Gimnasia La Plata are playing Argentinos Juniors at the Liga Profesional, Round 2 of Argentina on September 3.

Gimnasia La Plata (also known as GIMNASIA, Gimnasia L.P. or Gimnasia LP) and Argentinos Juniors (commonly referred to as Argentinos, Argentinos Jrs or Argentinos Jrs.) meet again 6 months after the Liga Profesional Round 1 match which Argentinos Juniors won 2-0. Gimnasia La Plata are having a solid run at the moment winning their matches against Belgrano Cordoba and Barracas Central extending their unbeaten streak to 4 matches, however, one part of Gimnasia La Plata has trailed behind in terms of reliability—defence: they have been conceding goals for 4 consecutive home matches now.

Argentinos Juniors are going into the fixture after playing a draw against Huracan on August 25. They have been conceding goals for 7 consecutive away matches now which puts additional psychological pressure on the team.

Head-to-head

Gimnasia La Plata and Argentinos Juniors have met 6 times since November 2021. Gimnasia La Plata have won twice, 2 matches ended in a draw while Argentinos Juniors have also won twice. The most recent match between them took place on March 7, 2024 at the Liga Profesional, Round 1 of Argentina where Argentinos Juniors won 2-0. Gimnasia La Plata have scored 9 goals in these 6 head-to-head matches in total while Argentinos Juniors have scored 11.

Gimnasia La Plata have won 5 of their 12 matches in Liga Profesional, Round 2, drawing 2 and having 5 defeats this season. They have scored 14 goals – 1.17 per match, conceding 13 – 1.08 per match. Argentinos Juniors have won 4 of their 12 matches in Liga Profesional, Round 2, drawing 2 and having 6 defeats this season. They have scored 8 goals – 0.67 per match, conceding 15 – 1.25 per match.

Recent Form

Gimnasia La Plata are on a winning streak – they have won Belgrano Cordoba and Barracas Central in their previous 2 matches while Argentinos Juniors have played a draw with Huracan in their previous match. Overall, Gimnasia La Plata have won 9 of their last 20 matches, losing 9 and drawing 2, while Argentinos Juniors have won 7 of their last 20 matches, losing 10 and drawing 3.

Gimnasia La Plata have won 3 times (0-1 against Belgrano Cordoba on 27th of August, 0-1 against Barracas Central on 23rd of August and 0-1 against Racing A on 10th of August), lost twice (0-1 against Rosario Central on 6th of August and 4-1 against Estudiantes de La Plata on 29th of July) and drew once (1-1 against River Plate on 18th of August) in their most recent 6 matches.

Argentinos Juniors have won once (2-0 against Lanus on 30th of July), lost 3 times (3-0 against Union Santa Fe on 20th of August, 1-1 against Huracan on 15th of August and 1-0 against Godoy Cruz on 4th of August) and drew twice (0-0 against Huracan on 25th of August and 0-0 against Sarmiento on 9th of August) in their most recent 6 matches.

Reigning champions Inter Milan will seek back-to-back Serie A wins on Friday, as they welcome Lombardy rivals Atalanta BC to San Siro.

After stumbling in their 2024-25 season opener, Inter saw off Lecce last week, when La Dea missed a last-gasp penalty and lost in Turin.

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Match preview

Having started their Scudetto defence with a 2-2 draw in Genoa earlier this month, Inter were keen to get up and running with victory over likely Serie A strugglers Lecce when the teams met in Milan last weekend.

Matteo Darmian found the net after just five minutes to put the Nerazzurri in control, and Hakan Calhanoglu later wrapped up three points by scoring from the spot – his 17th straight penalty conversion in Serie A.

A routine 2-0 win preserved Inter’s 12-year streak of never losing their first home fixture, and the second-city giants have posted victories in each of the last six seasons.

Following a relatively kind start to the fixture list, Simone Inzaghi’s side must now tackle one of Serie A’s toughest tests in their final match before the international break.

The champions remained unbeaten against all of their top-five rivals en route to the title, so Inzaghi will be intent on continuing in that vein this term – starting with a Friday night contest against Atalanta.

