UEFA Europa League Matchday 3: The Clashes Create Moments

UEFA Europa League: Matchday 3 Overview

Matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League features thrilling games all over Europe on 22 October 2026. The teams Juventus, Leverkusen, Benfica, and Beşiktaş are ready for their upcoming games after performing well in their previous games. Their opponents will try to pose a threat to these favorite teams. Team metrics, including stats, attacking depth, and home advantage, will alter the results.

UEFA Europa League: Event Details

Event	Details
Main Event	UEFA Europa League Matchday 3
Dates	22 October 2026
Venues	Multiple Venues as listed below
Broadcast	Sony LIV, Paramount +, TNT Sports

UEFA Europa League: Matchday 3 Schedule

Date & day	Fixtures	ET	PT	IST	Venue
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Juventus vs Rennes	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Allianz Stadium, Turin
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Ferencváros vs Torreense	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Groupama Arena, Budapest
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Union SG vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA, Düsseldorf
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	GNK Dinamo vs N.E.C. Nijmegen	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Sturm Graz vs Marseille	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Merkur Arena, Graz
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Lech Poznań vs Sunderland	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Poznań Stadium, Poznań
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	OFI Crete vs Leverkusen	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Ararat-Armenia vs AZ Alkmaar	12:45 PM	9:45 AM	10:15 PM	Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Olympiacos vs Sparta Praha	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Viktoria Plzeň vs Levski Sofia	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Doosan Arena, Plzeň
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Celtic vs Celta	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Celtic Park, Glasgow
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Bournemouth vs Milan	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Celje vs RB Salzburg	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Z’dežele Stadium, Celje
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Jagiellonia Białystok vs Anderlecht	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Chorten Arena, Białystok
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Omonia vs Benfica	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	GSP Stadium, Nicosia
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Hoffenheim vs Lyon	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	SNP Arena, Sinsheim
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Beşiktaş vs Crystal Palace	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Tüpraş Stadium, Istanbul
22 October 2026 (Thursday)	Lillestrøm vs Real Sociedad	3:00 PM	12:00 PM	12:30 AM (Next day)	Åråsen Stadion, Lillestrøm

UEFA Europa League: Key Match Previews

Match 1: Juventus vs Rennes

Date: 22 October 2026 (Thursday)

Time: 12:45 PM ET | 09:45 AM PT | 10:15 PM IST

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin

UEFA Europa League: Projected Squad

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
Manager	Luciano Spalletti

Rennes

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Nicolas Lemaître, Brice Samba, Thao Mouapa Mwa Meuraillo, Kilian Belazzoug, Noé Le Page
Defenders	Charlie Cresswell, Gonçalo Oliveira, Bryan Reynolds, Mahamadou Nagida, Anthony Rouault, Quentin Merlin, Alidu Seidu, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Kenny Assignon, Issa Habri, Isiaka Soukouna, Yaël Thebault, Junior Ake, Ruben Lomet, Joseph Peter, Rio Saint Surin, Firmin Thetiot, Przemysław Frankowski
Midfielders	Djaoui Cisse, Ludovic Blas, Sebastian Szymański, Valentin Rongier, Adrien Thomasson, Mahdi Camara, Djibril Diallo, Henrick Do Marcolino, Florian Truffert, Noah Loufoundou, Steeve Mvodo, Chibuike Ugochukwu, Alexis Bernard
Forwards	Esteban Lepaul, Musa Al-Taamari, Eliezer Mayenda, Boulaye Dia, Alexander Legendre, Arnaud Nordin, Amadou Diallo, Mohamed Chebbi, Boukary Coulibaly, Dee Shawn Jacinthe, Mouhammad Valmy, Issa Soumaré
Manager	Franck Haise

UEFA Europa League: Injury List

Unavailable players for Juventus: Arman Durmiši (suspension), Francisco Conceição (injury), Kamil Grabara (injury), Khéphren Thuram-Ulien (injury), Manuel Locatelli (injury), Jeff Ekhator (injury), Kenan Yıldız (injury).

Unavailable players for Rennes: Estéban Lepaul (injury).

