There is a lot of action coming up this Thursday as we are approaching the final round of the group stages in Europa League. The battle for securing a place in the last 16 is getting even more intense with Sevilla,Celtic and Espanyol being the only sure leaders in their respective groups.
Sevilla’s performance in Group A of the Champions League has been more than solid. The Spanish team is undefeated in his last 5 matches in the league and will finish on top of the table as group leaders.
On Thursday they will be traveling to Cyprus, as they face the second best - Apoel. The visitors will be urging for a win in order to book their place in the 1/16 finals.
Celtic’s recent form in Europa League has been quite decent, as they have recorded 4 wins and just 1 draw in their last 5 fixtures in the league. They stand comfortably on the top of the table, 4 points ahead of their opponent from the upcoming clash.
The home side will be in need for at least a draw if they want to continue further in the tournament. Currently, CFR Cluj have a delicate 3-point lead ahead of the third placed team of Lazio, which is definitely not enough for the Romanian side to feel secure.
CSKA Moscow travel to Barcelona to face the group leader RCD Espanyol. The Russians sit at the bottom of Group H as they’ve only picked two points so far. CSKA have been struggling a lot during the group stages, as they’ve yet to register a win. They’ve lost 3 and managed to draw only 2 of their last 5 league matches.
On the other hand, Espanyol are undefeated in the group stages. They have already booked their place in the last 16 of the competition as group leaders. They have pulled off 3 wins and have drawn in just 2 matches from the tournament. The Spanish club have a healthy 4-point lead ahead of second spotted team of Ludogorets, so if CSKA want to leave the tournament with a win they will have to give their best shot against Espanyol.
In Group K, Wolverhampton host Besiktas JK in the 6th round of Europa League’s group stages.
Wolves are second in the group, just 1 point behind the group leaders Sporting Braga. The English side have secured their spot in the last-16, but they will be striving for a win in the upcoming fixture which can possibly bring them on top of the table.
Things haven’t been going that well for the Turkish side, as they’ve lost 4 matches, securing just 1 win in their last 5 Europa League matches. They have no chances to qualify further in the competition, and will most likely find a lot of difficulties in their final fixture from the tournament.