Europa League: Meet Liverpool and Celtic's main rival

Bas Dost has scored 11 goals in the last four weeks alone

All four British Europa League entrants stand a shot at the last 16, but can they get past Wolfsburg and Bas Dost?

Wolfsburg have emerged as 9.617/2 Europa League joint-favourites following a menacing start to 2015 in which they have won five of their six games, thrashing Bayern Munich 4-1 and winning 5-4 at Bayer Leverkusen.

They are unbeaten in 12 and have claimed 17 victories in 22 matches, and the most interesting thing about their current domination is that is isn't being headlined by one of their quasi-galacticos like Kevin de Bruyne, Luiz Gustavo or Andre Schurrle, but the previously unsung striker Bas Dost.

The penalty-box predator signed for the club in 2012 after a 32 league-goal season for Heerenveen. There is often scepticism over how much respect Eredivisie scoring success warrants though (see Jozy Altidore or Afonso Alves), and for ages it looked like it wouldn't happen for Dost in Germany.

His first Bundesliga campaign figures were eight goals in 28 appearances (20 starts) followed by four in 13 (seven starts) in an injury-affected 2013/14, and he struck just once in six top-flight or Europa League outings prior to December 20 this term.

However, instead of abandoning him in January, Wolfsburg decided to strengthen his position, surprisingly letting their usual starting attacker Ivica Olic rejoin struggling Hamburg.

Dost was finally given a chance to be the leading man at the Volkswagen Arena and, aided by a glittering support cast, has seized it to an extraordinary extent, scoring 12 times in seven games and eight times in the most recent three.

Suddenly, the initial hope that he would be a successor to Edin Dzeko in Lower Saxony doesn't seem so misguided. Indeed, as he is only 25 and Wolfsburg appear better placed to resist interest in stars than in the Bosnian's pomp, it isn't unfathomable to think that he will eventually outdo the Man City forward's legacy.

The Dutchman's most purple of patches began five days before Christmas with a goal against Koln, but really gathered momentum on the Bundesliga's return from winter break as he netted twice in the 4-1 demolition of runaway leaders Bayern Munich.

A strike past Hoffenheim proved a mere aperitif for a ridiculous four-goal showing away to Bayer Leverkusen a week later, and that in turn fuelled match-winning braces in home triumphs over Sporting Lisbon (2-0) and Hertha Berlin (2-1).

As Wolfsburg are eight points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga yet a massive 12 clear of Schalke and Augsburg in fourth and fifth, the Europa League is going to become their priority. With Dost on fire and De Bruyne an assist machine behind him, no team look more equipped to take the trophy.

Even with a 2-0 aggregate advantage secured, Dost has travelled to Portugal for the second leg against Sporting Lisbon, and is 2.6213/8 to inspire another victory.