Team Stats & Comparison at UEFA Europa League

Statistics	Juventus	Rennes
Matches Played (w)	2 (2)	2 (0)
Goals Scored	7	2
Goals Conceded	1	1
Possession %	49.5%	61.5%
Passing Accuracy %	89.5%	87.5%
Shots on Target	13	15
Crossing Accuracy %	33.34%	19.61%

Analysis

Juventus come into the match with better results, having won both their first games and having found the net seven times. Rennes continue to show good ball possession, with an average of 61.5%, although they have scored just two goals. In addition, Juventus show better precision when passing and crossing. On the other hand, Rennes have taken more shots on target, which is an indication that they can create chances. Juventus will control Rennes ‘ possession and defensive gaps. Home advantage and clear finishing will make this match more decisive in this European encounter.

The Pick: Juventus

Match 2: OFI Crete vs Leverkusen

Date: 22 October 2026 (Thursday)

Time: 12:45 PM ET | 09:45 AM PT | 10:15 PM IST

Venue: Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion

UEFA Europa League: Projected Squad

OFI Crete

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Klidman Lilo, Panagiotis Katsikas, Manuel Kalafatis, Nikolaos Christogeorgos
Defenders	Krešimir Krizmanić, Nikolaos Athanasiou, Konstantinos Kostoulas, Achilleas Poungouras, Christos Shelis, Borja González, Lorenzo Dickmann, Dimitris Nikolaou, Eleftherios Kontekas, Konstantinos Lagoudakis, Pavlos Kainourgiakis
Midfielders	Zisis Karachalios, Georgios Kanellopoulos, Thanasis Androutsos, Ioannis Apostolakis, Thiago Romano, Andreas Bouchalakis, Athanasios Asmarianakis, Athanasios Sitmalidis, Emmanouil Chnaris
Forwards	Aaron Leya Iseka, Aitor Cantalapiedra, Taxiarchis Fountas, Thiago Nuss, Kenan Kodro, Ioannis Theodosoulakis, Charalampos Antonakakis
Manager	Christos Kontis

Leverkusen

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Mark Flekken, Janis Blaswich, Niklas Lomb
Defenders	Facundo Medina, Miguel Gutiérrez, Jarell Quansah, Loïc Badé, Edmond Tapsoba, Lucas Vázquez, Guéla Doué
Midfielders	Equi Fernández, Robert Andrich, Malik Tillman, Aleix García, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Ibrahim Maza, Montrell Culbreath
Forwards	Afonso Moreira, Martin Terrier, Patrik Schick, Moussa Diaby, Nathan Tella, Christian Kofane
Manager	Carles Martínez

UEFA Europa League: Injury List

Unavailable players for OFI Crete: Nikos Christogeorgos (injury), Taxiarchis Fountas (injury), Aaron Iseka (injury), Christos Sielis (injury), Nikos Marinakis (injury).

Unavailable players for Bayer Leverkusen: Kennet Eichhorn (injury), Montrell Culbreath (injury), Guéla Doué (injury), Eliesse Ben Seghir (injury), Martin Terrier (injury), Christian Kofane (injury).

Team Stats & Comparison at UEFA Europa League

Statistics	OFI Crete	Leverkusen
Matches Played (w)	2 (1)	2 (2)
Goals Scored	3	6
Goals Conceded	2	0
Possession %	38.5%	58%
Passing Accuracy %	69%	90%
Shots on Target	4	17
Crossing Accuracy %	16.67%	31.58%

Analysis

In terms of performance, Bayer Leverkusen come into this clash in better form after winning their first two matches. Leverkusen scored six goals without conceding. They boast 58% ball possession, a 90% passing success rate, and 17 shots on goal. OFI Crete have won only once and have poor ball possession and passing success. The two sides have some injury worries, but Leverkusen have the statistics and defense going for them.

