Spain’s three remaining representatives in the Europa League have all been handed tricky looking assignments in the last 32 of the competition.
Getafe, Sevilla and Espanyol all enjoyed a relatively smooth passage through the opening phase, but things inevitably get much tougher as the tournament progresses.
Sevilla are amongst the favourites in the outright market to win the Europa League and you can check it out here if you fancy wagering on the outcome.
Read on as we take a closer a look at each of the La Liga teams’ upcoming ties and predict who we think will make it through to the next round.
Getafe v Ajax
Getafe drew the most difficult task out of the three Spanish teams as they were paired with Dutch giants Ajax.
The Azulones claimed second spot in Group C behind Basel, losing twice against the Swiss side but winning all their other matches.
They are in with a chance of claiming a top four place in La Liga this season, but could have their work cut out against the Eredivisie leaders.
Ajax have dropped into the competition from the Champions League after narrowly missing out on qualification to the last 16.
The collected 10 points in a group containing Valencia, Chelsea and Lille, and may prove too classy for Getafe over two legs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Espanyol
Espanyol finished top of Group H ahead of Ludogorets, although it was undoubtedly one of the weakest sections in the opening stage.
Their form in La Liga this season has been extremely poor and they find themselves firmly embroiled in a battle against relegation.
However, their confidence will have been boosted by a recent 2-2 draw with Barcelona and they will hope to carry that forward into the Europa League.
Wolves secured second place behind Braga In Group K to qualify for the round of 32 and are one of the more fancied teams left in the competition.
They were unbeaten on the road during the opening phase, but if Espanyol can keep things tight in the first leg, they would be in with a chance of completing the job back on home soil.
CFR Cluj v Sevilla
Sevilla have won the Europa League on five previous occasions and it would be no surprise if they made it six this season.
They won five out of six matches in Group A to progress to the last 32, winning all three home games without conceding a goal.
Sevilla remain in good form in La Liga and are well on course to challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Cluj also won all their home matches on their way to claiming second place in Group E behind Celtic and could prove to be troublesome opponents.
However, Sevilla are fully expected to progress through this tie and should go on to the latter stages of the competition.
Prediction: Sevilla look a banker bet to make it through to the last 16, while Espanyol could join them if they can stay in touch with Wolves in the first leg. Getafe can be expected to put up a good fight against Ajax, but the Dutch side should progress.
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andym
Founder and chief editor of La Liga Blog, Andy fell in love with Spanish football after a university placement year in the Costa Del Sol. His favourite Tapas is Albondigas and on Saturday afternoons, Andy can regularly be found trying to emulate his hero Carles Puyol for his amateur football team.