Arsenal set about them. The most remarkable thing is that there is genuinely no sense that Arsenal can or will mess this up.
Valencia, meanwhile, thrashed fellow Spanish side Villarreal 5-1 across the two legs of their last-eight tie.
Chelsea were also comfortable against Slavia Prague, although there were some nervy moments at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
The Blues went into half-time with a 5-1 aggregate lead, but two quick-fire goals from Petr Sevcik soon after the break made things more competitive (U.S. only):
Frankfurt, meanwhile, overturned a 4-2 first-leg deficit against Benfica by winning 2-0 at the PSD Bank Arena to advance on away goals.
An all-English Europa League final looks a distinct possibility in 2019 as Arsenal and Chelsea will likely go into their respective semis favourites to reach May 29's showpiece in Baku.
Given the pair are both also fighting for a Premier League top-four spot as they aim to return to the UEFA Champions League next season, there would be an extra level of intrigue if the two London rivals do end up fighting for the trophy.
Maurizio Sarri Says Chelsea 'Need a Solution' to Second-Half Problems
Apr 18, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri gestures from the sidelines during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Slavia Praha at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri says his team "need a solution" to their poor performances in the second half of matches after Thursday's 4-3 win over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League.
The Italian spoke to reporters after seeing his side endure a nervy finish to secure a place in the semi-finals against Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
"[We played] very well in the first half I think. As usual, we started badly in the second half. We need a solution. In the last ten matches, we started like this match. It is a big problem.
"We had to get qualification and maybe we thought we had at the end of the first half I have never seen something like that, like these opponents.
"It was clear the second half would be difficult. We did something wrong. They scored with a kick with no one near. We are happy to go through."
Chelsea were impressive in the first half at Stamford Bridge. The hosts scored four times to move into a 5-1 aggregate lead over the Czech opponents.
ESPN FC's Liam Twomey highlighted their dominance:
HT Chelsea 4-1 Slavia Prague. Sarri's men cruising into the Europa League semi-finals. I suspect Hazard will be off before too long #cfc
However, it was a different story entirely after the break. Two goals from Petr Sevcik made it 4-3 on the night and offered the visitors hope they could complete the comeback.
Simon Johnson at the Evening Standard summed up Chelsea's performance after the break:
that's it...#cfc stagger over the line 4-3 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate. But the second half display was as bad as it gets. #CHESLA
This is not the first time this season that Chelsea have flopped in the second half, and Sarri has been criticised for his team talks:
Impossible to know what Sarri tells players during half time, but think it’s safe to say he gives the worst half time talks in all of football judging by how Chelsea start most 2nd halves.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Glen Hoddle says the team are lacking leadership on the pitch:
"They need a leader out there. John Terry playing in that team tonight, that wouldn't have happened in the second-half."
"They don't have many leaders there...."
Glenn Hoddle thinks Chelsea need someone on the pitch to keep the side focused throughout the 90 minutes. pic.twitter.com/fxfXyDSJFD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 18, 2019
Captain Cesar Azpilicueta told BT Sport (Joe Krishnan at the Evening Standard) after the match that his team must learn from their errors.
"I think it's our mistake and one we are making very often," he said. "The result is not easy and we keep conceding early goals and making the same mistakes in the second half."
Chelsea's second-half struggles will concern Sarri, and he will need to improve his side if they are to lift the Europa League this season.
Europa League 2019: Updated Odds Ahead of Semi-Final Round
Apr 18, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Olivier Giroud of Chelsea reacts during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Slavia Praha at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Premier League powerhouses Chelsea and Arsenal are the bookmakers' favourites to win this season's UEFA Europa League after each advanced to the semi-finals following wins on Thursday.
Maurizio Sarri's Blues are 5-4 frontrunners to win the competition after they beat Slavia Prague 4-3 at Stamford Bridge to round off a 5-3 aggregate result. They'll face Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four, with the German side priced as 6-1 underdogs with Caesars.
Arsenal edged Napoli 1-0 at the Stadio San Paolo in their second-leg showdown to win 3-0 across 180 minutes. They're second-favourites to London rivals Chelsea at 9-4, just ahead of semi-final opponent Valencia.
The bookmakers appear set on an all-English final looking most likely this season, though Valencia and Eintracht carry a lot of sway into the next stage and will have objections to those claims.
