The Europa League has its exclusive week this week, starting tomorrow.
The format mirrors the Champions League, with a league of 36 teams where each team will play 4 home and 4 away fixtures. The CL week 1 got mixed reviews at best and, of course, the quality is the Europa is lower.
England are represented by Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, while Rangers are the Scottish qualifiers. In a twist of fate Rangers will meet both the English clubs but not until weeks 6 and 7.
Jose Mourinho will be looking to write headlines with his Fenerbahce side, one of three Istanbul based teams in the competition. Again, the draw gods were mischievous as they send Jose's former side United to Turkey in week 3.
There are a number of former winners of European competitions in the draw, Roma winning the Europa Conference just 3 seasons ago and were runners up of the Europa in 23. Yet another of Mourinho's former sides, Porto have a couple of CL and Europa's and will fancy their chances this year. They are a future Manchester United opponent too. Ajax have one UEFA Cup to add to their 4 European Cups. Eintracht Frankfurt are another recent Europa winner, back in 2022, while Olympiakos come into this tournament on the back of winning the Conference League last season.
WEEK 1 - Wednesday
Manchester United host FC Twente, a club manager Erik ten Hag has history with and affection for.
Nice vs Real Sociedad is one of the more attractive looking ties, while Galatasaray vs PAOK is a nice Turk/Greek battle.
Other games on Wednesday are;
AZ Alkmaar vs Elfsborg and Bodo/Glimt vs Porto - 5:45pm
Anderlecht vs Ferencvaros, Dynamo Kyiv vs Lazio, Ludogorets vs Slavia Prague, Midtjylland vs Hoffenheim - all 8pm.
WEEK 1 - THURSDAY
Tottenham Hotspur ease in with a home tie with Qarabag. For Rangers it is a difficult trip to Sweden and Malmo. The latter game is a 5:45, the same time Fenerbahce play Royale Union SG.
The pick of the 8pms could be Ajax vs Besiktas or Roma vs Athletic Bilbao
Other 8pms are:
Braga vs Maccabi Tel Aviv, Eintracht Frankfurt vs Plzen, FCSB vs RFS, Lyon vs Olympiacos Piraeus
It will be interesting I am sure. Both English sides should get comfortable home wins with tougher tasks ahead.
Europa League 24/25 - WEEK ONE
posted 2 days, 10 hours ago
5*
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
Just thought I'd mention it here...
For those who may have missed it, Fenerbahce lost 1-3 at home at the weekend in the big Istanbul derby. Wahl in the mud!
LAJM!
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
DJ, wasn't it the Europa Conference that Roma won? Pretty sure it was.
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
Mourinho won't last the season there.
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
Were they runners-up in Europa?
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
Altered it.
posted 2 days, 8 hours ago
Out of the teams you've mentioned up there...
R Sociedad have made a very poor start to the season, think they're in the bottom 5 or thereabouts
Nice also had a jittery start in Ligue 1, but I saw they massacred St Etienne 8-0 last weekend (Friday night iirc)
Roma have just sacked De Rossi, can't remember who was on the bench or who they played at the weekend, but I think they had an emphatic win (3-0 I think). Athletic have been pretty decent so far, so maybe a good chance for them to get something away.
Over in the Netherlands, Ajax are another big name who've had a pretty mixed start, though a couple of good results lately. Alkmaar already looking like the only side who might be able to keep PSV from running away with the Eredivisie title again this season.
PAOK have started well in Greece (either 100% record or they've dropped two points against another of the big boy). Olympiacos dropped points early doors iirc, but I don't think they're far off. Things were really close last season between all of PAOK, AEK, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, and early results make it look like it could be a close run battle this season too. Think PAna have made the worst start out of those 4.
Much as I Ioathe Mourinho, I reckon they'll dispose of USG perhaps even with some ease. USG have had a poor start in Belgium. Genk are the early pace-setters and beat Anderlecht in Brussels last week. Anderlecht made a promising start, but have been more up and down of late.
Braga and Lyon are another two who've made mediocre starts to the season.
Lyon lost the French 'clasique' at home at the weekend against Marseille - despite the fact that they had a 1-man advantage for 85 minutes of regulation time (and more than 90 if you count injury times in both halves). Marseille came from behind to lead 2-1 going into injury time; OL equalised in the 93rd, only for 'l'OM to win it in the 95th.
By the way, who is RFS?
posted 2 days, 8 hours ago
Latvian lads from Riga.
posted 2 days, 8 hours ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 20 minutes ago
Were they runners-up in Europa?
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Yeah, think that was the season Sevilla fluked it under Mendilíbar, same bloke who won the ECL with Olympiacos last season. I might be mistaken, but I think Mourinho knocked out Leverkusen in the semis after a quintessentially Mourinho-esque performance.
posted 2 days, 8 hours ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 minutes ago
Latvian lads from Riga.
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Oddly enough, Latvia isn't one of the leagues I keep track of