The format of this season’s Europa League has changed, with a league phase replacing the group stage. We’ll highlight some of the leading fancies and look for underdogs who could challenge for the trophy.

Europe’s current second-tier club competition was introduced as the UEFA Cup in 1971. At that stage, it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and ran as the third-tier European competition until 1999. In that year, the Cup Winners Cup was discontinued, and the two competitions merged. Then, in 2009, the competition was rebranded as the Europa League.

29 different teams have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League since it began in 1971. Sevilla have been the dominant side in this competition in recent years, winning the trophy seven times between 2006 and 2023. They have the notable distinction of winning the final on each occasion they have contested it. Four teams have won the trophy three times—Inter, Liverpool, Juventus and Atlético Madrid.

Check all the latest Europa League match odds

Europa League: league stage predictions and tips

We’re now past the half-way point of the league stage of the 2024/25 Europa League, as the 36 participating teams look to collect enough points to make it into the knockout stages.

Matchday 6 preview

The sixth round of matches will be played across the 11th and 12th December. With this round of the Europa League now taking the form of a 36-team league, and each team playing eight matches, the new format has generated some fascinating ties for each matchday.

With teams predicted to need 14-16 points to finish in the top eight and thus move straight into the round of 16, or 8-10 points for a top-24 finish and progression to the knockout round, the importance of each match will intensify as the league stage progresses towards its conclusion.

Lazio lost their 100% record when they were held to a goalless draw at home to Ludogorets Razgrad on Matchday 5. The Italian side still sit on top of the table but are joined on 13 points by Athletic Bilbao and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Matchday 6 throws up a tough assignment for Lazio, as they travel to the Netherlands to play Ajax. A win for the Dutch side would see them climb above their Italian rivals.

The other two sides currently sharing the top position also face tricky away trips this matchday. Athletic Bilbao travel to face José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe on Wednesday, whilst Eintracht Frankfurt travel to Lyon the following day.

Galatasaray and Anderlecht fill the next two places in the table, and both remain unbeaten following three wins and two draws. They both face away trips on Matchday 6 too, as they travel to play Malmö and Slavia Prague respectively.

Viktoria Plzeň and Manchester United are the other teams who remain unbeaten after five matches, and they go head-to-head in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, it’s an all-British affair at Ibrox as Rangers host Tottenham Hotspur, with both sides currently positioned nicely on 10 points.

Looking further down the table, Roma sit in 21st place with just a solitary win from their opening five matches. In their next match, they welcome Sporting Braga to Italy. Porto have also found it hard going so far and will be looking for three points at home to Midtjylland.

Meanwhile, Hoffenheim and Nice both sit outside the knockout places, with the French team having picked up just two points so far. They travel to Belgium to play Union Saint-Gilloise and will know that a win is essential if they are to have any realistic hope of progressing beyond the league stage.

Here’s the full list of Matchday 6 fixtures…

Europa League fixtures–Matchday 6

Wednesday 11th December

Fenerbahçe 🆚 Athletic Bilbao

Thursday 12th December

Roma 🆚 Sporting Braga
Viktoria Plzeň 🆚 Manchester United
Malmö 🆚 Galatasaray
Olympiacos 🆚 FC Twente
PAOK 🆚 Ferencvárosi
Ludogorets Razgrad 🆚 AZ Alkmaar
Union Saint-Gilloise 🆚 Nice
Hoffenheim 🆚 FCSB
Ajax 🆚 Lazio
Porto 🆚 Midtjylland
Bodø/Glimt 🆚 Beşiktaş
Elfsborg 🆚 Qarabağ
Maccabi Tel Aviv 🆚 Rigas Futbola Skola
Lyon 🆚 Eintracht Frankfurt
Rangers 🆚 Tottenham Hotspur
Real Sociedad 🆚 Dynamo Kyiv
Slavia Prague 🆚 Anderlecht

Europa League predictions

It will be interesting to see how the new league format will affect the Europa League. One significant difference is that, where teams that finished third in their Champions League groups were previously transferred to the Europa League, this will no longer be the case. This should make the Europa League outcome more straightforward when making your picks, as before there were always some strong teams joining after the Champions League group stage had concluded.