Recent history is certainly on their side, as Inter cruised to a 4-0 win when the clubs met at San Siro last season – with Darmian also opening the scoring on that occasion – and last lost a league game to La Dea back in 2018.

In fact, Atalanta are winless in their last 11 top-flight matches against Inter, who clearly hold the upper hand in the sides’ Lombardy rivalry.

While they may have come up short against their fellow Nerazzurri, the Bergamo club are still punching above their weight in Italy and beyond, having secured another top-five finish last season and claimed a first-ever European trophy.

Gian Piero Gasperini – who once had a brief, unsuccessful spell as Inter boss – masterminded their impressive Europa League triumph, but a tough summer in the transfer market has undermined hopes of a fast start to the new campaign.

With stars such as Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman trying to engineer an exit – in addition to other key men being struck down by injury – Atalanta followed up UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid by beating Lecce 4-0 in their league opener.

However – despite new signing Mateo Retegui scoring again – Mario Pasalic missed a stoppage-time penalty that would have snatched a 2-2 draw with Torino last time out.

Now, the Bergamaschi must face another away fixture while their Gewiss Stadium home is still being renovated – and perhaps the hardest one of all.

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Team News

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi may be without captain Lautaro Martinez again this week, as a muscular problem continues to hinder last season’s Capocannoniere, who still hopes to make the bench.

Former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi started against Lecce and should therefore see off competition from Marko Arnautovic to partner Marcus Thuram up front.

Meanwhile, Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij has returned to full training and could join summer signing Piotr Zielinski on the bench, but Tajon Buchanan is still sidelined by a leg injury.

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini will continue to fill several holes in his squad, as Teun Koopmeiners is set to join Juventus and Europa League hero Ademola Lookman also awaits a potential transfer; El Bilal Toure recently left for Stuttgart and goalkeeper Juan Musso is off to Atletico Madrid.

Furthermore, Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca are both long-term absentees, while Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker will be unavailable this weekend.

Experienced duo Rui Patricio and Juan Cuadrado have arrived, though, and fellow new boy Raoul Bellanova will fight it out with Davide Zappacosta for selection at wing-back.

After scoring three goals in his first two Serie A games for La Dea, Mateo Retegui links up with ex-Milan forward Charles De Ketelaere in the final third.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, Ederson, Pasalic, Ruggeri; Brescianini, De Ketelaere; Retegui

Girona will attempt to claim their first La Liga win of the season when they welcome Osasuna to Estadi Montilivi on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start, having taken four points from their first two matches.

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Match preview

Girona were the surprise package of the 2023-24 La Liga season, collecting 81 points from 38 matches to finish in third place and secure European qualification for the first time in their history.

While they are now looking forward to competing in the Champions League, Girona will find it tough to replicate the lofty heights of last season, especially as they have seen a number of key players depart over the summer, including Savinho, Aleix Garcia, Yan Couto and Artem Dovbyk.

The Catalan side have made an effort to replace those that have departed, having made 10 additions during the course of the transfer window, but those signings have been unable to get Girona off to a fast start in La Liga.

Michel’s side began the campaign with a 1-1 away draw against Real Betis, before they slumped to a heavy 3-0 defeat in Sunday’s clash with Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.

The Blanquivermells will attempt to produce a positive response in their first home game of the season, with the hosts looking to produce the sort of performance that saw them win 15 of their 19 home league games last term (D2, L2).

Meanwhile, Osasuna are competing in a La Liga campaign without Jagoba Arrasate at the helm for the first time since suffering relegation in 2016-17.

Vicente Moreno has been given the tough job of replacing the popular Arrasate, and he would have been fully aware of the importance of making a positive start following his brief spell at Almeria, where has was sacked after the first seven games of last season.

Moreno has already managed to outperform his disappointing Almeria tenure, having seen his Osasuna side draw with Leganes before beating Arrasate’s Mallorca at the weekend.

Ruben Garcia’s 55th-minute strike proved enough to guide Osasuna to a 1-0 win over Mallorca, ensuring that they have now gone six league games without defeat since losing to Real Betis on May 5.

