UEFA Europa League Matchday 1 2024-25 | The 54th season of this European soccer club competition, is set for September 25 and 26.
The group stage is now a 36-team League stage. Each team will have eight matches in league play, four at home and four on the road.
The top eight will move on to the round of 16, while the ninth-place through 24th-place finishers will go through playoffs to take the last eight slots in the round of 16.
After that, the format is a straight knockout.
Let’s look at the first day of matches with some sports betting insights, including a prediction for the Europa League final, set for May 21, 2025, at Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao, Spain.
UEFA Europa League Matchday 1 Betting Preview with Odds & Expert Analysis
- AZ Alkmaar (-218) vs Elfsborg (+500) (Draw +360)
- Bodo/Glimt (+265) vs Porto (-113) (Draw +275)
- Manchester United (-350) vs Twente (+770) (Draw +460)
- Galatasaray (-181) vs PAOK (+420) (Draw +320)
- Dynamo Kyiv (+265) vs Lazio (-102) (Draw +244)
- Ludogorets (+230) vs Slavia Praha (+111) (Draw +242)
- Midjtylland (+135) vs Hoffenheim (+166) (Draw +275)
- Nice (+138) vs Real Sociedad (+216) (Draw +200)
- Anderlecht (+108) vs Ferencvaros (+236) (Draw +242)
- Fenerbahce (-171) vs Union SG (+440) (Draw +295)
- Malmo (+134) vs Rangers (+193) (Draw +232)
- Roma (+101) vs Athletic Club (+275) (Draw +228)
- Ajax (-112) vs Besiktas (+270) (Draw +265)
- Frankfurt (-280) vs Viktoria Plzen (+640) (Draw +400)
- Tottenham (-699) vs Qarabag (+1425) (Draw +680)
- Braga (-208) vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (+490) (Draw +340)
- Lyon (-118) vs Olympiacos (+300) (Draw +255)
- FCSB (-173) vs Rigas Futbola Skola (+440) (Draw +295)
Manchester United vs Twente
This game marks the Red Devils’ chance to start Europa League play by making a significant statement. This is a tournament that usually falls below their level of competition, but sometimes they end up “down” here. They have six wins, one draw and one loss in their last eight Europa League matches at Old Trafford. Twente had advanced to the Champions League playoff round before getting eliminated by Red Bull Salzburg and getting bounced downstairs. In their last eight away Europa League fixtures, Twente have three draws and five losses. They haven’t been in a Europa League at all since 2014, though.
^Nice vs Real Sociedad
The French team have not played well in recent years in the Europa League. In 2020-21, they made it to the group stage but lost five of their six matches once they got there. In their last 12 Europa League matches, they have two wins and 10 losses. They have never drawn a match in any of their 22 Europa League matches all-time. Real Sociedad last played in the Europa League two seasons ago and won all three of their away matches in group play, including a thunderous upset at Man U, where they won, 1-0. However, they lost, 2-0, at AS Roma in the Round of 16.
^Galatasaray vs PAOK
The game should have plenty of energy and physicality. These teams were both in the Champions League qualifiers before Young Boys and Malmo, respectively, sent them home. Galatasaray were last in a Europa League in 2021-22 when they won a group that had Lokomotiv Moscow, Marseilles and Lazio without losing a match. In the round of 16, they picked up an impressive scoreless draw at Barcelona but lost at home, 2-1. PAOK play well in Greece, but struggle away; five of their last seven away Europa League matches have ended in losses.
^Midtyjlland vs Hoffenheim
This is another fairly even match. Hoffenheim are in their fourth European competition in club history; they have yet to get past the round of 32. Midtyjlland came in second in their Europa League group in 2022-23 after routing Lazio, 5-1, at home and drawing Feyenoord, 2-2, both away and home. The smart pick is to go with the home side here.
^Lyon vs Olympiacos
Marks Lyon’s attempt to get back into the elite ranks of European club soccer. It was just four years ago when they reached the Champions League semifinals, but they’ve only made one continental club competition since then, when they played in the Europa League in 2021-22. That year they got to the quarterfinal before West Ham sent them home. Olympiacos won the Conference League (the tournament below the Europa League) last year and earned a spot up in the second-tier competition. Last season was the first time Olympiacos had made it past the round of 16 in any European competition in 25 years.
^Tottenham vs Qarabag
Sees Spurs open their Europa League campaign against Qarabag at home. Spurs last played in the Europa League four years ago, when they took a 2-0 first-leg edge over Dinamo Zagreb, only to collapse and lose in the reverse fixture. Qarabag actually played Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifying round for the Champions League this season but lost both legs, 3-0 away and 2-0 at home. Tottenham beat Qarabag both home and away in group play in Europa League play in 2015.
^Fenerbahce vs Union SG
This is Jose Mourinho’s chance to start working his way back out of the desert of club soccer. His Turkish side got to the Champions League playoff round before Lille eliminated them. Union SG also got knocked out of the Champions League playoff rounds, falling 4-1 on aggregate to Slavia Praha.
^AS Roma vs Athletic Club
Sees last year’s semifinalists taking on a Spanish side, getting into a continental club competition for the first time in seven years. Athletic finished fifth in La Liga, their best domestic finish in a decade. Roma fell to Bayer Leverkusen in the last four; the year before, they had advanced to the final before losing to Sevilla in a shootout.
^Europa League Matchday 1 Props
Anderlecht vs Ferencvarso UNDER 2.5 goals
Anderlecht stopped Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League playoff, getting both wins in 1-0 fashion (home and away). They also struggled to score in the UEFA Conference League in 2022-23, with fewer than three goals scored in five of the eight matches they played at home. Ferencvarosi have also seen low-scoring affairs in their qualifying matches. They didn’t score at all in an away match with Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier, and they had a 0-0 home draw and a 1-1 away draw in a Europa League playoff tie with Borac Banja Luka.
Ajax vs Besiktas OVER 2.5 goals
Qualification matches saw both of these teams in high-scoring affairs. Ajax demolished Jagiellonia Bialystok 7-1 on aggregate, and Besiktas boat-raced Lugano by an aggregate score of 8-4. This should be a tighter match, but Besiktas have scored in six straight away matches in the Turkish Super League, and they’ve permitted goals in five of those.
^Europa League Matchday 1 | Who’s In the Finals?
You might notice a few teams that normally would have been in the UEFA Champions League, the top competition for European club soccer. These include Roma from Italy’s Serie A, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United from the English Premier League, and also perhaps Lazio (Serie A) and Lyon (Ligue 1 from France). Those teams generally populate the top of the odds list to win the Europa League. Tottenham (+450) and Man U (+500) are currently the favorites to win the Europa League trophy next year. Atalanta from Serie A won the Europa League last year, beating German side Bayer Leverkusen, 3-0. This time around, we don’t know how the bracket will populate, but an all-British final wouldn’t be unexpected. Tottenham have started their EPL season more consistently than Man U, though.
^We are back! 🧡#UEL pic.twitter.com/m9u9gbI8er
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) September 23, 2024
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