Europa League Winner Odds
Chelsea 5-4
Arsenal 9-4
Valencia 7-2
Eintracht Frankfurt 6-1
Chelsea's Road Back to UCL Looks Bright
After Sarri's first season in English football was beginning to look somewhat bleak, he's now restored some life in the Premier League's top-four race and has his side in a European semi-final.
They stand a good chance of defeating Eintracht in the next phase, although the Blues need to be wary of manager Adi Hutter's side, which he turned from an unlikely bunch of underdogs into a devastatingly capable team.
Beating the odds is what the Eagles have become accustomed to this term. Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller have impressed with eight and five goals in the competition, respectively, and a 2-0 win at home to Benfica on Thursday showed superb resilience to draw 4-4 on aggregate to squeeze through on away goals.
This Frankfurt team may be venturing into unknown territory, but broadcaster Archie Rhind-Tutt showed what the foundation of a brilliant fanbase can help achieve:
15 minutes since the full time whistle...and counting... Team still celebrating with fans. pic.twitter.com/C1dRMmOxOu
The Bundesliga club could be a good pick for a fairytale success in that case, or perhaps Unai Emery will follow up his three Europa League triumphs at Sevilla with another title, this time in north London.
This could be the last point to catch the Gunners with any decent value at 9-4, and Emery has shown a particularly vicious streak in these phases of the tournament over the years, per Goal:
Arsenal manager Unai Emery has won 25 matches in the Europa League knockout stages – more than any other manager 👀#UELpic.twitter.com/HJ6MhLHlpJ
His Arsenal team have responded well to a mid-season lull that threatened to undo their campaign, and back-to-back wins at Napoli and Watford have helped reverse some torrid away form.
They face a Valencia team that's lost only once in their last 21 matches, however, not to mention carrying an unbeaten streak at home that dates back to November 2018.
Los Che are the other underdog pick for the semi-finals at 7-2, and it could be manager Marcelino Garcia Toral has the keys to unravel compatriot Emery's Europa League plans.
Europa League 2019: Qualified Teams After Thursday's Quarter-Final Leg 2 Results
Apr 18, 2019
Premier League sides Chelsea and Arsenal both secured their places in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals on Thursday after wins over Slavia Prague and Napoli.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt beat Benfica 2-0 to progress on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw, and Valencia overcame Villarreal 2-0 to complete a 5-1 win over the two legs.
Chelsea scored four times in the first half against Slavia Prague in a dominant display that put them on course for a comfortable win.
Pedro netted the opener on five minutes after a flowing team move, before hitting the post four minutes later and seeing the ball rebound off defender Simon Deli and beat his own goalkeeper.
The Spaniard then turned provider as Chelsea extended their lead even further. The former Barcelona man laid on a low cross for Giroud to sweep past goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar:
Only five players have scored 10+ goals in a single Europa League campaign since the competition's inception in 2009/10:
✓ Radamel Falcao x 2 ✓ Giuseppe Rossi ✓ Klaas-Jan Huntelaar ✓ Aritz Aduriz ✓ Olivier Giroud
However, Chelsea were quick to respond to the setback and restore their three-goal advantage on the night.
The Blues went straight back up the other end of the pitch, and Pedro scored his second at the far post after Giroud had seen his shot saved.
Slavia Prague looked a different side in the second half, and two goals from Sevcik gave the visitors hope of pulling off an unlikely comeback.
Yet Chelsea managed to avoid conceding again and did enough to secure victory and a semi-final against Frankfurt.
The Bundesliga side overturned a 4-2 defeat in the first leg to dump out Benfica on Thursday. Filip Kostic opened the scoring on 37 minutes after Mijat Gacinovic had hit the post.
Ante Rebic then set up Sebastian Rode to add the crucial second goal after the break with his first of the season:
Football writer Archie Rhind-Tutt shared the atmosphere in the ground:
After nearly 20 minutes out with their fans, Eintracht Frankfurt trudge off. An historic night.
The win puts Frankfurt into their first European semi-final since they won the UEFA Cup in 1980.
Arsenal faced a tough test away at Napoli and enjoyed a strong start in an entertaining first half in Italy.
However, the Gunners suffered an early blow when Aaron Ramsey picked up a hamstring injury and was forced off in the first half:
Aaron Ramsey may have played his last game for Arsenal after suffering a suspected hamstring injury during their Europa League quarter-final against Napoli.
The Wales international was replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and minutes later Arsenal managed to take the lead through Alexandre Lacazette.