After beginning his tenure with back-to-back home games, Moreno is now preparing to take charge of his first away match as Osasuna boss, and he will be hoping to guide Los Rojillos to their first competitive away win over Girona since June 2016.

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Team News

Girona remain without the services of Ricard Artero and Jastin due to ankle and shoulder problems, while Valery is a doubt after sitting out the first two matches due to illness.

Yaser Asprilla recently completed a €24m (£20.2m) move from Watford and is set to feature in the matchday squad for Thursday’s contest, although he may have to settle for a place among the substitutes.

Bojan Miovski could be presented with his first La Liga start after he came off the bench to make his Girona debut in Sunday’s defeat to Atleti.

As for the visitors, they are expected to be without defender Ruben Pena and winger Kike Barja due to muscle and knee injuries respectively.

Midfielder Iker Munoz has also been ruled out of Thursday’s contest, having undergone an operation on a foot injury that he sustained in his brief substitute appearance against Mallorca.

Moreno could be tempted to make a few changes to freshen up his side, with Juan Cruz, Pablo Ibanez and Moi Gomez among those who could be considered for starting spots.

Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Martinez, Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Herrera, Romeu, Martin; Tsygankov, Portu, Miovski

Osasuna possible starting lineup:
Herrera; Areso, Catena, Herrando, Cruz; Torro, Ibanez; Gomez, Oroz, Zaragoza; Budimir

After taking one point from their first two matches, Athletic Bilbao will attempt to claim their first win of the season when they welcome Valencia to San Mames on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Los Che are still waiting to get on the board after beginning their La Liga campaign with consecutive defeats.

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Match preview

Athletic came into the new season off the back of a successful 2023-24 campaign where they achieved a fifth-placed finish and ended a 40-year wait for Copa del Rey.

After experiencing success last term, Los Leones are viewed as a potential contender to challenge for Champions League qualification, but those hopes may be slightly tempered by an underwhelming start to the season.

The Basque side were held to a 1-1 draw by Getafe in their opening match of the season, before they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat in Saturday’s away clash with Barcelona.

Oihan Sancet netted a first-half penalty to score in a second straight game and cancel out Lamine Yamal’s opener, but Robert Lewandowski’s 75th-minute effort ultimately left Athletic with nothing to show for their efforts, with the result extending their winless run in head-to-head league meetings to 10 matches (D2, L8).

After falling short at Montjuic, Athletic will now return to the home comforts of San Mames, where they have avoided defeat in each of their 19 La Liga outings since losing 2-0 to Real Madrid in August 2023.

After being involved in a relegation battle in 2023-24, Valencia would have been pleased to finish in ninth place in Ruben Baraja’s first season in charge.

While they would have been satisfied with their efforts last season, Los Che did experience a disappointing end to the campaign, mustering just two points from their final seven matches.

Unfortunately for Valencia, that poor form has carried into the new season, having begun the campaign with consecutive defeats despite taking the lead in both matches.

They fell to a narrow 2-1 loss in their home meeting with Barcelona, before they suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat in Friday’s away game against Celta, leaving them as one of only two teams that are yet to pick up a point in La Liga this season.

Having failed to win any of their last nine La Liga matches, Los Che will be looking to claim their first league win since April 15 when they travel to San Mames on Wednesday.

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Team News

Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde is still unable to call upon the services of Unai Simon, Aitor Paredes and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta.

Nico Williams sat out Monday’s training session after picking up a muscular issue in the defeat to Barcelona, making the Spain international a doubt for the midweek home fixture.

In positive news, Alvaro Djalo has stepped up his injury recovery and could feature as part of Wednesday’s matchday squad.

Goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala is in contention to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from injury and featuring on the bench over the weekend.

As for the visitors, they are still having to cope without Jose Gaya, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jaume Domenech, Fran Perez and Sergi Canos.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to complete a permanent transfer to Liverpool, but the goalkeeper will be immediately loaned back to Valencia, ensuring that he will be able to retain his place for Wednesday’s contest.

Luis Rioja, who recently arrived from Alaves, made his debut as a substitute in Friday’s defeat to Celta, and the attacker could be presented with the chance to make his first Valencia start.

