The last two direct spots for the round of 16 (the other eight teams advance to that stage via the playoffs) went to Sporting Braga and Porto, both from Portugal. The complete matchday 6 of the Europa League will be covered by the Argentine News Agency.
Schedule and kick-off times for matchday 6 of the Europa League:
Thursday at 14:45: Stuttgart – Maccabi Tel Aviv Sturm Graz – Red Star Ferencvaros – Rangers Nice – Sporting Braga Dinamo Zagreb – Betis Utrecht – Nottingham Forest Young Boys – Lille Ludogorets – PAOK Midtjylland – Genk
Thursday at 17:00: Brann – Fenerbahce Celta Vigo – Bologna Panathinaikos – Viktoria Plzen Freiburg – Red Bull Salzburg Lyon – Go Ahead Eagles FCSB – Feyenoord Basel – Aston Villa Porto – Malmo Celtic – Roma
Buenos Aires, December 10 (NA) – Matchday 6 of the UEFA Europa League, the second most important club tournament on the continent, will kick off this Thursday in a packed day of action, with 18 matches scheduled in a very short time frame.
This matchday could be crucial, as several teams could secure at least a spot in the playoffs or even take a step closer to the round of 16. Among them is Lyon of France, where Argentine left-back Nicolás Tagliafico plays, and Aston Villa of England, which counts on goalkeeper Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez and attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendía.
These two teams lead the standings with 12 points, along with the surprising Danish side Midtjylland, and if they win, they will not only secure their ticket to the playoffs but would also be one step away from the round of 16, allowing them to avoid an extra round.
After miraculously avoiding relegation from Ligue 1 due to financial problems, Lyon managed to overcome the situation and is having a great season, also sitting 5th in Ligue 1. Aston Villa, for its part, not only leads in the Europa League but is also going through an unbeatable moment in its country's Premier League and dreams of fighting for the title against the leader, Arsenal.
Further down, tied in 4th to 6th place with 11 points, are Freiburg of Germany, Betis of Spain, and Ferencvaros of Hungary.
