2023-24 Europa League – Group Stage Predictions
The Europa League draw took place on the 1st of September with 32 teams including 6-times Champions League winners, Liverpool and 4-times Champions League winners Ajax included in this season’s draw.
Teams were divided into 4 different pots based on their UEFA coefficient rankings. One team from each pot will be drawn into the eight groups. However, no teams from the same country can be paired in the same group.
Group winners will qualify for the Round of 16. Second-placed teams will play teams that finished third in the Champions League groups to qualify for the Round of 16. Teams that finished third in the Europa League groups will play in the Europa Conference League play-offs for a spot in the Round of 16.
Now let’s dive into the groups and predict the group winners. Group A has the Europa Conference League winners, West Ham United who are heavily fancied to win their group which includes Olympiakos, Freiburg and TSC Backa Topola from Serbia who are making their Europa League debut.
West Ham have shown that they have what it takes to succeed in Europe and have started the season on fire. They currently sit 4th in the Premier League and will be looking for another successful European campaign.
Group B is possibly the ‘Group of Death’ for the Europa League this season with Ajax, Marseille, Brighton and AEK Athens making up the group. Ajax are the slight favourites but Marseille and Brighton can make them pay if treated lightly. Debutants Brighton will need to find the balance between the Premier League and Europe and it remains to be seen if they have the depth to do so.
Group C sees Glasglow Rangers paired with Real Betis, Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol. We predict that the team that prevails between the Rangers and Real Betis matches will win the group comfortably.
Group D on the other hand sees Atalanta as clear favourites to win their group. The Italian side were Champions League quarterfinalists as recent as 3 years ago and should prove too strong for Sporting, Sturm Graz and Rakow Czestochowa who are making their Europa League debut.
Group E sees Liverpool are the strong favourites to not only win their group but also the entire competition. The Reds have been given a favourable draw and were paired with LASK, Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse. All teams are close in proximity which should give the Reds enough time to rest between Premier League games.
Villareal, the Europa League winners in 2020-21 are expected to win Group F after being drawn with Rennes, Maccabi Haifa and Panathinaikos respectively. In their 2020-21 competition winning season, the Yellow Submarine were also paired with Maccabi Haifa in the group stage and will be hoping that this is a good omen for them to succeed in this year’s competition.
Last season’s runners-up AS Roma have been drawn into Group G along with Slavia Prague, Sheriff Tiraspol and Servette. Jose Mourinho’s side should have no problems winning the group and will be aiming to finally win the competition after finishing as runners-up twice.
German side Bayer Leverkusen, winners of the UEFA Cup (former name for the Europa League) in 1987-88 are fancied to win Group H. They have been paired with Qarabag, Molde and Hacken and currently sit top of the Bundesliga with a 100% record.
The Europa League kicks off on Thursday, 21st September with all 32 teams aiming for a spot in the finals next May in Dublin.
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