As Arsenal probably feared, the semi-final draw of the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League has pitted them against the competition favourites – and the only one of the four remaining teams to have lifted the trophy before – Atlético Madrid. Meanwhile, Marseille and Salzburg face off in the other tie bidding to become the first Europa League finalists from their respective countries.
Arsène Wenger’s final European home game as Arsenal manager should be quite an occasion. Let’s hope those Emirates Stadium season ticket holders who have been giving their team the cold shoulder of late actually turn up for this one. It would beggar belief if there are any empty seats for what is unquestionably the biggest game of the Gunners’ season. It’s also pretty massive for Atlético too as – let’s not forget – they haven’t won a trophy since 2014.
Marseille’s last silverware was even further in the past – the French League Cup in 2012 – and they haven’t reached a European final since 2004, when Valencia defeated them 2-0 in Gothenburg in the UEFA Cup decider. Salzburg, on the other hand, have been scooping domestic leagues and cups galore in recent years. After so many painful near-misses in trying to qualify for the Champions League group stage, it would be quite a story if they were to achieve that long-cherished objective by winning the Europa League.
Here’s my preview of the two first legs.
Arsenal v Atlético Madrid
Atlético assured themselves Champions League group stage involvement next season – for the sixth year in a row – with a 0-0 draw at home to Real Betis at the weekend, but it was the third match in four in which Diego Simeone’s side have failed to score. Have they been saving themselves for Arsenal? Quite possibly. Antoine Griezmann didn’t start against Betis, and mystery surrounds whether Diego Costa will play a part at the Emirates after sitting out the last three games with a hamstring injury.
Even if Costa does not recover, Atlético have plenty of other attacking options to trouble Arsenal. Their midfield, featuring the brilliant young left-footed schemer Saúl Ñíguez, who scored on each of the Madrid club’s last two visits to England – 1-1 draws against Leicester and Chelsea – is a fine blend of craft and graft, and of course their defence, underpinned by Uruguayan colossus Diego Godín and Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, has long been one of the most accomplished in Europe.
As for the Gunners, even with reduced support in the stands their recent home form has been spectacularly good – six successive wins and at least three goals scored in every game, with AC Milan and CSKA Moscow among their scalps. Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette, in particular, have found their scoring touch, and on what is certain to be an emotional, highly-charged evening, the expectation is that Arsenal will pound hard at the Atlético rearguard in search of the win that will open the door to the Lyon final – but in all probability leave themselves exposed to the counterattacks that make the pacy Griezmann, in particular, such a threat.
Prediction: Arsenal to sneak a win, perhaps with a late goal, but Atlético to score too. 2-1
Did you know? The only English clubs ever to have eliminated Atlético in a two-legged UEFA competition tie are Derby County and Bolton Wanderers.
Marseille v Salzburg
Both of these clubs staged pulsating second-leg comebacks at home in the quarter-finals, Marseille winning 5-2 to rapturous acclaim against Leipzig while Salzburg improbably routed Lazio 4-1, scoring all of their goals in the second half after being 5-2 down on aggregate.
The Austrian champions lost the first leg of that tie in Rome, thus ending a 19-game unbeaten run in Europe, and can expect another tough assignment in the Stade Vélodrome against an in-form team that scored five goals again at their atmospheric home on Saturday to beat Lille and maintain the pressure on the two teams above them – Monaco and Lyon – in a bid to finish runners-up to runaway champions Paris Saint-Germain. Skipper Dimitri Payet was sensational against Leipzig; also enjoying an outstanding campaign is another ex-Premier League player, Newcastle reject Florian Thauvin, who has scored four goals in the last three games.
Salzburg’s most potent attacker is Israeli international striker Munas Dabbur. Top of the Austrian Bundesliga scoring charts, with 19 goals, he has started all 18 of the club’s European games this season, scoring seven goals, the latest of which started the crazy comeback against Lazio. A fifth successive league and cup double is firmly in Salzburg’s sights – they have a 11-point lead in the league with five games left and face the second-placed club, Sturm Graz, in the cup final on May 9 – but success in Europe is the top priority for Marco Rose’s adventurous young side. They, like their hosts, will be giving this one their all.
Prediction: Lots of noise and passion in the Vélodrome and Marseille to make the most of it. 3-1
Did you know? Marseille have won eight of their nine European home games this season. The only team to deny them victory? Salzburg – in a 0-0 draw during the group stage.
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