UEFA Europa League Preview: Sevilla, Napoli hit the road

Sevilla coach Unai Emery is after improvement from his side when they visit Standard Liege on Thursday.

The defending UEFA Europa League champions beat Elche 2-0 on Sunday – a result that keeps them in second, three points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro scored the goals for Sevilla but Emery wants more from his team – starting in their Group G clash in Belgium.

“We have learned to endure bad times, because they have played well,” Emery was quoted as telling AS after the match.

“We’ve had two major counter-attacks but we didn’t dominate the opponent…we struggled in the first half because we weren’t together.

“If they had found a little more in the first half, we would have been in a bad position.”

Sevilla top Group G with four points from their two matches, while Standard are just a point adrift. The other pool match will see Feyenoord travel to Croatia to meet Rijeka.

Inter can virtually book their spot in the next stage with a home win against Saint-Etienne.

Walter Mazzarri’s side have stuttered in Serie A – defeats to Cagliari and Fiorentina proving how – but Inter have thrived in Europe’s second-tier competition, winning both of their group stage matches.

They have not conceded in the process – bad news for a Saint-Etienne side yet to score in the Europa League this season.

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk host Qarabag in the other Group F match.

Napoli’s progression is also likely, with Rafael Benitez’s side having won their first two matches as well.

They travel to Young Boys to face the third-placed side in Group I.

Napoli have scored five goals in their two matches and will fancy adding to that tally, while Sparta Prague play Slovan Bratislava in the other pool match.

Tottenham’s situation is more urgent and defeat at home to Asteras Tripolis could spell disaster for their chances of going through Group C.

Spurs have drawn both of their pool matches, while Asteras – who beat Partizan on match day one – top the group.

Besiktas play Partizan on Thursday.

Tottenham’s Premier League counterparts, Everton, top Group H going into their tricky trip to Lille, while in the same pool, Krasnodar take on Wolfsburg.

La Liga and Bundesliga have representation in Group A, where leaders Villarreal host Zurich, and the third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach are in need of a win against Apollon of Cyprus.

Celtic lead Group D and will fancy extending that advantage with a home tie against Astra, while PSV – who are third in Group E – need to improve when they host a Panathinaikos side who are yet to win a point.

Goals could be on the cards when Fiorentina travel to PAOK in Group K, with both sides having netted six times in their two matches. In the same pool, Dinamo Minsk host Guingamp.

Metalist host Legia Warsaw in Wednesday’s sole clash, while AaB battle Dynamo Kiev, Steaua Bucharest face Rio Ave and Trabzonspor meet Lokeren.

There are home ties for Torino and Club Brugge, who host HJK and FC Copenhagen respectively, and Salzburg face Dinamo Zagreb and Estoril clash with Dinamo Moscow.