UEFA Europa League 2020/21: Semi-final second legs – tactical analysis

The second leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinals will be played on Thursday night. The first leg matches did not disappoint, as we were treated to two hugely entertaining ties. Manchester United fans had a night to remember as the Red Devils thrashed AS Roma 6-2 at home to virtually book their place in the final. However, Arsenal are far from comfortable, as they lost 2-1 away to Villarreal, with only the away goal providing them with some hope ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.

This analysis will try and predict the potential lineups for each side, and also have a short tactical analysis on the Arsenal-Villarreal game, as the result of that tie is still in the balance, as opposed to the other semi-final.

Arsenal  Villarreal

Unai Emery managed to win against his former team at home, but Arsenal managed to nab an away goal through Nicolas Pepes penalty, which gives them a solid chance of overturning the first leg result. Both sides won their matches in their respective leagues over the weekend, and this should make for a fascinating encounter at the Emirates.

The biggest boost for Arsenal is that their captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be fit to start, having recovered from a bout of malaria. Aubameyang started at the weekend against Newcastle United, amid a heavily-rotated side from Mikel Arteta, and scored a good volleyed goal, which should be a boost to his confidence as well.