Besiktas and Malmo went early this week, finishing in a 2-1 victory for the former. But don’t fear, there’s a hefty old slate of Europa League football on Thursday.
The all-new league phase is starting to win a few more over, and we’d have reached the halfway point following the conclusion of Matchday 4 with games seeping into the new year.
There’s still plenty of time for teams to secure a more advantageous position in the standings, but the table is beginning to take shape. While Tottenham can afford to put their foot off the gas in a tough environment, Manchester United desperately need three points on Thursday night.
Here’s how 90min is predicting Matchday 4 of the Europa League league phase to pan out.
Once again, there’s a healthy balance between early and late kick-offs. Tottenham’s trip to Galatasaray is the standout fixture of the 17:45 slot, with Ange Postecoglou’s side aiming to maintain their 100% start to the league phase in what is undoubtedly their toughest test of the competition to date.
The hosts are always well up for it when a Premier League representative comes to town, and they’ll leapfrog the Lilywhites with a victory on Thursday having amassed seven points thus far. Gala have purred domestically, and they could feast on a young Spurs team here.
Rangers recorded their second victory of the league phase against FCSB on Matchday 3, but they continue to remain off the pace in the Scottish Premiership. The Gers won’t benefit from home comforts on Thursday, with a long flight to Athens on their docket. Conference League winners Olympiacos have found form in this competition after losing on Matchday 1.
Eintracht Frankfurt, Midtjylland and Athletic Club are the other current top eight incumbents involved in the early kick-offs on Thursday. Frankfurt have a potential banana-skin opponent in Slavia Prague, while Midtjylland are on their travels as they face a FCSB side looking to rebound from their defeat at Ibrox. Athletic Club have been mightily efficient through three league phase games, and they’ll be expected to triumph against Ludogorets on Thursday.
Elfsborg have surprised a few with their performances thus far, running Gala close in Istanbul last time out, and they’ll take plenty of confidence into their upcoming tie with Braga. While the Portuguese side currently sit 27th in the table with two defeats, they have won their last three domestic fixtures. Elfsborg are one of several teams to get the better of Roma in recent weeks, and Ivan Juric may well get the boot if his team are beaten by Union Saint-Gilloise.
Qarabag are bringing up the rear heading into Matchday 4 and one of three point-less teams. A visit to the Arctic Circle is not what they’d hoped for this week, where an unbeaten Bodo/Glimt team await.
Nice were dire in Budapest last time out but have been a fun watch in Ligue 1 so far this season. They need to ignite their campaign in the south of France on Matchday 4 as they take on Twente.
|
Fixture |
Kick-off Time (GMT) |
Prediction |
|---|---|---|
|
Bodo/Glimt vs Qarabag |
17:45 |
2-1 |
|
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Slavia Prague |
17:45 |
1-1 |
|
Elfsborg vs Braga |
17:45 |
1-3 |
|
FCSB vs Midtjylland |
17:45 |
2-2 |
|
Galatasaray vs Tottenham |
17:45 |
3-2 |
|
Ludogorets Razgrad vs Athletic Club |
17:45 |
0-2 |
|
Nice vs Twente |
17:45 |
2-0 |
|
Olympiacos vs Rangers |
17:45 |
2-1 |
|
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Roma |
17:45 |
0-1 |
|
Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv |
20:00 |
4-0 |
|
AZ Alkmaar vs Fenerbahce |
20:00 |
1-1 |
|
Dynamo Kyiv vs Ferencvaros |
20:00 |
2-1 |
|
Hoffenheim vs Lyon |
20:00 |
2-2 |
|
Lazio vs Porto |
20:00 |
1-2 |
|
Man Utd vs PAOK |
20:00 |
2-0 |
|
RFS vs Anderlecht |
20:00 |
1-3 |
|
Viktoria Plzen vs Real Sociedad |
20:00 |
1-1 |
Ruud van Nistelrooy is getting a taste of all the competitions during his interim spell. The stand-in Manchester United manager has ticked off the Carabao Cup and Premier League already, and his sole focus on Thursday will be overseeing United’s first victory of their Europa League campaign.
Their upcoming opponents, PAOK, have notched just one point through three games.
Lazio have been the most proficient side in the competition up to this point, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Porto do a number on the Italians at the Stadio Olimpico. Porto’s most recent Europa League victims, Hoffenheim, return to Germany and take on an exuberant Lyon side bursting with burgeoning youth. The other 100% outfit, Anderlecht, have a considerably easier task than Lazio on Matchday 4 as they face the winless RFS away from home.
Ajax have feasted on inferior opponents on Thursday nights this term, and the Amsterdammers could enjoy themselves here with Maccabi Tel Aviv taking on the Dutch giants. Maccabi are without a point heading into Matchday 4, as are Dynamo Kyiv, but the Ukrainians may fancy their chances of getting off the mark against Ferencvaros.
Real Sociedad have stuttered through the 2024/25 campaign thus far, with their mediocrity permeating into the league phase. They’ve mustered four points from three and have a tricky away trip in Czechia against Viktoria Plzen.
Oh, and finally; Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. How much drama will there be in Alkmaar? AZ, beaten by Tottenham on Matchday 3, will be aiming to score a huge victory on Thursday.