Power Ranking the Europa League Semifinalists
Basel’s defeat of Tottenham Hotspur on penalties on Thursday completed the final four of the 2012-13 Europa League.
Earlier in the day, Chelsea lost 3-2 to Rubin Kazan but progressed 5-4 on aggregate while Fenerbahce dispatched Lazio 3-1 over two legs and Benfica drew 1-1 at St. James’ Park to send Newcastle out of the competition on a 4-2 scoreline.
(Lazio’s loss means Portugal could surpass Italy on the UEFA coefficient list this spring, but that’s another column for another time.)
Two of the remaining sides have previous European silverware to their names (Chelsea and Benfica) while two have yet to lift a trophy at continental level (Basel and Fenerbahce).
The group of them will be drawn into a pair of two-legged ties during Friday’s semifinal draw in Nyon Switzerland (6:00 a.m. ET; 11:00 a.m. GMT) and the winners of those semifinals will go head to head in Amsterdam on May 15.
But which of the quartet should be happiest with the field of opposition? And which should be the most intimidated?
Following is a Power Ranking of this season’s Europa League semifinalists, from fourth to first.
4. Fenerbahce
1 of 4The 18-time Turkish champions dispatched Lazio, Viktoria Plzen and BATE Borisov from the knockout stages after topping a group that included Borussia Monchengladbach, Marseille and AEL Limassol.
They are presently second in the Super Lig—just four points adrift of Galatasaray—and earned a 1-1 draw against Lazio on Thursday to seal their semifinal berth.
Recent form: Fenerbahce have won each of their last four Super Lig matches and have taken 21 of the last 24 points available to them.
Top Europa League scorer: Dirk Kuyt (6)
Top Europa League passer: Mehmet Topal (83.1 percent)
3. Basel
2 of 4They made hard work of their quarterfinal tie with Tottenham Hotspur, but had they lost in the shoot-out, it would have been harsh on them—they were easily the better of the two sides over the 210 minutes.
Currently one point above second-place Grasshopper in the Swiss league, Basel are looking to win a fourth successive domestic title and 16th overall. But they’ll lose club icon Alexander Frei for the run-in as the former Swiss international will retire from football after this weekend’s match against Zurich.
Recent form: Basel haven’t lost in the league since Nov. 24—a run of nine matches—and have lost just twice in their last 19 outings.
Top Europa League scorer: Marco Streller (4)
Top Europa League passer: Fabian Schar (81.4 percent)
2. Chelsea
3 of 4Chelsea have had their stutters of late but have yet to look all that uncomfortable in the Europa League. Manager Rafael Benitez has typically fielded weakened sides in the competition—prioritizing Premier League position and the FA Cup—but will likely go for it from here on in.
And he’ll need to. Because after facing Sparta Prague, Steaua Bucharest and Rubin Kazan so far during the knockout stages, Chelsea will be assigned a much more difficult opponent on Friday.
Recent form: Chelsea have wobbled in the Premier League this calendar year, winning only six of the 12 matches they’ve played in 2013. They’ve also failed to score more than twice in all but one of their last 10 EPL matches.
Top Europa League scorer: Fernando Torres (4)
Top Europa League passer: John Terry (86.1 percent)
1. Benfica
4 of 4Portugal’s most decorated club is having a season to remember. They’ve lost just three matches in all competitions—to Barcelona and Spartak Moscow in the Champions League group stage and to Braga (on penalties) in the league cup.
Their 1-1 draw at Newcastle was the first time they hadn’t won in the Europa League knockout stages after earning five successive wins against Bayer Leverkusen, Bordeaux and the Magpies.
Recent form: Benfica have dropped just four points in the league all season and have yet to lose a match. They’re currently on a seven-game winning streak in which they’ve outscored their opponents a combined 22-1.
Top Europa League scorer: Oscar Cardozo (4)
Top Europa League passer: Ezequiel Garay (83.2 percent)
(Passing statistics courtesy WhoScored.com)
