Europa League League fixtures today

It may only be the UEFA Champions League’s baby brother, but there is still plenty to look forward to during the first round of Europa League fixtures this Thursday.

It’s a particularly exciting year for the British clubs in the competition: Liverpool are searching for one of the few trophies they haven’t won under Jurgen Klopp, Brighton & Hove Albion are embarking on their maiden European campaign, West Ham United are fresh from Europa Conference League glory and Rangers are looking to go a step further than they did two seasons ago when they reached the final.

It may all end in Dublin next May, but it properly begins here in the group stages. Here is your guide to Thursday’s opening round matches.

The Reds’ first European final under Klopp came in this competition back in 2016. Liverpool fell to a 3-1 defeat against Europa League kings Sevilla, but they will feel confident of getting their hands on the trophy this time round.

A fairly simplistic group begins with a scenic trip to Austria to face LASK – a side Liverpool have never faced before. Klopp is likely to rotate from Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, but even a second-string Liverpool side should be strong enough to dispatch of last season’s third-best team in Austria.

The Reds’ first Europa League game in over seven years should finish with a comfortable victory.

For those who disparage the lesser European competitions, West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph last season is the perfect example of why they still matter so much. The Hammers’ success was not only an unbelievable achievement in itself, it offered them a passport into the Europa League this year.

Their campaign begins with a seemingly straightforward tie against Backa Topola, who finished second in the Serbian top division last season. They are currently leading the SuperLiga this year after seven matches and could pose the Irons some issues on Thursday evening.

However, West Ham have also made a strong start to the campaign, even competing admirably against Manchester City in a 3-1 defeat last weekend. Regardless of Backa Topola’s form, this should be three points in the bag for the Hammers.

On paper, this should be Brighton‘s easiest game of a difficult group in their first European campaign. It’s essential that Roberto De Zerbi’s side get off to a winning start against AEK Athens, especially given Ajax and Marseille are their other group opponents.

In all honesty, the Seagulls should swat their Greek foes aside with relative ease and will be buoyed by their terrific start to the campaign. Brighton’s 3-1 away win over Manchester United at the weekend was perhaps the crowning glory in what has been a wonderful opening few weeks of the new season.

Having suffered miserably in the Champions League group stage last season, Rangers will take residence in the Europa League again this year.

The Gers’ last match in this competition was in fact the final in 2022, a game that still feels like a missed opportunity at Ibrox. Rangers lost 5-4 on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt after 120 minutes of battle, with Aaron Ramsey missing the crucial spot kick.

The chance to enjoy another deep Europa League run is there for Michael Beale’s side, but they will face stiff competition from Real Betis this Thursday in their group opener. Rangers have shown they can be competitive against some top European sides in the past and will want to take advantage of the Spanish outfit’s heavy 5-0 loss to Barcelona at the weekend.

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