Europa League: A Key Stat for Every Team After the Quarter-Final Second Legs

This past Thursday, the UEFA Europa League delivered an unforgettable round of football, featuring an astonishing 17 goals across four matches and a gripping penalty shootout. Here’s a noteworthy statistic for each of the eight teams that took part in this exhilarating day of action.

6 – Athletic Club has marked their return to a European semi-final after a 13-year absence. The Spaniards have made it back to the last four of the Europa League and, more significantly, are just two matches away from contesting a continental final in their home stadium. This bodes well for them, considering they have emerged victorious in all six of their home games in this season’s UEFA Europa League. Among the remaining 12 teams in the competition across all formats, the Basque outfit stands alone with a flawless home record.

15 – Rangers faced a quarter-final exit, becoming the only team in this round that failed to find the net across both legs. Nevertheless, the Scottish club can take pride in their extended journey in the Europa League, a tournament in which they have thrived in recent years. However, their defeat in Spain marked their 15th loss against LaLiga opponents, with German teams holding the record for more triumphs over the Gers, amounting to 20 victories.

4 – The journey concludes for Eintracht Frankfurt in the final eight, as they, alongside Rangers, could not score in their home leg. Known as Die Adler, they had showcased impressive performances during the group stage but struggled to penetrate Spurs’ defence in the second leg. Historically, Frankfurt has lost their home leg in each of their last four eliminations from Europe in two-legged ties. Their last escape from a home defeat happened in the first round of the 1993/94 UEFA Cup against Dynamo Moskva.

9 – Tottenham is heading to a continental semi-final for the first time since their run to the Champions League final six years ago. A penalty from Dominic Solanke shortly before half-time proved decisive in securing their spot. They are now just three matches away from redeeming what has been a difficult domestic season. Additionally, Spurs can rejoice in recording a clean sheet in a UEL away match for the first time in nine years, the last being during the 2016/17 season against Qarabag in the group stage.

26 – Lazio came agonisingly close to pulling off a comeback but fell short after forcing extra time. The Biancocelesti even took the lead in the penalty shootout, only to falter at the crucial moment. Despite starting the tie as favourites, their loss meant missing a significant opportunity. Lazio recorded 26 shots during regular time—their highest in a UEL match this season—and ended with a total of 32 attempts on goal, including extra time.

1 – After several years of outstanding European performances, Bodo/Glimt is enjoying their first-ever run to the semi-finals. The Arctic Circle club kept their cool when it mattered, and there’s potential for even more success on the horizon. Their journey has been remarkable, and they can take pride in being the first Norwegian side to reach this stage in a UEFA club competition.

14 – An unbelievable match unfolded in Manchester! Fans were treated to an extraordinary extra time as Manchester United achieved what can only be described as a miracle. For the fourth time in their last five Europa League campaigns, the Red Devils have reached the semi-finals. They are chasing a second UEL trophy and remain unbeaten in Europe this season, a distinction that makes them the only remaining team with such a record. Remarkably, this is the first time in 14 years that United has gone 12 games unbeaten in a single European campaign. Interestingly, the last two occasions they accomplished this feat (in 2008/09 and 2010/11), they ended up losing to Barcelona in the UCL final.

33 – Lyon’s late collapse was nothing short of shocking. Despite leading by two goals while down to ten men, the French side couldn’t hold on for a penalty shootout. This result will be considered devastating for l’OL, who had performed well throughout the Europa League season. Thursday’s match marked the 33rd time the club has scored four or more goals in a continental encounter, and surprisingly, it was the first instance where they failed to win despite achieving such a feat.