Group stageTodayMakhachkala vs UdineseRubin Kazan vs InterSparta Praha vs LyonLazio vs TottenhamHannover 96 vs FC TwenteMetalist vs LeverkusenLiverpool vs Young BoysNewcastle vs MarítimoAtlético vs H. Tel-AvivMarseille vs Fenerbahçe Club Brugge vs BordeauxAIKAIK vs NapoliLONDON – Premier League trio Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle will be aiming to secure passage to the Europa League knockout stages with a game in hand on Thursday.While the English clubs have had modest starts to their domestic campaign and are all in unfamiliar mid-table positions, their fortunes have been brighter in continental action as they close in on the last-32.Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has finally put the Anfield giants on the right track after a disastrous start to the season and a win at home against Swiss hopefuls Young Boys will guarantee the club their ongoing quest for a first European trophy since their famous Champions League win over AC Milan in 2005.Tottenham face a sterner test of their pedigree as they travel to the Olympic stadium in Rome and a tie against unbeaten Lazio.A win in the Italian capital and failure for Slovenian club Maribor to beat Panathinaikos in Athens will also put under-pressure manager Andre Villa-Boas and his North London side into the next round.Newcastle United who won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1969 before the competition became the Uefa Cup in 1971 and currently the Europa League, have a chance to revive their form at St. James’ Park where they have lost consecutive league matches against West Ham and Swansea.Agencies
