5 things to know before Europa League matches

5 things to know before Europa League matches — The second leg of fixtures in the last 32 of the Europa League take place Thursday with the potential for some big names to be knocked out of the competition.

Lazio lost 1-0 at home to Bulgarian side Ludogorets, Tottenham was beaten by the same score away to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Ajax was trounced 3-0 at home by Salzburg.

The ties involving Napoli and Sevilla also delicately balanced.

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Sevilla's Vicente Iborra, left, and teammate Federico Fazio celebrate their goal during the Europa League round of 32, first leg soccer match against Maribor in Maribor, Slovenia, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Filip Horvat)

Jonatan Soriano, left and Alan of FC Salzburg celebrate the first goal by way of a penalty, during the Europa League round of 32 first leg soccer match between Ajax and FC Salzburg at the ArenA stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

ENGLISH TEAMS NEED GOALS

Swansea did well to hold Napoli to a 0-0 draw at home but will need to work even harder to find a way past the Italians' defense at the Sao Paolo.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, of France, celebrates after scoring with teammates Andrea Pirlo, right, and Carlos Tevez, center, during the Europa League, round of 16th, soccer match between Juventus and Trabzonspor at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca)

"In Italy it will be very difficult and I'm sure it will be an intimidating atmosphere," defender Angel Rangel said. "We have to believe in ourselves because what we achieved last week in the first leg was a big achievement."

Despite losing 4-3 to Liverpool on Sunday, scoring three times at Anfield in another impressive display should help to build Swansea's confidence. Tottenham, which lost 1-0 to Norwich, will rely on home advantage to help it overturn the 1-0 deficit against Dnipro.

The winner of that tie could play Benfica, last year's runner-up.

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FOUR ITALIAN TEAMS IN ACTION

Eintracht Frankfurt's Carlos Zambrano, left, challenges FC Porto's Hector Herrera, right, during their Europa League round of 32, first leg soccer match at the Dragao stadium, in Porto, Portugal, Thursday Feb. 20, 2014. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.(AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Aside from Napoli, Italy also has Serie A leader Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina in action on Thursday. Lazio trails Ludogorets by an away goal but Fiorentina and Juventus look more assured.

Fiorentina hit three first-half goals against Esbjerg in Denmark to win 3-1 and take control of that tie. In Turin, Juventus beat Trabzonspor 2-0 but coach Antonio Conte is aware of how tough the away trip to Turkey for the return leg could be.

"We'll need to score as soon as possible because we'll be playing in a heated atmosphere and qualification isn't yet in the bag," Conte said.

Should Juventus and Fiorentina come out of their games victorious, they will meet in the last 16.

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AJAX READY TO RESPOND?

The 3-0 home loss to Salzburg was the shock result of last week's matches, but Ajax responded by thrashing fellow Europa League side AZ Alkmaar 4-0 in the Dutch league at the weekend, with coach Frank de Boer saying "We redeemed ourselves."

The four-time European champion conceded all three goals before halftime in the first leg.

Alkmaar takes on Slovan Liberec, where it has a 1-0 lead and an away goal, thanks to a winner in the 89th minute from Nick Viergever.

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PORTO IN DANGER, BENFICA IN COMMAND

Surrendering a winning position at home is not normally associated with Porto, but it was stunned in the home leg of its tie with Eintracht Frankfurt last week. It led 2-0, but conceded twice in five minutes as Eintracht pulled level. The Portuguese side then lost 1-0 at home to Estoril in the league, its first domestic defeat at the Dragao stadium in five years.

Portuguese league leader Benfica has a 1-0 lead ahead of its home game with PAOK.

"Benfica is an experienced team in these competitions," coach Jorge Jesus said. "We won the first half of this round; now we have to think about the second."

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SPANISH TRIO HAVE TOUGH TIES

Valencia recorded an impressive 2-0 away win against Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 with two goals in the last 11 minutes. It followed that result by beating Granada 2-1 at the Mestalla, and will be favorite to make the last 16, where it will play either Lazio or Ludogorets.

Sevilla drew 2-2 at Slovenian club Maribor but will be hoping that home advantage, along with two away goals, can help it progress.

Real Betis, bottom of La Liga and 10 points from safety, travels to Russia to face Rubin Kazan after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Should Betis and Sevilla both progress, they will meet in an all-Spanish tie in the last 16. ( Associated Press )

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5 things to know about the Italian league

5 things to know about the Italian league - Serie A leader Juventus will look to get over last week's disappointing draw at Hellas Verona when it takes on Chievo Verona on Sunday. Roma — Juventus' only realistic challenger to the title — will also be hoping to recover from a poor week when it welcomes Sampdoria.

