UEFA Europa League resumes as teams battle for survival
Football lovers can look forward to Matchday 5 action from the UEFA Europa League, with matches scheduled for Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 November 2021.
The action gets underway with a lone match on Wednesday, as Napoli head to Russia to face hosts Spartak Moscow in a Group C clash at the Otkritie Arena. The Italian side were surprisingly beaten 3-2 when the teams met in Naples in September, but they are eager to turn the tables on their Moscow counterparts.
“We played in a confusing way,” admitted Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti. “Had we controlled the ball better and taken our chances, the game would have ended differently.”
Thursday sees the remainder of Matchday 5 fixtures played all across Europe, with the focus for the early kick-offs set to fall on a potential thriller between Group E rivals Galatasaray and Olympique Marseille in Istanbul at 6:45pm on SuperSport LaLiga.
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“We know they’re a very good team and that if we manage to beat them then that’s a major step towards qualifying,” said Marseille defender William Saliba.
Premier League side, West Ham United will also be in action in the early kick-offs, visiting Rapid Vienna on Thursday as they look to continue their great form, while Celtic will look to avenge a 4-0 loss at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen when they welcome the German team to Glasgow.
The pick of the late games sees Monaco host Real Sociedad for a key Group B clash on Thursday at 9pm. The teams drew 1-1 when they met in Spain in late September, but Real coach Imanol Alguacil is hopeful his team can continue the momentum they have built in recent weeks.
“We always go to win, whoever we play against. We will respect the opposition but always want to beat them, as you saw. Let’s see if we can keep this form we are in at the moment going,” said Alguacil.
