Thanks to the break in Champions League action, the UEFA Europa League is spread over two days in Matchday 5, giving us considerably more football to watch as the games are spread over four timeslots. The highlight of the round is Celtic hosting Atletico Madrid, as the Glasgow club fights for their European life against Radamel Falcao and co. That match is on Wednesday, as is a contest between Tottenham Hotspur and PAOK, where the English Premier League outfit needs three points.
UEFA Europa League 2011, Matchday 5 Preview And Schedule: Celtic Face Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Need Three Points
Celtic and Atletico Madrid play in Wednesday’s biggest match, while FC Twente vs. Fulham is Thursday’s highlight.
Premier League clubs are also involved in some of the best games taking place on Thursday. Bryan Ruiz's new club will face his old club as Fulham take on FC Twente, while Stoke City look to stay top of their group against a dangerous Dynamo Kiev side. In the best match of the round that is potentially off the radar of English football fans, Legia Warsaw, who sit on nine points in Group C, take on PSV Eindhoven, who top the group with 10 points. Group B also features a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, with Standard Liege taking on Hannover 96.
All games are available on DirecTV Soccer in the USA.
UEFA Europa League Schedule, Wednesday
12:00 pm ET
Rubin Kazan vs. Shamrock Rovers
1:00 pm ET
FC Metalist Kharkiv vs. Austria Vienna
Malmo FF vs. AZ Alkmaar
Braga vs. Birmingham City (TV: ESPN Australia)
NK Maribor vs. Club Brugge
Celtic vs. Atletico Madrid (TV: GolTV USA, Setanta Ireland, ESPN UK, ESPN2 Australia, EuroWorld Sport Canada)
Stade Rennes vs. Udinese
3:00 pm ET
Tottenham Hotspur vs. PAOK Salonika (TV: GolTV USA, Channel 5 UK, Setanta Sports Ireland, EuroWorld Sport Canada)
Standard Liege vs. Hannover 96 (TV: ESPN UK, ESPN2 Australia)
Vorskla vs. FC Copenhagen
Legia Warsaw vs. PSV Eindhoven (TV: ESPN Australia)
Rapid Bucharest vs. Hapoel Tel-Aviv
UEFA Europa League Schedule, Thursday
12:00 pm ET
Lokomotiv Moscow vs. SK Sturm Graz
1:00 pm ET
AEK Larnaca vs. Maccabi Haifa
Schalke 04 vs. Steaua Bucharest (TV: GolTV USA, ESPN2 Australia)
Odense BK vs. Wisla Krakow
FC Twente vs. Fulham (TV: ESPN UK, Setanta Ireland, ESPN Australia, EuroWorld Sport Canada)
AEK Athens vs. Anderlecht
3:00 pm ET
FC Vaslui vs. Lazio (TV: ESPN2 Australia)
Sporting Lisbon vs. FC Zurich
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs. Besiktas
Stoke City vs. Dynamo Kiev (TV: ITV UK, Setanta Ireland, ESPN Australia)
Athletic Bilbao vs. Slovan Bratislava
SV Salzburg vs. Paris Saint-Germain (TV: ESPN UK)
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