Third-placed Napoli visits lowly Sassuolo, needing to win to maintain a healthy advantage over Fiorentina and Inter Milan, which play each other on Saturday.

Here are five things to know about the Italian league this weekend:

ROMA REELING

It has been somewhat of a miserable week for Rudi Garcia and his Roma team.

Roma was dumped out of the Italian Cup on Wednesday after a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Napoli in the second leg of its semifinal.

AS Roma's Francesco Totti leaves at the end of an Italian Cup semifinal return match, between AS Roma and Napoli, at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014. Napoli won 3 - 0 to advance to the final. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)

It was the club's second defeat in all competitions this season and came days after a 0-0 draw at Lazio in the capital derby, which would have seen Roma slip 11 points behind Juventus had the Serie A leader not drawn 2-2 at Hellas Verona.

This weekend sees Roma host Sampdoria, which is clambering its way away from danger after two successive victories.

"We need to be more clinical in attack and also in defense," Garcia said. "The start of the second half was awful; we need to improve. We will do everything to win on Sunday against Sampdoria."

Roma does have a game in hand on Juventus after its match against Parma was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia leaves at the end of an Italian Cup, semifinal return match, between AS Roma and Napoli, at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014. Napoli won 3 - 0 to advance to the final. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)

DISAPPOINTED TEVEZ

After slipping up against Hellas Verona last weekend, Juventus will be hoping not to fall foul of another Verona team on Sunday.

Juventus squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at promoted Verona and missed the chance to extend its Serie A lead to 11 points.

Carlos Tevez scored twice to take his tally to 13 for the season and he will be looking to fire his team to victory against Chievo Verona.

"I'm not happy because I like winning," Tevez said. "I haven't been thinking about my two goals against Verona, just the fact that we weren't able to come away with the three points."

Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain celebrates after scoring during an Italian Cup, semifinal return match, between AS Roma and Napoli, at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)

Juventus has won all 11 of its home league matches this season.

NO LIMITS FOR MAZZARRI

Inter Milan will be hoping it has its season back on track after beating lowly Sassuolo for its first win of 2014.

It faces a much trickier test when it visits Fiorentina on Saturday hoping to reignite its faint Champions League hopes.

Juventus' forward Carlos Tevez, of Argentina scores during a Serie A soccer match against Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

Inter is fifth, just one place behind Fiorentina, but eight points separate the two teams. Third-placed Napoli is 11 points ahead of Inter.

"This Fiorentina is a very dangerous side, especially at its own ground," Inter coach Walter Mazzarri said. "But we are confident we can give a certain continuity to our results.

"There are 45 points at stake; I would like to get most of them. I can't put limits on myself and I would be happy if the team goes into each game with my spirit."

MILAN FOCUSED ON BOLOGNA

Juventus' forward Carlos Tevez, right, of Argentina, is hugged by his teammate Paul Pogba, of France, after he scored during a Serie A soccer match against Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro')

AC Milan coach Clarence Seedorf claims his team isn't thinking about the upcoming Champions League match ahead of its league game against Bologna.

After losing 3-1 at Napoli last weekend, Milan will be hoping to celebrate Saint Valentine's day with a win on Friday against relegation-threatened Bologna.

Spanish leader Atletico Madrid visits Milan for the first leg of its last-16 clash on Wednesday.

"We're clearly only focused on Bologna," Seedorf said. "We haven't given the slightest thought to the Champions League yet.

"Every match helps us improve and the Bologna one could put us in a good state going into the Champions League match."

Inter Milan coach Walter Mazzarri gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Milan is the only Italian team left in the Champions League after both Napoli and Juventus were knocked out of Europe's elite club competition.

GOMEZ RETURN

Fiorentina forward Mario Gomez could return to action on Saturday after nearly five months out with a left knee injury.

The Germany start was an unused substitute in Tuesday's Italian Cup semifinal victory over Udinese but is likely to make a long-awaited reappearance against Inter Milan.

Gomez was Fiorentina's marquee signing when he joined in the summer from Bayern Munich for a reported 20 million euros ($26 million).

He scored twice in his second league match for Fiorentina but was injured on his next Serie A appearance, against Cagliari on Sept. 15.

Gomez, who scored 112 goals in 172 games for Bayern, was initially expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with damaged knee ligaments but complications extended his recovery time.

