Europa League favourites Wolfsburg face a tricky tie against Napoli on their quest to become the first German winners of the tournament since 1996-97, when Schalke prevailed.

Friday’s quarter-final draw also pitted Sevilla against Zenit Saint Petersburg in another tasty tie. After such a long and gruelling competition, we are now at crunch time.

You can view the full draw below, per the competition’s Twitter feed:

All first-leg matches will be played on April 16, with the return legs happening on April 23, detailed by UEFA.com.

Unlike the draw for the Champions League last eight, all sides will complete their matches on the same days. It’s also worth noting that Russian side Zenit couldn’t be drawn against Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev or Dnipro due to the tense political relationship between the two nations, per UEFA.com.

Quarter-Final Round-up

Wolfsburg remain favourites to secure the trophy, per Oddschecker.com, but Friday’s draw did little to help their chances. Dieter Hecking’s men overcame Italian opposition in the round of 16, thrashing Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate after winning 2-1 at the San Siro on Thursday.

Hecking called the result a “big step” for his developing team, reported by Michael Huguenin of Goal.com. He now faces a tactical challenge against Rafa Benitez’s Napoli, who beat Dinamo Moscow 3-1 on aggregate in the last round. Football writer Cristian Nyari thinks this will be an interesting clash:

New ground is being set for both teams, per the Europa League feed:

The same can’t be said for Sevilla and Zenit, who have previous history in the competition:

Sevilla have won three of the last nine Europa League trophies and possess a healthy habit of making it beyond seemingly tricky ties. Unai Emery’s side are fearless and well-drilled, but travelling to Russia to face Zenit is something of a daunting proposition.

Andre Villas-Boas’ men beat Benfica, drew with Monaco and lost to Bayer Leverkusen at home before being eliminated from the Champions League. They are capable of blitzing opponents with pace and power on the attack, shown during the 2-0 win over Torino, but have a tendency to clam up when travelling away from the cold.

As such, Sevilla’s chances will be dictated by whether they can rack up a decent haul in the Spanish-based first leg.

Dynamo Kiev have proven to be an endlessly prolific prospect in Ukraine this season, summarised with their 5-2 demolition of Everton on Thursday.

Sergei Rebrov’s men have won all of their European home games by two goals or more this season, playing swash-buckling, ambitious football with the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko leading the charge.

Fiorentina have improved massively since January—largely thanks to the loan capture of Chelsea’s Mohamed Salah—and will need to continue working hard defensively to come through this one. The Italians have conceded two or more just once in 10 matches, per WhoScored.com, suggesting they are capable of dousing a Dynamo side who threaten to go all the way.

Both Dnipro and Club Brugge have shown themselves to be resilient throughout the tournament, highlighted by their aggregate wins over Ajax and Besiktas. Their last encounter was memorable, per the tournament’s feed:

Friday’s draw ensures all teams know exactly which challenges lie ahead. Big guns are destined to fall, a danger Wolfsburg and Napoli will fear the most, suggesting an outside club could make a run for the silverware.

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The Premier League’s miserable showing in Europe continued on Thursday, as Everton crashed out of the Europa League with a 5-2 loss against Dynamo Kyiv. The Toffees had to defend a 2-1 advantage from the first leg but were completely dismantled by a superior side.

AS Roma also lost in embarrassing fashion, conceding three goals in the first half against Fiorentina. Things got so bad, police were called in to make sure the fixture wouldn’t end in violence, and part of the fan section left the stadium before half-time.

Here are the full results of the round of 16:

The quarter-final draw will be made on Friday, March 20.

Dynamo proved their attacking intentions last week in England, coming within minutes of securing a draw, and they continued their excellent home stretch on Thursday, trashing Everton 5-2.

As the Daily Mail‘s Dominic King put it, it was the cherry on top of a dreadful performance of the English teams in Europe:

Romelu Lukaku‘s equaliser in the first half restored hope for the Toffees after Andriy Yarmolenko had given the hosts the lead, but two more Dynamo goals before half-time made the team’s task all the more difficult.

Everton almost stopped defending in the second half, allowing the hosts to add two more goals before Phil Jagielka restored a little bit of dignity late, making the final score 5-2.

BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty didn’t mince his words after he witnessed the Toffees’ dreadful performance:

Speaking to the club’s official website, manager Roberto Martinez thought his team weren’t as poor as some have suggested, and there was little they could do about Kiyv’s goals:

It was a game between two teams who were clear in their attacking intent and both sides created a lot of chances. I agree there were instances when we could have defended better but there is not a lot you can do about goals that go right into the top corner. Ross (Barkley) was a real threat for us and back to a very good level. He hit the post twice and sometimes the margins are very small. The way the game unfolded, there were plenty of chances but the difference was the team that took most of their chances.

