If there are three favourites left in the Europa League this term, the neutral may be glad to know they have all been kept apart following the quarter-final draw.
The SBOTOP Europa League betting odds make Barcelona favourites, swiftly followed by Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig and Atalanta.
Yet it is two sides which have been paired together who I rate as my second favourites for the competition behind the Catalan giants.
For West Ham and Lyon are my ones to watch.
The Hammers reward for reaching their first European quarter-final since 1981, a thrilling aggregate success over six-time winners Sevilla, is a meeting with Lyon who should not be underestimated either, despite sitting in 10th spot in Ligue 1, 24 points behind the runaway leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.
The Londoners have attacked the competition with relish this term – creating plenty of Europa League highlights along the way – and few would have fancied being drawn against them, particularly once they examine how David Moyes’ men managed to defeat opponents who have been serial winners of the competition.
In fact, it’s fair to say it was probably the first night in East London since the 2016 relocation from Upton Park that West Ham had a true night to savour in their new home.
The air was filled with chants of ‘Irons, Irons’ and ‘West Ham are massive’ long after the final whistle on an evening that joins the greats of West Ham history in club folklore.
Now for Lyon in what will be just the second time the Hammers have faced French opposition in European competition after beating Metz in the 1999 Intertoto Cup final.
Lyon are one of the last two French survivors in European competition after Lille were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16, while AS Monaco were eliminated from the Europa League and Rennes from the Europa Conference League at the same stage.
That may say much about the overall state of the French league but Lyon have pedigree in Europe and should not be underestimated.
North of the border, meanwhile, Glasgow Rangers face familiar opposition in Braga having beaten the Portuguese side 4-2 on aggregate in the last 32 of the Europa League in 2020.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side reached the last eight thanks to a 4-2 aggregate win against Red Star Belgrade of Serbia.
I do not expect either team to win the competition but this is a wonderful opportunity to reach the last four and Rangers will be favourites, especially after they put six past one of the competition’s strongly fancied outfits in the previous round with plenty of energy and passion.
The draw means the two British sides could not meet until the final.
Should West Ham prevail they will likely meet the overall favourites Barcelona if the Catalan giants overcome Eintracht Frankfurt.
It is hard to look beyond new-look Barca who are playing full of confidence and know the final on May 18 will also be in their homeland as Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium plays host.
Manager Xavi has helped them overcome Napoli and then oversaw them come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray in Istanbul when goals from Pedri and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang booked their place.
All this in a season which began with the departure of their greatest player, Lionel Messi, and a perilous financial situation which saw them loan Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid, followed by efforts to offload £135.5 million striker Ousmane Dembele too.
They should have too much for Frankfurt who harboured top-four ambitions of their own in the Bundesliga at the halfway stage in the season when they were only two points off the pace. However, they have since slipped to ninth after claiming 10 points from a possible 27 in 2022
Their opponents this weekend domestically, RB Leipzig, meet Italian outfit Atalanta in the remaining quarter-final tie.
Their own recent standards have slipped but it must be put into context. Atalanta have been punching above their weight for some time and were always going to have a period of plateau but could this be their tournament.
Jeremie Boga, a January signing from Sassuolo, relished his match-winning goal against Bayer Leverkusen and has made an immediate impact at his new club.
With momentum and a full strength squad – Rafael Toloi was stretchered off just nine minutes into that clash and has been ruled out for a month – could they be about to make Europe sit up and take notice once again?
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