This Thursday, the four French clubs involved in the Europa League and Europa Conference League will return to the European scene and try to get a little closer to qualifying in their respective groups. Defeated 5-1 by Liverpool in the first leg, Toulouse is preparing to welcome the Reds to its home for another legendary match. Victorious on the third day a fortnight ago, Marseille, Rennes and Lille will try to confirm their domination over AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Slovan Bratislava.
Big match night at the Stadium
After bringing the crowds to Anfield a fortnight ago, Toulouse is preparing, this time, to host Liverpool in a sold-out Stadium. Despite the slap in the first leg (5-1), the scent of a legendary match reigns in the Occitan air. Third with four points and tied with Saint-Gilloise (2nd), the TFC will have to achieve the feat to try to overtake the Belgians and get closer to qualification. At a press conference, Carles Martinez Novell announced that he wanted to make an impression: “Liverpool must remember the Stadium”. See you this Thursday at 6:45 p.m. for an anthology match!
1. Liverpool 9 points ; 2. Toulouse 4 points ; 3. Union Saint-Gilloise 4 points ; 4. Lask 0 point.
Confirmation for OM?
Winner of the first round at the Vélodrome (3-1), Olympique de Marseille travels this Thursday at 9 p.m. to the AEK Athens pitch. Leader of group B but three points behind Ajax, dead last, the Phocaeans have the opportunity to distance themselves a little further from their competitors and get closer to qualifying for the round of 16 of the Europa League. Already deprived of Valentin Rongier and Azzedine Ounahi, both injured, Gennaro Gattuso will also have to cope without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Discomforted with his hamstrings, the Gabonese striker is not traveling to Athens and should be replaced by Vitinha at the forefront of the Marseille attack.
1. Marseille 5 points; 2. AEK Athens 4 points; 3. Brighton 4 points; 4. Ajax Amsterdam 2 points.
Qualification gets closer for Rennes
Provisional leader of its group while waiting for the postponed Villarreal match, Stade Rennais hosts Panathinaikos this Thursday at 6:45 p.m. to try to continue its quest for qualification. Winner in Greece in the first leg, Rennes could distance their evening opponent by five points and almost eliminate them from the race for first place in the event of a victory. Bruno Genesio should start former Trojan goalkeeper Gauthier Gallon in the cages following the withdrawal of Steve Mandanda, injured in the knee during the match against Nice this weekend.
1. Stade Rennais 6 points; 2. Panathinaikos 4 points; 3. Villarreal 3 points; 4. Maccabi Haifa 1 point.
A perilous trip for LOSC in the Europa Conference League
This meeting feels like a match for first place! After regaining its leading position in pain at home against Slovan Bratislava a fortnight ago (2-1), LOSC travels this Thursday at 9 p.m. to Slovak soil to face its runner-up again. Benjamin André’s teammates must win to stay the course in a relatively homogeneous group and take a big step towards qualifying for the next round of the Europa Conference League.
1. Lille 7 points; 2. Slovan Bratislava 6 points; 3. Klaksvik 4 points; 4. Ljubljana 0 points.