The French forward fired a free-kick from 30 yards around the wall and past a stranded Alex Meret to put Arsenal 2-0 up on aggregate and in charge of the tie (U.S. only):
Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti brought on Dries Mertens for the second half as he sought a way back into the game.
However, Arsenal could have extended their lead when Mkhitaryan crossed for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but his effort was turned over the crossbar by Meret.
Napoli did see plenty of the ball in the second half but struggled to carve out chances, as Arsenal enjoyed an impressive win on Unai Emery's 50th game in charge of the club.
The Gunners will take on Valencia for a place in the final. Los Che saw off La Liga rivals Villarreal in extremely wet conditions in Spain:
Left-back Toni Lato put the hosts 1-0 up on the night at Mestalla, while Dani Parejo's deflected free-kick in the second half completed a dominant win.
Olivier Giroud, Chelsea Beat Slavia Prague; Advance to Europa Semi-Final
Apr 18, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 18: Pedro celebrates with Olivier Giroud of Chelsea during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Slavia Praha at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Chelsea cruised into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday with a 4-3 win over Slavia Prague that secured a 5-3 aggregate victory.
The Blues got off to the perfect start at Stamford Bridge. Pedro swapped passes with Cesar Azpilicueta and Olivier Giroud before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar for the opener after five minutes.
The Spaniard was heavily involved in the second goal four minutes later. The winger hit the post from Eden Hazard's low cross, but the ball rebounded off defender Simon Deli and into the back of the net.
Giroud stroked home Pedro's pass to make it 3-0 after 16 minutes to put Chelsea in complete control of the tie before the visitors pulled one back when Tomas Soucek headed homePetr Sevcik's corner.
However, Chelsea restored their three-goal advantage almost immediately. Pedro netted his second of the match after Giroud's effort had been saved.
The visitors came right back into it after the break with two quick goals. Sevcik beat Kepa Arrizabalaga at his near post with a powerful shot and then produced an even better strike three minutes later to make it 4-3.
The goal made for a tense end to the match, but Chelsea managed to hold on to book their place in the semi-finals of the competition.
Sarri's Influence Has Taken Kante To Another Level
Kante put in a masterclass for Chelsea in the first half against Slavia Prague, as the Blues scored four goals to go 5-1 up on aggregate and blew Slavia Prague away.
The midfielder has been shifted out of his normal central defensive midfield role by manager Sarri this season in favour of Jorginho, but he showed how his game has developed under the Italian.
Kane was superb in possession and produced some penetrating balls forward, particularly for the third goal:
3-0 #cfc. Kante 40-yard pass releases Pedro squares to Giroud, simple finish. #CHESLA
His performance helped Chelsea effectively kill off the game after the opening 45 minutes, and he was the game's outstanding performer along with Giroud, according to ESPN FC's Liam Twomey:
Pedro has two goals, but Kante & Giroud have been Chelsea's two outstanding performers so far for me #ratingsspoiler#cfc
The second half was a different story entirely, as Chelsea allowed Slavia Prague right back into the game and were forced to work hard for their victory.
Chelsea's drop in performance will take some of the gloss off their victory, but if they can play like they did in the opening 45 minutes it will take something special to stop them lifting the Europa League trophy.
Giroud Deserves To Be Chelsea's First-Choice Striker
Giroud spoke before Thursday's game about his desire for more playing time at Chelsea and how he was "not happy to play the second role," per theGuardian'sDominic Fifield.
The French international has only made seven Premier League starts this season but has been a regular in the Europa League and impressed against Slavia Prague.
The World Cup winner was involved in both of Chelsea's first two goals:
#Giroud showing why he is #cfc's best centre forward in the build-up to both goals. #CHESLA
Yet it was not just his goals and assists that stood out. The French striker's ability to link with his team-mates, hold-up play and bring others into the attack is also important to the team.
Twomey offered a neat summary of his qualities:
Giroud underlining again in these early minutes why Hazard has described him as "maybe the best in the world" when it comes to target men.
His link-up play is excellent & makes everyone around him better #cfc
Giroud's performance showed that he deserves to be Chelsea's first-choice striker ahead of Gonzalo Higuain, who has struggled to impress since joining on loan from Juventus in January.
Sarri's preference seems to be for the Argentinian at present, but Giroud is the club's best centre-forward and should be ahead of Higuain the pecking order.