The Pick: Leverkusen

Match 3: Omonia vs Benfica

Date: 22 October 2026 (Thursday)

Time: 03:00 PM ET | 12:00 PM PT | 12:30 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: GSP Stadium, Nicosia

UEFA Europa League: Projected Squad

Omonia

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Thomas Kaminski, Fabiano, Pantelis Michail, Giorgos Chistodoulou
Defenders	Senou Coulibaly, Stefan Simič, Jure Balkovec, Ľubomír Šatka, Loïc Négo, Michalis Antoniou, Christos Konstantinidis, Panagiotis Christoforou, Jean-Kevin Duverne, Athos Kounounis, Christos Kittou
Midfielders	Ewandro, Mateo Marić, Luuk Brouwers, Panagiotis Andreou, Andreas Christou, Ilias Stylianou, Chrysis Evangelou, Theos Kazakaios
Forwards	Jaden Montnor, Andronikos Kakoullis, Tasos Chatzigiovanis, Florin Tănase, Mihlali Mayambela, Muamer Tankovic, Angelos Neophytou, Vladimiros Savva, Konstantinos Panagi, Lois Diony
Manager	Henning Berg

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
Manager	Marco Silva

UEFA Europa League: Injury List

Unavailable players for Omonia Nicosia: Carel Eiting (injury), Fotis Kitsos (injury).

Unavailable players for Benfica: Daniel Banjaqui (injury), Jakub Kamiński (injury), Enzo Barrenechea (injury).

Team Stats & Comparison at UEFA Europa League

Statistics	Omonia	Benfica
Matches Played (w)	2 (2)	2 (2)
Goals Scored	4	6
Goals Conceded	0	1
Possession %	42.5%	46%
Passing Accuracy %	86%	88.5%
Shots on Target	12	11
Crossing Accuracy %	15.39%	38.89%

Analysis

Both Omonia and Benfica have secured victories in their first two games and have set themselves up for an exciting battle. Omonia have scored four goals and have not let any in, thus showing good defensive work. In addition to this, Benfica excel in terms of goals scored, pass success rate, and crosses. Omonia, nevertheless, make more shots on target, which means there is danger for Benfica. Omonia’s solid defensive structure will make this match less straightforward than expected.

The Pick: Benfica

Match 4: Beşiktaş vs Crystal Palace

Date: 22 October 2026 (Thursday)

Time: 03:00 PM ET | 12:00 PM PT | 12:30 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Tüpraş Stadium, Istanbul

UEFA Europa League: Projected Squad

Beşiktaş

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Alexander Nübel, Tuğra Yeşilyurt, Doğan Alemdar, Emir Yaşar
Defenders	Kassoum Ouattara, Emmanuel Agbadou, Taylan Bulut, Rıdvan Yılmaz, Tiago Djaló, Ümit Akdağ, Emirhan Topçu, Yasin Özcan, Michael Murillo, Mustafa Yortaç
Midfielders	Wilfred Ndidi, Salih Özcan, Kartal Yılmaz, Orkun Kökçü, Junior Olaitan, Václav Černý, Leandro Trossard, Fabio Miretti, İlhan Fakılı, Ali Pağda, Ozan Sevim
Forwards	Hyeongyu Oh, Ernest Poku, Mustafa Hekimoğlu, Dušan Vlahović, Ahmet Bircan, Semih Kılıçsoy
Manager	Vincenzo Italiano

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
Manager	Pierre Sage

UEFA Europa League: Injury List

Unavailable players for Beşiktaş: Milot Rashica (injury), Orkun Kökcü (injury).

Unavailable players for Crystal Palace: Ben Chilwell (injury), Takehiro Tomiyasu (injury), Dean Henderson (injury), Chadi Riad (injury).

Team Stats & Comparison at UEFA Europa League

Statistics	Beşiktaş	Crystal Palace
Matches Played (w)	2 (2)	2 (1)
Goals Scored	7	6
Goals Conceded	3	3
Possession %	52%	51%
Passing Accuracy %	84.5%	88%
Shots on Target	12	10
Crossing Accuracy %	23.08%	33.34%

Analysis

Beşiktaş have won both games so far and have netted seven goals. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have won just one game and have six goals to their name. Both teams have three goals against them, which may pose defensive weaknesses for them. Beşiktaş have an upper hand in possession and shots on target. Meanwhile, Palace have an edge in accuracy of passing and crosses. The atmosphere in Istanbul may help Beşiktaş in this game. However, Palace’s technical quality makes them dangerous, especially when they exploit space in transition.

The Pick: Beşiktaş

Conclusion

There are some matches that seem competitive and important on matchday 3. Some teams have a good chance to improve their campaigns. These include Juventus, Leverkusen, Benfica, and Beşiktaş. All of them have a chance of emerging victorious from these games. Football being as non-decisive as it is, any team may prove to be problematic.