The first edition of this Europa League will have some captivating matchups in the quarterfinals as the road to Hamburg heats up.

Valencia - Atlético
The all-Spanish affair will have a great deal of fanfare east side of the Iberian penninsula. Both sides are out of the La Liga race and their respective form has been suspect to say the least. Unwilling to be overshadowed by Barcelona, Atlético are poised to finish an inconsistent season with a double. Something that Colchonero fans haven't seen since 1995 when they last won the league and the Copa del Rey. For Atlético they will have a hectic run as they will play the final of the Copa del Rey against Sevilla just four days after they return from Hamburg, should they get that far.
Valencia want to be the first Europa League winners. They would become the first team to win the tournament in its three formats. They won the tournament twice when it was called the Fairs Cup (1961-62, 1962-63) and when it was called the UEFA Cup (2004).

Benfica vs. Liverpool
It's been 20 years since Benfica last were in a final of an international tournament; 48 since they last won one. Not since the Eusebio glory years have Benfica lifted silverware outside of their own country. This current side under Jorge Jesus have demonstrated that they are one of the most explosive young teams in all of Europe. With the Argentine trio of Javier Saviola, Ángel Di María, and Pablo Aimar leading the way along with Paraguayan international Oscar Cardozo, As Aguilas are about to run away with the Portuguese SuperLiga and they are hungry for more.

Liverpool might savor this trophy a little more than usual for two reasons:

• They would become the first team to win this tournament four times (the Fairs Cup is not considered an official event by UEFA). They alongside Juventus and Inter are the only teams to have won this event three time under the old UEFA Cup format.
• It would salvage the season. Liverpool have gone through a nightmarish season to say the least in the Premiership. This win could take the sting off of the domestic drought in which two generations of Reds fans have not seen a Premiership trophy lifted at Anfield.

Hamburg-Standard
For well over the past decade Belgian football has been down in the dumps as far as their level in Europe is concerned. After an eternity of not making it far in the Champions League and not reaching the UEFA Cup

Hamburg look to return to prominence after not having won European silverware in over 27 years. They could be one of the frontrunners if you take into account the fact that they have one of the most fearsome forward tandems in Ruud Van Nistlerooy and Paolo Guerrero.
Fulham-Wolfsburg
If there is an affair that could be exciting, it is this one. Fulham are coming off an incredible come from behind win against Juventus at Craven Cottage and that could be the match that light the fire under them. With an in-form Zoltan Gera and a brilliant Bobby Zamora as well as Clint Dempsey coming off the bench, Roy Hodgson's side could become the darlings of this tournament.

The reigning German champs have been able to avoid the relegation shadows after they were eliminated from the Champions League. Now with a revived Obafemi Martins along with the usual cast of characters, Wolfsburg could be up to their 2009 tricks again.