UEFA Europa League: meet the teams

Quarter-final line-up
Ajax (NED)
Arsenal (ENG)
Granada (ESP)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Manchester United (ENG)
Roma (ITA)
Slavia Praha (CZE)
Villarreal (ESP)

Ajax (NED)
UEFA ranking: 18
Transferring from UEFA Champions League, 4-2 LOSC (R32), 5-0 Young Boys (R16)
Last season: round of 32 (L vs Getafe)
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: winners (1992)

Key player: Dušan Tadić
The skipper still sets the rhythm to which this Ajax team swings. Goals, assists, positioning, coaching – he’s got the lot.

Arsenal (ENG)
UEFA ranking: 11
Group B winners, 4-3 Benfica (R32), 3-2 Olympiacos (R16)
Last season: round of 32 (L vs Olympiacos)
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: runners-up (2000, 2019)

Key player: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Bukayo Saka runs him close, but Aubameyang remains Arsenal’s captain, talisman and the player most likely to score the goals they need to offset ongoing issues at the back.

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
UEFA ranking: 35
Group K winners, 4-2 Krasnodar (R32), 3-2 Tottenham (aet, R16)
Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: round of 16 (1998, 2019)

Key player: Bruno Petković
A man who has brought a new dimension to the Croatian national team recently. When he is on top form, he looks unstoppable. Tall, strong, but still incredibly skilful, he can dribble, run, provide assists and score. A joy to watch.

Granada (ESP)
UEFA ranking: 75
Group E runners-up, 3-2 Napoli (R32), 3-2 Molde (R16)
Last season: N/A
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: round of 16 (2021)

Key player: Kenedy
He might only be on loan, but Kenedy looks to have found a home in the south of Spain. A key member of the side, he provides a real danger when cutting in from the right on to his left foot.

Manchester United (ENG)
UEFA ranking: 8
Transferring from UEFA Champions League, 4-0 Real Sociedad (R32), 2-1 AC Milan (R16)
Last season: semi-finals (L vs Sevilla)
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: winners (2017)

Key player: Bruno Fernandes
With 23 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season, Bruno Fernandes remains the beating heart of this Red Devils side.

Roma (ITA)
UEFA ranking: 16
Group A winners, 5-1 Braga (R32), 5-1 Shakhtar (R16)
Last season: round of 16 (L vs Sevilla)
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: runners-up (1991)

Key player: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian gives Roma creativity, energy, goals and assists. Not to mention his European experience (he scored in Manchester United’s 2017 final win), which is certainly an added value for a team like the Giallorossi.

Highlights: Slavia Praha 1-1 Rangers (2 mins)
Slavia Praha (CZE)
UEFA ranking: 39
Group C runners-up, 2-0 Leicester (R32), 3-1 Rangers (R16)
Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: semi-finals (1996)

Key player: Lukáš Provod
The engine room of the Slavia midfield, Provod has been in great form this season and scored the crucial goal against Leicester in the last 32.

Villarreal (ESP)
UEFA ranking: 27
Group I winners, 4-1 Salzburg (R32), 4-0 Dynamo Kyiv (R16)
Last season: N/A
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League best: semi-finals (2004, 2011, 2016)

Key player: Gerard Moreno
Spain international Moreno is a real nuisance for defenders and his eye for goal makes him a player everyone should be wary of.