Europa League 2013: Result Predictions and Key Games to Watch

Matchday 3 of UEFA Europa League action gets underway this Thursday, with 24 games taking place at venues across the Continent. 

Premier League teams Swansea and Tottenham are looking to keep their winning streaks alive in their respective groups, while Wigan face a tough challenge as they welcome Rubin Kazan to the DW Stadium in what is just their second-ever Europa League match in front of their own fans.

Here's a look at a full set of predictions and a breakdown of the challenges facing Swansea, Totenham and Wigan this week.

Kick-Off	Home	Away	Prediction
Oct. 24, 5 p.m BST	Anzhi	Tromso	Anzhi win, 2-1
Oct. 24, 5 p.m BST	Shakhter Karagandy	AZ Alkmaar	Shakhter win, 1-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	PAOK	Maccabi Haifa	PAOK win, 2-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Sheriff	Tottenham	Tottenham win, 3-1
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Genk	Rapid Wien	Draw, 1-1
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Dynamo Kiev	FC Thun	Kiev win, 4-1
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Liberec	Sevilla	Sevilla win, 2-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Freiburg	Estoril	Draw, 0-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Lyon	Rijeka	Lyon win, 3-1
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Real Betis	Guimaraes	Betis win, 3-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Trabzonspor	Legia	Trabzonspor win, 2-0
Oct. 24, 6 p.m BST	Apollon	Lazio	Lazio win, 2-1
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Swansea	Kuban	Swansea win, 3-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Valencia	St Gallen	Valencia win, 3-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Chornomorets Odesa	Ludogorets	Ludogorets win, 2-1
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Dinamo Zagreb	PSV	Draw, 1-1
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Elfsborg	Esbjerg	Elfsborg win, 1-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Salzburg	Standard Liege	Draw, 0-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Wigan	Rubin Kazan	Rubin win, 2-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Zulte Waregem	Maribor	Draw, 1-1
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Pacos Ferreira	Dnipro	Draw, 2-2
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Fiorentina	Pandurii	Fiorentina win, 4-0
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Bordeaux	APOEL	Bordeaux win, 3-1
Oct. 24, 8.05 p.m BST	Eintracht Frankfurt	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Draw, 2-2

Swansea vs. Kuban Krasnodar

European novices Swansea welcome Kuban to Wales this Thursday, as they look to extend their unbeaten run in the Europa League.

Qualifiers included, the Swans have won five and drawn one of their six games in Europe this season, and they’re sitting pretty atop Group A with six points from two games.

A surprise 3-0 win away to Valencia on Matchday 1 got them off to a flier, and they backed up their maiden victory in the competition with a 1-0 win over St Gallen at the Liberty Stadium two weeks ago.

Kuban have struggled so far this season, both domestically and in Europe. After a successful qualifying campaign, in which they saw off both Motherwell and Feyenoord, they lost both their opening games in Group A.

The Russian side opened their account with a 2-0 loss away to St. Gallen before a 2-0 defeat at home to Valencia, who had to wait until the 73rd minute to break the deadlock.

Kuban bring a fairly bleak away record to Swansea. They currently sit 11th in the Russian Premier League with just 14 points from 13 matches and their last victory on the road came against Tom Tomsk—a team not a person—in the league back in July.

Michael Laudrup’s side will be firm favourites to extend their lead at the top of the Group. Top goalscorer Michu, who has bagged three in six games on the Continent, and Wilfried Bony, who has scored four in five, will look to do the damage.

Prediction: Swansea 3-0 Kuban

 

Sheriff vs. Tottenham

When was the last, and only, time a team from Moldova were victorious over an English side? According to the stats people at UEFA, the little known Toligma Chisinau once beat Doncaster College DEAF FC 10-2 in the 2006/'07 UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round.

While Thursday’s night game between Sheriff and Tottenham can be expected to drum up just a tad more publicity, it should be relatively plain sailing for Andre Villas-Boas’ side.

Sheriff have picked up two points from their opening two games. A 1-1 draw away to Tromso and a 0-0 draw at home to Anzhi have put them second place in the table, but the Moldovan champions will face a stern test when Spurs visit the Stadionul Sheriff. 

Tottenham, along with Swansea, are one of just four sides yet to concede a goal—per UEFA—in the group stages, and a win will see them qualify for the round of 32 if the match between Russian side Anzhi and Tromso ends in a draw.

Under the guidance of Villas-Boas, the only coach in this year’s competition to have won the tournament in its current format, Spurs have become a solid team that is difficult to breakdown.

They have conceded just five goals in the Premier League this year, and Jermain Defoe has made it his mission to impress in the Europa League since losing his starting spot to Roberto Soldado. The Englishman is tied for top spot in the goalscoring charts with three, per UEFA.

While solid at the back, Spurs have also found goals easy to come by, scoring five in their opening two matches against Anzhi and Tromso. 

The North London outfit should be a class above when the two teams take to the pitch Thursday night.

Prediction: Sheriff 0-3 Tottenham

Wigan Athletic vs. Rubin Kazan

Wigan will look to go top of Group D when they take on Rubin at home on Matchday 3, but beating the Russian side will be a big ask for Owen Coyle’s charges.

Rubin have scored nine goals in their opening two Europa League games, and their experience of European competition will stand to them for the trip to Wigan.

Wigan, who are playing in Europe for the first time, have adapted well to the tournament. A 0-0 draw away to Belgian side Zulte Waregem won’t have set the world alight, but it put a point on the board for the FA Cup champions before they picked up their maiden victory at home to Maribor in Matchday 2.

The Latics have lost two of their last three games in the Championship, and they currently sit mid-table with 14 points from 10 games, but they will take confidence from their home form.

Wigan have yet to lose a match on their own patch this season, and although the atmosphere inside the DW Stadium isn’t exactly one you would call intimidating, they will provide Rubin with their toughest challenge so far.

Expect Wigan to put up a gallant effort but for Rubin’s firepower to eventually shine through.

Predicion: Wigan 0-2 Rubin Kazan