UEFA Europa League Matchday 2: Every On-Field Goal Matters
UEFA Europa League: Matchday 2 Overview
UEFA Europa League Matchday 2 has 18 matches with teams playing to earn vital points. Teams will try to make good use of their initial match results. This article highlights all these matches, including the grounds, team statistics, and match analysis. In each preview, consideration is given to the latest form, possession, shooting, defense, and absent players.
UEFA Europa League: Event Details
Event
Details
Main Event
UEFA Europa League Matchday 2
Dates
15 October 2026
Venues
Multiple Venues as listed below
Broadcast
Sony LIV, Paramount +, TNT Sports
UEFA Europa League: Full Schedule
Date & day
Fixture
ET
PT
IST
Venue
15 October 2026, Thursday
Sparta Praha vs Lillestrøm
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
epet ARENA, Prague
15 October 2026, Thursday
AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar
15 October 2026, Thursday
RB Salzburg vs AC Milan
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Red Bull Arena, Salzburg
15 October 2026, Thursday
Lech Poznań vs Bayer Leverkusen
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Poznań Stadium, Poznań
15 October 2026, Thursday
Celje vs Omonia
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Z’dežele Stadium, Celje
15 October 2026, Thursday
Lyon vs Crystal Palace
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu
15 October 2026, Thursday
Union SG vs Real Sociedad
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Den Dreef, Leuven, Belgium
15 October 2026, Thursday
Torreense vs Sunderland
12:45 PM
9:45 AM
10:15 PM
Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria
15 October 2026, Thursday
Bournemouth vs Sturm Graz
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
15 October 2026, Thursday
Ferencváros vs Viktoria Plzeň
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Groupama Aréna, Budapest
15 October 2026, Thursday
Dinamo Zagreb vs Anderlecht
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb
15 October 2026, Thursday
Jagiellonia Białystok vs Ararat-Armenia
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Chorten Arena, Białystok
15 October 2026, Thursday
N.E.C. Nijmegen vs Levski Sofia
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
N.E.C., Nijmegen
15 October 2026, Thursday
Marseille vs Olympiacos
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
15 October 2026, Thursday
Celta Vigo vs Juventus
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Estadio de Balaídos, Vigo
15 October 2026, Thursday
Benfica vs Celtic
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
15 October 2026, Thursday
Rennes vs OFI Crete
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
Roazhon Park, Rennes
15 October 2026, Thursday
Hoffenheim vs Beşiktaş
3:00 PM
12:00 PM
12:30 AM (Next day)
SNP Arena, Sinsheim
UEFA Europa League: Match Previews
Match 1: RB Salzburg vs AC Milan
Date: 15 October 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 12:45 PM ET | 09:45 AM PT | 10:15 PM IST
Venue: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg
UEFA Europa League Projected Squad List
RB Salzburg
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Christian Früchtl, Nikola Sarcevic, Christian Zawieschitzky
Defenders
John Mellberg, Frans Krätzig, Tim Drexler, Stefan Lainer, Dominik Schmid, Leandro Morgalla, Kevin Boma, Valentin Zabransky
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Adrien Rabiot, Luka Modrić, Omari Hutchinson, Diego Moreira, Christian Comotto, Ardon Jashari, Lorenzo Ossola, Alexis Saelemaekers, Alphadjo Cisse, Yunus Musah
Forwards
Gonçalo Ramos, Christian Pulišić, Samuel Chukwueze, Francesco Camarda
Coach
Ruben Amorim
Injured Players List
Unavailable players for Salzburg: Christian Zawieschitzky (injury), Nikolas Veratschnig (injury), Enrique Aguilar (injury), Justin Omoregie (injury), Damir Redzic (injury), Johannes Moser (injury), Soumaïla Diabaté (injury).
Unavailable players for Milan: Matteo Gabbia (injury), Alexis Saelemaekers (injury).
Team Analysis with Stats Comparison at UEFA Europa League
Metric
Salzburg
AC Milan
Matchday 1 result
Won 1–0
Lost 0–2
Goals scored
1
0
Goals conceded
0
2
Possession (%)
50%
59%
Passing accuracy (%)
89%
90%
Attempts on target
7
4
Balls recovered
38
34
Clean sheets
1
0
Analysis
The Salzburg team has a head start. They managed to defeat Levski Sofia 1-0 with seven shots on target and no goals scored against them. Milan suffered a 2- 0 loss against Benfica. Yet they had four shots on target and about 60% possession of the ball. The advantage that the Salzburg team has could be a problem for Milan’s defense. Milan will respond with their quality squad if they use their chances.
