The Uefa Europa League has reached the halfway point in the 2023/24 group stage and there are plenty of intriguing storylines developing.
The Uefa Europa League continues to throw up plenty of excitement and drama as we head into Matchday 4 of the 2023/24 competition.
How qualifying for the knockouts works
The eight group winners automatically go through to the last 16. Additional knockout round play-offs will then be played before the round of 16, pitching the eight group runners-up against the third-ranked teams from the Uefa Champions League groups. The Europa League third-place sides switch to the Uefa Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs.
What to look out for
West Ham looking over their shoulder
Europa Conference League holders West Ham looked on course to breeze through to another knockout stage after winning their first two matches in Group A. But a surprise defeat by Olympiacos in Piraeus has brought them back down to earth, and they will be all too aware that another slip-up against the Greek side in London coupled with a positive Freiburg result against TSC would push them down to third.
“We have to improve our performance and we must rise to the occasion,” said manager David Moyes following the Matchday 3 defeat. “It was a tough game, but we carry on.” The Hammers will need to use all their European experience to navigate a potential banana skin at the London Stadium.
Liverpool return to Toulouse
It has been over 16 years since Liverpool made their one and only trip to Toulouse, with Ukrainian forward Andriy Voronin scoring the only goal in a Champions League third qualifying round first leg in 2007 in a tie the Reds went on to win 5-0 on aggregate. With a perfect record in the Europa League so far this season, the French city could again prove to be a happy hunting ground, Jürgen Klopp’s side knowing a win would seal their place in the round of 16.
“They fought hard,” Klopp said after the 5-1 win against the Ligue 1 team on Matchday 3. “We know we have to be ready for the away game in Toulouse. I’m looking forward to that, but this was a good night for us.” There could be plenty more of those on the horizon in this competition if Liverpool continue in this vein of form.
Bouncebackability
Winning on Matchday 3 doesn’t automatically mean a side will repeat the feat when they face the same opponents a fortnight later, but it certainly helps. Last season eight teams recorded back-to-back wins, with PSV hitting five home and away against Zürich, while two backed up victory with a valuable point.
Only two sides dusted themselves down after defeat and exacted revenge; both in the comfort of more familiar surroundings; both in some style. Trabzonspor bounced back from a 3-1 loss at Monaco by winning 4-0 in Türkiye; Ferencváros responded to a 4-1 defeat by Crvena zvezda by winning 2-1 at home.
When are the remaining Europa League group stage games?
Matchday 5: 30 November 2023
Matchday 6: 14 December 2023
Further ahead
- Perhaps the standout draw was Group B, and it is looking extremely tight, with just three points currently separating first from fourth. AEK Athens v Brighton and Marseille v Ajax on 30 November could be decisive matches.
- Roma’s Romelu Lukaku has scored in a remarkable 14 consecutive Europa League appearances. If he continues that streak against Slavia Praha he’ll be confident of extending it further against Servette on Matchday 5, with the Swiss side having conceded seven goals in three games until now.
- Olympiacos and Freiburg produced one of the best games of the tournament so far when the Bundesliga side edged a five-goal thriller 3-2 in Greece on Matchday 1. Here’s hoping for more of the same when they meet again in Germany on Matchday 5.