UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Preview: New Format and Top Favourites!

The UEFA Europa League is back, and the 2024/25 season promises excitement with a fresh format and fierce competition.

Starting on 25th September and culminating in the final on 21st May 2025 at Bilbao's Estadio de San Mamés, this season has plenty in store.

What’s new in the UEFA Europa League?

The tournament has undergone a significant format change. Like the Champions League, the group stage is now replaced by a league format. The 36 competing teams will each play 8 matches (4 home and 4 away), aiming to secure a spot in the knockout stages.

The top 8 teams will directly qualify for the Round of 16, while teams placed 9th to 24th will face off in knockout round playoffs, where the winners will move on to join the last 16.

Key Dates for the UEFA Europa League 2024/25

Here’s a rundown of the key match dates for this season:

• Matchday 1: 25/26 September 2024
• Matchday 2: 3 October 2024
• Matchday 3: 24 October 2024
• Matchday 4: 7 November 2024
• Matchday 5: 28 November 2024
• Matchday 6: 12 December 2024
• Matchday 7: 23 January 2025
• Matchday 8: 30 January 2025

The knockout rounds start on 13 February 2025, leading to the final on 21 May 2025. Check the full match schedule HERE and don’t miss a game!

Teams to watch: Who are the favourites?

The English Premier League dominates with two major contenders, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs, under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, are tipped as favourites to lift the trophy with odds of 5.50. Will this be the season they finally add silverware to their collection?

Manchester United, who claimed the trophy in 2017, are another force to be reckoned with. Though Red Devils fans hoped for Champions League action, a Europa League triumph could make a nice consolidation trophy.

Italian teams like Roma, and Spanish sides like Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, are also strong contenders, with exciting players like Mikel Oyarzabal and Nico Williams leading their charge.

Prize for the winner of the UEFA Europa League ?

Aside from the glory of lifting the heaviest UEFA trophy, weighing 15kg, the Europa League winner secures a guaranteed spot in the 2025/26 Champions League.

Financially, the rewards are impressive, with 8.6 million euros awarded to the champion, plus earnings from victories and qualification bonuses throughout the competition (stats from 2020/21).

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