The Pick: RB Salzburg
Match 2: Lyon vs Crystal Palace
Date: 15 October 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 12:45 PM ET | 09:45 AM PT | 10:15 PM IST
Venue: Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu
UEFA Europa League Projected Squad List
Lyon
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Dominik Greif, Justin Bengui, Yvann Konan, Matthias Da Silva, Rémy Descamps, Mathis Iwosso, Axel Barreau
Ernest Nuamah, Keito Nakamura, Loïs Openda, Kail Boudache, Adil Hamdani, Rémi Himbert, Mathieu Hoareau, Nehemie Lurika, Djibril Merouani
Coach
Paulo Fonseca
Crystal Palace
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Remi Matthews, Walter Benítez, Marcus Hill, Thiago Speroni, Lucca Benetton
Defenders
Tyrick Mitchell, Axel Disasi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Honest Ahanor, Chris Richards, Oscar Mingueza, Ben Chilwell, George King, Caleb Kporha, Tyler Whyte, Dean Benamar, Charlie Walker-Smith, Sean Somade, Jasper Judd, Jacob Fasida, Remi Ahazie-Shittu, Kwasi Baah, Anthony Barrett, Dylan Monk, Malik Tejan
Midfielders
Jaydee Canvot, Daichi Kamada, Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Quinten Timber, Darío Osorio, Joseph Gibbard, Sebastian Williams, Kai-Reece Adams-Collman, Chuks Okoli, Euan Danaher, Raihaan Anderson, Makai Bernard-Ferguson, Ajean-Ray Greaves, Aiden Morgan, Daniel Owoade, Joel Drakes-Thomas, Jay-Emmanuel Jordan, Jamar Lee, Kayden Moses, Sebastian Bonsu-Amako
Forwards
Ismaïla Sarr, Eddie Nketiah, Yeremy Pino, Dwight McNeil, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Anan Khalaili, Ben Casey, David Angibeaud, Donte Martin, Jayden McDonald, Toby Williams
Unavailable players for Crystal Palace: Dean Henderson (injury), Axel Disasi (suspension), Chadi Riad (injury), Takehiro Tomiyasu (injury), Jean-Philippe Mateta (injury).
Team Analysis with Stats Comparison at UEFA Europa League
Metric
Lyon
Crystal Palace
Matchday 1 result
Won 2 – 1
Won 1 – 0
Goals scored
2
4
Goals conceded
1
0
Possession (%)
44%
55%
Passing accuracy (%)
81%
90%
Attempts on target
10
6
Balls recovered
37
52
Clean sheets
0
1
Analysis
While Lyon defeated Anderlecht 2–1, Crystal Palace started by beating Lech Poznań 4–0. Crystal Palace’s four goals, 90% passes made, and 52 ball recoveries show strong attacking efficiency and a solid defense. Lyon had ten shots on target but had only 44% possession of the ball. The manager of Crystal Palace, Pierre Sage, will play against the team he used to coach. Lyon’s home advantage win is better when compared to away wins.
The Pick: Crystal Palace
Match 3: Celta Vigo vs Juventus
Date: 15 October 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 03:00 PM ET | 12:00 PM PT | 12:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Estadio de Balaídos, Vigo
UEFA Europa League Projected Squad List
Celta Vigo
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Altay Bayındır, Ionuț Radu, Ivan Villar, Marcos González
Ilaix Moriba, Miguel Román, Aleix Febas, Hugo Álvarez, Andrés Antañón, Hugo Burcio, Óscar Marcos
Forwards
Borja Iglesias, Ferran Jutglà, Iago Aspas, Pablo Durán, Hugo González, Williot Swedberg, Couhaib Driouech, Ángel Arcos, Jones El-Abdellaoui
Coach
Claudio Giraldez
Juventus
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Carlo Pinsoglio, Guglielmo Vicario, Neto, Riccardo Radu, Raffaele Huli
Defenders
Zeki Çelik, Bremer, Federico Gatti, Lloyd Kelly, Pierre Kalulu, Andrea Cambiaso, Jhon Lucumi, Juan Cabal, Filippo Pagnucco, Niccolò Rizzo, Francesco Verde
Midfielders
Manuel Locatelli, Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, Kerim Alajbegović, Weston McKennie, Pape Sarr, Augusto Owusu
Forwards
Francisco Conceição, Randal Kolo Muani, Kenan Yıldız, Jeremie Boga, Nick Woltemade, Nicolás González, Arman Durmiši, Destiny Elimoghale
Coach
Luciano Spalletti
Injured Players List
Unavailable players for Celta Vigo: Carl Starfelt (injury), Jones El-Abdellaoui (injury), Miguel Román (injury).
Unavailable players for Juventus: Arman Durmiši (suspension), Kamil Grabara (injury), Khéphren Thuram-Ulien (injury), Manuel Locatelli (injury), Jeff Ekhator (injury), Jérémie Boga (injury), Kenan Yıldız (injury).
