Who Could Win the UEFA Europa League?

AC Milan welcome Ferencvaros to San Siro on Thursday 5 November 2026 (18:45 CET) for Matchday 4 of the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase, in what promises to be a stern test for Rúben Amorim's Rossoneri. Milan are back in European competition after a one-year hiatus and are targeting a place among the top eight in the 36-team league table, which would send them directly into the round of 16. Amorim has reshaped a squad with an estimated market value of €557 million into a more disciplined, cohesive unit this season, and with San Siro expected to be packed, the home side will look to stamp their authority early. Ferencvaros, arriving from Budapest with their trademark physicality and direct attacking style, have little to lose and will aim to spoil the Milanese party. The European odds reflect Milan's status as clear favourites: 1.50 for a home win, 4.20 for the draw, and 6.75 for a Ferencvaros away victory.

For the 2026/2027 season, Milan's squad blends experienced leaders with Amorim's fresh tactical vision, with Serbian centre-back Strahinja Pavlović anchoring the defence and providing the workhorse mentality the new coach demands. In midfield and attack, Amorim has leaned on a collective of technically gifted artists, all tasked with restoring the style and composure that was missing last term. Ferencvaros, meanwhile, built their 2026/27 campaign around a disciplined back line and quick transitions, knowing that their best chance at San Siro will come from set pieces and counterattacks. Both coaches are expected to field strong elevens despite the congested autumn calendar. Our prediction for this encounter is 3:1 — a confident home win in which Milan's attacking quality ultimately overwhelms the Hungarian champions.

AZ Alkmaar host Juventus on Thursday, 5 November 2026, at the AFAS Stadion in a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league phase match kicking off at 20:00 UTC. Both sides arrive with something to prove in Europe: AZ are trying to build on a strong start to their continental campaign, while Juventus travel to the Netherlands aiming to recover from a shaky domestic spell. The bookmakers make the Italian side a narrow favourite in European (decimal) odds, with Juventus priced around 2.00, the draw near 3.40, and a home win for AZ at approximately 3.50.

AZ's recent form has been solid despite a few setbacks. The Cheeseheads were held to a 2-2 draw away at Cambuur in the Eredivisie, but bounced back in style in Europe, thrashing Ararat-Armenia 0-4 on the road in Yerevan. Maarten Martens can count on a talented 2026/27 squad featuring Jari De Busser in goal, Lewis Schouten, Wouter Goes and Seiya Maikuma in defence, Jordy Clasie and Peer Koopmeiners in midfield, and an exciting attack led by Mexx Meerdink, Ro-Zangelo Daal, Calvin Stengs and Ayoub Oufkir. The hosts will however be without Kees Smit, Jizz Hornkamp and Stije Resink through injury.

Anderlecht vs Salzburg is one of the most intriguing fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase, with the two sides set to meet at Lotto Park on November 5, 2026. Historically this is a balanced rivalry — each club has one win apiece in their previous European meetings — but both arrive in very different states of health and form. Anderlecht are building momentum after a slow start to their European campaign, while Salzburg's high-energy pressing game has been dented by a growing injury list, setting up a fascinating tactical battle in Brussels.

The home side's recent European form has been a story of improvement. After opening their campaign with a narrow home defeat to Lyon, RSC Anderlecht responded with a hard-fought trip to Croatia before producing their best performance of the season so far, a convincing 3-0 victory away to Jagiellonia Bialystok on October 22. That away win — following the 1-0 loss at Dinamo Zagreb and the 1-2 home defeat to Lyon — has lifted confidence around the club, and the 2026/27 squad, built around goalkeeper Justin Heekeren, a settled back line and an increasingly fluid attacking unit, finally looks like a cohesive European outfit under their current project.

Bayer Leverkusen host Olympique Marseille at the BayArena on November 5, 2026, in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase. The German side are looking to bounce back from a disappointing domestic run, having been beaten 3-0 away at Hoffenheim in their most recent Bundesliga outing (0:3), while Marseille arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia full of confidence after an entertaining 4-3 home win over Le Havre in Ligue 1 (4:3). Both clubs view this competition as a genuine route to silverware this season, and with direct qualification places at stake, expect an intense, high-tempo European night under the lights in Leverkusen.

Leverkusen's 2026/27 squad features a dangerous attacking arsenal led by Victor Boniface and Moussa Diaby, with Nathan Tella, Malik Tillman and new signing Eliesse Ben Seghir providing creativity in support, while Aleix García pulls the strings in midfield. Marseille's roster for this season combines experience and flair: Amine Harit and Amine Gouiri lead the line, with Angel Gomes, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Neal Maupay adding depth in the final third, and Nayef Aguerd marshalling the defence. The visitors' last European away test, however, ended in defeat in Austria (1:2), a reminder that their travelling defence can be vulnerable against organised, pressing opponents like this Leverkusen side.

