Europa League Round 1 Preview: 16 September Matches
The Europa League league phase begins on 16 September, with nine matches awaiting us on the opening day. The headline fixture of the round is Milan against Benfica at San Siro. There is plenty of intrigue in the other pairings too, from Sunderland making their first appearance on the European stage in the 21st century to Lyon visiting Brussels. We preview every match.
Omonia Nicosia vs Celta Vigo
Omonia begin the league phase at their home stadium in Nicosia, and they have immediately been handed a serious opponent. Celta reached the quarter-finals in the previous campaign and intend to improve on that result in the final season of the legendary Iago Aspas. The Spaniards come into the match as firm favourites. But is that status justified, given that they are yet to win at the start of the La Liga season? The Cypriot side are inferior in quality, but they are also unbeaten in 12 consecutive home matches. There is genuine intrigue here.
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Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague
This is another pairing in which the visitors are considerably stronger on paper. Ararat-Armenia have reached the main stage of the Europa League for the first time in their history, but their opening opponents are Sparta Prague — experienced European campaigners who reached the Conference League round of 16 last season. Interestingly, the teams met in qualifying for Europe's third-tier competition last year, and Sparta won both matches, 4-1 and 2-1. The hosts' only real source of hope is their strong home form. The side from Yerevan are unbeaten in six consecutive matches on their own ground.
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Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague
Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Dinamo Zagreb
Israel's Hapoel host Dinamo Zagreb at a neutral venue in Bucharest. The head-to-head record favours the Croatian side: they recorded one win and one draw in two meetings, with an aggregate score of 7-2. Those matches took place back in 2018, however, and current form cannot really be said to favour Mario Kovacevic's team, who have already dropped points twice in six domestic league rounds. Hapoel have scored in 19 of their last 20 matches, so we may well see at least one goal from the Israeli side.
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Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Dinamo Zagreb
Olympiacos vs Jagiellonia
Olympiacos welcome Poland's Jagiellonia to the Karaiskakis Stadium. The Greek side are traditionally strong at home, but there is one crucial factor to consider. Jose Luis Mendilibar has left his position as head coach, while his replacement Imanol Alguacil lost his first match in charge. The Red and Whites remain favourites, but there are serious doubts about their chances of winning by a wide margin. The statistics are part of the reason: Olympiacos have scored fewer than 2.5 goals in 15 of their last 16 home matches.
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Sturm Graz vs Rennes
Austria's Sturm Graz welcome Rennes to the Merkur Arena in Graz. The hosts are in decent form and have avoided defeat in 13 of their last 14 home matches. The visitors are also performing well: Franck Haise's side have won three consecutive games, while their only setback at the start of the season was a 2-2 draw with PSG. This will be the first-ever meeting between the teams and it promises goals, as neither side pays excessive attention to defending. Both teams scored in seven of Rennes' previous eight competitive matches.
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Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
Sunderland return to the European stage after a long absence and welcome AZ to the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats come into the fixture after a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal in the latest Premier League round, and they have not scored more than once in any of their opening four matches of the season. AZ are in noticeably better form, although their six-match winning run — which began with a 4-0 Dutch Super Cup victory over PSV — ended last weekend. The trip to England represents a major test for Lee-Roy Echteld's players. Nevertheless, the entertaining Dutch side should certainly have opportunities to find the net.
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Milan vs Benfica
The central match of the day will take place at San Siro. Milan and Benfica are two giants competing in the Europa League this season, and their meeting is the highlight of the round. History favours the Italian side: Milan have never lost to the Eagles in an official competition. Current form, however, is on the Portuguese side's side. Benfica have won seven consecutive matches while scoring an average of 3.7 goals per game. Ruben Amorim's team will have to work extremely hard to begin with a victory in a tournament where they are considered one of the leading favourites. There is a strong chance of a high-scoring match, as over 2.5 goals has landed in 16 of Benfica's last 17 fixtures.
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Anderlecht vs Lyon
Anderlecht face Lyon in a match between two teams that have lacked consistency. Both sides have alternated good and poor results at the start of the season. It is difficult to identify a clear favourite, especially as Anderlecht have won six consecutive home matches in Europe's second-tier club competition. Paulo Fonseca's team look stronger in terms of both their football and their squad, but the Belgian side are always dangerous at home.
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Bayer Leverkusen vs Celje
The day's programme concludes with a match in Leverkusen. Bayer were Europa League finalists in 2023/24 and are among the main favourites for the current tournament. Celje are a modest Slovenian club making their first appearance in the Europa League proper and are unlikely to be capable of seriously challenging the hosts at the BayArena. The visitors have lost four of their last five matches, while Carles Martinez's team have scored at least two goals in four consecutive games. That is an alarming sign for Celje. The German side should take all three points, potentially by a wide margin.
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Conclusion
The opening Europa League round gives us the classic Milan vs Benfica fixture, where history comes up against current form, as well as Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the international stage. Bayer Leverkusen are the only team whose victory appears almost beyond doubt. The remaining matches should provide plenty of intrigue. We expect particularly entertaining football in Graz and Brussels. Do not miss it — the Europa League is back!
FAQ
When does the 2026/27 Europa League begin?
The first Europa League matches of the 2026/27 season will take place on 16 September.
What is the main fixture on the opening day of the 2026/27 Europa League?
Wednesday's headline match is Milan against Benfica at San Siro.
