The Europa League is back. Eintracht Frankfurt beat Rangers in a dramatic final in May, although both are currently competing in the Champions League group stages.
Despite not having the same prestige as that competition, the Europa League is a title all of the 32 teams will want to win. That’s especially true for Man Utd and Arsenal, who have endured a few trophy-less seasons recently.
But it won’t be plain sailing for the English teams, with the likes of Roma, PSV and Real Sociedad offering strong competition. We also shouldn’t forget about the third-placed Champions League sides, which drop down to the Europa League for the knockout stages.
It looks set to be another exciting season for the Europa League, and you can watch every single match live. Here’s everything you need to know.
Europa League fixtures
Some teams have had to qualify for the Europa League group stages, but the competition properly gets underway today. It’s when all the big hitters play their first matches, all of which are available to watch live in the UK:
Thu 8 Sept
- FC Zurich vs Arsenal – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport 2
- Man Utd vs Real Sociedad – KO 8pm – BT Sport 1/Ultimate
- AEK Larnaca vs Rennes – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Fenerbahce vs Dynamo Kyiv – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- HJK Helsinki vs Real Betis – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Ludogorets vs Roma – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport 4
- Malmo vs Braga – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- PSV Eindhoven vs Bodo/Glimt – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Union Berlin vs Union Saint-Gilloise – KO 5.45pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Red Star Belgrade vs Monaco – KO 8pm – BT Sport 6
- Ferencvaros vs Trabzonspor – KO 8pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Lazio vs Feyenoord – KO 8pm – BT Sport 3/5
- Nantes vs Olympiacos – KO 8pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Omonia Nicosia vs Sheriff Tiraspol -KO 8pm – BT Sport (online only)
- SC Frieburg vs FK Qarabag – KO 8pm – BT Sport (online only)
- Sturm Graz vs FC Midtylland – KO 8pm – BT Sport (online only)
For more information, head to the UEFA website to see a full guide to the .
How to watch the Europa League in the UK
BT Sport has exclusive rights to the Europa League in the UK, so you’ll need an active subscription in order to start watching live. If you don’t want to pay, your only option is to wait for highlights to become available on the . However, you will be able to watch the final free of charge.
There are a few options when it comes to signing up to BT Sport, firstly by combining it with BT Broadband. Put your postcode into the website to see what deals are available.
On the TV side, prices start at £16 per month for the duration of a 24-month contract, plus £39.99 upfront. In exchange, you’ll get all the BT Sport channels and BoxNation, alongside Freeview, AMC and a recordable TV box with 300 hours of storage space.
You can also just use the BT Sport app (£16pm) – it works on mobile, tablet, smart TV and console – or buy the Monthly Pass for £25pm. If your device supports it, you’ll still be able to watch in up to 4K HDR quality.
Sky customers can get BT Sport added to their existing contract from £29.99 with £20 upfront. BT used to offer a combined packaged with Sky Sports via Now, but it’s now only available in Ireland.
How to watch the Europa League outside the UK
BT Sport is geo-restricted, meaning you can only officially watch its coverage if you’re based in the UK.
A workaround is available if you’re outside this region, but we’d encourage you to find the the local broadcaster first – especially if you’re based there permanently. That’s CBS Sports (via ) in the US, in Australia or in the Indian subcontinent.
However, if you already have an active UK subscription, we’d recommend accessing the BT Sport stream using a VPN. This will allow you to still appear as if you’re in the UK and retain access to channels, and it’s completely legal.
NordVPN is one of our top recommendations, but you can check out our best VPN chart, which shows you some of the best services for accessing UK content from abroad.
If you’re only planning on using the VPN for the football, you might also want to consider a free VPN. Nearly all will have a UK server, but there may be strict data limits.
Want more football? Here’s how to watch the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.