Europa League: Previews and predictions for the end game round | Europa League

Fenerbahce v Anderlecht, 17.45

Fenerbahce is in good shape in the Turkish league, their 2-0 win on Alanyaspor on Sunday and expand their undefeated races to 12 games. José Mourinho’s side is only three points behind Galatasaray, which remains undefeated in the league. The disadvantage of fenes is that they have only won twice in Europe this season and just once at home. They scraped into the playoffs and secured the 24th and last place by the slimmest margins, Pipped Braga and Elfsborg about the target difference.

Caglar Soyuncu withdrew the victory over Alanyaspor and is one of five players who will miss when Anderlecht visits Istanbul for the first leg. Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat replaced Soyuncu this weekend and may start in a backline next to Milan Skriniar, an arrival from January, and Alexander Djiku.Anderlecht missed narrowly in an automatic place in the last 16. lost their last two matches and ended outside the top eight on target difference. Their domestic form has been mixed this season: they have fallen to fourth place in the table, but have booked somewhere in the Belgian Cup finals where they will play club use. Prediction: Fenerbahce for progress.

Ferencvaros V Viktoria Plzen, 17.45

Robbie Keane took over at Ferencvaros last month and his start to life in Hungary has been … mixed. The 44-year-old has only monitored one win in its five responsible matches, though it came in the Europa League in a seven-goal thriller against AZ Alkmaar.

Keane is likely to be without his ordinary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz, so Adam Varga seems to continue to defend between the sticks. Júlio Romão, the Brazilian midfielder who joined Qarabag earlier this month, can start in the middle of the park.

Viktoria Plzen ended 16 in the group stage, just above Ferencvaros on target difference. They will be without their forward Christophe Kabongo. Former Watford man Matej Vydra is expected to cooperate with Prince Adu in attack as the couple seems to add their three goals in the competition. Prediction: Viktoria Plzen for progress.

Union SG V AJAX, KL. 17.45

Ajax is household names in this draw, but Union SG has not lost a home game since November and won eight of their 10 matches at Stade Joseph Marien in that race. However, the Belgian side has a few key players excluded for the first stage. Ross Sykes and Ousseynou Niang are prohibited, with Koki Machida expected to deputy for the latter at the left wing-back.

Ajax is in good shape. They have won their last six games in a row to go on top of EreDivisie. They will miss the young tips Mika Godts, but Jordan Henderson, who came close to a move to Monaco in the winter window, had to start in the midfield. Prediction: Ajax for progress.

Central Jutland against Real Sociedad, 17.45

The Danish winter break means that the first leg will be Midtjylland’s fourth competitive game since the beginning of December. They did not end the year well after winning three of their last 10 matches in all competitions that range back to October. Their goalkeeper Elias Olafsson is out, so Jonas Lössl is expected to continue between the sticks. Real Sociedad must be wary of the exciting Chilean edge Darío Osorio, who has been linked to big clubs throughout Europe.

Real Sociedad booked their place in the Copa del Rey semi -finals last week and beat Osasuna to create a meeting with Real Madrid, and they also expect to be in the last 16 of the Europa League. However, they have to improve their away form; They did not win any of their outdoor matches in the group, relying on the home winning against Ajax, Dynamo Kyiv and Paok to get them so far. La Real Have a number of concerns about their trip to Denmark, with the mid-backback Igor Zubeldia a doubt and the right-back Hamari Traoré a long-standing absence. Prediction: Real Sociedad for progress.

Porto against Roma, 20:00

This is probably the prominent bond of the round, but none of the team has been the best this season. Porto hopes to improve on a race of a win in their last eight games when they welcome Roma to Estádio do Dragão. The Portuguese side is now under the leadership of the 39-year-old Argentine Martín Anselmi, who has tried to implement a three-man Backline since the acquisition of Vítor Bruno last month.

Porto is out of dispute in Primeira League and out of Taça de Portugal, so looking at the Europa League to save their season. Marko Grujic, Iván Marcano and Martim Fernandes will miss the Roma game with injury, but the most important blow to their chances is Nico González ’60 million.

Roma has no harm or suspension, but they have been poor on the road this season. Their narrow 1-0 win in Venice this weekend was Justtheir Second Away victory in all competitions in 2024-25. It has been a tough year for the club that has hired four leaders in the last 14 months. Claudio Ranieri got out of retirement to lead his boy club in November and would very much like to love his career with some European silverware. Prediction: Roma for progress.

Twente V Bodø/Glimt, at. 20

Twente pulled it out of the bag in the group stage and won their last two matches to secure a place in the knockout round. These victories over Malmö and Besiktas will give them confidence as they prepare to welcome Bodø/Glimpse to the Netherlands.

The Dutch side has won their last four home matches, which are well stalled. It also makes their absence list, with Younes Taha the only player missing. The headache of the main election comes on the front line, where Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Sam Lammers and Daan Rots are fighting for two spots.

Like Central Jutland, Bodø/Glimt is ready for their fourth competitive game since the elite series season ended in December. The Norwegian team will be without Philip Zinckernagel, who moved to the MLS side Chicago Fire last month, with Isaac Määtätä set to be on the right. Prediction: BODIsland/glimpses of progress.

AZ Alkmaar V Galatasaray, 20:00

Alkmaar and Galatasaray have already met in the Europa League this season; They played a 1-1 draw at AFA’s stadium in November. Given their recent form, Alkmaar will aim to secure the victory this time. Since the beginning of December, they have been non-imperious in the home and won everyone except one of their nine home matches. What the Dutch side would not give to another victory.

That said, they face the Turkish giants without their right -back Seiya Maikuma due to injury, with Denso Kasius potentially filled. The influential wings Ruben van Bommel is a doubt not to have appeared since a 2-2 draw with PSV last month.

Galatasaray travels to Alkmaar on the back of a Bisarr match this weekend in the Turkish league. Their home match against Adana Demirspor was abandoned in the first half after their opponents left the field in protest by the judge’s decision to award a penalty to gala. Álvaro Morata converted the penalty, and when the Adana Demirspar players refused to return to the field, the referee called played off.

Gala has their own concerns as they set off to the Netherlands. Davinson Sánchez, Lucas Torreira and Victor Osimhen are all suspended, with Elias Jelert, Berkan Kutlu and Morata expected to step in respectively. Mauro Icardi, meanwhile, is a long -term absence for the Turkish side who wants to build on a race of three wins from their last four. Prediction: Galatasaray for progress.

PAOK against Steaua Bucharest, at. 20

After back-to-back defeat, Paok came back to win ways with a resounding 5-0 win on Ofi Crete over the weekend to give the perfect moral boost before their tie against Steaua Bucharest. Paok, fourth in the Greek Super League, will be without Jiri Pavlenka, with Andrija Zivkovic and Kiril Despodov are also in doubt. PAOK has only won two of their five home matches this year, which did not offer well.

Then Steaua Bucharest has not been in very large form himself. Their win over Sepsi OSK over the weekend ended a three-game winless streak. The Romanian league is remarkably competitive this season: The top five clubs in the table are separated by a single point.

Darius Ollaru and Mihai Lixandru will both miss Thursday’s play in Greece with damage. Florin Tanase is likely to start in the No. 10 role to cover the former absence, while Malcom Edjouma is ready for partner Adrian Sut in the midfield with Lixandru sideline. Prediction: Steaua Bucharest for progress.