When pitted against the UEFA Champions League, Europa League nights may not stand out in popularity, but as the competition has grown, fans have been treated to many thrilling matches in the knockout rounds.

As much as a major upset can elevate the tournament's greatness, fans are always eager to see teams - especially underdogs - showing a resolve to push through their limits and script memories worth remembering at the mention of the Europa League's round of 16 schedules. We look back at three landmark clashes that blew away all expectations.

Werder Bremen vs Valencia (2009/10)

The rechristened Europa League, formerly known as UEFA Cup, began on a promising note as its round of 16 saw as many as three ties go to the wire. And, at the top of the lot is the second leg meeting with Werder Bremen and Valencia.

At the Mestalla, the first leg meeting saw a 10-man Valencia secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw, with Juan Mata's 57th-minute strike canceling out Torsten Frings' penalty in the first half. With 11 shots on target, Los Murciélagos ensured they could stand up to the pressure from Die Werderaner and put up a fight in the reverse fixture at the Weserstadion.

Little did anyone know that the second-leg would become the first high-scoring fixture in the Europa League's round of 16. David Villa and Mata gave Valencia a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes, and Hugo Almeida drew one back in the 27th minute. Villa's 45th-minute strike took Valencia to a 4-2 lead in the aggregate, before a rapid-fire second half ensued.

The Spanish striker completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute, but his joy was short-lived as goals from Torsten Frings, and Marko Marin brought Bremen back into the tie, before Claudio Pizarro's 84th-minute goal propelled the German side to secure a 4-4. However, by away goals, Valencia moved onto the quarter-finals.

Fulham vs Juventus (2009/10)

In a David vs Goliath story, Roy Hodgson's Fulham overturned their 1-3 deficit from the first leg fixture in Turin to outmuscle an Alessandro del Piero-led Juventus with a 4-1 win at the Craven Cottage.

Goals from Nicola Legrottaglie, Jonathan Zebina, and Samir Salihamidžić made it virtually impossible for the Cottagers to prolong their ambitious run in Europe, but as they say, never say never again.

French striker David Trezeguet gave Juventus an early breakthrough in the second minute to silence the home audience in West London, but a 9th-minute Bobby Zamora goal brought smiles back to the Fulham faithful, igniting hopes of a valiant comeback.

Hungarian attacking midfielder Zoltan Gera's twin strikes in the 39th and 49th minute brought the fixture to a 4-4 aggregate, something that left the entire crowd dumbfounded. Chris Dempsey's introduction injected some confidence into the Fulham side and the American's chip shot over Antonio Chimenti not only completed a 5-4 comeback victory for the Cottagers, but also went down as the English club's greatest ever win against a European opponent.

Athletic Club vs Manchester United (2011/12)

The last season of Sir Alex Ferguson was predominantly defined by Manchester United's 13th Premier League title - their 20th English championship trophy. But an unimpressive campaign in Europe perhaps left a stain on what could have been fairytale ending.

Upon climbing down the ladder to the Europa League, onlookers were convinced that the Red Devils would eventually run out as winners of the competition. But Spanish side Athletic Club spoiled the party as they not only won both their round of 16 legs, but also saw the English giants lose back-to-back European home games for the first time since 1996.

The first leg, played at Old Trafford, saw Athletic Bilbao score three past United - the first instance against an English opponent but a Wayne Rooney double gave them hopes of a possible comeback.

Fernando Llorente's glorious volley in the 23rd minute and Óscar De Marcos' 66th-minute strike compiled further misery on Ferguson's United. Rooney's consolation goal in the 80th minute got the aggregate to 5-3 and thus brought down curtains on the Red Devils' error-riden campaign in Europe in the 2011-12 season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Mesut Ozil's sense of belonging at Arsenal has gone from being an erstwhile midfield genius to now an exiled figure seeking a new scenery. The 2014 World Cup winner is currently in talks with Fenerbahce and DC United to end his eight-year stay in England.

Ozil is inarguably one of his generation’s most extraordinary talents, showcasing glimpses of a prodigious left-footed playmaker at Bundesliga clubs Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen in his early beginnings.

Mesut Ozil’s second season at Bremen served as the first checkpoint of greatness in the Gelsenkirchen-born playmaker’s career. He chalked up 14 assists, led Die Werderaner to the 2009 UEFA Cup and DFB Pokal finals while scoring the latter fixture’s winning goal.

The more significant call in Ozil's early career came in 2010 when Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid brought him on board in a £16.6m deal and a six-year contract. Upon noticing his performances in Germany's run to the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Portuguese manager ironed out that the then-21-year-old was someone who 'fit his system perfectly.'

The 'Real' breakthrough

Mesut Ozil's three-season spell at Real Madrid was a stepping stone to success, as he registered a splendid 54 assists in 105 career appearances for Los Blancos.

