UEFA Conference League quarter-finals: What to look out for in the first legs

Legia Warszawa, Real Betis, Celje and Djurgården are looking to make home advantage count as the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals get under way.

UEFA.com previews all the action ahead of the first legs on Thursday 10 April.

Legia Warszawa vs Chelsea (18:45 CET)

An exhausting round of 16 success against Norwegian side Molde set Gonçalo Feio's Legia up for a first European quarter-final since the 1990/91 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and a meeting with Conference League favourites Chelsea. Defender Paweł Wszołek is excited. "I am glad that we have got Chelsea," said the 33-year-old. "I have been fascinated by the Premier League since I was a child. We are not in a hopeless position, especially in the home match."

Legia have been decent in Warsaw in Europe this season (W5 D1 L1), but – coming into their first competitive game in Poland – Enzo Maresca's Chelsea have won their last eight Conference League games home and away. Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall said: "We respect every team, but we know what quality and mentality we have in the squad. We have three stages to go to lift the silverware, and now we're just focused on the quarter-finals and taking it game by game, and then I’m confident we can go all the way."

Did you know: This is Legia's 15th European game of the season, making this their longest UEFA club competition campaign.

Real Betis vs Jagiellonia (21:00 CET)

With Cédric Bakambu and Isco both in fine form, Real Betis look like favourites on paper against one of two Polish sides who have made it to the quarter-finals. However, coach Manuel Pellegrini was eager to remind his side not to pay too much attention to the latter stages of the tournament. "You can't be thinking about the final when the quarter-finals haven't been played yet," he explained. "If Jagiellonia have got this far, that is down to their qualities. Every opponent is challenging."

Jagiellonia won their first Polish title last season, and remain in the running to retain it this season, despite their long-haul efforts in the Conference League. In Afimico Pululu, they have the competition's eight-goal top scorer, and in Adrian Siemieniec, a coach full of belief. "Jagiellonia at Betis – not a friendly match, but a fight for a Conference League semi-final!" he said. "Even when I say it, it sounds incredible. No one expected this. We have to appreciate this moment, because while this [team] has a long, rich history, this is its absolute best period."

Did you know: Jagiellonia have three Spanish players – defender Adrian Dieguez, midfielder Miki Villar and forward Jesús Imaz, who is now in his seventh season with the club.

Celje vs Fiorentina (21:00 CET)

Slovenian champions Celje featured in one of the games of the season in the round of 16, losing 5-4 at Lugano over 120 minutes and then eliminating the Swiss side 3-1 on penalties. Their reward: A first meeting with an Italian side. Their Spanish coach Albert Riera was briefly on the books at Udinese, and has been looking to toughen his side up after discovering they had one of the best disciplinary records in the Slovenian league. "We do not want to be in the chase for a prize like that," he said. "That is not for us." Fiorentina can thus expect a fight from the Counts.

Conference League runners-up for the last two seasons, the Viola have won all four of their home games since the start of the league phase but their away record in this season's competition has been less impressive: W1 D1 L2. Nonetheless, coach Raffaele Palladino remains ambitious. "I want to take Fiorentina as far as possible," added Palladino. "This has been a season with many ups and downs, but we are improving, both as a group and individually. I am seeing some good things, in training and match situations."

Did you know: Slovenian sides have hosted teams from neighbouring Italy in seven previous UEFA men's club competition games – the home sides' record is W1 D1 L5.

Djurgården vs SK Rapid (21:00 CET)

Hired in December, Djurgården's Finnish boss Jani Honkavaara admitted he was in strange territory after his side beat Pafos to reach the last eight. "As a coach I have always been out in the second or third round," he joked. Winger Tobias Gulliksen spoke for the whole team when he said of their achievement: "It's absolutely fantastic, it's wonderful." However, if there is some giddiness in the ranks, SK Rapid will find that Djurgården are a tough side with their home fans behind them – they have won their last three European fixtures in Stockholm.

SK are in Sweden for the third time in their history, the previous two visits bringing a 2-0 win (at Malmö in 1961) and a 1-1 draw (at Örgryte in 2000). That win at Malmö came in the course of the Viennese side's best-ever continental run, when they reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, and with midfielder Louis Schaub delivering on his 'Euro-Louis' nickname by hitting their round of 16 winner against Borac, SK Rapid are targeting the last four again. "We put ourselves into this situation with a lot of hard work," said Schaub, who added of his nickname: "I'm happy that I can remind people why I am called that every now and then."

Did you know: This is Djurgården's first continental quarter-final since they reached the last eight of the inaugural European Cup in 1955/56, when they lost over two legs to Scottish side Hibernian.