Team Analysis with Stats Comparison at UEFA Europa League
Metric
Celta Vigo
Juventus
Matchday 1 result
Lost 1 – 0
Won 1 – 0
Goals scored
0
5
Goals conceded
1
0
Possession (%)
56%
49%
Passing accuracy (%)
92%
90%
Attempts on target
4
7
Balls recovered
40
32
Clean sheets
0
1
Analysis
While Celta Vigo started off with a 1–0 defeat, Juventus won their first game 5–0. Juventus had seven attempts on goal and kept a clean sheet. Celta had better possession with 56% and passing efficiency at 92%, but only four attempts on goal. Juventus will have a number of possible absentees, such as Manuel Locatelli and Kenan Yıldız. However, they will have the upper hand due to their strong start.
The Pick: Juventus
Match 4: Benfica vs Celtic
Date: 15 October 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 03:00 PM ET 12:00 PM PT | 12:30 AM IST (Next day)
Venue: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
UEFA Europa League Projected Squad List
Benfica
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Anatoliy Trubin, Samuel Soares, Diogo Ferreira, Arnas Voitinovičius, Leonardo Lopes
Defenders
Clément Lenglet, Alessandro Circati, Alexander Bah, Samuel Dahl, Gabriel Índio, Souffian El Karouani, Tomás Araújo, João Fonseca, Daniel Banjaqui, José Neto, Rui Silva
Midfielders
Enzo Barrenechea, Fredrik Aursnes, Georgiy Sudakov, Manu Silva, Leandro Barreiro, João Palhinha, Miguel Figueiredo, Gonçalo Moreira, Martim Ferreira, Tiago Freitas
Forwards
Dodi Lukébakio, Jakub Kamiński, Vangelis Pavlidis, Andreas Schjelderup, Jhon Durán, Gianluca Prestianni, Rafa Silva, Claudio Echeverri, Anísio Cabral, Olívio Tomé, Francisco Silva, Eduardo Fernandes
Coach
Marco Silva
Celtic
Position
Players
Goalkeepers
Viljami Sinisalo, Sam Johnstone, Ross Doohan, Aidan Rice, Marcus Gill, Corey Shaw, Cameron Patterson
Defenders
Alistair Johnston, Jordan Lotomba, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Samuel Isiguzo, Hayden Borland, Dane Murray, Samuel Sedwell, Colby Donovan, Joshua Mulgrew, Anthony Ralston, Michael Charlton, Joseph Haney, Kieran Tierney, Hassan Dembele, Aodhan Taylor
Midfielders
Hyunjun Yang, Luke McCowan, Oliver Sørensen, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mika Baur, Sean McArdle, Thomas Hatton, Rhys Dargie, Callum McGregor, Cole Crawford, Owen Hartington, James Forrest, Francis Turley, Kayden Daly, Conor Daly, Liam Kennedy, Nathan Meechan, Rocco Di Giacomo, Mark Cingel
Forwards
Benjamin Nygren, Kasper Høgh, Camilo Durán, Sebastian Tounekti, Callum Osmand, Haissem Hassan, Calvin Keenan, Emmanuel Obidiwe, Lucas Clearie, Ezekiel Molife
Coach
Martin O’Neill
Injured Players List
Unavailable players for Benfica: Jakub Kamiński (injury), Enzo Barrenechea (injury).
Unavailable players for Celtic: Cameron Carter-Vickers (injury), Yang Hyun-Jun (injury), Callum Osmand (injury), Alistair Johnston (injury).
Team Analysis with Stats Comparison at UEFA Europa League
Metric
Benfica
Celtic
Matchday 1 result
Won 1 – 0
Lost 1 – 0
Goals scored
2
1
Goals conceded
0
3
Possession (%)
41%
61%
Passing accuracy (%)
85%
90%
Attempts on target
4
4
Balls recovered
36
43
Clean sheets
1
0
Analysis
For the record, Benfica have defeated AC Milan by a score of 2-0. Whereas Celtic have been defeated by Ferencváros with a scoreline of 3-1. The stats for Benfica show that they have achieved a pass percentage of 85% and one shut-out. On the other hand, Celtic have had 61% possession and have won back 43 balls, but have scored three goals. Benfica had home-field advantage and a strong defensive pattern when compared. Celtic’s injuries have drained their challenge level.
The Pick: Benfica
Conclusion
UEFA Europa League Matchday 2 provides many fascinating matches, where each goal counts in the competition. Salzburg, Crystal Palace, Juventus, and Benfica are among the teams chosen for these previews. Nevertheless, injuries, home ground, and tactics might play a role in the results. Fans can enjoy the matches and compare their performance on this day of European football.