Fiorentina scored three times during the first half of their win over AS Roma, prompting the Giallorossi fans to take drastic action. As shared by Football Italia, some started walking out before the half-time whistle:

Roma have been in dreadful form in Serie A of late, and Thursday’s debacle was the final drop for the fans. They gathered outside of the stadium and marched back in with 10 minutes left on the clock, armed with banners and chanting protests.

The suspended Radja Nainggolan was involved in a minor altercation in the stands, Adem Ljajic further angered the fans by getting sent off, and before long, things looked like they might get out of hand:

Francesco Totti and a handful of team-mates approached the fans at the conclusion of the match and tried to call them down, but they were told to take off the shirt, as they were “unworthy” of wearing it.

Fortunately, the fans’ protest remained non-violent, and the Fiorentina players weren’t targeted.

Napoli joined Fiorentina in the quarter-finals thanks to a scoreless draw in Moscow, but the other two Italian clubs bowed out of the tournament. Inter Milan were unable to make up their 3-1 loss in Wolfsburg last week, playing out a 1-1 draw at the San Siro. Zenit St. Petersburg had to survive a late scare against unfancied Torino, losing 1-0 after last week’s 2-0 loss.

The biggest upset of the round took place in Turkey, as Belgium’s Club Brugge shocked Besiktas by recording a 3-1 win at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Turkish-Football.com took the defeat with grace, noting the Belgian side simply deserved to go through over two legs:

Dnipro needed extra time to get past Ajax after their match finished 1-0 in regulation. 

Defending champions Sevilla defeated Villarreal 2-1 and cruised to the quarter-final, and they should once again be considered favourites for the title. Fiorentina are arguably the most in-form team right now, and Wolfsburg field more all-round quality than any other side remaining. 

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While much has been made of United’s defensive struggles in the current campaign, the Red Devils have often been listless, lethargic and ineffective in the attacking third of the pitch.

Through 28 games, United have created just 291 chances, only good enough for 8th-best in the EPL, and a century behind crosstown rivals Manchester City.

Aside from the Red Devils’ current offensive issues, they will likely face more problems this summer.

Radamel Falcao, who believes he chose the wrong club, per Ian Ladyman of The Daily Mail, looks destined for a move away from Old Trafford, while Paul Smith of The Independent envisioned a Robin van Persie exit months ago.

Even with the poor form, injury issues and rapid decline that both of these players have experienced, the fact remains that the pair have combined for 14 goals and six assists in EPL action this season.

United fans may be happy if they departed in the summer, but a direct goals replacement (or replacements), preferably of superior quality, would still have to be lined up.

Luckily for United, this seems to be a reasonable task, as their status as one of the most iconic clubs in the world is still intact. Just as important as the reputation of a club in the pursuit of a player, however, is how much money that club has the capacity to spend.

Many clubs are well respected but simply don’t have the budget to splash out on transfer fees like United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Paris-Saint Germain.

United, known as a wealthy club in the Premier League era, will become even richer at the conclusion of the current season, with a record-breaking Adidas kit deal kicking in. The deal, which will pay United £75 million per season, per BBC News, will truly put them in the financial territory to be able to sign any player in the world.

This does not mean, however, that any striker in the world is willing to come to United, or that his team is wiling to sell him. 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have 32 and 30 league goals respectively, and they are the top two players in the world. Barcelona and Real have no reason to sell their star men, though, and it would take an absolutel miracle for United to even land one.

Next, Diego Costa has 18 league goals, while Sergio Aguero comes in just behind at 17. Neymar and Arjen Robben, not really strikers, are still having magnificent seasons that match the goal tally of Aguero. Once again, United have little to no chance of landing any of these players. Aguero and Costa have both pleased their respective clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea, who would be unlikely to sell to a rival if they were happy with the production they were getting.

Neymar is already one of the world’s best players at the age of 23 and is widely considered the heir to Messi’s throne in Catalonia. He’s not going anywhere.

Robben, although unlikely, is a more interesting situation. On one hand, the Dutchman is probably having the best season of his life and is absolutely essential to Bayern Munich’s silverware aspirations. On the other hand, he is 31 years old, and he may not look like the same player for any more than a couple of seasons.

If United come with a hefty ofter, Bayern could be tempted to sell high, and Robben could be attracted to the idea of playing under Louis van Gaal, a man he speaks highly of.

With most if not all of the aforementioned players probably unavailable, United find themselves targeting an already-productive but still-developing youngster. Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich is an exception to this, as he has been linked with United in the past. Like Robben however, he is an essential part of Bayern’s mission.

