UEFA Europa League Preview: Mazzarri demands Inter fight, Hecking eyes improvement

Inter can bounce back from Sunday’s Serie A humbling against Cagliari when they host Qarabag in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.

Walter Mazzarri’s side were beaten 4-1 at San Siro – conceding all four goals in the first half – as Inter’s stuttering start to the league continued at the weekend.

However, with the Inter coach demanding a response, Thursday’s visit of Group F opponents Qarabag represents the ideal opportunity.

Inter have won all three of their European outings this season, scoring 10 goals without reply, while their Azerbaijani opponents approach their 50th UEFA fixture off the back of an eight-game undefeated run in all competitions.

“We just need to work, get back up again quickly, show our spirit and fight like a great team does,” Mazzarri stressed after Sunday’s defeat.

“We have to start again and be strong for the Europa League clash on Thursday.”

Saint-Etienne and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk contest the group’s other fixture, while Dieter Hecking will hope to see an improved showing from his Wolfsburg side against Lille in Group H.

Hecking was less than impressed following his side’s 4-1 reversal against Everton in their opening group game and will take charge of Wolfsburg’s first European home fixture since the 2009-10 quarter-final against Fulham.

Lille have failed to win any of their last nine Europa League matches on the road. Everton, meanwhile, are eager to extend their lead at the top when they travel to European debutants Krasnodar.

Lucien Favre takes Borussia Monchengladbach to former club Grasshopper Zurich in Group A as leaders Apollon will look to deny Villarreal at 10th successive home win in the competition.

Marek Hamsik will return to the club he started his career with when Napoli travel to Slovan Bratislava looking to keep pace with Young Boys, who currently lead Group I on goal difference.

The Swiss side were 5-0 winners against Slovan last time out and can bolster their hopes of progression with maximum points against Sparta Prague.

Group stage debutants Guingamp will hope to get their first points on the board against PAOK in Group K, where rivals Fiorentina and Dinamo Minsk also meet in Belarus.

Trabzonspor will be out to beat Legia Warsaw for the third time in two seasons, after a solid start to Vahid Halilhodzic’s reign, while Metalist and Lokeren can get up and running in Belgium.

Group B’s top two are on the road as Copenhagen and Club Brugge travel to Torino and HJK respectively. In Group C, all four sides sit level on points and goal difference.

Tottenham host Besiktas and Asteras Tripolis welcome Partizan, with Group D leaders Dinamo Zagreb taking on Scottish champions Celtic. Salzburg take on Romanian side Astra.

Group E pacesetters Dinamo Moscow and PSV meet in the Russian capital and Panathinaikos play Estoril in the group’s other fixture.

Rijeka and Feyenoord boast home advantage against holders Sevilla and Standard Liege respectively, while Steaua Bucharest take on Dynamo Kiev and AaB entertain Rio Ave.