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Confirmed line-ups: Arsenal vs Benfica: Partey on bench, Odegaard starts

By on February 25, 2021

Arsenal are in Athens to take on Benfica in the second leg of our Europa League tie this evening [5.55 kick-off].

Thomas Partey is back in the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury but the Ghanaian international isn’t deemed fit enough to start after only returning to full training recently so he has to settle for a place on the bench.

With Rob Holding out, Gabriel starts alongside David Luiz in the middle of defence and the only change from the first leg sees Kieran Tierney coming-in for Cedric Soares at left-back. Hector Bellerin keeps his place at right-back with Bernd Leno starting in goal.

Martin Odegaard gets another start in an Arsenal shirt and Emile Smith Rowe is recalled after being rested for the defeat to Manchester City at the weekend. Nicolas Pepe is the man to make way as Bukayo Saka keeps his place in attack [obviously].

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be looking to make-up for his poor finishing in the first leg as he starts up front for Arsenal today with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Willian, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah all on the bench.

These are the line-ups for the game:

Arsenal

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

Subs: Ryan, Hein, Lacazette, Willian, Cedric, Partey, Pepe, Chambers, Mari, Elneny, Nketiah, Martinelli.

Benfica

Hélton Leite; Diogo Gonçalves, Vertonghen, Otamendi, Veríssimo, Grimaldo; Rafa Silva, Weigl, Pizzi, Taarabt; Seferovic.

Subs: Svilar, Odysseas, Gilberto, Nuno Tavares, Everton, Gabriel, Chiquinho, Pedrinho, Cervi, Waldschmidt, Gonçalo Ramos, Darwin.