The UEFA Europa League continues on Thursday with matchday 5 of the group stage.
Here are five games to keep close tabs on…
Wolfsburg vs Everton
The running narrative: A victory on Thursday will clinch the Toffees top spot in Group H, and extend their unbeaten run to eight matches—they haven’t been beaten since a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in early October.
Interesting tidbit: The incentive is the same for Wolfsburg—a win will guarantee progression into the knockout phase of the competition. The hosts have collected seven points from their three group stage fixtures following an opening 4-1 loss at Goodison Park.
The edge: Both sides are in top form and on the rise after relatively slow starts. Wolfsburg is undefeated at the Volkswagen Arena this term, with six wins from eight overall matches. The 3-2 defeat to Schalke over the weekend ended an impressive run of results—nine wins one one draw—that has lifted them to second in the Bundesliga table and on the brink of securing a spot in the next round.
Last word: A collective effort has been the key to success for both teams. When you glance at the statistics, not one player stands out above another. Roberto Martinez and his counterpart Dieter Hecking have put together a strong core, and the timing of their clash couldn’t be better. This is the tie of the round.
Thursday programming alert: Watch Dynamo Moscow vs Panathinaikos on Sportsnet World at 11:00 am ET, Wolfsburg vs Everton on the four main Sportsnet channels at 1:00 pm ET, Sparta Prague vs Napoli on Sportsnet ONE at 1:00 pm ET, Feyenoord vs Sevilla on Sportsnet World at 1:00 pm ET, Tottenham vs Partizan on the four main Sportsnet channels at 3:00 pm ET, Celtic vs Salzburg on Sportsnet ONE at 3:00 pm ET, and Inter Milan vs Dnipro on Sportsnet World at 3:00 pm ET. || Also, watch these games online at Sportsnet World NOW: Slovan Bratislava vs Young Boys at 1:00 pm ET, Guincamp vs Fiorentina at 1:00 pm ET, HJK Helsinki vs FC Copenhagen at 3:00 pm ET, Torino vs Club Brugge at 3:00 pm ET and Villarreal vs Borussia Monchengladbach at 3:00 pm ET || Broadcast schedule
Sparta Prague vs Napoli
The running narrative: Tied atop Group I with nine points, Napoli heads to Prague and will attempt to become the first visiting side in the competition to escape with maximum points.
Interesting tidbit: Sparta have won all five of their European fixtures at the Generali Stadium this season, scoring 21 goals and conceding only four.
The edge: Rafa Benitez has Napoli playing their best football of the season to date, arriving in Prague off the back of a six-match unbeaten run. They are by far the favourites and the better side going into Thursday’s encounter, having won the reverse fixture 3-1 at the Stadio San Paulo to kick off the group stage.
Last word: With five goals in four matches, Sparta captain David Lafata is joint top-scorer in the Europa League. The 33 year-old has also chipped in 10 goals in the Czech topflight.
Feyenoord vs Sevilla
The running narrative: The reigning Europa League champions are within arms length of securing a spot in the next round with a victory in Rotterdam. However, should they fail to secure all three points, Sevilla will provide a lifeline to their Group G opponents heading into the final matchday.
Interesting tidbit: Unai Emery holds the record for most Europa League appearances by a manager (39), though, the 3-1 victory over Standard Liege was of greater importance than the individual achievement collected on matchday four.
The edge: Sevilla must shake off and forget the thorough beating suffered at the Camp Nou this past weekend. It’s imperative for the visitors to get off to a great start and grab an early lead to avoid the aftereffects from their weekend embarrassment.
Last word: Both teams come into the fixture on Thursday with undefeated records—Feyenoord is a perfect two for two in the group stage at home and Sevilla with two draws on their travels. Neither can afford to play for a draw, as a win by Rijeka or Standard Liege in the group’s other contest would only amplify the pressure. Whoever can pull out a victory at De Kuip will be in the driver’s seat with one match to go.
Tottenham vs FK Partizan
The running narrative: Spurs only need a point to confirm their place in the Round of 32, but after an embarrassing scoreless draw in Belgrade, expect Mauricio Pochettino push his side to go straight for the jugular.
Interesting tidbit: Partizan is currently on 16-match winless run in the group phase of UEFA competitions (four draws and 12 defeats). They’ve collected one point after four matchdays, scoring one goal and conceding eight.
The edge: Anything short of a routine and emphatic victory for Tottenham would be quite shocking, especially since the encounter takes place at White Hart Lane. Spurs have been largely disappointing this season, as Pochettino has struggled to find the right formula to produce a decent run of positive results.
Last word: Tottenham have been tremendously consistent in the Europa League group phase, and will look to extend their unbeaten streak to 18 matches—11 wins and six draws heading into Thursday’s fixture. Spurs last defeat came three years ago to Greek side PAOK FC, losing 2-1 in North London.
Celtic vs Red Bull Salzburg
The running narrative: A split of the points in Glasgow on Thursday will confirm both undefeated sides advance to the next round, so expect a very tight encounter at Celtic Park.
Interesting tidbit: The Austrian champions have scored the most goals in the Europa League group stage, with 13 goals from their four matches (3.25 average). Salzburg is also in the midst of an eight match unbeaten run away from home in the competition (seven wins).
The edge: The reverse fixture ended 2-2 at the Red Bull Arena, with the hosts twice battling back to salvage a point. Since the, Salzburg have steamrolled through their group opponents and never looked back. They are by far the better side, which is the sad reality of Scottish football’s current state.
Last word: Salzburg’s Jonathan Soriano has actually scored more total goals at club level than Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014 (53 to 49). The Spanish striker finished fifth in the European Golden Shoe rankings. He’s tied for top scorer in the group stage with five goals in four game, adding to his more impressive overall tally this season of 28 in 26 combined matches with Salzburg.
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