There is one more matchday left before the Final 16 is set here in the Europa League, and this will be a big day for several clubs out there.
Top spots remain up for grabs in Group C, D, E, G, H, and J so we can expect fireworks and drama to spill all over this upcoming weekend.
The matchup between Bayer Leverkusen and Slavia Praha is one of the most anticipated fixtures, while Real Sociedad and Leicester City need one more victory to win in their group.
Tottenham, AC Milan, and Benfica are also backed by the Europa League 2020 odds to sit on top, as they are expected to win too in their own set of matches.
Here at SBOTOP, we keep you posted with today’s set of Europa League 2020 updates.
Bayer Leverkusen fight for bragging rights
At the start of the tournament, many picked Bayer Leverkusen to be on top of Group C, but Slavia Praha have proven themselves that they are in it to win it.
After losing to Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the first game, the Czech side went on to win four straight, which sets up this big match on Friday night.
They were able to defeat a 10-man Bayer Leverkusen squad last October and they are optimistic that they can do it again given that they are unbeaten in eight straight games in all competitions.
However, it will be much easier said than done as Bayer Leverkusen are on a win streak themselves too.
Since losing to Slavia Praha earlier, Die Werkself won in seven of their last eight and they are coming off of a victory over Schalke in the last time out.
With their latest win, Peter Bosz’s men have moved up to second place in the Bundesliga standings as they leapfrogged Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
Both of these teams are running hot in form. However, a vengeful Bayer Leverkusen side is widely expected to win in this contest.
Leicester City to rely on Jamie Vardy’s heroics once more
Meanwhile in Group G, Leicester City are hopeful to snap out of their funk as they take on AEK Athens this Friday.
The Foxes are level with Portuguese side Braga with 10 points apiece, so pride is on the line for this weekend’s match.
In the last time that they met, Leicester City and Braga were featured in a six-goal thriller as both shared the spoils.
It was a back-and-forth match between these two sides, and Braga almost came away with a victory if it weren’t for Jamie Vardy’s final goal in added time.
The 33-year-old striker is still the alpha dog for the Foxes and he will be a marked man for Braga’s backline again.
Fresh from winning the Golden Boot award last term, Vardy is on pace to win it for the second consecutive time as he leads his team with 11 goals and two assists as of this writing.
He bailed out his team once again with a late goal against Sheffield United last week to arrest their two-game skid in the Premier League.
Braga, on the other hand, are coming off of a 2-1 defeat against Belenenses in the Primeira Liga as they were reduced to 10 men in the 62nd minute.
Real Sociedad miss David Silva badly
Real Sociedad would need to fix their act quickly if they are to advance in the Europa League Final 16.
Imanol Alguacil’s men are currently level with AZ Alkmaar in Group F as they both have eight points apiece.
La Real have yet to win since mid-November and the team looks lost without the presence of their talismanic playmaker in David Silva.
The former Manchester City star remains rested due to a nagging hamstring injury, so goals were hard to come by in the last few weeks.
Although they have yet to win or lose in that span, it is clear that they have been lacklustre and their struggles were exhibited fully during their recent 0-0 draw against Deportivo Alaves.
Despite Alaves being reduced to 10 men, Real Sociedad failed to put away the hosts as they were unable to crack their backline.
Real Sociedad are hopeful to see the return of David Silva soon. However, only time will tell if he will be 100-per cent fit in the next few days.
A daunting challenge awaits them in the Europa League as they will clash with Napoli, who are coming off of back-to-back 4-0 victories against AS Roma and Crotone in Serie A.
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