Chelsea and Tottenham can take a major step towards what could be the first all English final in the Europa League for more than 40 years when the first leg ties in the round of 16 are played on Thursday night across Europe.
Heading into the round of 16, the two London clubs are now the favourites to win this season's competition - following the shock dumping of Spain's Atletico Madrid, winners of this competition in two of the last three seasons, in the previous round by Russian club Rubin Kazan.
While English clubs have a great recent record in the Champions League - with Chelsea winning Europe's premier club competition last year, Manchester United in 2008 and Liverpool in 2005 - the record of EPL clubs in Europe's secondary club competition is poor.
Liverpool in 2001 are the only English club to win the competition since Tottenham in 1984 while you have to go all the way back to 1972 when Spurs beat Wolves to find the last time two English sides contested the final.
But could that be about to change this year?
Chelsea are the $5 favourites to win the competition, ahead of Thursday night's round of 16 first leg ties, while Spurs are the $8.80 second favourites at Betfair but just ahead of Portuguese league leaders Benfica at $9.20 and Russian clubs Anzhi at $10 and Zenit St Petersburg - the 2008 winners - at $10.50.
However while Chelsea should have no problems reaching the last eight against the rank outsiders of the remaining 16 teams - Romania's Steaua Bucharest - Spurs have a mouth-watering tie against Italian giants Inter Milan.
Chelsea are the $1.91 favourites at sportsbet.com.au and $2.04 at Betfair to win the first leg in Romania, with the home side priced at $4.10 at Betfair while the draw is $3.40 at sportsbet.com.au and $3.65 at Betfair.
Spurs are at home against Inter, with the Italians aiming become to become the first club to win this competition on four occasions.
The two teams met in the group stages of the Champions League two seasons ago and Inter beat Spurs at the San Siro 4-3 - as Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick in a losing side - while Bale terrorised Inter in the return match at White Hart Lane as Spurs won 3-1.
Two years on and Bale is arguably the hottest player in the world right now and the key reason why Spurs have lost just one of their past 16 games in all competitions and sit third in the EPL.
Inter sit fifth in Serie A but have been shaky of late - losing 4-1 at Fiorentina, drawing 1-1 with great rivals AC Milan before squeaking past struggling Catania 3-2 on the weekend.
As a result Spurs are the $1.80 favourites at Betfair to win the first leg, with Inter at $5 and the draw at $4.
The remaining English club in Newcastle face a far tougher task away to big-spending Russian club Anzhi - managed by legendary former Socceroos boss Guus Hiddink.
The Magpies sit a distant 15th in the EPL and have done well to get this far but are the $5.80 outsiders at Betfair in the first leg, with Anzhi - which sit second in the Russian league - priced at $1.72, while the draw is $3.95.
In the other five games, Benfica look the best bet of the night at $1.57 at Betfair at home in the first leg against mid-table French side Bordeaux at $7 while Czech league leaders Viktoria Plzen - who knocked out Serie A giants Napoli in the last round - are good value at $2.20 at home to Turkish side Fenerbache at $3.70.
The other three games are tough to predict but the away sides look good value in the respective first leg matches.
Zenit are the $2.60 favourites away to Swiss side Basel at $3 while Rubin Kazan, fresh from that sensational win over Atletico Madrid, are the best value bet of the night at $3.20 at sportsbet.com.au and $3.45 at Betfair to win away against mid-table Spanish side Levante paying $2.30 and $2.40 respectively.
And Lazio, sitting fourth in Italy, are also great value at $3.40 at sportsbet.com.au and $3.65 at Betfair to win away against German side VFB Stuttgart paying $2.15 and $2.24 respectively.
*Note prices subject to change
Bet of the day: Back Benfica, Spurs and Chelsea to win
Value bet of the day: Rubin Kazan, Lazio and Zenit St Petersburg are all great value to win away in the first leg.