The draw will play an important part, with teams facing eight different opponents from the 36 teams competing in the league. However, with the teams being seeded, the relative standard of the sets of eight matches should be fairly evenly spread.

As 24 of the 36 competing teams will progress to the knockout rounds, this format should ensure that the stronger sides get past the league stage, as there is quite a difference in standard between the favourites and the outsiders. However, this format also allows the underdogs a chance of progressing with two-thirds of the teams qualifying.

Who are the favourites to win the Europa League?

Manchester United will be amongst the favourites with their rich European history. Although recent seasons have been a struggle for the Red Devils, they did win this competition in 2017. Fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur will also be fancied to challenge in Ange Postecoglou’s second season at the helm.

The two Spanish sides taking part have an extra incentive, as the final will be held at the home ground of Athletic Bilbao. With their Basque Country rivals Real Sociedad also competing, there is bound to be an intense competition between these local rivals.

There is also a strong representation from Italy, with fierce rivals Roma and Lazio both qualifying for the league stage. Domestically, their match-up is known as the Derby della Capitale, and Roma hold the better European record. They have reached two semi-finals and one final in three of the last four seasons in the Europa League, and in between they won the Europa Conference League trophy in 2021/22. However, Lazio have not fared so well in recent times, having failed to reach the semi-final stage in any European competition for over 20 years.

Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League in 2022 but, although they finished sixth in last season’s Bundesliga, they ended up a distant 43 points behind the winners, Bayer Leverkusen.

With three European trophies to their name this century, Porto have a fighting chance of adding to that number this season. Their latest success was in the 2011 Europa League; however, that came during a period of great domestic success, when they won the Primeira Liga title in seven out of eight seasons. However, since 2013, they have won their domestic title just three times in 11 seasons.

Which teams can do well in the Europa League?

Lyon reached the semi-final of the Champions League in 2019/20, but their record of never qualifying for a European final continued. They have finished outside the top-five in the previous three Ligue 1 seasons, with last season’s sixth place their best finish during that period. However, that place was achieved with a negative goal difference, after they conceded as many goals as any of the other sides in their division, excluding only the teams that were relegated.

Will Olympiacos be able to build on their Europa Conference League title last season, where a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina secured their first ever European title? Although they have won the Greek Super League a staggering 22 times since 1997, they have failed to win the title in either of the previous two seasons.

Does José Mourinho still have what it takes to win a major European trophy? Having been successful in guiding his Manchester United side to win the Europa League in 2017, Mourinho saw his new side, Fenerbahçe, eliminated from the Champions League in the qualifying round by Lille. Now, he’ll gets a second bite of the cherry in the Europa League.

Hoffenheim reached the Bundesliga for the first time in 2008, in only their second season as a professional club. They have stayed in the top-flight since then, with the team backed by their wealthy owner, Dietmar Hopp. A third-place finish was their best league placing, and they have played in European competitions three times previously, never progressing beyond the round of 32.

What is the new format for the Europa League?

The format for this season’s Europa League, as in the Champions League, has been revamped. A 36-team league stage is replacing the group stage. Under this new format, there will be four more teams competing at this stage than previously, when it was a 32-team group-stage.

Each team will play matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. These matches will be determined with the 36-teams ranked into four seeding pots. Each team will play two opponents from each of those pots.

This should make for a more interesting competition, with teams playing a wider selection of opponents.

How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Europa League?

The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
The sides finishing in 9^th to 24^th place will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams to qualify for the round of 16.
Those sides finishing in 25^th or lower will be eliminated. There is no access to a place in the UEFA Conference League for teams that have not qualified.

Europa League match odds

Europa League schedule (2024/25)

Playoff round

First leg: 22^nd– August, Second leg: 29^th August

League phase

Draw date: 30^th August

Matchday 1: 25^th–26^thSeptember

Matchday 2: 3^rdOctober

Matchday 3: 24^thOctober

Matchday 4: 7^thNovember

Matchday 5: 28^thNovember

Matchday 6: 12^thDecember

Matchday 7: 23^rdJanuary

Matchday 8: 30^thJanuary

Knockout phase

Draw date: 31^st January

Knockout rounds playoffs: First leg: 13^th February, Second Leg: 20^th February

Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 21^st February

Round of 16: First leg: 6^th March, Second Leg: 13^th March

Quarter-finals: First leg: 10^th April, Second Leg: 17^th April

Semi-finals: First leg: 1^st May, Second Leg: 8^th May

Final: 21st May

Where is the Europa League final 2024/25 being held?