What's Next?
Chelsea are back in Premier League action on Monday against Burnley at Stamford Bridge. Slavia Prague play on Sunday away at Zlin.
Aaron Ramsey Subbed off with Hamstring Injury in Europa League vs. Napoli
Apr 18, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on March 1, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Aaron Ramsey is set for another spell on the sidelines after he was forced off after 30 minutes in Thursday's UEFA Europa League clash at Napoli with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Ramsey started in Naples but was replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan following a challenge:
☹️ Oh no... @AaronRamsey goes to ground clutching his hamstring - and that will be the end of his evening
After the match, manager Unai Emery told reporters he didn't know if Ramsey had played his last match with the Gunners, although he noted the injury would keep him out "several weeks."
Alexandre Lacazette scored the game's opener shortly after Ramsey's withdrawal to put Arsenal 3-0 up on aggregate.
The Wales international has long struggled with injuries but enjoyed a relatively healthy campaign in 2017-18, emerging as one of the team's key players.
With Unai Emery now in charge of the club, Arsenal's ambitions for this year are high. Losing Ramsey to injury is a serious blow, as it greatly limits the Gunners' options in midfield and out wide.
Last season, under Arsene Wenger, he mostly played as a traditional central midfielder, but he has plenty of experience in a wide role as well. And with Lucas Torreira now at the Emirates Stadium, Emery's biggest needs were no longer up the middle.
Ramsey is in the final year of his contract and there are plenty of reports stating he has already agreed to join Juventus. The Gunners were undoubtedly hoping to get the most out of their midfielder before he departed.
Emery will hope to see him return as soon as possible, as he tries to make his first year in England a success.
Carlo Ancelotti Wants More 'courage' from Napoli in Uel 2nd Leg vs. Arsenal
Apr 17, 2019
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Head coach Carlo Ancelotti of SSC Napoli gestures during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal and S.S.C. Napoli at Emirates Stadium on April 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti has called for Napoli to show more "courage" and "heart" in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Arsenal on Thursday.
Napoli trail 2-0 after the first leg, but Ancelotti revealed on Wednesday he's confident his team will be better at the Stadio San Paolo, per Sky Sports News:
"I'm sure we're going to put in a brilliant performance tomorrow. Will it be enough? I think so, I think we can do it. What do we need in three words? Courage, intelligence, heart. I didn't see much courage in the first leg, especially in the first half."
Napoli may also need some good fortune to overturn an aggregate deficit against an Arsenal team that has been stylish and efficient going forward in this season's tournament.
Despite the Gunners' dominance of the first leg, Ancelotti felt his players "were clever in the second half." It's a reasonable belief since Napoli didn't yield a third goal after Aaron Ramsey and a Kalidou Koulibaly own goal had given the Gunners a 2-0 cushion at the break.
Napoli were more stubborn defensively after the restart, but the visitors also needed to rely on Arsenal's profligacy in front of goal. Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both missed chances to perhaps make the tie safe before the trip to Naples.
Stand-in goalkeeper Alex Meret also came to the away side's rescue more than once during the second half.
Meret's outstanding display was a response to how much Arsenal kept Napoli on the back foot. Ancelotti had to be disappointed about how a team loaded in the forward positions mustered little in attacking areas.
The stale display is no doubt why Ancelotti is demanding more fortitude from his players: "Heart and passion is what we need tomorrow, along with intensity because it's an opportunity we have to take. I think it will be a game of great intensity."
Napoli have the quality to cause Arsenal's defence problems. Notably, Lorenzo Insigne, Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens all have the pace and scoring instincts to pose a threat from wide areas.
The issue in the first leg was this trio had no focal point to play off and around. It was no surprise Napoli looked more effective once target man Arkadiusz Milik was brought off the bench.
Ancelotti would be wise to involve the prolific Poland international from the start.
6 - Arkadiusz #Milik has scored six goals from outside the box in the current Serie A season, more than any other player. Range.#ChievoNapoli#SerieA
While he can make some obvious changes to improve Napoli's attack, one other thing Ancelotti must encourage is more bite from midfield. Allan and Fabian Ruiz are both skilled technicians, but they were easily overwhelmed by Ramsey, Lucas Torreira and Mesut Ozil in north London.
The latter ran the game from a position between the lines, dropping in to defend when Napoli had the ball and roaming freely in the final third whenever Arsenal attacked.
