Manchester United aim to return to winning ways when they resume their Europa League campaign this week. The Red Devils are the 12th seed, and they will fly to Doosan Arena on Thursday to take on the 13th-seeded Viktoria Plzen. Both teams have had the same Europa League 2024 results, so they have the same number of points and are next to each other in the standings.
Meanwhile, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, and Eintracht Frankfurt have the highest tally after the first five matchdays. With 13 points each, these three teams are in the top three, and they have big matches in Europe this week.
Without further ado, learn more about the top matches to look forward to in the sixth matchday, as SBOTOP previews them one by one.
Viktoria Plzen vs Manchester United
Ruben Amorim went undefeated in his first three games in charge of Manchester United, but he has lost his last two against Arsenal (2-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-2). Because of the team’s worrying injury list, the Portuguese manager will likely rotate his squad again against their Czech counterparts.
Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof will remain on the sidelines. Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Noussair Mazraoui, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Mason Mount are hoping to force their way back into the starting XI after being on the bench the last time out.
Rasmus Hojlund is the one to watch out for if you’re Viktoria Plzen, as he has already scored eight European goals for the Red Devils. The Danish international could become just the third player after Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford to record nine European goals for Manchester United at age 21 or younger.
Viktoria Plzen will rely on top scorer Pavel Sulc to wreak havoc against Manchester United in the final third. The 23-year-old striker has scored four goals in his last four appearances, and he will have Erik Jirka and Matej Vydra as his partners in the attacking front. Miroslav Koubek’s side is the underdog for this match, according to the Europa League 2024 odds. However, Ruben Amorim and co. would be foolish to underestimate their hosts.
Betting Tip – Manchester United Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.66
Fenerbahce vs Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao will go on a tricky trip to Turkey, as they will face Fenerbahce later. The Super Lig giants are the 15th seed, while their La Liga counterparts are the second seed and are on a four-game winning streak.
Fenerbahce are fresh from a 1-0 derby defeat against Besiktas, and they will miss several key players against Athletic Bilbao. Fred will serve his one-match suspension, so Ismail Yuksek will replace him in midfield. Jayden Oosterwolde and Mert Hakan Yandas are dealing with injuries.
Caglar Soyuncu could return to the team after a four-match injury absence, and Bright Osayi-Samuel, Sebastian Szymanski, and Youssef En-Nesyri could force their way back into the starting XI after being on the bench last time out.
Los Leones recently saw the return of Unai Simon, and the Spanish goalkeeper could return in the starting XI after being on the bench in the last three games. Nico Williams will also start after dropping down to the bench in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Villarreal. Andoni Gorosabel, Adama Boiro, and Mikel Jauregizar are also vying to start. Ander Herrera is Athletic Bilbao’s only known absentee, as the midfielder is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Despite their gap in the standings, many believe this match could go either way. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being a draw, but Fenerbahce would prefer to get a win here.
Betting Tip – 1X2 Draw @ 3.13
Ajax vs Lazio
Ajax and Lazio will meet for the first time on Thursday. Only three points separate these two teams in the table, with Lazio on top with 13 points and Ajax in sixth place with 10 points.
Ajax are winless in their last two matches, but they have won both of their first two European home matches against Besiktas (4-0) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (5-0) without conceding a single goal. Francesco Farioli’s side will depend on Kenneth Taylor and Mika Godts to produce because they already have four goals each in the Europa League. Team captain Jordan Henderson will likely return to the starting XI after a hamstring issue.
Lazio are coming off back-to-back wins against Napoli in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 and Serie A, so their confidence is high. Veteran winger Pedro has been the team’s leading scorer in Europe this year, but Tijjani Noslin and Taty Castellanos could get on the scoresheet on Thursday.
Betting Tip – Lazio Asian Handicap -0.00 @ 2.25
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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