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Europa League 2024/25 League Phase: Premier League teams learn their opponents

The Europa League's new Swiss Model kicks off in 2024/25. Man Utd & Spurs learn their opponents in a challenging group stage. Dive into the fixtures and analysis.

Moinak Banerjee
Last updated: 09.09.2024
Europa League 2024/25 League Phase

Like the Champions League, the Europa League also adopted the ‘Swiss Model’ replacing the group stage with the League Phase from the 2024/25 season. The number of teams has increased to 36 in a single league facing eight separate opponents home and away. The top eight sides will enter the Round of 16 directly while sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs to fill the other slots. From then on, the competition will follow its existing format. The final of the competition is on 21 May 2025 to be played at the San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain. The League Phase begins on 26 September 2024 and will run until 31 January 2025.      


From the Premier League, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs have directly qualified for the competition with two slots allotted to the English top flight normally. The Red Devils finished eighth last season, their worst finish in the league history, but they managed to win the FA Cup saving their blushes and guaranteeing European football for the new season. Spurs secured their spot in the Europa League group stage by finishing fifth in the Premier League, despite leading the table early. The team last played in the competition in 2020-21. 


United will be pleased to have less challenging fixtures on paper in the League Phase with the headline clash in store when they face Fenerbahce in Istanbul pitting against their ex-boss José Mourinho. That game falls on the third matchday after Erik ten Hag’s side begin their campaign against FC Twente at home and face FC Porto away. The 2017 Europa League winners will face Scottish giants Rangers, PAOK and Bodo Glimt in the rest of the matches at Old Trafford and made two other trips to Bucharest and Plzen.  

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On the contrary, Ange Postecoglou’s side will face tough opponents in the League Phase mostly on the away trips. However, there should not be any major hurdle for them to finish in the top eight. Roma will be more threatening than the rest although they will be the visitors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium like AZ Alkmaar, Qarabağ and Elfsborg. The Gers are also on the list of opponents Spurs will face in away matches with record Turkish league winners Galatasaray, Bundesliga side Hoffenheim and Ferencváros bringing their force respectively.  

Manchester United

Home 


Rangers


PAOK


Bodo Glimt 


FC Twente


Away 


FC Porto


Fenerbahce 


Viktoria Plzen 


FCSB 


Fixtures  


26 September 2024 


Manchester United vs FC Twente - Old Trafford, Manchester (00:30) 


4 October 2024 


FC Porto vs Manchester United - Estadio do Dragao, Porto (00:30)


25 October 2024 


Fenerbahce vs Manchester United - Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul (00:30)


8 November 2024 


Manchester United vs PAOK - Old Trafford, Manchester (01:30)


29 November 2024 


Manchester United vs Bodo Glimt  - Old Trafford, Manchester (01:30) 


12 December 2024 


Viktoria Plzen vs Manchester United - Doosan Arena, Plzen (23:15)


24 January 2025


Manchester United vs Rangers - Old Trafford, Manchester (01:30)


31 January 2025


FCSB vs Manchester United - Arena Nationala, Bucharest (01:30)

 

Tottenham Hotspurs

Home 


Roma 


AZ Alkmaar


Qarabağ


Elfsborg


Away 


Rangers 


Ferencváros


Galatasaray


Hoffenheim


Fixtures


27 September 2024 


Tottenham vs Qarabağ - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham (00:30)

3 October 2024 


Ferencváros vs Tottenham - Groupama Arena, Ferencváros (22:15) 


25 October 2024 


Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham (00:30)


7 November 2024  


Galatasaray vs Tottenham - Rams Park, Istanbul (23:15)


29 November 2024


Tottenham vs Roma - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham (01:30)


13 December 2024


Rangers vs Tottenham - Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (01:30)


23 January 2025


Hoffenheim vs Tottenham - PreZero Arena, Hoffenheim (23:15)


31 January 2025


Tottenham vs Elfsborg - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham (01:30)

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