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Agirrezabala; Gorosabel; Yeray, Vivian, Berchiche; Vesga, Prados Diaz; I Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta

Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Mosquera, Gasiorowski, Vazquez; Lopez, Guillamon, Pepelu, Rioja; Mir, Duro

Two teams with just a point to show from their opening two La Liga matches of the 2024-25 campaign will lock horns on Tuesday evening, with Mallorca welcoming Sevilla to Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.

Mallorca will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Osasuna, while Sevilla were beaten 2-1 at home by Villarreal in their second game of the new season.

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Match preview

Mallorca held the champions Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the new La Liga campaign, but they were unable to build on that positive result in their second game of the season.

Indeed, Jagoba Arrasate’s side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Osasuna, with Ruben Garcia scoring the only goal in the early stages of the second period at El Sadar.

The Pirates will be determined to bounce back in their second home game of the season, and they recorded a 1-0 victory in this fixture when the two teams locked horns during the 2023-24 campaign.

Mallorca have only made three signings this summer, with Johan Mojica, Takuma Asano and Mateu Morey arriving to boost the squad, while their biggest outgoing has been Predrag Rajkovic to Saudi Arabia.

The Palma outfit, who finished 15th in Spain’s top flight last term, will end August with a trip to Leganes, before returning to action after the international break with a home game against Villarreal.

Sevilla, meanwhile, have also only picked up one point from their first two matches of the season, which came against Las Palmas on August 16.

Garcia Pimienta’s side will enter this game off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Villarreal; it did appear that the points would be shared at Estadio Ramon, with Dodi Lukebakio cancelling out an opener from Arnaut Danjuma, but Ayoze Perez won it for the Yellow Submarine in the 95th minute.

Sevilla have been busy this summer, signing eight players in total, while there have also been some major departures, with the biggest of those proving to be Youssef En-Nesyri to Fenerbahce.

Los Nervionenses finished 14th last season, which proved to be their lowest final spot in Spain’s top flight since being relegated at the end of the 1999-2000 campaign.

Sevilla have enjoyed the better of their recent meetings with Mallorca, though, triumphing in three of the last four league games between the two sides, including a 2-1 success at Estadio Ramon in April of this year.

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Team News

Mallorca will again be without the services of two players on Tuesday night, with new signing Morey on the treatment table alongside Javi Llabres.

Head coach Arrasate is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack considering the performance against Real Madrid at home last time out, so a 4-3-3 formation should see Dani Rodriguez continue down the left.

There is likely to be a change in midfield, though, with Manu Morlanes pushing to replace Omar Mascarell.

As for Sevilla, Suso and Joan Jordan remain unavailable for selection, while Kike Salas is a doubt due to the issue which forced him off the field in the second period against Villarreal last time out.

Head coach Garcia Pimienta is set to make changes to his side for this game, with Djibril Sow and Marcao expected to be introduced, while there could be a start through the middle for Kelechi Iheanacho.

Saul Niguez should retain his spot in central midfield, though, and Lukebakio is also expected to feature, having found the back of the net in the loss to Villarreal.

Mallorca possible starting lineup:
Greif; Maffeo, Valjent, Raillo, Mojica; S Costa, Morlanes, Darder; Asano, Muriqi, D Rodriguez

Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Marcao, Pedrosa; Sow, Agoume, Saul; Lukebakio, Iheanacho, Ocampos

Both 3-0 winners on Serie A’s opening matchday, Hellas Verona and Juventus aim to continue in the same vein on Monday, when they meet at Stadio Bentegodi.

After Verona stunned Napoli with a superb second-half display, new-look Juve crushed newly-promoted Como in their first game under Thiago Motta.

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Match preview

Making the most of a relatively kind start to the fixture list, Juventus came flying out of the blocks last weekend, as they began their latest quest to regain the Scudetto in convincing style.

Surprise debutant Samuel Mbangula fired the Bianconeri in front against Como, before Timothy Weah added a second goal just before the break, and Andrea Cambiaso’s stoppage-time strike served as the cherry on top of the icing for new boss Thiago Motta.