Benfica host Lech Poznan at the Estádio da Luz on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in what promises to be a one-sided UEFA Europa League league phase clash. The Portuguese giants are flying through the group stage while the Polish side is struggling badly, and the European odds reflect that gap: Benfica are priced as heavy favourites at around 1.17, the draw is offered near 7.00, and an away win for Lech Poznan sits as long as 5.00 with most bookmakers.

Benfica arrive in outstanding form, having won their last three matches in all competitions. Marco Silva's men were made to work hard away to Santa Clara before grinding out a 1-2 victory in the Primeira Liga, with Vangelis Pavlidis and Gianluca Prestianni scoring in the second half. In Europe, the Eagles dismantled Omonia 1-4 in Nicosia and earlier beat Celtic 4-1 at home, averaging more than three goals per game in this season's Europa League campaign.

Celta Vigo host Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at Balaídos on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a UEFA Europa League group stage clash that pits two in-form attacks against each other. Celta arrive looking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano last weekend, though their European campaign has been promising so far, highlighted by a famous 2-1 win at Celtic Park in the previous round. In LaLiga, Claudio Giráldez's men also held Real Betis to a 0-0 draw, but the heavy loss in Vallecas has increased the pressure to deliver a strong home performance in Europe.

Union Saint-Gilloise travel to Spain in excellent spirits after a perfect week in Belgium: a 5-2 home thrashing of Cercle Brugge followed by a 2-1 away win at Waasland-Beveren. Sébastien Pocognoli's side sit among the frontrunners in the Belgian Pro League and have carried that momentum into Europe, making them anything but a straightforward opponent. Their most recent European test came against Spanish opposition in this mid-October tie, a useful rehearsal for the tactical challenge Balaídos will pose.

Celtic host Beşiktaş at Celtic Park on Thursday, 5 November 2026 in what promises to be one of the most intriguing fixtures of the UEFA Europa League league phase. The Scottish champions are looking to bounce back after a disappointing home defeat to Celta Vigo on Matchday 3, when they led through Mika Baur's strike only to lose 1-2 late on. Martin O'Neill's side have been free-scoring domestically — highlighted by a 7-1 demolition of Hearts — but were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee United in their most recent Premiership outing, underlining some defensive vulnerability heading into this European test.

Beşiktaş arrive in Glasgow under new head coach Vincenzo Italiano, who took charge in June 2026, and the Turkish side have been one of the surprise packages of the competition. They beat Marseille 4-1 in Istanbul and followed up with a superb 3-2 away win at Hoffenheim, though they were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace in their last Europa League match. Domestically, they responded to a 2-0 defeat at Trabzonspor by beating Başakşehir 2-0 on 26 October, keeping them in the Süper Lig title conversation.

Crystal Palace welcome TSG Hoffenheim to Selhurst Park on Thursday, 5 November 2026 (17:45 GMT) for Matchday 4 of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase. The Eagles, now managed by Pierre Sage after his summer appointment on a three-year contract, sit 15th in the league phase table with four points from three games, while Hoffenheim arrive in London looking to build on their impressive European campaign. Palace opened with a commanding 4-0 home win over Lech Poznań before a 3-2 defeat in Lyon and a 2-2 draw at Beşiktaş, so the Londoners will view this home fixture as a key opportunity to climb into the seeded knockout positions.

Palace's recent form has been mixed, and their Premier League struggles were underlined by a narrow 1-0 defeat at Tottenham on 31 October, where a second-half goal decided a tight contest. That loss followed a 0-2 home reverse against Newcastle United, leaving the Selhurst Park faithful eager for a response under the lights in Europe. The good news for the 2026/27 squad is that the core remains intact and refreshed: Dean Henderson and Walter Benítez compete in goal, Chris Richards, Axel Disasi, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben Chilwell anchor the defence, Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada pull the strings in midfield, and the attacking burden is shared by Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eddie Nketiah, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Yeremy Pino, Ismaïla Sarr and loan duo Evann Guessand and Darío Osorio.

H. Beer Sheva host OFI Crete in a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league phase fixture at Turner Stadium on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 CET. The Israeli side arrive in strong domestic form after a stunning 2-5 away win over Maccabi Haifa in the Ligat Ha'Al, though their European campaign has been bumpier, as shown by the 2-1 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar. OFI Crete, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by Rennes in their last Europa League outing and went down 0-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen, leaving the Greek club with little margin for error if they are to keep their knockout phase hopes alive.

