Europa League round of 32 first leg preview: Stats, team news, key games

February 19, 2020 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Arsenal, Olympiakos, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Wolves, Espanyol, Rangers, Sporting Braga, Ludogarets, Inter Milan, UEFA Europa League

Arsenal will be making the trip to Olympiakos for their knockout stage clash while fellow Premier League giants Man United will be visiting Club Brugge.

2019/20 UEFA Europa League round of 32 first-leg fixtures -- Time and date

Thursday, February 20, 2020

CFR Cluj vs Sevilla at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Club Brugge vs Manchester United at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Salzburg at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Getafe vs Ajax at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
København vs Celtic at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Ludogorets vs Inter Milan at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica’ at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
Sporting CP vs İstanbul Başakşehir at 12:55 ET/17:55 GMT
APOEL vs Basel at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
AZ vs LASK Linz at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Bayer Leverkusen vs Porto at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Olympiakos vs Arsenal at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Rangers vs Sporting Braga at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Roma vs Gent at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Wolfsburg v Malmo at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT
Wolves vs Espanyol at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT

Team news/injures

Club Brugge vs Manchester United

Out: Diatta, Badji, Van der Bremp [Brugge]; Rashford, Pogba, Grant, Fosu-Mensah, McTominay, Greenwood [Man Utd]

Doubts: Tuanzebe, Jones [Man Utd]

Rangers vs Braga

Out: Defoe, Helander, Middleton, Jack [Rangers]; Tormena, Eduardo [Braga]

Doubts: Barisic [Rangers]

Olympiakos vs Arsenal

Out: Soudane [Olympiakos]; Chambers, Tierney, Ozil, Cedric [Arsenal]

Doubts: Gasper [Olympiakos]; Torreira [Arsenal]

Wolves vs Espanyol

Out: Vinagre [Wolves]; Sebastien Corchia [Espanyol]

Doubts: de Tomas, Campuzano [Espanyol]

Key stats

Man United have appeared in this stage of the Europa League three times before and are yet to get eliminated once.
The Red Devils’ opponents are winless in their last 10 encounters with Premier League clubs.
Arsenal have traveled to Olympiakos four times before in the Champions League and have lost all but one of those visits.
The Greek side’s home record against English clubs is rather impressive, winning almost half of the 15 visits from Premier League sides (W7, D4, L4).
Wolves’ only previous encounter against a Spanish club came vs Barcelona, with the English side suffering their biggest home and away defeats in Europe in that 1959/60 European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-final tie (0-4 away and 2-5 at home).
Espanyol boast a 13-game unbeaten run in away matches in Europe (W8, D5).
Porto have won only three times in 17 visits to Germany and are winless in their last six (D2, L4).
Bayer Leverkusen haven’t lost at home in this competition in six matches, a run that dates back seven years.
Rangers have never lost a home game against a Portuguese opposition, winning the first five in eight visits.