The new layout of the UEFA Europa League is not to everybody’s liking, as it is an extended competition with a newly formatted group stage.
But I must admit that, in contrast to the opinions of many fans and plenty of players, this SBOTOP writer quite likes the one-league system. It lets us see all the teams in the competition on one list, and the days of one “Group of Death”, a number of processions and a few groups with no big names in them, are gone.
Yes, it’s quite a long process, but we’re almost at the halfway stage of the big league portion as Round Four gets underway when Besiktas hosts Malmo on Wednesday afternoon. All the other games in the round are played on Thursday when the big guns all cross the white line.
After three rounds, there are three teams on a maximum nine points, Lazio, Spurs, and Anderlecht, and all three will have high hopes of maintaining their 100-per cent records, though two of them will face stiff opposition on Thursday.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham have a tough gig away to Galatasaray at the Turk Telecom Arena, but they come into the game in fine form, following up a 2-1 EFL Cup win over Manchester City with an impressive 4-1 league win against high-flying Aston Villa.
Summer signing Dominic Solanke has had a quiet start to his Spurs career, but he scored a quick-fire brace in the win over Villa, while creative midfielder James Maddison was also on target.
The Turkish giants are on a four-match winning streak and have former Napoli Victor Osimhen in their ranks, but the latest Europa League 2024 betting odds make Tottenham the outright favourites to win the competition.
Lazio are at home to FC Porto in another exciting tie of the round, and this clash pits together two teams who are banging in form, each having won their last four games in all competitions.
Lazio beat Cagliari 2-1 to climb to fifth in the Serie A table, while FC Porto beat Estoril 4-0 to cement themselves in second place in the Portuguese league. Without Ciro Immobile, now at Besiktas, Lazio are ticking along quite nicely, and at SBOTOP odds of 2.23 are the slight favourites to win this one.
Anderlecht have had a perfect set of Europa League 2024 results so far, and they are expected to make it four wins from four when they travel to Latvia to take on Rigas Futbola Skola.
Three teams are lurking on seven points, and they are all on home soil. Eredivisie giants Ajax are at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv having won their last six matches, while the Israelis have lost all three of their Europa League games, last time out to Real Sociedad.
Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt host Slavia Prague, then Basque giants Athletic Bilbao are away to Ludogorets and are on an unbeaten run of four while their hosts have picked up just a single point in the Europa League.
Near neighbours Real Sociedad are one of the frontrunners according to the latest betting odds but, alongside Serie A heavyweights Roma, they are on a modest four points.
Sociedad are away to Viktoria Pizen and come into the game on the back of a solid 2-0 La Liga win over Sevilla, as talisman Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty. But their hosts will be no pushover having drawn all three of their opening Europa games including a 3-3 result away to Eintracht Frankfurt.
I Giallorossi are away to Union Saint-Gilloise looking to shake off a 3-2 loss to Hellas Verona at the weekend, and they will meet the Belgians who are on a poor run, with four draws and two defeats from the last six games. Roma are down in 12th place in Serie A, and they will hope to turn their Italian and European fortunes around quickly.
Manchester United fans will go into their clash with PAOK in pretty chipper mood after their incoming manager Ruben Amorim masterminded a stunning 4-1 Champions League win over Manchester City no less.
The Red Devils have had a poor start to the Premier League campaign, down in 13th place and have gathered just three points from their opening three games in the Europa League.
Amorim takes over at Old Trafford officially next Monday 11th November, and Thursday’s clash with the Greek side gives the United players a chance to impress their new boss.
They have been pretty average all season, but I expect a new manager bounce from the Red Devils, starting right now.
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