Ozil finished in the top two in La Liga for assists in each of his three Real Madrid seasons, with 19 assists in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns before bagging 16 in the 2012-13 season.

However, Carlo Ancelotti's arrival in the hot seat spelled an end to his Galactico career, and Ozil, with three titles in his time in Madrid, sent shockwaves to the sporting world with a record £42.4m move to Arsenal on deadline day of the 2013 transfer window.

Ozil's bumpy ride with Arsenal and Germany

Mesut Ozil's arrival at Arsenal drove football fans' excitement to the brim in the Premier League and set an illusionary benchmark for the German playmaker to skyrocket to fame.

The Gunners finished fourth in Ozil's debut campaign, with the German tallying five goals and 10 assists. The year 2014 is unique from his international career point of view. His two assists propelled Germany to a landmark 7-1 win over Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals and then lifting football's holy grail at the Maracana.

However, the former Real Madrid playmaker's impact was relatively flat in the 2014-15 season as he couldn't transfigure his form from the World Cup-winning campaign.

100 �?Since his move to Real Madrid for the beginning of the 2010-11 season, @MesutOzil1088 is one of only five players within Europe’s top five leagues to record at least 100 league assists (47 for Real Madrid, 54 for @Arsenal). Longing. pic.twitter.com/kSdmCUPXgD

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 15, 2020

The 2015-16 campaign is, by far, Mesut Ozil’s best-ever in the Premier League. The playmaker registered 19 assists, including a record streak of assists in seven consecutive matches. Ozil finished with the most assists in the 2015-16 season and became the first footballer to register most assists in a single campaign in England, Spain (2011-12), and Germany (2009-10).

Since notching ten league assists in the 2016-17 Premier League campaign, Ozil’s output levels saw a drop, and thus, the tale of his eventual downfall from grace began.

10 - Mesut Ozil is the first player to assist 10+ goals in his first 11 appearances of a PL season. Form. @MesutOzilStats

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 8, 2015

2018 - Where all troubles began 

Mesut Ozil hit a new low in 2018, as Arsene Wenger’s departure significantly impacted his performance under new head coach Unai Emery. The club awarded him a three-year contract to tie him down until the summer of 2021, and this news didn’t sit well with the club faithful mainly down to the fact that his wages rose significantly to £350,000. The German, till date, remains the highest earner at Arsenal despite not being registered in the club’s Premier League squad for the 2020-21 season.

Ozil’s last international assignment was the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he received racist jibes not only for the controversial meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but also for his performances, which led to Germany’s pre-mature exit.

Shortly after, the Arsenal playmaker announced his retirement from the international circuit and accused then DFB President Reinhard Grindel of racism, stating that, “In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose.�?/span>

What led to Mesut Ozil’s downfall?

Mesut Ozil, now in his thirties, is a far cry from the demeanour he portrayed between 2009 and 2017. A change in management and the rise of new talents have left little room for the 32-year-old to feature in the playing XI.

The biggest shocker came when Arsenal decided to drop Ozil from their Premier League squad, and the former Germany superstar took to social media to express his disappointment.

〽️⚽️ #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa pic.twitter.com/hF7abGklOT

�?Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 21, 2020

Coming to Arsenal after being an understudy to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s philosophy is a drastic contrast from that of Wenger. And his demand for relentless pressing in the opponents�?half, which has been a quintessential aspect of modern football, is understandable.

Ozil is no more an elite footballer like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who would continue to get selected based solely on their uniqueness and not work-rate. Arsenal’s necessity to get results without much financial backing is also a big reason for Arsenal’s style of football.

Arsenal no longer have the likes of Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky. Their understanding of spaces, off the ball work-rate, and silky footwork in the midfield allowed Ozil to wander in the final third with the sole job of creating chances.

Arteta’s Arsenal put equal stress on every player back-tracking once they lose the ball - something an ageing Ozil cannot execute day in and day out. Then there are non-footballing reasons as well.

Amid reports that it was due to pay cut issues that Mesut Ozil was dropped from Arsenal’s Premier League roster in August, current head coach Mikel Arteta asserted that Ozil’s omission is solely down to ‘footballing reasons.�?/span>

While Ozil is approaching the end of his journey in English football, one can merely fathom how a player, who has tallied 132 assists in 390 league games, has fallen from grace at a speed that is highly uncounted. The German has not stepped onto the football pitch in 308 days and is one of the last few natural No.10s to still be active in the game.

Most league assists in Europe's top five divisions since 2006-07:

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�?Mesut Özil

Pure silk. pic.twitter.com/B6SAqPflZl

�?Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 15, 2020

Premier League and Arsenal will both lose a once-in-a-lifetime genius when Ozil leaves North London, for as Arsene Wenger had once rightly said, �?.. If you love to watch football, you love to watch Ozil.�?/span>

Werder Bremen's fight against relegation from the Bundesliga faltered on Wednesday after a 3-0 home defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt that leaves them mired in the drop zone.

