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Confirmed line-ups: Benfica vs Arsenal: Odegaard & Aubameyang start

By on February 18, 2021

martin odegaard

Arsenal are in Rome to take on Benfica in the first leg of our Europa League tie this evening.

Mikel Arteta has named an unchanged line-up from the side that beat Leeds United 4-2 last weekend so Martin Odegaard keeps his place in attack to make his second start for Arsenal. The Norwegian lines-up along with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe meaning the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Willian and Gabriel Martinelli are on the bench.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is fit to keep his place up front despite picking up a knock at the weekend so Alexandre Lacazette has to settle for a place among the substitutes. Dani Ceballos keeps his place alongside Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park with Thomas Partey still out.

Gabriel keeps his place alongside David Luiz in Arsenal’s defence so Rob Holding misses out once again while Cedric Soares starts at left-back tonight with Kieran Tierney only fit enough for the bench. Hector Bellerin starts once again at right-back while Arteta has gone with Bernd Leno in goal.

These are the line-ups for the game:

Benfica

Helton; Veríssimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen; Diogo Gonçalves, Weigl, Taarabt, Grimaldo; Pizzi, Darwin, Waldschmidt.

Subs: Svilar, Odysseas, Gilberto, João Ferreira, Nuno Tavares, Gabriel, Chiquinho, Everton, Cervi, Pedrinho, Rafa and Seferovic.

Arsenal

Leno, Cedric, Gabriel, Luiz, Bellerin, Xhaka, Ceballos, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang

Subs: Ryan, Hein, Chambers, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Willian, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette, Nketiah