Madrid, Dec 8 (EFE) .- The last day of the group stage of the Europa League keeps in the air only six vacant places for the round of 32 that will be defined on Thursday for the configuration of the playoffs poster, along with the eight teams from the Champions League.
Eighteen ensembles achieved their goal early. Roma, Arsenal, Leicester and Hoffenheim sealed the pass on matchday four. In the penultimate, that of a week ago, it was Lille, Milan, Braga, Villarreal, Antwerp, Tottenham, Granada, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star, Benfica, Rangers, Slavia Prague, Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven who achieved their goal.
Among the candidates, Real Sociedad and Napoli, who face each other in San Paolo with AZ Alkmaar expectantly. The Italian representative is worth the draw but the Spanish team needs the victory in case AZ, with which they are even on points, beat Rijeka, bottom row in Croatia.
Young Boys and Cluj aspire to the pending place in Group A that Roma already has guaranteed. They face each other in Switzerland, with an advantage in the table for the Swiss team, which is enough with an equalizer.
El Molde, who has the classification within reach, visits Rapid Vienna, their direct rival in Group B where Arsenal are already in the round of 32. The Norwegian team beat the Austrian 1-0 in the first round, so they need at least a draw to keep their second place and not be overtaken by their rival.
Groups C and D are defined and the last date is inconsequential. Slavia Prague and Bayer Leverkusen will go to the round of 32. Equalized in the standings, they have to define first and second place just like Rangers and Benfica in D. Both play away against Standard Liège and Lech, respectively.
Granada, a debutant, also has yet to determine the status of champion of the quartet. It surpasses PSV also classified by one point. The Spanish team travels to Thessaloniki to play for PAOK and the Eindhoven side host Cypriot Omonia.
Leicester and Braga lead Group G with ten points both. They define the order in the table on Thursday. The English team hosts AEK Athens and the Portuguese team host Ukrainian Zorya.
Lille leads H but with only one point away from Milan, who visit Sparta Prague with the intention of finishing on top. The French representative plays in Glasgow with Celtic. With Villarreal ranked first, the other place is up to Maccabi Tel Aviv and Sivasspor who face each other in Israel. The local team is worth the equalizer to seal their classification.
Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham aspires to finish champion of the quartet J. They are two points behind Antwerp. Both will be in the playoffs. It will be a direct duel on Thursday. The London box welcomes the Belgian squad to its stadium.
Wolfsberger is another that has yet to close its classification in the bid with Feyenoord for a place, which it receives in Austria with the need to obtain at least a draw. The Dutch team needs victory. The other is from Dinamo Zagreb, who will finish first.
Everything is settled in Group L. Hoffenheim will finish in first place. The Red Star in the second. The two are already in the round of 32. EFE.
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