Still busy in the transfer market as Juve’s post-Max Allegri overhaul continues, the Turin side showed early signs of improvement, recording the highest passing accuracy on Serie A’s opening matchday (92%) and being the only team not to face a single shot on target.

Motta was hired to bring both proactive football and some silverware back to Italy’s most successful club, after his Bologna team surprisingly secured Champions League qualification by keeping a number of clean sheets.

His new-look squad may have impressed on opening night, but Juve must surely set about fixing a dismal away record if they are to challenge for the title: they have failed to win any of their last eight league games on the road, which is the club’s worst such run since 1999.

They have, though, won four of their last five against Hellas Verona, keeping a clean sheet in each victory – and Motta’s men will be fired up to continue that trend.

Nonetheless, Hellas have lost only one of their last 10 Serie A meetings with Juve at the Bentegodi, where they enjoyed a brilliant beginning to the 2024-25 season.

Having previously exited the Coppa Italia on home turf to Cesena, Verona’s clash with Antonio Conte-led Napoli held some trepidation, but after keeping the game goalless until half time they burst into life after the break.

Continuing a good recent record in the transfer market, Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera both scored on their league debut, with the latter bagging a brace to send the Partenopei packing.

After taking over from Lazio-bound Marco Baroni earlier this summer, Paolo Zanetti is overseeing the Scaligeri’s attempt to secure a sixth straight year in the top flight, and such a result will help win over sceptical fans.

Including the tail end of last season, Verona are now unbeaten in three matches – equalling their best run since April 2023 – but they will be truly put to the test on Monday evening.

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Team News

After both started last week’s win over Como, Timothy Weah and Khephren Thuram succumbed to injuries and will not be involved in Verona, while Arkadiusz Milik is still sidelined by a knee problem.

In any case, the latter is part of a group expected to leave Juventus before the transfer window slides shut, alongside Tiago Djalo, Filip Kostic, Arthur and Federico Chiesa.

Thuram’s fellow new boys Douglas Luiz, Michele Di Gregorio and ex-Verona full-back Juan Cabal should all start on Monday, but long-awaited deals for Nico Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners have not yet been completed.

Following his debut goal against Como, youth graduate Samuel Mbangula could become the first player to score in both of his first two league appearances for Juve since Carlos Tevez in August 2013.

Meanwhile, Verona must make at least one change to a winning side, as Suat Serdar suffered a thigh injury last week – French midfielder Reda Belahyane is his likeliest replacement.

Paolo Zanetti may also decide to switch things around up front, after Daniel Mosquera scored twice as a substitute; Benfica loanee Casper Tengstedt could therefore make way.

Another forward, long-term absentee Juan Manuel Cruz, is the only other man missing for the hosts.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Tchatchoua, Coppola, Dawidowicz, Frese; Belahyane, Duda; Livramento, Harroui, Lazovic; Mosquera

Juventus possible starting lineup:
Di Gregorio; Danilo, Gatti, Bremer, Cabal; Locatelli, Luiz; Cambiaso, Yildiz, Mbangoula; Vlahovic

The new Bundesliga season will commence on Friday when Xabi Alonso’s invincibles, Bayer Leverkusen, travel to face Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park.

The hosts finished 14th last season and will be hoping to better their recent campaigns, while the visitors come into the game fresh from their German Super Cup victory against Stuttgart last Saturday.

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Match preview

The hosts began their 2024-25 season with a 3-1 win against Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB-Pokal on August 17, though they were made to sweat after conceding first in the eighth minute.

The fact Die Fohlen struggled against a team from the third division of German football is an unwelcome optic for boss Gerardo Seoane, who is hoping he can arrest his side’s slide towards the relegation spots over recent seasons.

Borussia Monchengladbach finished their 2023-24 campaign with 34 points, just one more than 16th-placed Bochum, who ended up in the league’s relegation playoff spot.

However, their poor showing last term was just one of many disappointing seasons since finishing fourth in 2019-20, as the club has not ended any of the last four seasons higher than eighth.

Seoane’s side collected just 14 points from 17 games in the second half of their 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign and failed to win any of their final six league matches.

They also failed to win any of their last six games at Borussia-Park in the Bundesliga, although when factoring in their six pre-season friendlies, they have won their last seven matches overall.

