Europa League 2016: Round-of-32 Leg 1 Live Stream, TV Schedule and Predictions
The 2015-16 UEFA Europa League has entered the knockout stages, with 15 of the 16 round-of-32 first-leg matches to be played on Thursday.
Tottenham Hotspur will try to avenge last year's defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, while Borussia Dortmund play host to Portuguese giants FC Porto. Manchester United will take on FC Midtjylland and Liverpool travel to Germany to take on Augsburg.
Here's a look at the full schedule for Thursday's matches, complete with TV info, live streams and predictions:
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| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Fiorentina | Tottenham | ESPN 3 USA/BT Sport Europe | Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-1 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Borussia Dortmund | FC Porto | ESPN 3 USA | Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 2-1 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Anderlecht | Olympiacos | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-1 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | FC Midtjylland | Manchester United | Fox Sports 2 USA/BT Sport 2 (UK) | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 0-1 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Sevilla | Molde | ESPN 3 USA | Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 2-0 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Villarreal | Napoli | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-3 |
| 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET | Saint-Etienne | Basel | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 0-1 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Valencia | Rapid Wien | ESPN 3 USA/BT Sport 2 (UK) | Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 0-0 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Augsburg | Liverpool | Fox Sports 2 USA/BT Sport 2 (UK) | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 0-2 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Sparta Prague | FC Krasnodar | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 2-1 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Galatasaray | Lazio | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-1 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Sion | Braga | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-0 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Shakhtar Donetsk | Schalke 04 | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 2-2 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Marseille | Athletic Club | ESPN 3 USA | Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-1 |
| 8:05 p.m. GMT/3:05 p.m. ET | Sporting CP | Bayer Leverkusen | / | Fox Soccer 2Go (USA)/BT Sport app (UK) | 1-0 |
Preview
Manchester United face a tricky trip to Denmark, where they'll meet FC Midtjylland, last year's Danish champions who currently sit in third place in their domestic league.
The team hasn't played a single match in 2016, so form-wise, it's difficult to read too much into their spot in the Danish standings. All the Red Devils can do is focus on their own form, which isn't exactly sterling entering the contest.
The 2-1 loss against Sunderland in the Premier League means United now chase rivals Manchester City by six points in the standings, and manager Louis van Gaal conceded after the match the team's chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League through a top-four finish aren't great, per sports writer Pete O'Rourke:
The alternative is to qualify by winning the Europa League, which will be easier said than done. Teams like Napoli, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund look to be in far better form than the Mancunians, and all would be favoured were they to go up against the Red Devils right now.
Fortunately, the team's first task is a match against FC Midtjylland, who boast some impressive talent but should be overmatched by United's squad.
Keep an eye on Pione Sisto, however. The 21-year-old midfielder is widely regarded as the best talent currently plying his trade in Denmark, and he could be taking his talents to a top European club very soon.
Tottenham were bounced from the competition by Fiorentina last year and will be looking for some revenge in 2016. La Viola currently sit in third place in the Serie A standings, but they haven't looked as dangerous or as sharp as they did last year.
Then-manager Vincenzo Montella had Fiorentina playing fantastic football over the course of two legs against Spurs, but he was sacked at the end of the season and replaced by Paulo Sousa.
Meanwhile, Spurs have looked nothing short of sensational in the past few weeks, and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand thinks it won't be easy to overcome the side:
The question is whether they'll take the Europa League as seriously as they should, given they're in the middle of a Premier League title push and could do without the added strain of European matches.
Resting one or two key players against Fiorentina could prove the difference on the domestic level, but it could also prove fatal against the Italians, who showed last year they match up with Spurs just fine.
Liverpool don't have to worry about the Premier League all that much, as qualification for the Champions League seems next to impossible at this point. Like United, their best chance might come through the Europa League, where they'll meet Augsburg in the round of 32.
Augsburg currently sit in 14th place in the Bundesliga and are winless in their last four, having lost their last two, per WhoScored.com. On paper, they should not provide the Reds with much of a challenge, and manager Jurgen Klopp may even choose to rest one or two key starters.
Dortmund play host to FC Porto, who have struggled domestically of late but always do well in Europe, while Napoli will attempt to bounce back from their loss against Juventus when they travel to Spain to take on Villarreal.
