Europa League: Second Round First Leg Kicks Off With 16 Hungry Teams
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
The Second Round Begins
The second round of the Europa League Qualifiers is about to kick off with many teams gearing up to challenge for one of Europe's biggest football competitions. Round 1 equally saw 16 teams batting to reach the next stage. However, the second round promises to be even more thrilling, as several domestic league giants will clash for a spot in the third round.
Should any of these teams qualify for the third round, they'll be a step closer to the promised land, with just a play-off round left to conquer. Let's
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Besiktas
After trashing Tampereen Ilves 6-0 on aggregate, Shakhtar Donetsk's attention will now turn to Besiktas. Unlike their previous opponent, beating Besiktas will be no easy task. After scoring 59 goals, Besiktas finished in fourth place in the Turkish Super League.
Besiktas is no stranger to this competition, reaching the quarter finals on two occasions, with the most recent being in the 16/17 season. Additionally, Besiktas' group stage exit from last season's Europa League makes them eager to produce a stronger showing this season.
This translates to a bigger task for Shakhtar Donetsk, who were held to a 0-0 draw in their latest Europa League game. Even better for Besiktas is the fact that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now in charge of the club. Solskjaer brings to Besiktas years of experience from coaching Manchester United while beating top coaches like Guardiola.
Solskjaer also led Manchester United to a Europa League final, and many Besiktas fans will be hoping his experience will be crucial in overcoming Shakhtar Donetsk. See our expert's best Shakhtar Donetsk Vs Besiktas prediction ahead of the game.
RSC Anderlecht vs BK Hacken
RSC Anderlecht is continuing its Europa League journey with a visit from Hacken. Currently sitting at number 8 in the Swedish Allsvenskan, Hacken faces a tough task as they hope to beat an RC Anderlecht squad that is fresh from preseason games.
In contrast, FC Hacken is right in the middle of its league competition. Additionally, the club's struggles with keeping out goals could haunt them against an Anderlecht side that scored 62 goals last season and finished fourth in the Belgian Pro League. Still unbeaten in the club's friendly games, Anderlecht will be hoping to stretch their good form against Hacken.
Likewise, Hacken will look to exploit any defensive weaknesses that Anderlecht might show. These defensive weaknesses were on show towards the end of last season when Anderlecht lost four consecutive games. Who will come out on top in this exciting matchup? The home favorites or the visiting underdogs?
Midtjylland vs Hibernian
Another game that is generating massive excitement among football lovers is Midtjylland vs Hibernian. Midtjylland will go in as the favorite, leveraging their experience in European cup competitions. Only two years ago, Midtjylland had won the league, and in the 24/25 season, Midtjylland nearly got to the knockout phase.
However, the team was knocked out on penalties by Real Sociedad. Now Midtjylland will be looking to build on their recent successes, and so many expect an easy win over Hibernian. The club will be hoping that its strike partnership of Adam Buksa and Franculino Dju will crack Hibernian's defense, possibly scoring three goals like they did last week.
However, Hibernian could use 3 center-backs flanked by two full-backs to create more defensive solidity. Even our experts in the Midtjylland vs Hibernian prediction believe the away side isn't so easy to write off.
Full Fixture List
- Banik vs Legia Warszawa
- Sheriff vs Utrecht
- Levski Sofia vs Braga
- Midtjylland vs Hibernian
- Celje vs AEK Larnaca
- Lugano vs CFR Cluj
- Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Anderlecht vs Hacken
