The Europa League returns on 15 October with all 18 Matchday 2 fixtures taking place on Thursday.
Juventus, Crystal Palace, Sparta and Besiktas are already among the early leaders, while several big names are under pressure after a poor opening night.
Milan and Marseille are the obvious examples. Both lost their first game and already need a response. Juventus, Lyon, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, meanwhile, can move onto six points from six.
Here are the key Matchday 2 fixtures with 888STARZ.
Lyon vs Crystal Palace
One of the standout games of the round — and a meeting between two Matchday 1 winners.
Crystal Palace sit second after opening with a 4–0 win over Lech Poznan. Lyon also have three points after beating Anderlecht 2–1 and currently share 10th place.
There is another storyline here: Pierre Sage returns to France to face a club he managed until January 2025.
Both teams have already started with a win. One of them will drop points in Lyon.
Salzburg vs Milan
Matchday 2 already carries extra weight for Milan.
The Italians opened their Europa League campaign with a 2–0 home defeat to Benfica and sit only 29th. Salzburg went the other way, beating Levski 1–0 and moving into 14th place with three points.
Another setback would leave Milan deep in the bottom half before an away game at Bournemouth on Matchday 3.
Salzburg, meanwhile, have exactly the kind of start that allows them to play this home fixture without unnecessary pressure.
Celta vs Juventus
The contrast after Matchday 1 could hardly be greater.
Juventus lead the Europa League table after thrashing NEC 5–0 and recording the best goal difference among all 36 teams.
Celta lost 1–0 to Omonia and currently share 25th place.
On paper, the difference is clear. The only change now is that Juventus have to prove it away from home.
For Celta, one big result could completely change the mood after a poor start. For Juve, another win would put them in an excellent position inside the top eight.
Benfica vs Celtic
Benfica produced one of the strongest results of the opening round — a 2–0 away win against Milan.
That leaves the Portuguese side seventh with three points.
Celtic had the opposite experience: a 3–1 home defeat to Ferencvaros and 28th place with zero points.
Now the Scottish side have to respond in Lisbon.
It is another game where one team can move onto six points while the other risks starting the campaign with back-to-back defeats.
Marseille vs Olympiacos
Marseille’s European campaign could hardly have started worse — a 4–1 defeat to Besiktas.
That result leaves the French club down in 32nd place.
Olympiacos already have three points after beating Jagiellonia 2–1 and sit 13th.
For Marseille, this is already more than just a chance to show a reaction. At home, they need a result.
Starting the league phase with zero points from two games would put them under immediate pressure.
Lech Poznan vs Bayer Leverkusen
Another matchup between teams coming off completely different opening nights.
Lech were beaten 4–0 by Crystal Palace and sit 35th. Bayer started with a controlled 2–0 win over Celje and are already inside the top eight in eighth place.
The schedule looks favourable for Leverkusen: a home win on Matchday 1 followed by a trip to a side that conceded four in its opener.
Lech have a much simpler task to describe than to execute — make sure Matchday 2 does not turn into another heavy defeat.
Full Matchday 2 Schedule
Early kick-offs: Sparta — Lillestrom, AZ — Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Salzburg — Milan, Lech Poznan — Bayer Leverkusen, Celje — Omonia, Lyon — Crystal Palace, Union — Real Sociedad, Torreense — Sunderland.
Late kick-offs: Bournemouth — Sturm, Ferencvaros — Viktoria Plzen, Dinamo Zagreb — Anderlecht, Jagiellonia — Ararat-Armenia, NEC — Levski, Marseille — Olympiacos, Celta — Juventus, Benfica — Celtic, Rennes — OFI, Hoffenheim — Besiktas.
Before Matchday 2
The opening round produced two very different groups.
Juventus and Crystal Palace are already near the top and can make it six points from six. Lyon, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Salzburg are in the same position.
Milan, Marseille, Celta and Celtic start Thursday on zero.
That leaves two main questions for Matchday 2: which of the early winners can stay perfect, and which big club will be the first to climb out of the bottom end of the table?
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