End of the Europa League play-offs this Thursday, February 23 with three French clubs aiming for qualification.
The three French clubs still in the running for the 1/6th finals of the Europa League will try at home to validate their ticket for the 8th finals. Monaco provided the essential last week by winning 3-2 on the lawn of Bayer Leverkusen. With 5 consecutive victories, the Monegasques display a confidence that now seems unshakable. Rennes relished victory against Clermont on Sunday February 19. Certainly defeated in Poland against Shakhtar, the Bretons will probably be pushed by Roazhon Park on Thursday February 23. Finally, just over 100km away, the people of Nantes are impatiently awaiting the arrival of the Turinese. At Juventus Stadium, Antoine Kombouaré’s men carried out the very good operation, that of the draw (1-1). At La Beaujoire, the Canaries will experience a crazy evening and Antoine Kombouaré is hoping for qualification. “We are prepared for this match. We gave ourselves the right to dream. Now the hardest part begins, the hardest part is yet to come. How can we beat this Juventus team? We are going to train today (Wednesday), go green and calmly prepare for this match. There’s a big motivation to try and break the stats (no qualification for Nantes against an Italian team in the European Cup).”
In addition to the French teams, the 1/6th final second leg of the Europa League will also be marked by the confrontation between two historic clubs, Manchester United and FC Barcelona. At Camp Nou, the Catalans conceded a draw. The return match will therefore be to the advantage of the Mancunians who will play this match at Old Trafford. And it promises! Accustomed to the Champions League, these football monuments are experiencing a satisfactory period. The Blaugranas are at the top of La Liga and the Mancunians 3rd, hot on the heels of Manchester City.
AS Roma will have the cards in hand against Red Bull Salzburg. The Romans lost in the first leg 1-0. Union Berlin and Ajax left each other last week with a score of 0 to 0. The return match will be played in Germany. Midtjylland surprised Sporting by winning 1 everywhere. The atmosphere will be on the side of the Danes on Thursday. The PSV back to the wall, will perhaps believe in the exploit. They were largely dominated in Spain by Sevilla FC 3-0.
The TV program:
- Nantes – Juventus Turin: at 6:45 p.m. live on RMC Sport 1 and RMC Sport UHD
- Monaco – Bayer Leverkusen: at 6:45 p.m. live on RMC Sport Live 3
- PSV Eindhoven – Sevilla FC: at 6:45 p.m. live on RMC Sport Live 5
- FC Midtjylland – Sporting Portugal: at 6:45 p.m. live on RMC Sport Live 6
- Rennes – Chakhtior Donetsk: at 9 p.m. in the clear and live on Canal+ Foot and W9
- Manchester United – FC Barcelona: at 9 p.m. live on RMC Sport 1 and RMC Sport UHD
- AS Roma – RB Salzburg: at 9 p.m. live on RMC Sport Live 3
- Union Berlin – Ajax Amsterdam: at 9 p.m. live on RMC Sport Live 5
The group stage of the Europa Football League is played from Thursday September 8, 2022 to Thursday November 3, 2022 while the knockout stage will be played from Thursday February 16, 2023 to Thursday May 18, 2023. As for the final, it is scheduled on May 31, 2023 at the Puskas Arena stadium in Budapest (Hungary). The calendar was then drawn up as follows by UEFA:
- Direct elimination
- Knockout stage play-offs: February 16 and 23, 2023
- Round of 16: March 9 and 16, 2023
- Quarter-finals: April 13 and 20, 2023
- Semi-finals: May 11 and 18, 2023
- Final: May 31, 2023 at the Puskas Arena stadium in Budapest (Hungary)
As last season, UEFA has awarded the 2022/2023 Europa League French TV rights to RMC Sport, M6 And Canal+ which will ensure the broadcast until the end of the 2023/2024 season. Canal + will co-broadcast with M6 the poster for each Thursday and RMC Sport offers all the remaining matches. M6 will broadcast the final scheduled for May 31, 2023.