As the Europa League enters the knock-out stages next month, it remains to be seen who will emerge from the pack to go all the way and win the prestigious tournament. The inclusion of teams who finished third in their Champions League group has added extra spice and quality to an already star-studded line-up that could produce high quality football matches. From Tottenham Hotspur playing Fiorentina to Wolfsburg facing Sporting Lisbon, there are already some mouth-watering ties to look forward to, with the two-legged system introducing away goals which could be so crucial in the later rounds. Although Roma may be considered obvious favourites for the Europa League success due to the wealth of world class talent manager Rudi Garcia has at his disposal, tournament football often has a nasty habit of producing the unpredictable which gives the remaining 31 teams more than a chance to lift the trophy at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland.
Morgan De Sanctis: Roma may be left licking their wounds after an agonising exit from the Champions League in which they had control of their own destiny, but let their hold on second place slip to allow Manchester City to go above them on the final game of the group stages. They continue to enjoy another excellent season in Serie A, with Garcia’s side in close pursuit of Juventus in second place, but the Europa League will provide a wonderful opportunity for Roma to win silverware. While the likes of Radja Nainggolan, Kostas Manolas and Adem Ljajic have been superb, goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis is head and shoulders above his team-mates in fantasy league points. 10 clean sheets in 16 Serie A appearances may owe an element of credit to a strong defensive unit, but De Sanctis has stood up strong when called upon to save his team and, despite his advancing years, has shown he has a few more years left in the tank. He will need to be on his guard against Feyenoord who have the quality to cause problems, although Roma are strongly fancied to get past their Eredivise counterparts and progress to the last 16.
Harry Kane: Wonderful performances in the Europa League group stages have seen Harry Kane emerge as one of the best young strikers in Europe. The 21-year-old is undoubtedly enjoying the best form of his career, with his purple patch in front of goal extending to the Premier League where he has scored 6 goals in as many games for Tottenham. He represents excellent value for money for any fantasy league manager at just 2.5 million, and although Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli have scored more points this season, Kane is showing the sort of clinical finishing that may be integral towards Tottenham’s push for fourth place in the Premier League. More importantly, Kane and his team-mates will have to at their very best to get past Serie A Fiorentina in what promises to be an intriguing tie between two of the strongest teams remaining in the Europa League.
Ricardo Rodriguez: Although Xherdan Shaqiri took many of the plaudits for Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup, Ricardo Rodriguez also made a big impression as one of the best young left-backs in Europe. The 21-year-old Wolfsburg star has become an integral part of Dieter Hecking’s plans for the Bundesliga side, with his side performing wonderfully in the league and in the Europa League. Rodriguez has not only shone superb defensive qualities over the last two years, but has also shown a wonderful ability to get forward and contribute in the goals department; a brace in the 3-0 victory against Lille in the final group game took his Europa League tally to 3, while he has the same number of goals to his name in 12 Bundesliga appearances. It is unsurprising that Rodriguez is top of the fantasy league points for Wolfsburg, and at 5 million represents superb value for money.
