Europa League 2020-21: Key details of the four semi-finalists
What's the story
The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Villarreal, and AS Roma have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League 2020-21 season. 2016-17 winners Man United will face Italian giants Roma in the semis. Meanwhile, Arsenal will face Villarreal managed by former boss Unai Emery. All four teams will believe they have a chance to make things count. We present the details.
United
Manchester United: Can the Premier League side break semi-final jinx?
Man United overcame Granada 4-0 on aggregate to reach the semis. United have booked a semis spot for the second successive season. This is their fifth semi-final spot in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. United were demoted to the UEL after crashing out of the Champions League. They beat Real Sociedad and AC Milan in the previous two knockout rounds.
Roma
AS Roma: Can the Italian side taste success?
AS Roma overcame Ajax 3-2 on aggregate to book a semis spot. If Roma prevail against United, it would be their second final appearance in the UEL after 1991. The Serie A outfit collected 13 points in Group A. They beat Braga (5-1) and Shakhtar (5-1) on aggregate before a win against Ajax. Roma will hope to stop United from making inroads.
Arsenal
Arsenal: Premier League side aiming to shine under Arteta
Arsenal overcame Slavia Prague 5-1 on aggregate to book a semis spot. The Gunners have got to the last four in three of their four Europa League campaigns. The two-time UEL finalists topped Group B, collecting 18 points. Arsenal had beaten Benfica (4-3) and Olympiacos (3-2) in the previous two knockout rounds. They will be aiming to qualify for a third UEL final.
Villarreal
Villarreal: Unai Emery hoping to get the work done
Villarreal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 on aggregate to reach the semis. Villarreal boss Unai Emery has won the competition thrice with Sevilla earlier and also reached the final with Arsenal in 2018-19. They topped Group I with 16 points before beating Red Bull Salzburg (4-1) and Dynamo Kyiv (4-0) on aggregate in the knockout stages. Emery will hope to get the job done.
Semis
Fixtures, timings and TV listing
First legs: Manchester United vs Roma (Friday, April 30) Villarreal vs Arsenal (Friday, April 30) Second legs: Roma vs Man United (Friday, May 7) Arsenal vs Villarreal (Friday, May 7) The matches will start at 12:30 AM IST. One can watch the matches live on the Sony Ten Network and can stream the same on Sony LIV app (paid subscription).