Europa League showdown 

©TM/IMAGO

Attention turns towards the Europa League this Thursday as we reach the crucial semi-final stage. Liga Portugal’s Braga face Bundesliga outfit Freiburg in one half of the draw, whilst it is an all-English affair on the other. Nottingham Forest, who are 16th in the Premier League, take on fifth-placed Aston Villa, with the first leg at the City Ground this week. It will be just the seventh occasion that two English teams have faced off in a European semi-final in history – let’s look back at the previous encounters.

Every all English European semi-final

The first ever all-English European semi-final came all the way back in the 1970/71 season, in the now extinct UEFA Cup Winners Cup. The 1970 FA Cup winners Chelsea played 1970 League Cup winners Man City, with the West London wide winning both legs by one goal to nil. Derek Smethurst scored for the Blues in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, before a Ron Healey own goal gave them a 1-0 win at Maine Road. Chelsea would go on to beat Real Madrid in the final on a replay.

The next meeting between two teams residing in England in a European semi-final came in the 1972/73 season, where Tottenham met Liverpool played in the UEFA Cup. The first leg saw the Reds win 1-0 at Anfield thanks to a Alec Lindsay goal, before Spurs won the second leg 2-1 at White Hart Lane with Martin Peters scoring a brace. However, this saw Liverpool progress thanks to the away goal rule. The Merseyside outfit would then go on to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final.

There was then a 32 year gap until two English teams faced once more in a semi-final on the continental stage. In the 2004/05 Champions League, Rafa Benítez’s Liverpool faced José Mourinho’s Chelsea. The first leg was a 0-0 stalemate at the Bridge, before a 1-0 win at Anfield, thanks to a controversial Luis García ‘ghost goal’, sent the Reds through to the final in Istanbul. Football fans of that era won’t need reminding what happened in the final in Turkey that season…

Two seasons later, and Liverpool would meet Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final once more, but there was no time for revenge for the Blues. The west London outfit won the first leg 1-0 thanks to Joe Cole’s goal, but a Daniel Agger goal at Anfield cancelled that out, before Benítez’s team won 4-1 on penalties in front of the Kop. They would however, lose the final to AC Milan this time around.

Astonishingly, Liverpool met Chelsea once again in the Champions League semi-final a season later! This time, Chelsea would finally progress. The first leg finished 1-1 at Anfield, with Dirk Kuyt on the scoresheet cancelled out by a John Arne Riise own goal, before the Blues won 3-2, after extra-time, at Stamford Bridge a week later, thanks to a Didier Drogba brace and a Frank Lampard strike. Avram Grant’s team would lose the final to Manchester United on penalties.

The final previous semi-final encounter between two English sides came in the 2008/09 season when Man United wiped the floor with Arsenal. The first leg finished 1-0 to the Red Devils at Old Trafford, before a dominant 3-1 win at the Emirates for the away side, helped by a Cristiano Ronaldo brace, saw the Manchester outfit progress. However, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team would lose the final to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona.