Europa League predictions: Group stage matchday 5

When the UEFA Cup, the forerunner to the Europa League, was created in 1971, not even those at European football's governing body were optimistic about the competition's lifespan.

UEFA's former chief executive Gerhard Aigner even admitted: "It is true that we did not expect the UEFA Cup to become so important."

Five decades later, the modern iteration of the tournament has emerged as the continent's second-most prestigious club competition. On Thursday, the group stage of this season's campaign ticks towards its climax with the penultimate round of matches.

Here are 90min's predictions for the latest slate of fixtures in a competition that no one expected to still be going.

Europa League predictions: Group stage matchday 5

Early kick-offs

West Ham United's record-breaking run in European competition came to an end on their last away posting in the group stage. David Moyes' side swiftly bounced back to defeat Olympiacos at the London Stadium last time out, ensuring that a victory over Serbian upstarts Backa Topola this week would confirm their place in the knockout stages.

The Hellenic giants travel to Freiburg with ground to make up in Group A. Olympiacos need to win their final two matches to retain any hope of hosting Europa League football after Christmas.

Greek champions AEK Athens are also playing catchup when they welcome Brighton to the capital on Thursday. The Seagulls will be out for revenge after losing the club's first-ever European fixture to AEK at the Amex in September.

Real Betis have rebounded from an opening night loss away to Rangers to top Group C with three subsequent victories. A fourth on the spin against Sparta Prague would not only book a ticket in the knockout round for Manuel Pellegrini's side but also eliminate their hosts from the competition.

Group D leaders Atalanta have rattled off the most shots and accrued the highest xG in the group stage thus far. Sporting CP have the unviable task of travelling to Bergamo this week. The Lisbon side are on the cusp of qualification themselves, boasting a three-point cushion above Sturm Graz, who host winless Rakow Czestochowa in Austria.

Maccabi Haifa occupy the opposite end of the goalscoring charts. With just one strike to their name during a campaign punctuated by the conflict in Israel, Maccabi's lack of fluency is understandable. The club's final 'home' game of the group stage will be held in an empty Puskas Arena, with group leaders Rennes heavy favourites for the trip to Budapest.

Late kick-offs

Gennaro Gattuso's blunt summary of Marseille's 1-1 draw with Strasbourg on the weekend should inspire hope among Ajax supporters. "That was crap, a disaster," the Italian coach seethed. While Gattuso has not been able to overhaul Marseille's domestic results, the French giants sit atop Group B after consecutive victories over AEK.

Ajax languish at the foot of the mini-table and need maximum points from their final two matches if they have any hope of progressing. John van 't Schip, the club's fifth incumbent in 18 months (and yes that is how you spell his name), had no need for Gattuso's harsh words after watching Ajax rattle five unanswered goals past Vitesse Arnhem on Saturday.

Rangers have been painfully unpredictable during this group stage, beating leaders Real Betis and losing to bottom side Aris Limassol within a matter of weeks. The Gers will at least have Ibrox roaring them on when they go up against the Cypriot champions again on Thursday.

Liverpool have not lost a European group game at Anfield since Atalanta achieved a 2-0 victory behind closed doors in 2020. Jurgen Klopp's side were denied an equaliser in their defeat to Toulouse last time out by a hotly controversial VAR decision, missing out on automatic qualification. Unless Austrian side LASK pull off an almighty shock, the Reds will be assured of a knockout berth on Thursday.

The remaining two clubs in Group E meet in France. Both Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise are backed by statistically savvy operations but neither highly choreographed setup managed to prepare for the traffic that delayed the reverse fixture. That September meeting ended in a 1-1 draw which could repeat itself this week.

Villarreal have had more managers this season (four) than Europa League fixtures (three). However, it may be fourth time lucky for the chaotic Spanish outfit as Marcelino's return has prompted an immediate uptick. The club's latest incumbent is up against Panathinaikos in his first European fixture of the season.

Jose Mourinho's Roma travel to Switzerland to face Servette while Slavia Prague make the trip to Moldova for a meeting with Sheriff Tiraspol in Group G. Both Roma and Slavia could wrap up qualification on Thursday but, with an equal head-to-head record, overall goal difference will decide the top two spots if the teams remain level on points by the end of the campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen are the only Europa League club with a perfect group stage record. Xabi Alonso's Bundesliga leaders are expected to maintain their stellar form away to the only pointless team in the competition, Hacken.

There's nothing to separate Qarabag and Molde in the race for Group H's second place before the pair meet in Norway on Thursday.

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