Opponents Bayer Leverkusen were taken to penalties in the Super Cup final against Stuttgart last weekend after drawing 2-2, but Xabi Alonso’s side emerged as 4-3 victors in the shootout.

Leverkusen were no strangers to late comebacks last term, and this experience proved vital against Stuttgart as Patrik Schick netted an 88th-minute equaliser to level the score at 2-2.

Alonso’s win in the final means he has clinched every domestic trophy available to him at the club, but their victory was made even more remarkable considering his side were forced to play with 10 players after Martin Terrier was sent off in the 37th minute.

Their triumph also means that Alonso has won three of Die Schwarzroten’s total of five major trophies, and he is the only manager in Bundesliga history to guide a team to an unbeaten league title.

The ‘Invincibles’ scored 89 goals and conceded 24 times last campaign and this made them the division’s second-best offensive and best defensive team.

Including their four pre-season fixtures, Leverkusen have only won once in their last five matches, though they have prevailed in 14 of their last 17 away games in the Bundesliga.

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Team News

The hosts will be able to select first-choice centre-back Nico Elvedi as well as winger Robin Hack, who was last season’s top club scorer.

However, Borussia Monchengladbach will be without midfielder Borges Sanches and goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky due to knee injuries.

As for the visitors, Martin Terrier will not serve a suspension in the league after his red card and is available for selection.

Elsewhere, Exequiel Palacios will be absent, so expect Granit Xhaka to be partnered in midfield by Aleix Garcia.

Bayer Leverkusen could also recall regulars such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, who all featured from the bench against Stuttgart.

Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Stoger, Hack; Kleindienst

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Garcia, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Boniface

In the first leg of the Europa League’s fourth and final qualifying round, Norwegian side Molde are set to host Elfsborg at Aker Stadion on Thursday.

The home side entered in the competition in the second qualifying round and saw off Cercle Brugge in the third, while the Swedish visitors entered in the first round and beat Rijeka 3-1 on aggregate in their last tie.

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Match preview

Though the hosts lost 1-0 in the second leg of the Europa League’s third qualifying round on August 15, their 3-0 win against Cercle Brugge in the first leg on August 8 was enough to see them through.

MFK were dominant in their 3-0 win, and ended the game with 53% possession, 15 shots and eight on target, in contrast to one attempt on target from Cercle Brugge.

In truth, Molde faced little resistance in the second leg after opposition midfielder Abu Francis was sent off after just 30 minutes.

After 18 out of 30 matches in the Norwegian top flight this season, Molde are fourth with 31 points and are averaging 1.72 points per game, slightly more than the 1.7 they averaged last term.

Boss Erling Moe will be aware that his current side are still short of their 2022 title-winning team that accumulated 78 points, but he does at least have the opportunity to guide the club into the group stage of the Europa League for the second consecutive season.

Molde come into the clash having lost four of their previous seven matches, though they are unbeaten in their last four home games in the Europa League, and won three of those fixtures.

Opponents Elfsborg would have had a clean sweep of six victories from their three qualifying ties had they not drawn 1-1 against Rijeka in their first-leg tie on August 8.

It should be noted that Di Gule were able to hold out for a draw despite being forced to play with 10 players from the 56th minute after Jalal Abdullai was sent off with the scoreline at 1-1.

The second leg was a close affair, with Elfsborg only taking the lead in the 68th minute after forward Michael Baidoo took advantage of an error in the Rijeka backline.

Ahmed Qasem scored their second of the game in 83rd minute from close range after Di Gule countered at speed and combined well in the penalty area.

Elfsborg will be pleased with their performance in the Europa League considering they are currently seventh in the Swedish top flight with 29 points from 19 games.

In fairness to manager Oscar Hiljemark, his side are unbeaten in their last five away matches and have won nine of their last 12 games in all competitions.

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Team News

Molde forwards Fredrik Gulbrandsen and Veton Berisha are expected to be out until late August with injuries.

Moe could name a similar team on Thursday to the one that started in his side’s 3-0 win against Cercle Brugge, and goalscorers Martin Linnes, Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Kristian Eriksen may retain their places.

