Which teams will crash out of the EL tonight?
The league phase of the EL reaches its concluding round with one final set of fixtures to be played this evening before moving on to the knockout rounds. The revamped competition has 36 teams participating in one group, with the top eight qualify automatically for the next round with the following sixteen going into a playoff round and the final twelve being eliminated from European competition altogether.
Lazio lead the way going into the final game day with nineteen points as they have managed six wins from their seven matches. Following closely behind are Eintracht Frankfurt, Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United. There are a number of teams who would have hoped to have performed better with the likes of Rangers, Ajax and Real Sociedad amongst the teams that are in the middle playoff section of the table. One of the biggest surprises is that FC Porto find themselves down in 25th place knowing that they need something on the last game day if they are to prevent their European adventure from ending prematurely. The likes of Dynamo Kyiv, Nice, Malmo and Hoffenheim will be very disappointed with their respective campaigns this season.
The final round throws up some interesting fixtures, starting with Ajax’s tie with Galatasaray. The visitors are one point behind eighth place so they will be desperate to qualify for the next round without a playoff and Ajax, whilst almost certain to finish in the playoff group, are not guaranteed to do so. Underperforming AS Roma face a must win tie at home to second placed Eintracht Frankfurt, a tricky match to end the league phase for them as they go into this final gameday down in 21st place and perilously close to the elimination group. At the top of the table, Lazio are guaranteed their place in the top eight and they end their group stage away from home at Braga, as do Manchester United who are on the road to FCSB, who are themselves only one point behind United. FC Porto’s future is hanging by a thread and they travel to Belgrade to take on Maccabi Tel Aviv. The clash between Twente and Besiktas is also an important one as there are only two places and two points between the two teams with both battling it out for a place in the top 24.
Here is a quick look at our pick of the day’s best matches:
Ajax vs Galatasaray
Johan Cruijff ArenA, Thursday @ 21:00
Ajax are searching for the three points that will guarantee their progress to the next stage in a seeded position for the upcoming knockout round. It is almost impossible for other results to go so badly against them they fail to make it through but it is something that they will, nevertheless, have in the back of their minds. Three successive defeats have put a dent in what was a positive start to their European campaign, including a home defeat to leaders Lazio. They will hope to end that run against Galatasaray and their manager Francesco Farioli should be able to prepare them well having managed two Turkish sides in the past. Ajax do have an excellent record against Turkish opposition, winning eleven of the thirteen matches played.
Galatasaray know that a win in Amsterdam can push them into the top eight, therefore avoiding the playoff round. They are having an excellent domestic season, looking likely to win their 25th domestic title and they are on a 26 game unbeaten streak in all competitions. There has only been one draw between Galatasaray and Dutch opposition in the past. They have faced PSV eight times previously, out of a total of nine games against Dutch teams. Victor Osimhen is the man to watch for the visitors, he has six goals in his last six appearances.
AS Roma vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Stadio Olimpico, Thursday @ 21:00
Roma face a tough match on the last game day as they take on second placed Eintracht Frankfurt needing points to ensure their progression to the next rounds. Defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the last round was not the result they needed and they go into this match in 21st position and in peril of being eliminated. Manager Claudio Ranieri has had a largely positive impact since being tempted out of retirement to join the team from the capital, winning seven of the eleven games since he took over. Roma have been strong at home, in fact they are on a six game unbeaten streak and they will need that to continue if they are to progress.
Eintracht Frankfurt are second in the table and having a very good campaign both in Europe and domestically, where they sit third in the Bundesliga. They have won five of their last six matches in Europe but they were pegged back by Hoffenheim at the weekend. They are all but guaranteed a spot in the top eight and they will be hoping to build momentum towards possibly lifting this trophy for the second time in four seasons. Frankfurt have been free scoring in Europe as they have managed two or more goals in all of the last six away Europa League matches.
FCSB vs Manchester United
The National Arena, Thursday @ 21:00
FCSB, also known as Steaua București, currently occupy the last spot in the top eight and they will be desperate to hold onto it with the likes of Galatasaray, Olympiacos and Rangers breathing down their necks hoping for a slip up. This is not the ideal match for them to do so however as they have a very poor record against English teams, where they are on a seven match losing streak. Whatever happens, this campaign will be viewed as a success as they will progress beyond the first round for the first time since 2017/18. Overall they are in decent form, have two wins and a draw in their last three matches and they have only three losses in their last 22 home matches in the Europa League.
Manchester United will look to put their inconsistent domestic form behind them and focus on getting the job done in this away fixture. They did manage an away win in the league at the weekend, their fourth win in five matches overall. The last minute win against Rangers in the last round was priceless as that result all but guarantees their progress to the next round, with the pressure somewhat off in this match. They have an excellent record against Romanian opposition, winning five of the six matches played and will hope that they can avoid any slip up in this match.
Tottenham vs Elfsborg
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Thursday @ 21:00
Tottenham’s season has certainly been a turbulent one so far but they are, at least, having a good time of things in the EL. They have four wins from seven matches and are currently in sixth spot as they prepare to take on Elfsborg, who are down in 20th. That being said, their injury crisis shows no sign of abating and they lost at home to lowly Leicester City at the weekend so fans will head to this game with some trepidation. They will need to put their seven game winless run in the league to the back of their minds to focus and get the job done against a potentially tricky opponent. Tottenham will need to be more organised defensively if they are to stop an Elfsborg side who have scored in six of their last seven away matches in Europe.
Six times Swedish Champions Elfsborg arrive in London knowing that a win is a must on Thursday evening if they are to secure their continued participation in this competition. They have had no distractions preparing for this match as they are currently in pre-season with the Swedish league yet to start. They don’t have the best away record as they have conceded 24 goals in their last eight away matches in major European competitions so they will need to score more than once themselves to have a chance of success.
Last Updated: 30.01.2025
