The final Europa League action of the calendar year occurs this week as Matchday 6 throws up some tantalising duels.
There was just one game on Wednesday before the remaining 34 teams take to the stage on Thursday across the continent. The league phase table is looking finely poised heading into the final few fixtures.
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers are the British sides in action – with two of them locking horns with one another – while Roma, Ajax, Lyon and Porto are among the European heavyweights with home ties.
Here are 90min’s predictions for Thursday’s Matchday 6 fixtures in the Europa League.
There are eight 17:45 GMT kick-offs to feast upon this Thursday and the Europa League’s biggest side are in action. Manchester United, fresh from back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, are aiming to continue their ascent up the league phase table when they visit Czech side Viktoria Plzen. The Red Devils could do with securing a top eight finish and automatic qualification to the last 16.
Man Utd are not the only giants in action, either. Galatasaray make the trip to Sweden to face Malmo and are aiming to extend their impressive early Europa League form. The Turkish side are unbeaten in the competition this season and have been led to victories over Tottenham, PAOK and Elfsborg by the likes of Victor Osimhen and Dries Mertens.
Italian side Roma once again find themselves under the guidance of veteran coach Claudio Ranieri and the former Chelsea and Leicester City boss secured a first victory on his return at the weekend. The capital side will be hopeful of making it successive wins when they host Portuguese outfit Braga, who have made a mediocre start to their European campaign.
Bar a 4-0 defeat to Rangers, Romanian side FCSB have been impressive on Thursday nights. They host German outfit Hoffenheim, who are struggling domestically and on the continent so far this campaign.
INEOS-owned Nice suffered a bruising home defeat to Rangers themselves on Matchday 5 and have made a generally underwhelming fist of their Europa League campaign. A trip to Belgium is on the cards this Thursday but Union Saint-Gilloise will be no pushovers, as Liverpool found out in this competition last season.
|
Fixture |
Kick-off time (GMT) |
Prediction |
|---|---|---|
|
Hoffenheim vs FCSB |
17:45 |
1-1 |
|
Ludogorets vs AZ Alkmaar |
17:45 |
0-1 |
|
Malmo vs Galatasaray |
17:45 |
1-3 |
|
Olympiacos vs Twente |
17:45 |
2-0 |
|
PAOK vs Ferencvaros |
17:45 |
1-2 |
|
Roma vs Braga |
17:45 |
2-1 |
|
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Nice |
17:45 |
2-0 |
|
Viktoria Plzen vs Man Utd |
17:45 |
1-2 |
|
Ajax vs Lazio |
20:00 |
2-2 |
|
Bodo/Glimt vs Besiktas |
20:00 |
2-1 |
|
Elfsborg vs Qarabag |
20:00 |
3-2 |
|
Lyon vs Eintracht Frankfurt |
20:00 |
2-2 |
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs RFS |
20:00 |
3-0 |
|
Porto vs Midtjylland |
20:00 |
2-0 |
|
Rangers vs Tottenham |
20:00 |
2-2 |
|
Real Sociedad vs Dynamo Kyiv |
20:00 |
3-0 |
|
Slavia Prague vs Anderlecht |
20:00 |
0-1 |
Europe’s more seasoned and renowned clubs have generally been saved for the 20:00 GMT kick-off slot, with an all-British affair at Ibrox. Rangers host Tottenham in the two sides’ first meeting since 1962, with the former potentially having one eye on Sunday’s Scottish League Cup final with Old Firm rivals Celtic. Spurs have been in poor form and are without a win in four as former Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglou returns to Glasgow.
Four-time European Cup winners Ajax have impressed in the Europa League thus far and face their toughest challenge yet when they welcome league phase leaders Lazio to Amsterdam. The Dutch side would leapfrog their Italian opponents should they earn victory on Thursday evening in an intriguing affair.
Real Sociedad welcome the only side without any points, Dynamo Kyiv, to San Sebastian. The Spanish outfit have only won two of their five league phase encounters but should ease to victory against the competition’s second leakiest defence.
2004 European Cup winners Porto have been underwhelming in their first five matches and are staring at the possibility of not qualifying for the knockout rounds at all. The Portuguese giants need three points against Midtjylland on Thursday to save their European season.
If you’re searching for drama and entertainment, tuning into Lyon vs Eintracht Frankfurt could be a wise move. The French side sit in seventh and are yet to taste defeat, while the 2021/22 winners are also unbeaten and reside in third after an enormously impressive start to their campaign in Germany and on the continent.
