The Europa League match between Sturm Graz and Lille will take place at Merkur Arena on Thursday at 11:15 pm IST.
Lille is heading to Austria to play against Sturm Graz for the first time in the Europa Conference League last-16. Both teams won important games in their domestic leagues recently and are aiming to qualify for the Champions League next season.
This season, Sturm Graz has achieved a milestone by reaching the UEFA group stage for the first time after several attempts. In Austria, they’re challenging Red Bull Salzburg’s long-standing dominance in the league. Sturm’s unbeaten run, including wins without conceding goals, has put them in contention for the league title. Although they faced defeats in Europe recently, they bounced back strongly in the Europa Conference League playoffs, securing a convincing victory over Slovan Bratislava. Now, they aim to surpass their previous European performances by advancing further. However, they face Lille, a team with inconsistent form but still holding a top-four position in the French league.
Lille secured a much-needed 1-0 victory against Reims, breaking their six-game winless streak on away matches against top-tier teams and keeping them in fourth place in the race for Champions League qualification. In the Europa Conference League, they topped their group to reach the last 16, but their performances weren’t impressive. Despite winning 14 points in the group stage, they faced criticism for drawing against KI Klaksvik and needing extra time to beat Rijeka in qualifiers. Similar to Sturm Graz, Lille aims to advance past the last 16 in Europe for the first time, as their previous appearances in Champions League and Europa League knockout stages didn’t lead to quarter-final qualification.
Sturm Graz probable starting lineup: Jaros, Gazibegovic, Affengruber, Lavalee, Schnegg, Horvat, Gorenc Stankovic, Prass, Kiteishvili, Sarkaria, Biereth
Lille probable starting lineup: Chevalier, Tiago Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Gudmundsson, Andre, Gomes, Yazici, Zhegrova, David, Haraldsson
Sturm Graz
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| Wolfberger AC | 4-0 (W) |
| Tirol | 2-0 (W) |
| Slovan Bratislava | 1-0 (W) |
| SK Rapid | 1-1 (D) |
| Slovan Bratislava | 4-1 (W) |
Lille
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| Reims | 1-0 (W) |
| Toulouse | 1-3 (L) |
| Le Havre | 3-0 (W) |
| PSG | 1-3 (L) |
| Lyon | 1-2 (L) |
The upcoming match between these two clubs is going to be their first head to head encounter ever.
The Europa League match between Sturm Graz and Lille will take place at Merkur Arena on Thursday at 11:15 pm IST.
| Sturm Graz vs Lille | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Date | March 7 |
| Venue | Merkur Arena |
| Kickoff time in Austria | 6:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in France | 6:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 11:15 pm (Thursday) |
Football fans in Austria can catch the live action via Sky Sport Austria 2, servustv.com, Sky Sport Austria 1, Servus TV while those in France can watch the match live via RMC Sport 1, RMC Sport en direct.
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