In terms of team news for the 2026/27 season, H. Beer Sheva manager Ron Kozuk is expected to rely on the spine that has served him well so far: goalkeeper Ofir Marciano protected by Guy Mizrahi, Djibril Diop, Miguel Vítor and Pedro Amador, with Forson Amankwah and Niv Yehoshua anchoring midfield behind the creative trio of Javon East, Zahi Ahmed and Amir Ganah, with Igor Zlatanović leading the line. The hosts are without Lucas Ventura, Idan Nachmias and Dan Biton through injury. OFI Crete's 2026/27 squad is built around Andreas Cantalapiedra's attacking threat, with Kostas Kostoulas, Thiago Romano, Zisis Karachalios and Giorgos Kanellopoulos providing support, while Panagiotis Katsikas or Konstantinos Lilo will battle for the gloves.

Levski Sofia host Jagiellonia at the Vasil Levski National Stadium on Thursday, 5 November 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 17:45 UTC in the UEFA Europa League league phase. The Bulgarian side arrives with encouraging continental momentum after a 1-2 win away to Viktoria Plzen and a resilient 1-1 draw at NEC Nijmegen. Jagiellonia’s latest European form is less stable: they were beaten 0-3 by Anderlecht before responding with a 3-1 victory over Ararat-Armenia.

The latest European odds make Levski Sofia the favourites at 1.98, with the draw priced at 3.71 and an away win for Jagiellonia available at 3.90. Those prices reflect Levski’s improved away performances in the competition and home advantage in Sofia, but Jagiellonia remain dangerous when their front line finds space to break quickly. The visitors will need a much sharper defensive display than the one that allowed three goals against Anderlecht, while Levski must avoid the slow start that undermined them in their 0-1 home defeat by RB Salzburg in September.

Lillestrom host Viktoria Plzen at Arasen Stadion on 5 November 2026 in a crucial UEFA Europa League 2026/2027 league phase fixture, with both sides desperate to revive campaigns that have stalled after three rounds. Lillestrom, winless in the league phase (D1, L2), were humbled 6-0 at home by Real Sociedad last time out — a sobering evening in which Thomas Olsen missed a penalty and the Norwegians shipped six despite a bright start. That result followed a resilient 1-1 draw away to Sparta Prague, a performance built on defensive discipline that coach Andreas Georgson will want to replicate against Plzen. The 2026/2027 Lillestrom squad is built around young attacking talent: Gustav Nyheim and Thomas Olsen lead the line, supported by Yaw Paintsil, Yildren Ibrahimaj and Ruben Gabrielsen, with Stefan Hagerup and Pontus Dahlberg competing in goal behind a back line marshalled by veteran Espen Garnas.

Viktoria Plzen arrive in Norway with identical momentum problems, having lost their last two European outings. Miroslav Koubek's side went down 2-1 away to Ferencvaros in Budapest before slipping to a 1-2 home defeat against Levski Sofia, leaving the Czechs with ground to make up if they are to reach the knockout rounds. Plzen's 2026/2027 squad blends experience with youth: Martin Jedlicka guards the goal behind defenders Sampson Dweh, Vaclav Jemelka, Milan Havel and Karel Spacil, while the midfield engine room features Lukas Kalvach and Cadu, with Prince Kwabena Adu and Daniel Vasulin providing the attacking thrust. Koubek has publicly demanded a reaction, and Plzen's European pedigree — they reached the Europa League round of 16 in recent seasons — suggests they are far better than their recent results show.

NEC Nijmegen host Omonia Nicosia at the Goffertstadion on 5 November 2026 in a UEFA Europa League league-phase clash, with both sides chasing crucial points in a tight group. NEC arrive after a stubborn run in the Eredivisie, picking up a draw in the 2-2 home stalemate against FC Groningen and another point in the 2-2 battle with Fortuna Sittard, while their European adventure has already featured a famous 4-2 win at Dinamo Zagreb. Omonia's recent form has been more volatile: they were humbled 1-4 at home by Benfica in the 1-4 Europa League defeat, days after losing the Nicosia-area derby at AEK Larnaca by a 2-0 scoreline, though their 3-0 win in Celje shows they can be dangerous on the counter.

On the European odds market, NEC Nijmegen are the clear favourites for this fixture: a home win is priced around 1.85, the draw sits near 3.60, and an Omonia victory pays approximately 4.20. Those decimal odds reflect both the Dutch side's strong European pedigree this season and Omonia's patchy away form, and they align with simulation models that give NEC more than a 50% chance of winning. The over 2.5 goals market is also firmly backed at roughly 1.75, suggesting bookmakers expect an open, attacking contest rather than a cagey European night.

