Thursday 16 April 2015 22:49, UK
The Europa League quarter-finals take place across the continent on Thursday evening, and we preview all four first-leg ties as Europe’s second-tier competition moves one step closer to the final in Warsaw on May 27.
Club Brugge v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Brugge head into their last-eight clash with Dnipro as favourites to progress to what would be a first European semi-final for 23 years.
The Belgian league leaders are the only unbeaten team left in the Europa League, although Michel Preud'homme's men did lose for the first time in nine games in all competitions when going down 2-0 at Kortrijk on Saturday.
Dnipro, meanwhile, have been poor on the road in Europe so far this season, with the Ukrainians having won just one of their seven away games in the competition.
Both teams are troubled by injury problems, while Brugge's Thomas Meunier and Dnipro's Yevhen Shakhov are also suspended.
Dynamo Kiev v Fiorentina
Dynamo Kiev will be hoping to make home advantage count when they take on Fiorentina at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex on Thursday night.
The Ukrainian Premier League leaders have been in great form domestically in recent weeks and they remain on course to win the title.
And this could be the perfect time to face the team from Florence, who themselves have gone off the boil in recent weeks.
Vincenzo Montella's men are now eight points behind third-placed Roma in the race to qualify for next season's champions League after losing to Napoli on Sunday, while they were also dumped out of the Coppa Italia by arch-rivals Juventus last Tuesday.
All of which means this competition now represents Fiorentina's only hope of silverware this season.
Dynamo coach Serhiy Rebrov will be without both Yevhen Makarenko and Miguel Veloso through injury, and the visitors are missing the suspended Jose Maria Basanta.
Sevilla v Zenit St Petersburg
Sevilla entertain Zenit St Petersburg in their first-leg quarter-final tie with confidence high after holding La Liga leaders Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday night.
Unai Emery's team had even trailed 2-0 to the Catalans at one point, before drawing level thanks to strikes from Ever Banega and Kevin Gameiro late on.
And with Sevilla having also won their last seven games at home in Europe, the holders will be hoping to keep that good run going against the Russian league leaders on Thursday.
Especially given Zenit have lost all six of its previous matches in Spain, while Andre Villas-Boas's men also travel to Andalusia missing a number of important players through suspension.
Domenico Criscito, Igor Smolnikov, Danny and Hulk, the Russian Premier League's top scorer, will all be unavailable to face Sevilla, while the visitors may also be missing both Viktor Fayzulin (knee), and goalkeeper Beto (hamstring) through injury.
Wolfsburg v Napoli
Wolfsburg host Napoli in their Europa League last-eight tie on Thursday night still with a chance of winning a cup double this season.
Dieter Hecking's side, who are currently sitting in second place in the Bundesliga, also take on Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.
Wolfsburg have been in eye-catching form recently, losing just one of their previous 23 encounters in all competitions heading into their first-leg clash with the Italians.
And with nine victories in succession as well at the Volkswagen Arena as part of an unbeaten home run stretching back to a loss against Everton in the Europa League group phase last November, Rafa Benitez and Co face a tough task.
The Spaniard, who himself is looking to make history by becoming the first manager to win Europe's second-tier competition with three different clubs, will know that his team must improve their away form though for that to happen.
Napoli travel to Germany having failed to win any of their previous five games on the road, a poor run that has also seen them score only one goal.
On the injury front, the visitors will be without midfielder Walter Gargano due to a thigh problem, while the hosts are missing Aaron Hunt with a knee injury.