The final will be held at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on the 21^st of May 2025.

The stadium is the home of LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao and was rebuilt just over 10 years ago. With a capacity of just over 53,000, the new stadium is the seventh largest in Spain and the largest in the Basque Country.

San Mamés was originally chosen to host Spain’s three group stage games in Euro 2020, as well as one of the round of 16 games. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the higher infection rates in the Basque region, the stadium was replaced as one of the venues.

However, it did host a crowd of just under 51,000 for the 2024 women’s Champions League final, in which Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0.

Which teams will compete in the league phase of the Europa League?

The 36 teams who will contest the league stage are:

Manchester United (England)
Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Real Sociedad (Spain)
Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
Roma (Italy)
Lazio (Italy)
Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Hoffenheim (Germany)
Lyon (France)
Nice (France)
Porto (Portugal)
Sporting Braga (Portugal)
Ajax (Netherlands)
AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)
FC Twente (Netherlands)
Olympiacos (Greece)
PAOK (Greece)
Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
Galatasaray (Turkey)
Beşiktaş (Turkey)
Anderlecht (Belgium)
Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
Rangers (Scotland)
Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)
Midtjylland (Denmark)
Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
Malmö (Sweden)
Elfsborg (Sweden)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic)
Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
FCSB (Romania)
Rigas Futbola Skola (Latvia)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Ferencváros (Hungary)

Previous European competition highlights for the teams contesting the league phase

Manchester United (England)

Manchester United have been more accustomed to playing in the top-tier of European competitions over the years but are now looking for a second Europa League title. They beat Ajax 2-0 in the 2017 final but lost on penalties to Villarreal in the final four years later. Their European campaign was cut short last season, after they finished bottom of their Champions League group. In that group, their only victory was at home to FC København; however, it was the three away ties that were unusual. United scored three goals in each away group match but failed to win a single one, ending up with a 3-3 draw and two 4-3 defeats.

Tottenham Hotspur (England)

Tottenham were the first British club to win a major European trophy when they won the Cup Winners Cup in 1963. They also claimed the UEFA Cup twice, in 1972 and 1984. However, they have made just one final since, when they lost the Champions League final to Liverpool in 2019. Their last Europa League appearance ended in a round-of-16 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, as Spurs failed to hold on to a 2-0 first-leg advantage. Tottenham did qualify from the Champions League group stage in the 2022/23 season, but lost 1-0 on aggregate to Milan in the round of 16.

Real Sociedad (Spain)

Real Sociedad have played in 20 European competitions before, with their best ever placing being a semi-final defeat in the 1982/83 European Cup. However, in the last 30 years, they have not progressed beyond the round of 16, and lost to PSG in that round in last season’s Champions League. In fact, in their last five European tournaments, Real Sociedad have qualified from their group on every occasion, only to be eliminated at the first knockout stage each time.

Athletic Bilbao (Spain)

This is the first time that Bilbao have qualified for a European competition since the 2017/18 season, when they lost to Marseille in the Europa League round of 16. They are still looking for their first European trophy, having lost both times when they have previously reached the final. The last time was in 2012, when compatriots Atlético Madrid defeated them 3-0. They also reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2015/16, but once again lost out to a Spanish side, as Sevilla defeated them via penalty shootout.

Roma (Italy)

Having previously reached four European finals, Roma’s sole success came in the 2021/22 Europa Conference League, when they beat Feyenoord 1-0. They have competed in the Europa League for the past two seasons, losing the 2023 final to Sevilla on penalties and suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat in the 2023/24 semi-finals to Bayer Leverkusen. Prior to that, in 2020/21, Roma again reached the Europa League semi-finals. However, a 6-2 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford all but ended their hopes of reaching another final.

Lazio (Italy)

Lazio have one European title to their name—the 1999 Cup Winners Cup. Since then, they reached the Europa League semi-final in 2003 but have failed to progress beyond the quarter-final in any competition since. They did qualify from their group in last season’s Champions League, only to be eliminated 3-1 on aggregate in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich. In the 2017/18 Europa League, Lazio seemed to have done enough to reach the semi-finals with a 4-2 victory over Red Bull Salzburg, only to lose the second-leg match 4-1 in Austria.

Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)

Frankfurt won the Europa League trophy as recently as 2022, when they defeated Rangers 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1. That success was no mean feat, as they had already eliminated Betis, Barcelona and West Ham in the earlier knockout rounds. They had also reached the Europa League semi-finals three years earlier, but were eliminated by Chelsea on penalties following two 1-1 draws in the first and second legs. Last season, they competed in the Conference League, but were eliminated by Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the knockout round playoff.

Hoffenheim (Germany)

As a relative newcomer to this level of football, Hoffenheim have only qualified three times for European competitions previously. In 2017/18 and 2018/19 they finished bottom of their group in the Europa League and Champions League respectively, managing just one win across those two seasons. In their last campaign, the 2020/21 Europa League, they fared better in the group stage by winning five matches and drawing once. However, they were eliminated in the round of 32 by Molde by an aggregate score of 5-3.

Lyon (France)

Lyon have reached four semi-finals in European competitions in their history, but are yet to progress to a final. The last occasion was in the 2019/20 Champions League, where they lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich in a semi-final played over one leg due to the Covid-19 restrictions at that time. They had defeated Juventus and Manchester City to reach that stage. Since then, Lyon have qualified just once for European football in the form of the 2021/22 Europa League. They reached the quarter-finals before losing 4-1 on aggregate to West Ham.

Nice (France)

A quarter-final defeat to Basel in the 2022/23 Europa Conference League was the first time Nice had progressed to that stage of a European competition for over 60 years. Prior to that, their most recent participation in the Europa League ended with a bottom-place finish in their group in 2020, after conceding 16 goals in their six matches. Nice have not been regular European competitors over the years, with a 20-year gap in qualification following their appearance in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup and a 15-year gap after losing in the second round of the 1997/98 Cup Winners’ Cup.

Porto (Portugal)

Porto have been a regular feature in European competitions over the years, winning the European Cup/Champions League in 1987 and 2004, and the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011. However, since that last success, they have failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stage, albeit mainly in Champions League campaigns. In last season’s Champions League group stage, they finished second to Barcelona, winning every game apart from those against the Spanish club. Porto then faced Arsenal in the round of 16, and after two tight matches, ultimately lost 4-2 to the Gunners on penalties.

Sporting Braga (Portugal)

Sporting Braga have the distinction of reaching a Europa League final before, although they lost 1-0 to fellow Portuguese side Porto in 2011. They defeated Liverpool and Benfica on the way to that final. Last season, they finished third in their Champions League group with just four points and, after then being transferred into the Europa League, they lost to Qarabağ in the knockout round playoffs. They started this season’s campaign with a comprehensive 7-0 aggregate victory over Maccabi Petah Tikva. They then defeated Servette 2-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, before edging past Rapid Wien 4-3 to reach the league stage.

Ajax (Netherlands)

Whilst Ajax could only finish fifth in last season’s Eredivisie, their worst finishing position for 25 years, they can boast six European titles to their name. They won three successive European Cups between 1971 and 1973, the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987, the Europa League in 1992 and the Champions League in 1995. In more recent times, they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19 and the final of the Europa League two years earlier. With ex-England captain Jordan Henderson adding a wealth of experience to their midfield, Ajax successfully navigated three qualifying rounds to reach the league stage this season, including a 13-12 victory on penalties over Panathinaikos.

AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)

AZ have qualified for Europe for the last six seasons, competing in the Europa Conference League for the last three of those. They reached the semi-finals in 2022/23 before being eliminated 3-1 on aggregate by the eventual winners, West Ham. They did reach the UEFA Cup final in 1980/81, in the days when it was played over two-legs. Despite winning 4-2 at home, a 3-0 loss to Ipswich in the away leg saw them lose on aggregate. Last season, AZ Alkmaar failed to qualify from their Conference League group, losing all three of their away games in the process.