One thing Ancelotti won't be relying on is Arsenal's poor away record in all competitions this season: "We know Arsenal's results in away games, but tomorrow is a different story. I don't know what's going on."
Arsenal beat Watford 1-0 away on Monday to secure a first clean sheet on their travels in the Premier League this season. The Gunners also lost the away leg of their last two Europa League ties, falling to both BATE Borisov and Rennes.
Napoli are always formidable at home, so a fast start and an early goal would put Arsenal under pressure and perhaps get the away struggles playing on the minds of the visitors.
Ancelotti knows the importance of the game since it represents Napoli's only hope of silverware this season.
The 59-year-old has never won this trophy, but his record of three UEFA Champions League triumphs as manager no doubt appealed to a club still craving regular success on the continent.
Real Madrid's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti (R) and Sevilla's coach Unai Emery (L) gesture during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Sevilla FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 4, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ DANI POZO
It's a similar story for Arsenal, with the club's last European triumph being winning the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. Head coach Unai Emery's history of winning the Europa League three seasons running with Sevilla made him a sensible choice to succeed Arsene Wenger last summer.
Emery may need this win more, given Arsenal are still not assured of a place in next season's Champions League. Finishing fourth domestically would do it, but qualifying by winning a trophy would surely be sweeter.
If Emery's Europa League expertise trumps Ancelotti's big-stage experience, the latter will have to consider his first season in Naples a failure.
UEFA Europa League Quarterfinal Scenarios: How Each Team Can Advance
Apr 17, 2019
Chelsea's Eden Hazard applauds the fans after the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal soccer match between Slavia Prague and Chelsea at the Sinobo stadium in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2019. Chelsea won the match 0-1. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Two English clubs, an all-Spanish tie, and a young star led the way in the2018-19UEFAEuropa League quarterfinal first legs last week, and we can only hope for a similarly entertaining conclusion Thursday.
How can each club advance? Need a refresher on what happened in the first matchups? Let's take a look at the scenarios in play for the second leg of all four quarterfinal ties.
Schedule
All four quarterfinal matches take place on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
Valencia vs. Villarreal (Leg 1: 3-1)
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Benfica (Leg 1: 2-4)
Napoli vs. Arsenal (Leg 1: 0-2)
Chelsea vs. Slavia Prague (Leg 1: 1-0)
How to Watch in the U.S.
Every match is available to stream on B/R Live. You can buy a monthly or yearly subscription, or purchase individual matches for $2.99.Sign up for B/R Live here.
How to Watch in the UK
Every match is available in the UK on BT Sport, the BT Sport App andBTSport.com.
Valencia vs. Villarreal
The all-Spanish tie looked to be headed into the second leg all square at 1-1 until Valencia unleashed two spectacular goals in stoppage time to throw the matchup on its head.
Villarreal now faces a tall task in the second leg against a Valencia side that has only lost once in its last 20 matches in all competitions.
Villarreal also needs to score at least three goals to go through, which Valencia hasn't given up in one match all season.
Not only that, but the Yellow Submarine are winless in three matches against the Bats this season. All those statistics are probably why FiveThirtyEight gives Valencia a 97 percent chance to advance to the semifinals.
Nonetheless, here's how each club can advance to the semifinals.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Benfica
A hotly contested first leg saw young talents Ruben Dias and Luka Jovic find the back of the net, but it was the performance of Benfica's 19-year-old Joao Felix that had the soccer world talking as he carried the Portuguese side to a 4-2 win at home with a hat trick plus an assist.
Juventus, seemingly dazzled by his play, will reportedly be in talks with Felix's agent this week to discuss a potential summer move, according to Jaime Candil of AS. Citing Portuguese reports, Candil suggested an initial offer of €75 million from the Italian giants was turned down.
Hosts Frankfurt must now overcome Benfica's momentum, needing at least two goals to advance. The odds aren't on its side though, as FiveThirtyEight gives Benfica a 78 percent chance to advance to the semifinals.
Here are the results each club needs to advance.
Napoli vs. Arsenal
The Gunners made a statement at home in the first leg after defeating Napoli 2-0 in what looked to be the biggest matchup of the quarterfinals heading in. Aaron Ramsey finished a terrific team goal early on to give Arsenal the lead.
Then, an unfortunate deflection off of Kalidou Koulibaly doubled Arsenal's lead just 10 minutes later and cemented the Gunners' two-goal advantage heading to Naples for the second leg.
