Europa League fixtures today – your guide to Thursday’s games

The second half of the 2023/24 Europa League group stage begins on Thursday with the fourth set of fixtures.

While there’s still plenty of football to be played, we’ve already reached the point where teams can start securing their place in the knockouts. Liverpool, AS Roma, and Bayer Leverkusen are among the sides that can do so on Thursday.

Liverpool have been dominant in the competition, but it’s been a mixed bag for the other British clubs thus far. West Ham’s once strong position in Group A now looks a little weaker, while Brighton and Rangers both have work to do if they’re to finish in the top two of their respective groups.

Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s Europa League fixtures.

Little old Brighton beating former Champions League winners Ajax, eh? Imagine telling someone that while Chris Hughton barely guided the Seagulls to Premier League safety in 2019.

Brighton’s Matchday 3 triumph over Ajax will be remembered as one of the most significant in the club’s history, even if this is one of the worst Ajax sides in living memory. Nevertheless, the Dutch outfit are on the come up with interim boss John van’t Schip and have sailed up to 11th in the Eredivisie following back-to-back victories.

Despite their win last time out, Brighton are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the top two qualification spots for the round of 16.

To the surprise of, well, absolutely nobody, Liverpool have made light work of Group E and are already in a position to qualify for the knockout stages.

The Reds have won their opening three encounters, and they brushed aside Toulouse in the reverse fixture at Anfield. A point will be enough to see them through, although top spot won’t be secure if Union Saint-Gilloise beat LASK in Austria.

Toulouse are winless in five and they head into Thursday’s game having lost back-to-back Ligue 1 games.

West Ham saw their impressive 17-game unbeaten run in Europe snapped in Greece last time out as they succumbed to the hostile Olympiacos faithful.

Nevertheless, the Hammers remain in a strong position at the top of Group A having won their opening two encounters, although their form as of late has been patchy at best. Their last Premier League victory arrived on 30 September.

With Freiburg level on points at the top of Group A and Olympiacos closing in from third, this is a contest David Moyes’ side can ill-afford to lose.

The Philippe Clement era is well underway at Ibrox.

Michael Beale’s tenure ended bleakly, but Rangers have been reinvigorated with Clement at the helm. The Gers picked up a handy point in Prague last time out, and victory on Thursday would hand them a massive advantage over Sparta in their bid to progress out of Group C.

Real Betis currently top the group, but these sides are only two points adrift with four each. Aris Limassol aren’t out of the running either.

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