Europa League 2018: Semi-Final Leg 1 Live Stream, TV Schedule and Predictions

The UEFA Europa League semi-finals kick off on Thursday, when the opening legs of the two ties take place in England and France. Arsenal play host to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, and Red Bull Salzburg of Austria visit Marseille.

Of the four teams, only Salzburg have achieved their domestic goals so far, while Marseille are still in the running for second place in Ligue 1. Arsenal need to beat Atletico and win the Europa League final to have any realistic chance of qualifying for next year's Champions League.

Here's a look at the TV schedule and live-stream options for both matches (kick-offs will be at 8:05 p.m. BST/3:05 p.m. ET):

Arsenal vs. Atletico: BT Sport 2 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)

Marseille vs. Salzburg: BT Sport 3 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (U.S.)

Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid

Atletico are battling it out with rivals Real Madrid for second place in La Liga, with the duo sitting behind Barcelona in the title race. The Catalans sport a double-digit lead in the standings and have all but wrapped up the title.

While Los Rojiblancos still have plenty to fight for in Spain, they've clearly prioritised the Europa League at this point:

Real Betis held them to a draw in their last outing, but Los Verdiblancos have been in sensational form of late―playing out a scoreless draw against them with a number of back-up players was by no means a disappointing result for Atleti on Sunday.

Arsenal impressed in the 4-1 win over West Ham United, and there appears to be a renewed energy surrounding the club following Arsene Wenger's announcement that he will step down at the end of the season.

The Gunners enter the contest with a number of health concerns, however, per WhoScored.com. Mohamed Elneny's injury will sting, and Wenger will again have to figure out his attacking puzzle, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible to play.

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Atletico Madrid

Marseille vs. Red Bull Salzburg

While most neutral fans will likely tune into the marquee clash on Thursday, the most explosive fixture could well play out in France.

Marseille's home form of late suggests the hosts should find the target early and often:

The Stade Velodrome is a daunting place to play, and the atmosphere is expected to be electric judging by the demand for tickets:

Red Bull Salzburg are no pushovers, though, and will fancy their chances.

They have won their last four matches across all competitions―including a 4-1 victory over Lazio and a penalty shootout triumph against SV Mattersburg in the Austrian Cup―and sport a double-digit lead in the Austrian Bundesliga, so their full focus is on Europe.

Diadie Samassekou will return from suspension and should hand the Red Bulls a major boost in midfield, giving the visitors a huge weapon against the creative duo of Maxime Lopez and Dimitri Payet.

Prediction: Marseille 3-2 Red Bull Salzburg