Napoli will like its chances at the Stadio San Paolo after winning five of its six home matches in European competition this season, including a win against Liverpool in the Champions League back in October.
Meanwhile, Arsenal has lost six of its last 10 away matches in all competitions, including its previous two away legs in the UEL against BATE Borisov and Rennes. Nonetheless, FiveThirtyEight gives Arsenal an 87 percent chance to advance to the semifinals.
Here are the results each clubs need to advance.
Chelsea vs. Slavia Prague
Slavia Prague's dream run in the competition continued when it defeated Sevilla 4-3 in the final minutes of extra time in the previous round.
Another formidable task came next when it drew Chelsea in the quarterfinals—the English side has won 10 of its eleven matches this season in the UEL.
The Czech club seemed to be off to a bright start as the first leg remained 0-0 heading into the last few minutes. However, Willian's cross found Marcos Alonso in the 86th minute to break the deadlock in Prague last week.
Chelsea has had a resurgence in form as of late, winning four of its last five and reaching as high as third in the English Premier League table at one point.
The Blues have the best odds of any remaining UEL club to make it to the semifinals, with FiveThirtyEight giving them a 99 percent chance to advance.
Can Slavia Prague pull off yet another improbable upset? Here is how each club can advance to the semifinals.
Semifinal Pairings
The semifinals begin on May 2.
Winner of Valencia-Villarreal vs. Winner of Napoli-Arsenal
Winner of Eintracht Frankfurt-Benfica vs. Winner of Chelsea-Slavia Prague
Chelsea vs. Slavia Prague: Odds, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Europa Match
Apr 17, 2019
Chelsea's Olivier Giroud, right, celebrates after teammate Marcos Alonso, left, scored his side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal soccer match between Slavia Prague and Chelsea at the Sinobo stadium in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Chelsea will reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League with another win over Slavia Prague at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
The Blues won the first leg of their last-eight tie by a narrow 1-0 margin in the Czech Republic last week and are favoured to complete the job in west London.
Status as favourites is appropriate since the 2013 winners have the squad depth and match-winners to end Slavia's promising run.
The visitors stunned Sevilla in spectacular fashion to advance from the round of 16, but they are unlikely to keep the Blues at bay for long.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been content to rest key stars for European duty while his team remains in the thick of the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Chelsea's Italian head coach Maurizio Sarri gives a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final, first leg, football match Slavia Prague v Chelsea FC in Prague on April 10, 2019. (Photo by Michal CIZEK / AFP) (Photo credit s
His willingness to rotate saw Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain and N'Golo Kante drop to the bench for the first leg. They could be needed from the start this time, though, if Chelsea are going to make sure about seeing off a tricky opponent, especially with top-four hopes in doubt.
The Blues dropped out of the top four after losing 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, before Arsenal won 1-0 at Watford the following day. It means winning this tournament could be the best way for Sarri to get Chelsea back into the UEFA Champions League.
The Italian knows he has the players who can decide this tie, and he made the right choice when he brought attacking talisman Hazard on just before the hour mark in Prague:
The Belgium international struggled against Liverpool when he looked uncomfortable in a false-nine role. Instead, he is better from the left where he can combine with full-back Marcos Alonso, who netted the winner in Prague.
Being able to deploy Hazard, Willian, Pedro or Callum Hudson-Odoi on the flanks gives Chelsea a natural advantage out wide. Even so, the wing wizards need a focal point through the middle to play off and around.
Olivier Giroud has performed the role admirably during a prolific run in this season's competition:
Sarri has enough options in attack, but he may be concerned about his defence after Antonio Rudiger was injured against Liverpool. Chelsea's best centre-back has a knee problem, leaving the head coach to choose from either Andreas Christensen or forgotten man Gary Cahill, per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard.
Rudiger not being available should give a useful Slavia forward line confidence. Aggressive centre-forward Milan Skoda and tricky winger Miroslav Stoch have the ability to punish Sarri's men, provided astute skipper Tomas Soucek keeps the lines of supply open from midfield.
Chelsea will be aware of the threat Slavia can pose when faced with elimination, notably the late goals in the 4-3 second-leg win over Sevilla.
However, Sarri's squad is too deep and experienced to fall to a similar fate and should make routine work of setting up a semi-final tie against either Benfica or Eintracht Frankfurt.
