IN CONTENTION
Lazio have all manner of strong suits, not least their fluid attacking play, the astute in-game management of coach Simone Inzaghi and numerous game-changers, among them Serb midfield ace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – who is still on board after months of transfer speculation – Spanish attacking midfielder or second striker Luis Alberto and prolific hit-man Ciro Immobile. But mentally they are not always the most reliable; a case in point being their spectacular self-destruction in a Europa League quarter-final loss to Red Bull Salzburg last term.
Although Real Betis are infrequently at the races in Europe – the sum total of their cross-border highlights is a Champions League spot in 2005-06 and a pair of Cup-winners Cup quarter-final appearances – the club stands for total entertainment. Coach Quique Setien is a football progressive: a devotee of a slick Barcelona-like passing game and an all-or-nothing approach to the result.
Villarreal, Europa League semifinalists on three previous occasions, have strengthened in the finishing department, recruiting Espanyol’s Gerard Moreno and Franco-Cameroon front-man Karl-Toko Ekambi, who was acquired from Ligue 1 Angers. The key man is Manu Trigueros, arguably the most underrated midfielder in Spain.
There is absolutely no possibility of German Cup holders Eintracht
Frankfurt going through the motions, and all three of their home group games will be played in front of full houses.
The winds of change have blown strongly at the Waldstadion this summer, with ex-Young Boys boss Adi Hutter replacing Bayern Munich-bound Niko Kovac and a number of key players – among them Kevin-Prince Boateng and Marius Wolf – heading for the door.