The more realistic targets for United, simply, are the ones at smaller clubs. Every player dreams of playing for a big club like United and (hopefully) winning trophies, and this rhetoric, combined with United’s deep pockets, should be enough to tempt at least one upcoming striking starlet.

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Paulo Dybala (Palermo), and Andre Lacazette (Lyon) all have at least 12 league goals (in fact, Lacazette has a whopping 23, fewer than only Ronaldo and Messi).

All of these players have been extremely productive for their respective teams this season and represent more realistic targets than the Ronaldos, Messis and Agueros of world football, even if they are still highly coveted.

Despite being the youngest player in this Squawka graphic, Dybala very well may be the most complete. The 21-year-old is scoring at approximately a one-in-two rate, completes 2.73 take-ons per 90 minutes and completes a tidy 82 percent of his passes. According to Jamie Sanderson of The Metro, United might have already made a bid for the Argentinian.

Over in France, Alexandre Lacaztte is playing unbelievable football, with only Ronaldo and Messi having more goals in Europe’s top five leagues. The Frenchman also creates 1.65 chances per 90, and with his blistering pace, he would probably enjoy life in the EPL.

Harry Kane is already enjoying life in England, with 16 goals thus far this season. As good a scorer as he is, he is also sneakily quick and smart, creating 1.01 chances per 90 and completing 1.81 take-ons.

Bacca and Icardi, finally, are less complete than their counterparts and seem to be more in the poacher mold, at least for now. They both produce less than one take-on and chance per 90, despite both scoring in over half of their games respectively. They represent good options for United, but probably not as good options as Lacazette, Dybala or Kane.

If United could land one of the aforementioned three strikers in the upcoming transfer window, they should be happy with their work. With Lacazette being chased by Liverpool, per another Sanderson report in the Metro, and Dybala a hot commodity as well, it will be difficult to land these players.

Kane, also, has been immense for Spurs this season, and they would suffer majorly without him. If Spurs were to sell him, it’s likely they would look beyond the EPL.

However, while United have competition for these players, they should feel good about their chances of landing a top striker.

They’ll have the biggest budget they’ve had in history and will likely have a gaping hole for a quality forward to come in and fill.

Oh yeah, and they’re still Manchester United.

Stats and info via Squawka.com

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The draw for the quarter-finals of the 2015 Europa League will be made in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, just one day after the conclusion of the round-of-16 second legs.

Full coverage will be available via UEFA’s official website, and the first side drawn will play the first leg of the tie at home. Here are the full details for Friday’s draw:

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 12 p.m. GMT / 8 a.m. ET

Location: Nyon, Switzerland

The results from the first legs of the round of 16 and the upcoming schedule:

Everton travel to Ukraine to take on Dynamo Kyiv in high spirits after their 2-1 win at Goodison Park, which saw Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku cancel out Oleg Gusev’s opener.

Leon Osman told the club’s official website that he likes their chances based on the strong form they’ve shown on the road in Europe so far this season:

The Toffees will have their work cut out, however. English sides have struggled tremendously in Europe during 2014-15, and based on their recent home form, Dynamo have to feel good about their chances of continuing that trend.

The Ukrainian side have won their last four European matches at home by at least two goals, per UEFA.com, and they showed plenty of attacking intentions when they traveled to England. The Toffees are enjoying a fine campaign in Europe, but on the domestic level, inconsistency has plagued Roberto Martinez’s men.

One player who enters the match in fine form is Lukaku, who impressed against Dynamo and has found the net with regularity in recent weeks. He’s also the top scorer among all the players still active in the Europa League, via Sky Sports:

Defending champions Sevilla were the only away team able to win the first leg of their round-of-16 clash, beating Primera Liga rivals Villarreal 3-1. Led by the prolific Carlos Bacca, the club is a threat at any given time, as shared by football writer Christian Nyari:

Villarreal’s attack is spearheaded by youngster Luciano Vietto, one of the top breakout performers of the season. Though things look bleak for the Yellow Submarine, fans should still expect plenty of fireworks at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

The all-Italian clash between AS Roma and Fiorentina will be another mouth-watering fixture, pitting one of Serie A’s in-form teams against the current No. 2 in the league.

The Giallorossi are winless in their last five in domestic competition, while La Viola have received a tremendous boost from their new on-loan star Mohamed Salah, via the Guardian‘s Conrad Leach:

Thursday’s clash could have a big impact on both sides’ domestic form, as the race for the Champions League spots is quickly heating up in Serie A. Roma are desperate for a win and some much-needed silverware, and with Juve running away with the title, the Europa League gives the squad its most realistic chance.

Wolfsburg dominated Inter Milan at home and will look to ride star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to a repeat performance, while Besiktas and Torino hope to overturn Club Brugge and Zenit Saint Petersburg respectively.

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