Quote from: slapper on Today at 11:14:56 AM

One could see Lazio against Bilbao as the safe bet. But this is the Europa League, where "favorite" means quite nothing! Bilbao is playing as a team possessed, and they have the dream scenario with the final at San Mamés. Lazio, Sure, they ranked highest in the league phase, but they have dropped seven Serie A games (not precisely "unbeatable" material). Fenerbahçe, THAT's a wildcard. Mourinho thrives in knockout football. Should he drag them to the last, the scene will be absolute chaos. Not to be overlooked, though, Eintracht Frankfurt won in 2022 and sits third in the Bundesliga; Ekitike is on fire

Surprises? This is Europa League. Prepare for something crazy. Man United may make it to the final then bottling it, Ajax perhaps transforms into prime 2019 out of nowhere, or AZ Alkmaar just slipping through while nobody is looking

There is no guarantee for any team around here indeed. Even the teams at top can shock us with unexpected results. I wouldn't get shocked in case Tottenham and Manchester United both say goodbye early though. Tongue

Fenerbahçe is a good example there. Mourinho's ways might seem old for many people. To me as well to tell the truth. But this guy is still really good in competitions like this. He already achieved an EL trophy with Manchester United once. He did it in a season they had problems in the PL. He barely missed the chance while managing Roma in the 22/23 season. He can actually push for it with Fenerbahçe too. The squad is much better after the recent transfers and En-Nesyri is having a really productive season. Let's see if we witness a surprise.