Bremen have spent more seasons in the league than any other club, but with six matches left they are second-from-bottom, three points from safety and facing the prospect of dropping down a division after a resounding loss to Eintracht.

Andre Silva got the ball rolling for the away side in the 61st minute before two late goals from super-sub Stefan Ilsanker pushed them up to 11th place.

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The first half was keenly contested and Bremen thought they were going to be given a penalty for handball nine minutes before the break, but after a long VAR review the hosts' midfielder Davy Klaassen was ruled as being offside in the build-up.

It was Frankfurt's turn to be disappointed by VAR just before the hour mark when Dominik Kohr's close-range finish was ruled out for a tight offside, but they had their opener seconds later.

Filip Kostic collected the ball on the left before whipping a perfect cross for Silva, who neatly guided his header past Jiri Pavlenka.

Read | 'Like a school team': Nagelsmann slams ten-man Leipzig after Hertha draw

Ilsanker sealed the three points with nine minutes left when he tapped home fellow substitute Bas Dost's flick-on from a corner with his first touch of the ball.

The Austrian then capped a fine team performance by heading home a free-kick from Jonathan de Guzman -- who had come on for Mijat Gacinovic just seconds before -- in the final minute.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Stuart Franklin

Bayern Munich opened a 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 5-0 drubbing of relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf behind closed doors with the league's top-scorer Robert Lewandowski scoring twice.

Duesseldorf defender Mathias Joergensen scored an early own goal before Benjamin Pavard, Lewandowski (2) and Alphonso Davies hit the target.

With five games left, Bayern, who have won their last eight league games, are comfortably on course for an eighth straight league title. However, second-placed Borussia Dortmund could trim their lead on Sunday at bottom side Paderborn.

Several records fell as Lewandowski now has 43 goals in all competitions, a season's best for the Poland striker with games in hand. Also, head coach Hansi Flick claimed his 22nd win in his first 25 games, bettering the start made by Pep Guardiola when he took charge in 2013.

"Statistics and records don't interest me, what's important is to have a successful season," said Flick, in his first season since replacing Niko Kovac in November.

"At Bayern Munich, you are expected to win. I am very happy, we were very aggressive and didn't give them any chances."

Lewandowski, who had never previously scored in six games against Duesseldorf, made amends with goals either side of half-time.

Fortuna, who were unbeaten in their three games since the league resumed after a two-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus, were humbled at the Allianz Arena where they last poached a 3-3 draw in November 2018. They fell behind on 15 minutes when Joergensen turned the ball into his own net after Pavard mishit his shot.

Right-back Pavard then grabbed the second with a powerful header on 29 minutes before Lewandowski made it 3-0 just before the break after being presented with a tap-in by Thomas Mueller.

Duesseldorf were floored with two goals in as many minutes as Lewandowski profited again with another poacher's goal after Serge Gnabry's good work. Davies then scored the game's best goal.

After some high pressing, the Canadian teen won the ball in the Duesseldorf area, barged past a succession of defenders and fired home to make it 5-0 on 52 minutes.

US death protest

Werder Bremen boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win at Schalke, who are winless in 11 games and continue to plummet.

Midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt scored a first-half winner.

"This is a very, very important away win," said Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt.

"We have taken seven points from the last three games, but if you look at the table, we are still behind."

Bremen have spent more seasons in the Bundesliga than any other club, but currently sit second from bottom. However, Saturday's victory leaves them just three points from guaranteed safety with six games left.

They are two points behind Duesseldorf in 16th, which carries a relegation play-off at the end of the season. Werder could climb out of the relegation places for the first time since December on Wednesday if they beat Eintracht Frankfurt at home.

Bittencourt hit a stunning strike from just outside the box which beat Schalke's Bayern-bound goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel on 32 minutes.

Schalke succumbed to their fourth straight defeat, piling pressure on head coach David Wagner. 

In the same game, Schalke's American midfielder Weston McKennie wore a 'Justice for George' armband as part of the growing protests over the death of an unarmed black man during a police arrest in the United States.

@s04_en midfielder Weston McKennie @WMckennie wears an arm band in support of the late #GeorgeFloyd during a #Bundesliga match against @werderbremen_en #BundesligaIsBack #MinnesotaProtests #USMNT pic.twitter.com/EAB6OVXVSQ

�?Sulaiman Folarin (@sulaiman4real) May 30, 2020

"To be able to use my platform to bring attention to a problem that has been going on too long feels good!!!," tweeted 21-year-old McKennie.

"We have to stand up for what we believe in and I believe that it is time that we are heard."

George Floyd died in Minneapolis in an arrest by a police officer who pinned him to the ground for several minutes by kneeling on his neck. 