Fiorentina's other star striker, Giuseppe Rossi, is still out with a long-term knee injury. ( ap.org )

READ MORE - 5 things to know about the Italian league

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri - AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has compared Mario Balotelli to his side's former talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Balotelli joined the Rossoneri in January, and he has since scored seven goals in his first six games for the club, leading Allegri to compare the 22-year-old with the Paris Saint-Germain star.

“He’s similar to Ibrahimovic both physically and technically, but he can get better because he’s playing with continuity here," Allegri said at a press conference. "Balotelli still has to improve a lot as a center forwardgiven his potential, but he has all the right ingredients to do it." 

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

After a disappointing start to the campaign, which included the sale of star players such as Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain, Milan now finds itself third in Serie A, two points adrift of Napoli in second.

Allegri admits he is thrilled by the progress shown by his side, but has warned it cannot afford to rest on its laurels just yet.

“The squad is young and I’m happy with the work that the club has done," Allegri said. “If we get into the Champions League, without having to pre-qualify, it’ll have been a good year. One thing is for sure, if we’re to get where we want to be, we’ll need a lot of points.”

On the topic of his own future, Allegri added that he plans remain with Milan beyond the 2013-14 campaign.

“I’m very happy to be at Milan and hope to stay at this club for the long term. For that to happen we need results so let’s hope the team can give us some satisfaction," Allegri said.

Goal.com

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That's pants! Striker strips off to his undies in celebration after scoring winning goal for Juventus

That's pants! Striker strips off to his undies in celebration after scoring winning goal for Juventus - Mirko Vucinic scored winning penalty to beat Pescara 2-1 in Turin - He was given yellow card for stunt, defying ban on players taking shirts off 

Juventus continued their march towards back-to-back Serie A titles with a 2-1 win over Pescara in Turin.

The Bianconeri were made to wait for their latest success, which moves them 12 points clear of second-placed Napoli, with Mirko Vucinic firing in a 72nd-minute penalty after Giuseppe Rizzo saw red.

Vucinic added the second moments later, whipped off his shorts in celebration and was promptly substituted by boss Antonio Conte ahead of the midweek Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich.

The striker was given a yellow card for his cheeky antics, which were a way of avoiding a ban on players taking their shirts off.

Unique celebration: Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic waves his shorts as he celebrates after scoring against Pescara

Off they come: Vucinic takes his shorts off after scoring and waves them over his head

Spot on: Vucinic scores his penalty 

Juve were made to sweat as Emmanuel Cascione curled in a stunning effort - Pescara's first shot on target - with seven minutes left.

Rolando Bianchi's stoppage-time equaliser grabbed a 2-2 draw for Torino at Bologna. 

Paulo Vitor Barreto sent Torino ahead on 25 minutes but Bologna looked like they had grabbed the game away after the break.

Panagiotis Kone levelled on 65 minutes before substitute Tiberio Guarente seemingly won it with four minutes left. But Bianchi popped up late to share the points.

It's not the first time Vucinic has felt the need to remove his shorts in celebration - he did the same while representing Montenegro against Switzerland in October 2010, completing the look by wearing them on his head.

Nearly there: Juventus' players celebrate winning against Pescara and closing in on the title

Stephen Ireland partially got his kit off to celebrate a 2007 goal for Manchester City, while Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner was fined £80,000 and banned for one game by UEFA for dropping his shorts to reveal a sponsor's name on the waistband of his trunks.

The end of the 2005 season saw at least two emotional players baring their emotions in the same style as Vucinic. John Arne Riise celebrated Liverpool's Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea by revealing a grey pair of briefs while Newcastle United's Laurent Robert bowed out of St James' Park by removing his strip before waving goodbye to fans.

Not the first time: Vucinic celebrated a goal against Switzerland in October 2010 by whipping off his shorts and wearing them on his head

Stephen Ireland celebrated a 2007 goal for Manchester City by dropping his shorts 

Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner was fined £80,000 and banned for one international game by UEFA after pulling his shorts down during Euro 2012 to reveal a sponsor's logo emblazoned on his boxers

In 2005, John Arne Riise celebrated Liverpool's Champions League win over Chelsea by baring nearly-all, while Laurent Robert said goodbye to the Toon by stripping off his strip at St James' Park at the end of the season //dailymail.co.uk

READ MORE - That's pants! Striker strips off to his undies in celebration after scoring winning goal for Juventus