The Europa League is set to hit the ground running in its
new format of 32 teams instead of 48 and a new playoff round. It is a key UEFA
tournament and offers its winner a direct entry into next season’s Champions
League. Spanish side Villarreal beat the English giants Manchester United in the
2020/21 Final in an enthralling encounter.

The tournament kicked off yesterday with the opening fixture
played between Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw, the match ended 1-0 with Legia’s
triumph.

Also Read – Virat Kohli to step down at India’s T20 Captain after T20 World Cup

The fixture that everyone has their eyes set on is Leicester
City vs Napoli. Both the sides enjoyed a good season and spent most of the time
inside the top four position in their respective league which would have secured
them a Champions League spot.

But due to some last day blues, the Italian heavyweights as
well as Jamie Vardy’s Leicester finished in the fifth spot. The sides are the hot
favourites to win the tournament, which could change once we see some Champions
League competitors dropping down to the Europa League.

Also Read – MLB: Boston Red Sox rally in 10th inning to down Seattle Mariners

The Foxes will have the home advantage for their group stage
clash tonight as the match will be played at the King Power Stadium in
Leicester. The English side have not had the best form when playing against the
biggest clubs in Europe while Napoli have been consistent competitors on the
continental stage.

Other exciting fixtures for today are West Ham vs Dinamo Zagreb,
Rangers vs Lyon, PSV vs Real Sociedad and Real Betis vs Celtic.

Also Read – Aston Martin confirm Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll for F1 2022

Indian fans can watch the tournament streaming live on Sony Network’s
OTT platform Sony Liv. Jio users will also be able to watch the matches on
JioTV. The live telecast will also be available for the games and can be seen
on Sony Sports HD/SD channels.

Who do you think will get their hands on the trophy? Let us
know in the comments.