Hertha on the rise

Hertha remain unbeaten with three wins and a draw since Bruno Labbadia took charge during the lockdown after their 2-0 win at home to Augsburg thanks for goals by Javairo Dilrosun and Krzysztof Piatek.

Having routed Leverkusen 4-1 away on Tuesday, Wolfsburg crashed to a 2-1 defeat at home to 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt.

Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada scored the winner 10 minutes from time while Frankfurt had replacement midfielder Lucas Torro sent off in the dying stages for a second yellow card.

Frankfurt took the lead when striker Andre Silva converted a penalty on 27 minutes, but Wolfsburg equalised when right-back Kevin Mbabu headed home on 58 minutes.

Hoffenheim are seventh after their 1-0 win at Mainz thanks to Ihlas Bebou who darted into the area, swept past two defenders, and fired home on 43 minutes.

On Friday, Leverkusen went third when Germany midfielder Kai Havertz became the first player in Bundesliga history to score 35 goals before his 21st birthday to seal a 1-0 win at Freiburg.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christof Stache

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich resisted a second-half fightback by Eintracht Frankfurt to claim a 5-2 win behind closed doors ahead of Tuesday's top-of-the-table clash at Dortmund.

Bayern cruised into a 3-0 lead with goals by Leon Goretzka, the league's top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller at the Allianz Arena before Frankfurt rattled the hosts.

"We clearly need to talk about that, that's not on," said Bayern midfielder Goretzka.

"We'll be at 100 percent when we play there," he added, looking ahead to the Dortmund trip.

Frankfurt defender Martin Hinteregger bagged two quick goals from successive corners, volleying home and then heading in to make it 3-2 on 55 minutes.

Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies settled Bayern's nerves by reclaiming a ball he lost in the area to fire home the hosts' fourth goal with an hour gone.

Hinteregger then claimed an unwanted hat-trick when he turned a Serge Gnabry shot into his own net to make it 5-2 on 74 minutes. 

"That was the most beautiful - and hopefully the last - own-goal of my career," said a sheepish Hinteregger.

Read | Neuer signs new Bayern deal until 2023

"The two goals breathed new life into us, but this shows the class of Bayern - they just shifted gears again."

The win re-establishes Bayern's four-point lead before travelling to second-placed Dortmund.

"We have set ourselves the goal of three victories this week," said Mueller, with Bayern also at home to strugglers Duesseldorf next weekend.

This was the second weekend of the Bundesliga's restart, following a two-month hiatus, as the first top European league to resume during the pandemic.

A minute's silence was held before the day's five matches to remember the victims of the global pandemic, which has so far claimed over 8,200 lives in Germany.

Dortmund win away

Dortmund claimed a 2-0 win at Wolfsburg with goals by Raphael Guerreiro and Achraf Hakimi.

Dortmund winger Guerreiro opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when he tapped home a cross.

The visitors had a let-off early in the second half when Wolfsburg winger Renato Steffen clipped the crossbar.

England winger Jadon Sancho helped secure the win when he dribbled at the Wolfsburg defence and laid a pass off to Hakimi, who fired home 12 minutes from time.

Read | Five things we learned from the Bundesliga comeback

Wolfsburg had replacement Felix Klaus sent off for fouling Hakimi.

"We showed right after the start of the match that we wanted to win," said Dortmund coach Lucien Favre.

Cut it out!

Bayer Leverkusen built on Monday's drubbing of Werder Bremen by moving up to third place with a 3-1 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach, who dropped to fourth.

With the stands at Borussia Park filled by 13,000 cardboard cut-outs of home fans, Leverkusen's rising star Kai Havertz, who scored twice in the 4-1 rout of Bremen, again netted a brace.

With seven minutes gone, Havertz, 20, darted onto Karim Bellarabi's pass into the area and fired home.

French forward Marcus Thuram levelled for Gladbach just after the break.

Havertz netted a penalty soon after when the video assistant referee spotted a foul on Bellarabi in the area.

Defender Sven Bender unwittingly sealed the win when a free-kick struck his shoulder and flew into the net nine minutes from time.

Second-from-bottom Werder Bremen claimed their first victory in eight league games with a 1-0 win at Freiburg.

Midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt hit the winner in the 19th minute with a long-range shot.

In the dying stages, Bremen had defender Philipp Bargfrede sent off for a second yellow card and Freiburg had a goal ruled offside.

The result leaves Bremen two points from 16th - which carries a relegation play-off at the end of the season -- but six points from 15th, which guarantees safety.

Bottom side Paderborn are now nine points from safety with seven games left after their 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim.

On Friday, Hertha Berlin thrashed neighbours Union Berlin 4-0 at the Olympic Stadium in the derby to go 10th.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Andreas Gebert