The UEFA Europa League last eight by numbers

Dortmund v Liverpool
Dortmund have cause for optimism ahead of the 'Jürgen Klopp derby' – or even the You'll-Never-Walk-Alone derby. One of only two sides to have made it this far from the third qualifying round, Thomas Tuchel's team have won seven games since matchday one – more than any other club in this season's competition – and boast the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League's second most prolific scorer in seven-goal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Liverpool, though, have landed three UEFA Cups to Dortmund's zero, but have an ancient score to settle, Willi Multhaup's BVB having beaten Bill Shankly's Reds 2-1 after extra time in the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup final. Unbeaten from matchday one onwards, Klopp's men eliminated Manchester United in the last 16 and know luck has not always been on Dortmund's side this term – the Schwarzgelben having hit the woodwork ten times since matchday one.

Sevilla v Athletic
This tie will be as fraught for Sevilla's Fernando Llorente as Dortmund v Liverpool could be for Klopp, the striker taking on the team he represented from 2005–13, having come through the ranks in Bilbao. The holders are seeking to become the first club since Bayern in the mid-70s to win three successive editions of a major UEFA competition, but it will be tight: these sides have met 158 times in Spain, Sevilla ahead 64-63 in terms of victories.

Athletic have bad memories to dispel, having lost two previous UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League finals – 1977 and 2012 – yet are the most prolific marksmen still in the competition, averaging two goals a game, and boast the campaign's top scorer in eight-goal Aritz Aduriz. Aged 35, he is on target to be the oldest leading marksman in UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League history.

Braga v Shakhtar
Having ousted Fenerbahçe in the last round, 2010/11 UEFA Europa League runners-up Braga have a proven pedigree of fighting above their weight in this tournament, and Shakhtar will do well to emerge from their long trip west unscathed. Paulo Fonseca's troops are unbeaten in five European home matches this term, and have one of the competition's most consistent providers in Rafa Silva, responsible for four assists since matchday one.

Shakhtar, though, have experience on their side. As well as having won the UEFA Cup's final edition in 2009, they boast the player (Darijo Srna, 132) and coach (Lucescu, 210) who have appeared in the most UEFA club competition fixtures among the last-eight contenders. In the quarter-finals for the first time since the UEFA Europa League launched, they have not lost since parachuting down from the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Villarreal v Sparta
Eternal dark horses, Villarreal are unbeaten in five encounters with Czech teams – W3 D2 L0 – and have the best home record of the clubs still in contention, having won all five 2015/16 UEFA Europa League home games without conceding. The Madrigal outfit have already met Sparta's domestic title rivals Viktoria Plzeň in the group phase, drawing 3-3 away and prevailing 1-0 at home.

Sparta are no pushovers, however, as Lazio discovered to their horror in the round of 16. Zdeněk Ščasný’s irrepressible side have not lost in 12 UEFA Europa League outings this term – and have also compiled a three-match winning streak on the road (3-1, 3-0, 3-0). They last reached the quarter-finals of this competition in 1983/84, and have never played a major European final, but could this be their year?