As for the visitors, centre-back Gustav Henriksson is a doubt after he missed his side’s most recent match against Mjallby.

Buhari Ibrahim could start instead of Henriksson, and he may be joined by fellow centre-backs Sebastian Holmen and Terry Yegbe.

Molde possible starting lineup:
Posiadala; Oyvann, Hagelskjaer, Lund; Linnes, Kaasa, Daehli, Breivik, Lovik; Eikrem, Eriksen

Elfsborg possible starting lineup:
Pettersson; Yegbe, Ibrahim, Holmen; Hedlund, Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; Qasem, Baidoo, Frick

One step away from a place in the group stage, Young Boys and Galatasaray meet for the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday evening.

Both clubs enter qualifying in the final round, having been crowned domestic champions last season, and they will kick off their crucial tie at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium.

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Match preview

Having made the prestigious group stage in two of the past three seasons, Young Boys are looking to book their return to Europe’s top table over the next few days; however, early-season form suggests they face a tough task to make it through the playoffs.

The reigning Swiss Super League champions are still searching for their first league win after five games, and only another famous name, Grasshopper Zurich, sit below them in the standings.

Title-winners in six of the last years, Young Boys went into the new season aiming to extend their dominance, but three straight defeats left them rock bottom, before successive 2-2 draws with FC Zurich and Yverdon Sport belatedly got some points on the board.

New boss Patrick Rahmen is therefore already under pressure to produce a quick upturn, particularly as his side have conceded no fewer than 13 goals so far.

Last season, under former coach Raphael Wicky, the Bern club finished third in a Champions League group featuring Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Red Star Belgrade, before losing in the Europa League knockout-round playoffs to Portuguese giants Sporting.

Now, they are intent on making it through to an expanded 36-team group phase, which would secure eight high-profile fixtures between September and January.

Galatasaray are also gunning for a place alongside Europe’s elite, having dramatically pipped Fenerbahce to the Turkish Super Lig title in 2023-24.

It took a record tally of 102 points to see off Fener’s challenge last term, and after their city rivals recently went out of Champions League qualifying in the third round, Gala are again aiming to best their bitterest foes.

Winning a third consecutive title – and the 25th in the Istanbul club’s history – secured head coach Okan Buruk’s place in the hotseat, but showings so far this season have been less impressive.

Following mixed results in pre-season, Gala suffered a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Besiktas in the Turkish Super Cup, before requiring two late goals to win their opening league fixture at home to Hatayspor.

They then prevailed against Konyaspor last week, when Turkey stars Kerem Akturkoglu and Baris Alper Yilmaz were on target in a 2-1 away win.

A side that went out at the group stage of last year’s Champions League – subsequently exiting in the Europa League’s last 32 – now turns its attention back to the task of qualifying for UEFA’s top club competition.

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Team News

Not only are Galatasaray set to be without Davinson Sanchez due to injury, but fellow defender Kaan Ayhan will miss the trip to Switzerland because of suspension; Derrick Kohn was sidelined by a chest infection last week and remains a doubt.

Furthermore, summer signing Gabriel Sara – who started Friday’s away win against Konyaspor – has left for England, where his girlfriend will soon give birth.

Without Sanchez, Victor Nelsson could partner Abdulkerim Bardakci at the heart of a back four, while Sara’s absence should see Lucas Torreira join Kerem Demirbay in central midfield.

Mauro Icardi once again leads the line, having already opened his account for the new season: the ex-Inter Milan striker registered 32 goals and 12 assists across all competitions last term, including three goals in Europe.

Meanwhile, Young Boys are unable to call upon Facinet Conte and Saidy Janko, while Switzerland international Kastriot Imeri – who spent much of last season on the treatment table – recently sustained an ankle injury that will keep him out until September.

Patrick Rahmen shuffled his pack for a resounding weekend cup win over minnows Printse-Nendaz, which saw his side rattle in 10 goals.

Cedric Itten helped himself to a hat-trick, but Silvere Ganvoula and Meschak Elia are perhaps ahead of the ex-Rangers striker in the race for selection.

