Europa League Preview Round-Up: Groups A-F

Group A

Anderlecht - Ajax
FC Timisoara - Dinamo Zagreb

Group leaders Anderlecht currently sit on top of their domestic league and are in fine form having won their last two games. They will look to maintain their good start to the Europa League when they host Dutch kingpins Ajax. Martin Jol's side will certainly be hoping to carry their rampant domestic scoring form in Europe, as they look to improve upon an 0-0 draw against Timisoara in their first game. They have scored sixteen goals in their last four Eredivisie ties, without reply.

In the other game, Dinamo Zagreb will hope to do something only VfB Stuttgart have managed this season; beat Romanian side Timisoara. The Croatian outfit top their domestic league and have scored 39 goals in 11 domestic games but will encounter a resolute Timisoara defence, who managed a credible point against Ajax in their first game and have eight clean sheets in twelve games so far this term.

Group B

Slavia Prague - Lille
Valencia - Genoa

Slavia Prague must make home advantage count if they are to achieve anything in the group stages. They have only ever beaten a French side once in seven attempts in Europe but now is as good a time as any to improve that record. Lille are struggling in the lower half of Ligue 1, having won just once this season, and needed late goals in their last two games to secure a draw in each.

The other match is possibly the tie of the round with both of these sides keen to halt recent dips in form. Unai Emery's men haven't won since their Europa League draw against Lille a fortnight ago and Los Che's defence is shipping goals but, on a positive note at the other end, David Villa has six goals in his last four league games. After a bright start, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have also hit a stumbling block as they haven't won either since beating Slavia Prague in their Europa opener. Both sides might welcome this tie as an opportunity to reignite their respective seasons.

Group C

Celtic - Rapid Vienna
Hamburg - Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Rapid Vienna won both previous ties between these sides way back in 1984. Tony Mowbray's men currently lead the SPL and have proven a match for almost any side in Europe at Celtic Park. The visitors haven't lost since the opening day of their domestic season in July and will look to maintain the strong start to their Europa League campaign that saw them trounce Hamburg 3-0 a fortnight ago.

Bruno Labbadia's Hamburg side are top of the Bundesliga, undefeated in domestic football after nine games. Their 1-0 weekend win over Bayern Munich was their first clean sheet of the season and they are in prime form to redress the balance after an opening day defeat in Vienna in what could prove one of the toughest groups. Group leaders Hapoel Tel-Aviv have played just once since beating Celtic a fortnight ago, losing 2-1 to Maccabi Haifa on September 21.

Group D

Ventspils - Herenveen
Sporting - Hertha BSC

Latvian outfit Ventspils are involved in a tight three-way battle for their domestic championship and may have one eye on that as only six games remain. They managed a point away to Hertha and being in the winning habit should make them a difficult prospect at home. Jan de Jonge's men put an end to a four game losing streak in the Eredivisie at the weekend thanks to a 2-0 away win over Sparta Rotterdam. A loss here for the Dutch side may see them fall adrift in Group D having lost already to Sporting.

Sporting have never beaten German opposition in European football in sixteen attempts. Despite a 1-0 defeat to Porto at the weekend Paulo Bento's side have a fantastic opportunity to defy that startling statistic and consolidate their position as Group leaders by winning this game as Hertha have lost six out of their last eight games in all competitions and currently prop up the Bundesliga table with just one win to their name this season.

Group E

Roma - CSKA Sofia
Fulham - Basel

Roma have made an unpredictable start to the 2009/10 season and have seen Claudio Ranieri replace Luciano Spaletti at the helm. After a 2-0 defeat to Basel in their first game they will look to get their season back on track with a win over the Bulgarian visitors. CSKA will not be easily beaten however, with just two goals conceded in eight games so far this term, their mean defence will be a tough test for the Serie A side.

In the other game Fulham entertain group leaders Basel at Craven Cottage. Roy Hodgson's side have lost five from eight this season, so far failing to replicate their fine defensive resolve of last season. Basel are in great domestic form and have won five on the spin, including the 2-0 win over Roma that put them top of Group E so this could prove a difficult night for the Cottagers.

Group F

Dinamo Bucharest - Panathinaikos
Galatasaray - Sturm Graz

Dinamo Bucharest won away from home in their first game in Group F while Panathinaikos were well beaten at home by Galatasary. Henk Ten Cate's side kept their 100 per cent start to their domestic campaign in tact with a 1-0 win away to AEK Athens at the weekend while Dinamo suffered a narrow 1-0 loss. The Greeks will be keen to get something from this game as a loss could put them out of contention even at this early stage.

After a comprehensive win over Panthinaikos put them in pole position in Group F, Frank Rijkaard's side cemented their status as favourites to top the group and although they dropped their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw against Eskisehirspor, they will be favourites to win again here. The visitors have failed to find consistent form domestically and could struggle in the hostile atmosphere of the Ali Sami Yen stadium in Istanbul. They will be buoyed by the fact that their last visit here finished 2-2 in the UEFA Champions League in 2000, while Sturm Graz won the reverse fixture in Austria, 3-0.

Paul Madden, Goal.com

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