BT Sport pundit Michael Owen is expecting Arsenal to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League when they face Benfica this evening.

The first leg in Italy was a tightly contested affair and Owen says he doesn’t expect the second fixture to be any different when the two sides line up against each other in Greece:

“Despite going a goal behind, Arsenal fought back to gain a credible draw in last weeks 1st leg. That was always going to be a tough fixture, so full credit to the Gunners for coming away with a vital away goal. Again, I think this will be tight. However, I do feel Arsenal have just enough quality on the night to get themselves through.”

Owen has gone for a 1-0 win for Arsenal, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory for Mikel Arteta’s side. That seems like a fair prediction, especially considering what we saw in the game at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Gunners do have that important ‘away’ goal, as Owen mentions, but with the match being played away from the Emirates, they will hardly have home advantage tonight, so expect a nervy game.

The match is a huge one for Arsenal, considering their poor league form. Winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League is still a pretty long shot but it remains a possibility.