The full UEFA quarterfinal first-leg board in the Europa League and Conference League delivers eight meaningful knockout matches. Porto hosts Nottingham Forest in the most intriguing Europa League tie, Crystal Palace welcomes Fiorentina for a significant European night, and Bologna takes on Aston Villa in a stylistically fascinating clash.
Betis and Braga open their quarterfinal in a tie that feels balanced enough to reward patience. First legs in this round often begin with caution rather than chaos, and that should be especially true here because neither side wants to give away the structure of the tie in the opening hour.
Freiburg and Celta is one of those pairings where the first leg could be defined by who controls tempo rather than who controls possession. If the match stays organized through the middle third, it should set up as a tactical game rather than a track meet.
This is one of the most interesting ties on the Europa board because it puts a club with deep European experience against an English side that has handled pressure moments well enough to get this far. The first leg should have real edge, and every transition chance is likely to feel oversized.
Bologna against Aston Villa has the feel of the night's most stylistically interesting Europa League tie. Villa has already shown the ability to manage knockout moments, while Bologna gets the first leg at home and should expect a crowd that treats every duel like it matters.
Shakhtar and AZ open a tie between two clubs that are comfortable playing with the ball and comfortable punishing loose defensive spacing. That usually makes the first leg look more watchful than people expect, because both sides understand how dangerous one bad turnover can be.
Crystal Palace gets a significant European night at home against a Fiorentina side that knows this competition well. The tension in a matchup like this is obvious: Palace will want the emotional surge of the crowd to matter, while Fiorentina will try to make the game feel older, calmer, and more procedural.
Rayo and AEK Athens open the earliest quarterfinal kickoff on the UEFA Thursday board, and it should feel direct and intense from the start. First-leg discipline matters here because both clubs will believe the tie is there to be won, which can make the opening half hour tense and tactical.
Mainz and Strasbourg is a tie that could hinge on which team leaves the first leg with better control of the rhythm. Neither side needs to force the match too early, so the opening phase should be about territory, pressure triggers, and avoiding the one soft concession that changes the entire return leg.