When Liverpool plays Toulouse on Thursday, they hope to make it three wins in a row at this point in the Europa League group stage.
The team led by Jurgen Klopp defeated LASK 3-1 on the road in Linz to start the season, and then defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 at home. The Reds will play all of their Group E opponents before the rematch matches, which take place until December 14th, beginning with the match against Toulouse on matchday three of the competition.
Liverpool has had a strong start, and Klopp has stated that his team plans to treat Europe’s second division seriously following a seven-year hiatus.
Liverpool supporters will feel quite confident about travelling to Dublin for the final in May of next year, since they are the clear favourites to win the cup for a record-breaking fourth time.
However, when will the Reds be able to secure their spot in the Europa League knockout stages?
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE EUROPA LEAGUE KNOCKOUT STAGE: WHEN AND HOW DO THEY DO IT?
If things go their way, Liverpool may guarantee their place in the knockout stages as early as matchday four (Thursday, November 9).
The Reds will have 12 points, the most from four games, if they defeat Toulouse both at home and away in their next two games. That total will guarantee qualification regardless of the outcomes of other clubs.
With two games remaining, Klopp’s team might potentially be declared the group winners—but only if the Reds defeat their French rivals twice and Union Saint-Gilloise loses against LASK without picking up six points.
In the Europa League, winning the group entitles one to move directly to the round of sixteen instead of via the preliminary knockout stage.
THE EUROPA LEAGUE KNOCKOUTS: HOW DO THEY OPERATE?
The group runners-up in the Europa League face an additional stage, in contrast to the Champions League.
Following the group stage, the eight clubs in second place compete in a preliminary knockout round where they are matched up against one of the Champions League’s third-place teams. The victors then earn a ticket in the last sixteen of the Europa League.
Naturally, group winners advance to the final 16 and are not required to compete in this round.
The competition otherwise adheres to the standard format, with all ties being decided over two legs (home and away) before the single event final.
Dates for the Europa League Knockout Round
If Liverpool is declared the winner of Group E at the end of the stage in December, they won’t have to play again on a Thursday night until the round of 16 begins in March.
But in February, the group runner-ups will play the Champions League eliminations in their playoff.
- Preliminary knockout round – 15-22 February 2024
- Last 16 – 7-14 March 2024
- Quarter-finals – 11-18 April 2024
- Semi-finals – 2-9 May 2024
- Final – 22 May 2024
The dates of the preliminary round draw are December 18, and the date of the last 16 draw is February 23, 2019.
On March 15, the remaining rounds will be combined.
FINAL: WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?
The final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, in Dublin’s 51,000-seat Aviva Stadium, conveniently close to Liverpool supporters across the Irish Sea.
HOW MANY TIMES HAS LIVERPOOL WON THE EUROPA LEAGUE?
Liverpool are aiming to make it four Europa League (or UEFA Cup to give it its old name) wins this season.
The Reds have won the trophy three times before: in 1973 (under Bill Shankly), 1976 (under Bob Paisley), and most recently in 2001 (under Gérard Houllier).
The Europa League is still the only significant trophy that Jurgen Klopp has attempted to win while managing Liverpool.
In his first season at Anfield (2016), the 56-year-old led the Reds to the championship game, but Sevilla ultimately prevailed 3-1 in Switzerland.