UEFA Europa League PREVIEW 16 Sep 2026: Sunderland end a 53-year wait for Europe as two Europa League clubs sack their managers days before kickoff

Sunderland host AZ Alkmaar at the Stadium of Light in the first official meeting between the two clubs, and the fixture ends a 53-year wait for European football at the club: their only previous continental campaign was the 1973-74 European Cup Winners' Cup, which ended against Sporting Lisbon after victory over Vasas Budapest. Sunderland arrive off a 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal and will be without Habib Diarra, expected to be out six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury, and Romaine Mundle, who has had meniscus surgery on a new knee problem. AZ, unbeaten in six of their last seven matches under head coach Lee-Roy Echteld, come into the trip off a 3-2 comeback win at SC Heerenveen and reached this stage of the competition by winning the Dutch Cup in May.

Two of the seven ties kick off with a new head coach in the home dugout. Olympiacos sacked Jose Luis Mendilibar and appointed the former Real Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil, who took his first game in charge, a 1-0 home defeat to OFI, before Wednesday's visit of Jagiellonia. "I am as angry as every Olympiacos fan because I know what it means to play in this stadium," Alguacil said afterwards, adding there was no time to lose in changing the way his new side plays. Jagiellonia arrive at the Karaiskakis Stadium for their first-ever Europa League league-phase fixture, having reached the Conference League group stage in the two previous seasons; their build-up was disrupted by a 2-1 defeat away to Lech Poznan. Celje face a similar upheaval at Bayer Leverkusen: they sacked Vitor Campelos after four defeats in five matches and handed the job to Zoran Zeljkovic, who returns to a club he served as co-trainer between 2017 and 2018, for his first game in interim charge. It is the first meeting between the two clubs and Celje's first-ever Europa League campaign, reached after they were eliminated from Champions League qualifying by Slovan Bratislava; Leverkusen have won each of their last nine home games in the competition.

Ararat-Armenia host Sparta Prague at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan for a first-ever Europa League league-phase fixture of their own, arriving on the back of a 3-0 league win over Syunik that made it back-to-back victories without conceding. Sparta reached this stage after losing to Lyon in Champions League qualifying and travel with a lengthy injury and suspension list, including the suspended Adam Sevinsky. Omonia, who progressed through qualifying against Sint-Truiden of Belgium, host a Celta de Vigo side still without a win in six La Liga games this season; Celta captain Iago Aspas is out with the thigh injury that forced him off in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Malaga. Omonia have won all three of their European home games so far this term and go into the tie off a goalless draw with Apollon Limassol.

Sturm Graz host Stade Rennais at Liebenau in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, and it opens what Sturm's own preview called their sixth consecutive season in a European competition. Sturm come into the tie off a 2-1 home win over LASK on 14 September and will be without Leon Grgic, out with a knee injury, and Emran Soglo, sidelined with a muscle problem, while Seedy Jatta, withdrawn at the 50th-minute mark against LASK, is a doubt with a shoulder issue; head coach Fabio Ingolitsch has complained that his side had only two days to prepare against a Rennes team that had more time to rest. Rennes, back in a European league phase for the first time in three years, arrive with Franck Haise able to select his full squad after a 1-0 win over Marseille, though top scorer Esteban Lepaul, who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season, has gone scoreless in his last two league games. Rennes could not get hotel rooms in Graz itself, with the area fully booked for the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix at the nearby Spielberg circuit the following weekend, and are staying in Maribor instead.

AC Milan's first match back in the Europa League carries a personal thread for one of their forwards: Goncalo Ramos, signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, came through Benfica's academy and faces his former club at San Siro. The clubs have met at the sharp end of Europe before, Milan beating Benfica in both of their previous European Cup final meetings, 2-1 in 1963 and 1-0 in 1990. New Milan head coach Ruben Amorim, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri over the summer, saw his side come from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Lazio in their last Serie A match, Diego Moreira scoring twice after half-time. Benfica arrive in better form, having come from behind themselves to beat Gil Vicente 3-1 in their last league outing; head coach Marco Silva has right-back Alexander Bah back in full training after a shoulder injury and expects him to be available, with midfielder Jaden Umeh the squad's only confirmed absentee.

Anderlecht host Lyon at Lotto Park with defender Giulian Biancone ruled out after a thigh injury picked up in Sunday's win at Mechelen, leaving summer signing Andrew Omobamidele in line to partner Leo Petrot in central defence. Lyon, unbeaten in Ligue 1 and with their full squad available, chose to skip a final training session on the Lotto Park pitch and fly in on matchday instead. Hapoel Beer Sheva's home tie with Dinamo Zagreb has been moved to the Rapid Giulesti stadium in Bucharest; Hapoel, back in the competition after a three-year absence, will be without Dan Biton, last season's top scorer, while Dinamo's Dion Drena Beljo, who has seven goals and three assists in five league games, missed their most recent match, a 4-2 defeat at Osijek, through illness.