Real Sociedad welcome Olympique Lyon to the Reale Arena in San Sebastián on Thursday 5 November 2026 (18:45 CET) for a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league-phase showdown, and La Real arrive in rampant form. Sergio Francisco's side followed up a Copa del Rey win at Málaga (2:5) with a stunning Europa League rout in Norway, beating Lillestrøm (0:6) before edging Levante in LaLiga (2:1) to keep momentum at a peak ahead of this clash.

Lyon, by contrast, travel to the Basque Country with questions to answer. Paulo Fonseca's men have come undone in their biggest recent tests, beaten by Hoffenheim in the Europa League (3:0) and undone by late goals against PSG (2:0) in Ligue 1, leaving them mid-table domestically and under real pressure to take something from matchday four in Europe.

Sparta Prague host AFC Bournemouth at the epet ARENA on Thursday, 5 November 2026 (17:45 UTC) in a UEFA Europa League league-phase clash that pits one of Czech football's giants against an in-form Premier League side. The Czechs arrive under pressure after a patchy run: they were beaten 1-0 by Olympiacos in their last European outing and could only draw 1-1 with Lillestrøm, alongside domestic setbacks against Baník Ostrava. Bournemouth, by contrast, are flying — unbeaten in five and fresh from wins such as 3-0 over Aston Villa and 3-0 at Manchester United, plus a 3-0 dismantling of Milan in this competition.

For the 2026/2027 campaign, Sparta Prague's squad is built around Elias Cobbaut and Filip Panák in defence, Lukáš Sadílek and Qazim Laçi in midfield, with Victor Olatunji and Václav Sejk leading the line. Bournemouth counter with a settled Premier League core: Kepa in goal, Illya Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi at the back, Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie dictating play, and the explosive front line of Antoine Semenyo, Evanilson and Justin Kluivert. Team news is far kinder to the visitors — Sparta are without Adam Sevínsky, John Mercado, Matěj Ryneš, Adam Karabec, Emmanuel Uchenna, Ondřej Penxa and Magnus Kofod Andersen through injury, while Bournemouth only miss Alex Tóth, Alex Scott, Veljko Milosavljević and Julián Araujo.

Sturm Graz host NK Celje at the Merkur Arena on Thursday 5 November 2026 (kick-off 20:00 UTC) for matchday four of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase, in what will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides. The Austrian outfit sit on four points from three matches after edging Marseille 1-0 on matchday three, while Celje are still searching for their first win of the campaign following a hard-fought 2-2 home draw with Salzburg. Sturm's home form in Europe has been solid, and the bookmakers agree: European odds currently price a home win around 1.67, the draw near 4.20, and a Celje victory at roughly 5.90.

Christian Ilzer's 2026/27 Sturm Graz squad blends youth and experience, with teenage prodigy Luca Weinhandl pulling the strings in midfield, Oumar Diakité leading the line after netting the winner against Marseille, and Ammar Helac guarding the goal. Jacob Hödl and Simon Seidl add creativity from the flanks, while Belmin Beganović provides depth in attack. Celje's roster, built around a compact Slovenian core, has struggled for cutting edge in this competition — just two goals scored and seven conceded across their three league-phase outings, including a sobering 0-3 home defeat to Omonia Nicosia and a 2-0 reverse away to Bayer Leverkusen.

Sunderland host GNK Dinamo Zagreb at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, 5 November 2026 (21:00 CET) in a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league phase Matchday 4 clash between two sides having very different European campaigns so far. The Black Cats, in their debut season in a major UEFA group or league phase, sit 9th in the table with an unbeaten record of seven points from three matches, having beaten AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at home, won 2-1 away at Torreense, and drawn 1-1 at Lech Poznań. Dinamo Zagreb, Pot 1 opposition on paper, are down in 18th place with four points after a goalless draw at Hapoel Be'er Sheva, a narrow 1-0 home win over Anderlecht and a damaging 2-4 home defeat to NEC. In European odds, Sunderland are clear favourites at around 1.75 for the home win, with the draw priced near 3.80 and an away victory for the Croatian champions close to 4.20.

Regis Le Bris has built a young but fearless Sunderland squad for the 2026/27 season, with summer arrivals such as Enzo Le Fée — whose penalty beat AZ — Timur Tutyerov, who scored in Poznań, Chemsdine Talbi, Malick Fofana, Jocelin Ta Bi and Noah Sadiki, who netted the late winner in Portugal, complementing homegrown talent like Chris Rigg. The Wearsiders have proven resilient on the road, though their domestic form has dipped: after a goalless Premier League home draw with Leeds United (0-0) and a thrilling Carabao Cup comeback against Brentford (3-2), they were beaten 3-1 at Coventry City (3-1) last time out, leaving them bottom of the Premier League and under pressure. Le Bris will be without Nordi Mukiele, Thomas Meunier, Wilson Isidor, Daniel Ballard and Romaine Mundle through injury, which could force rotation between competitions.