The group-stage campaign of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League came to a wrap on Wednesday and with Thursday having arrived, the focus now shifts to the UEFA Europa League. Matchday 6 is upon us, with half of the fixtures — eight, to be precise — being 12:45 p.m. ET kick-offs while the remaining eight matches are scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
For some teams, their fate has already been decided. However, some sides still have something to fight for in this final round. Here is everything you need to know about Matchday 6, including the key matches to watch, the players most likely to miss this round, and where to catch the action live.
Broadcast information for the UEFA Europa League in the USA
CBS Sports offers a multiplatform coverage of the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League season, with Paramount+ streaming all the games in this competition — as well as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League — live for fans in the USA. Select matches will also be available on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network, the free 24-hour football streaming network.
TelevisaUnivision also has broadcasting rights for European football, which means fans in the USA will get Spanish-language coverage of the UEFA Europa League through TUDN USA, Univision, UniMás, and ViX.
Top games to watch on Matchday 6 of the UEFA Europa League
Brighton vs. Marseille
This game, as is the case with the rest, is not a battle to qualify. Instead, it is a fight to win the group. Both Brighton and Marseille have sealed progression to the next round, with the French heavyweights sitting top while the Premier League side are second. However, only a point separates the two.
Roberto de Zerbi's men have the home advantage and could get a bye to the round of 16 with a win over the Ligue 1 outfit. However, led by an in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the visitors will not allow this to happen easily. Gattuso's side are on a four-game winning streak and a five-game unbeaten run, meaning the Seagulls will be in for a tough ride at the Amex.
West Ham vs. Freiburg
West Ham host Freiburg in their final game of the group stage as the London side look to secure the top spot in their group. However, the Bundesliga outfit are tied on points with the Hammers (12 each) and only trail Paqueta and Co. due to an inferior head-to-head record.
As a result, Moyes' men simply need a draw to secure a bye to the round of 16. The visitors, on the other hand, will have to beat West Ham in the English capital, having lost 2-1 at home to the Hammers in their previous encounter.
Real Betis vs. Rangers
As is the case with the two previous fixtures, Real Betis' showdown with Rangers is also a battle to win the group. However, unlike the two earlier matches, neither Real Betis nor Rangers have secured progression to the next round and defeat could send both teams out of the competition — and into the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Spanish and Scottish clubs boast nine and eight points, respectively, and occupy the first and second spots in the group, respectively. However, third-placed Sparta Praha boast seven points and can leapfrog one, if not both sides. A draw would suffice for the Liga outfit but winning the group would be ideal and a victory is the only way to ensure that. Meanwhile, if Slavia Praha win their final game, then the visitors will have no choice but to beat Real Betis. Unfortunately, Manuel Pellegrini's men boast a brilliant home record, thus making this a difficult feat to achieve.
Rennes vs. Villarreal
And finally, we have Rennes vs. Villarreal, a clash between two clubs that have qualified for the knockout stage but are yet to determine their final positions. The French side currently top the group but boast only a two-point lead over the visitors. As a result, a defeat would see them finish second in the group, thus demoting them to the Knockout Round Playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Submarine beat Rennes the last time they met, triumphing 1-0 in Spain. However, the away side's recent form has been shaky. Marcelino's men are currently winless in their last three matches, losing 3-0 to Real Sociedad recently while drawing against Sevilla and Maccabi Haifa before that.
Who's in and who's out?
Here are the list of players injured from the UEFA Europa League's top clubs:
Rennes: No issues
Villarreal: Aissa Mandi, Denis Suarez, Yeremy Pino, Santi Comesana, and Alfonso Pedraza (injured); Alberto Moreno (doubtful)
Liverpool: Thiago, Joel Matip, Andrew Robertson, Stefan Bajcetic, Diogo Jota, and Alexis Mac Allister (injured)
Leverkusen: Arthur and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (injured)
Brighton: Julio Enciso, Solly March, Pervis Estupinan, Adam Webster, Tariq Lamptey, Danny Welbeck, and Ansu Fati (injured)
Marseille: Valentin Rongier and Joaquin Correa (injured)
Real Betis: Youssouf Sabaly, William Carvalho, Marc Bartra, Claudio Bravo, and Nabil Fekir (injured)
Rangers: Nicolas Raskin, Danilo, and Tom Lawrence (injured)
West Ham: Michail Antonio (injured); Alphonse Areola (doubtful)
SC Freiburg: Lukas Kubler, Christian Gunter, Yannik Keitel, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Maximilian Philipp, and Benjamin Uphoff (injured); Kenneth Schmidt (doubtful)