Young Boys possible starting lineup:
Von Ballmoos; Blum, Camara, Husic, Hadjam; Lauper, Niasse; Elia, Ugrinic, Colley; Ganvoula

Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Muslera; Jelert, Nelsson, Bardakci, Dubois; Torreira, Demirbay; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi

After making it through the third qualifying round in contrasting styles, Lille and Slavia Prague go head-to-head in the Champions League playoffs, with the first leg taking place on Tuesday.

The teams meet at Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes, as Lille’s home stadium is still not available after the Olympics, and both will seek an advantage to take into next week’s second leg.

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Match preview

Leading by one goal from the first leg in France, Lille visited Turkish giants Fenerbahce at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium last week, and much to Jose Mourinho’s obvious displeasure they inched through at the end of extra time.

Les Dogues progressed with a 3-2 aggregate scoreline thanks to Jonathan David’s dramatic 118th-minute winner, which secured a precious place in the Champions League playoffs.

Having missed out on third place in Ligue 1 last term by conceding a stoppage-time equaliser on the final day, meaning automatic qualification slipped through their fingers, Lille are now within a whisker of making the group phase for the first time in three years.

After leading LOSC to fourth spot, former coach Paulo Fonseca departed for AC Milan during the summer, so now new boss Bruno Genesio is overseeing their latest attempt to reach UEFA’s top club competition.

This year’s expanded format would ensure at least eight high-profile games through to January, but they must again miss out on home advantage in the all-important playoffs.

With Stade Pierre Mauroy still out of action, Genesio’s men kicked off their league campaign with a 2-0 away win over Reims on Saturday evening, when David scored during second-half stoppage time. Now, they aim to replicate a previous Lille side’s successes against Slavia Prague.

When these clubs met in the Europa League group stage some 15 years ago, Lille easily took three points from both encounters, winning 3-1 and 5-1 in the autumn of 2009.

Jindrich Trpisovsky’s current squad will expect to fare far better this time around, having impressed in Europe last year and then been narrowly beaten to the Czech title by city rivals Sparta Prague for a second straight season.

Slavia’s consolation prize was a place in the Champions League qualifiers, and victory in their opening tie was virtually wrapped up with a 3-1 first-leg win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the third round.

Six days later, they finished the job in Belgium, and following Vaclav Jurecka’s late goal, a 4-1 aggregate scoreline saw them reach the penultimate hurdle of qualifying.

The Cervenobili have been back in action since last month, when they kicked off their domestic campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw at Slovacko, but four subsequent wins for the loss of just one goal have since left them only two points shy of Sparta in the First League standings.

Last year, Slavia finished first in their Europa League group with 15 points, beating Roma en route to becoming the first Czech team ever to top a group table, but ultimately went out to AC Milan in the last 16. Just a few months later, they are determined to dine at Europe’s top table.

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Team News

Bruno Genesio must make at least two changes to the Lille side that lined up in Reims at the weekend, as centre-back Aissa Mandi will serve a suspension for his stoppage-time dismissal against Fenerbahce and ex-Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes suffered a serious head injury.

Several players were rested on Saturday, but Thomas Meunier, Hakon Haraldsson and Jonathan David should all return to the starting XI in midweek.

David scored 26 times across all competitions last season and has started sharply this term; the Canada international is set to link up with Haraldsson and Remy Cabella in the final third.

Slavia’s main summer signing Tomas Chory struck twice in the third qualifying round and is among several contenders to feature in the visitors’ attacking trident.

Chory’s fellow Czech internationals Mojmir Chytil and Lukas Provod join Slovakia’s Euro 2024 star Ivan Schranz in vying for selection, while Vaclav Jurecka cannot be counted out.

Meanwhile, Oscar Dorley and Christos Zafeiris both scored in Saturday’s 2-1 league win over Teplice, and they should feature alongside captain Lukas Masopust in midfield.

Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Santos, Mukau, Andre; Cabella, Haraldsson; David

Slavia Prague possible starting lineup:
Kinsky; Holes, Ogbu, Zima; Masopust, Dorley, Zafeiris, Diouf; Schranz, Chory, Provod