FC Twente (Netherlands)

Twente were eliminated from this year’s Champions League courtesy of a 5-4 aggregate loss to Red Bull Salzburg, in which they were always trailing across the two legs. They took part in the Europa Conference League in 2022/23, after a six-year gap from European competitions, but were eliminated in the playoff round by Fiorentina. They did reach the final of the 1974/75 UEFA Cup, which they lost 5-1 on aggregate to Borussia Mönchengladbach. More recently, a Europa League quarter-final appearance in 2011 was their best finish.

Olympiacos (Greece)

In defeating Fiorentina 1-0 in the 2024 Europa Conference League final, Olympiacos became the first Greek side to win a major European trophy. They have competed regularly in Europe over the years, but last season was the first time they have progressed beyond the round of 16 for 25 years. They gained their place in last season’s Conference League after being eliminated from the Europa League group stage. That was the second successive year Olympiacos failed to qualify from their Europa League group.

PAOK (Greece)

PAOK have reached the quarter-finals in two of the last three Conference League tournaments, losing out to Marseille and Club Brugge respectively. In both those match-ups, the Greek side lost both the home and away legs. Their record in the Europa League is not so good, having never progressed beyond the round of 32. They will need to improve their form away from home if they are to progress from the league stage, with their last 11 away Europa League results comprising two wins, three draws and six defeats.

Fenerbahçe (Turkey)

José Mourinho could not work his magic to take his new side into the Champions League, as Lille eliminated Fenerbahçe with a late penalty. They get a second chance in the Europa League, with the Turkish side’s best European performance coming in this competition when they reached the semi-final in 2013. Fenerbahçe defeated Benfica 1-0 in the home leg of that semi-final, but were unable to hold on in Portugal as they lost the second leg by a score of 3-1. Last season, they reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League before being knocked-out on penalties by Olympiacos.

Galatasaray (Turkey)

Galatasaray have tasted European success before, beating Arsenal on penalties in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup final. They are regular participants in Europe, and although they failed to qualify from their Champions League group last year, they did achieve a 3-3 draw at home to Manchester Utd and a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford. They were unexpectedly eliminated in the playoff round of this season’s Champions League, losing both the home and away legs to Young Boys. However, they now get a second chance in the Europa League.

Beşiktaş (Turkey)

The Turkish side have reached three European quarter-finals in their history, with the most recent coming in the 2016/17 Europa League. In that match, they lost 7-6 on penalties after holding Lyon to a 3-3 aggregate score. They competed in last season’s Conference League but were unable to progress beyond the group stage after winning just one of their six matches. It was a similar tale the last time they played in the Europa League group stage in 2019/20, where one win and five losses saw them finish in last place. They qualified for the league stage of this season’s competition courtesy of a goal fest with Lugano, in which they won 5-1 at home following a 3-3 draw in Switzerland.

Anderlecht (Belgium)

Anderlecht are steeped in European history, although you have to go back many years to find their most successful period. They won the Cup Winners’ Cup in both 1976 and 1978, and also claimed the UEFA Cup in 1983. However, in the last 25 years, two quarter-final appearances have been the best of their performances. The most recent was in last season’s Conference League, when they lost on penalties to AZ Alkmaar. They were made to work hard to qualify for the league stage of this Europa League, with 1-0 home and away victories over Dinamo Minsk enough to see them through.

Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)

When Union Saint-Gilloise qualified for the 2022/23 Champions League qualifying round, that was the first time they had a secured a place in a European competition for 58 years. Despite losing to Rangers in that match, they moved into the Europa League where they topped their group before ultimately losing in the quarter-final stage. Last season, although they only finished third in their Europa League group, they had the distinction of defeating Liverpool 2-1 in Belgium. Union Saint-Gilloise lost their Champions League qualifying match 4-1 on aggregate to Slavia Prague this season to move into the league stage of the Europa League.

Rangers (Scotland)

Rangers lost out to Dynamo Kyiv for the chance to continue in the Champions League this season, with a 2-0 home defeat condemning the Scottish side to a 3-1 aggregate loss. Rangers have reached the final of the Europa League twice before, losing both times —2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg in 2008 and 5-4 on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. Rangers have been regulars on the European scene since their European Cup debut in 1956, with their most recent campaign, the 2023/24 Europa League, ending in a round-of-16 defeat to Benfica.

Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)

For the third successive season, Qarabağ move into the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League knockout rounds. This time, it was Dinamo Zagreb who defeated them, beating the Azerbaijani side 5-0 on aggregate. Last season proved to be Qarabağ’s most successful in European competitions, as they reached the round of 16 in the Europa League. Not many would have given them any hope when they were drawn against the all-conquering Bayer Leverkusen, but they gave their German rivals an almighty scare. Qarabağ led the home leg 2-0 only to be pegged back to 2-2, and then also held a 2-1 lead in Germany before conceding goals in the 93^rd and 98^th minutes to lose out in dramatic fashion.

Midtjylland (Denmark)

Midtjylland were closing in on the league phase of the Champions League before conceding two goals to Slovan Bratislava in the last 10 minutes of their second-leg tie to lose 4-3 on aggregate. That would have been some achievement given they have never surpassed the round of 32 in any European competition before, but they can now try again in the Europa League. The Danish side did finish second in their Europa League group in 2022/23, after managing a 5-1 home victory over Lazio and 2-2 draws against Feyenoord home and away.

Bodø/Glimt (Norway)

This is Bodø/Glimt’s fifth successive European campaign, after an absence of 15 years. They reached the quarter-final of the 2021/22 Conference League, where despite beating Roma 2-1 at home, the Italian side overpowered them 4-0 in the second leg. In this season’s Champions League playoff round, they again took a 2-1 lead over Crvena Zvezda into the away leg, but this time came unstuck, with a 2-0 loss dropping into the Europa League. Games involving Bodø/Glimt are often high-scoring affairs, with the Norwegians scoring three or more goals in seven of their last 10 European home matches.

Malmö (Sweden)

Malmö enter the Europa League following a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Sparta Prague in the Champions League playoff round. In their most recent Europa League campaign two seasons ago, Malmö reached the group stage but then lost all six matches. Although they reached the final of the European Cup in 1979, which they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest, that was the only time in their history that Malmö have progressed beyond the round of 32 in any European competition.

Elfsborg (Sweden)

Elfsborg have never progressed beyond the group stage in any European competition, and they’ve only made it that far on two previous occasions. However, they did progress with relative ease over the first three qualifying rounds in this season’s Europa League, with aggregate wins of 8-2 over Pafos, 3-0 over Sheriff Tiraspol and 3-1 over Rijeka. Their playoff match against Scandinavian rivals Molde was a tighter affair, with both teams winning their away leg 1-0, and Elfsborg qualifying after winning the penalty shootout 4-2.

Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Slavia just fell short in their attempt to join city rivals Sparta in qualifying for the league phase of the Champions League. Slavia had arguably the most difficult draw in the playoff round against Lille. They lost the first leg 2-0 in France, and a 2-1 victory on home soil wasn’t enough to take them through. Slavia Prague topped their group in last season’s Europa League but were soundly beaten by Milan in the round of 16, losing 3-1 at home and 4-1 away. They have made three recent European quarter-final appearances, losing each time—once to Chelsea in the Europa league in 2018/19, once to Arsenal in the 2020/21 Europa League and once to Feyenoord in the 2021/22 Conference League.

Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic)

Viktoria Plzeň have been regular European entrants for the last 15 years, with three round-of-16 appearances in the Europa League being the height of their achievements up until last season, during which they reached the Conference League quarter-finals. In that tournament, Viktoria Plzeň won all six of their group matches, before defeating Servette on penalties in the round of 32 after two goalless draws. The quarter-final against Fiorentina was also a tight affair, as another goalless draw at home was followed by a goalless 90 minutes in Italy, before Fiorentina scored twice in extra-time. When reaching the current stage this year, goals were also at a premium, with 1-0 home and away victories over Hearts sealing Viktoria Plzeň’s place in the league stage.

Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)

Dynamo Kyiv have two European titles to their name, winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in both 1975 and 1986. More recently, they lost in the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup to fellow Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. Since then, they have had two quarter-final appearances in the Europa League to their name. They lost in this year’s Champions League playoff round to Red Bull Salzburg, after comprehensively beating Partizan Belgrade and Rangers to reach that point. They will hope for a better showing than their last Europa League campaign in 2022/23, when they lost five and drew once in their six group-stage matches.

Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)

Ludogorets Razgrad are relatively new to European football, with their debut season coming in the 2012/13 Champions League. A round of 16 appearance in the Europa League in the following season was their best finish to date. They were comprehensively beaten by an aggregate score of 8-4 by Qarabağ to end their hopes of qualifying for the league phase of the Champions League, but found Petrocub Hîncești more obliging opponents in this competition. A 6-1 aggregate win over the Moldovan side saw them through to the league stage.

FCSB (Romania)

FCSB, also known as Steaua București, were a force to be reckoned with in European football many years ago and, at the height of their success, won the European Cup in 1985/86. In that final, which was held in Spain, Barcelona were the strong favourites. However, a goalless match was decided on penalties, where Barcelona remarkably saw all four of their penalties saved, and the Romanian side went on to win the shootout 2-0. Although Steaua reached the semi-final of the Europa league in 2006, that is the only time they have passed the round of 16 in any European competition since that famous win. A hard-fought 2-1 aggregate victory over LASK saw them through to the league stage this time.

Rigas Futbola Skola (Latvia)

Rigas Futbola Skola (often abbreviated as RFS) have played in Europe for six successive seasons since making their debut in 2019/20. Their best performance was to reach the group stage in the 2022/23 Conference League, although their participation ended following two draws and four defeats from their six matches. Their current campaign has not been short of goals, starting with a 7-0 aggregate win over Larne in the Champions League qualifiers, followed by a 7-1 aggregate loss to Bodø/Glimt. That was followed by a 9-0 aggregate victory over Andorran side Santa Coloma, but they needed a penalty shootout victory to overcome APOEL to reach this stage.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

Last season saw Maccabi Tel Aviv achieve their best ever European finish with a round of 16 defeat to Olympiacos, who eventually went on to win the Conference League trophy. However, the Israeli side will not know how they lost that tie, after winning the first leg 4-1 in Greece. They then proceeded to lose the second leg 4-1 after normal time, and then concede two further goals in extra-time. They reached the league phase of this season’s Europa League by defeating Panevėžys and Bačka Topola, but they may find it difficult to progress much further with all home matches having to be played outside of Israel.

Ferencvárosi (Hungary)

Ferencvárosi reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1972 before being eliminated by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Since then, a solitary round of 16 appearance, which came in the 2022/23 Europa League, has been their best effort. They topped their group that season, with a 1-0 win away to Monaco amongst their results, but then lost both legs 2-0 in their knockout match against Bayer Leverkusen. In last season’s Conference League, Ferencvárosi were unbeaten in their group (W2,D4,L0) but lost to Olympiacos on the knockout round playoffs. This season, they won a penalty shootout against Bosnian side Borac Banja Luka to qualify for the league stage after both legs were drawn.

Europa League outright betting

Europa League winner odds

The odds below show the prices offered on each of the teams before the start of the league phase.

5.55 Tottenham Hotspur
6.00 Manchester United
9.10 Roma
12.00 Real Sociedad
13.00 Athletic Bilbao
13.00 Porto
15.00 Lazio
21.00 Eintracht Frankfurt
21.00 Fenerbahçe
21.00 Galatasaray
21.00 Lyon
21.00 Nice
26.00 Ajax
26.00 Olympiacos
34.00 Hoffenheim
41.00 Beşiktaş
41.00 Sporting Braga
51.00 AZ Alkmaar
51.00 PAOK
51.00 Slavia Prague
69.00 Twente
69.00 Viktoria Plzeň
83.00 Dynamo Kyiv
83.00 Midtjylland
106.00 Anderlecht
106.00 Malmö
106.00 Rangers
106.00 Union Saint-Gilloise
165.00 Bodø/Glimt
165.00 Elfsborg
165.00 Ferencvárosi
165.00 Ludogorets Razgrad
240.00 Maccabi Tel Aviv
426.00 FCSB
426.00 Qarabağ
426.00 Rigas Futbola Skola

All odds are correct at the time of writing but are subject to fluctuation afterwards.

You’ll find great odds and a massive range of markets on all the Europa League matches in the Marathonbet Sportsbook. The coverage doesn’t end when the live action starts, with prices updated continually throughout each match.

For further reading, you’ll find our Champions League predictions and tips article on the blog, as well as weekly predictions for the English Premier League.