The two "Olympics", from Lyon and Marseille, find Europe after having left Sunday in confusion: plastic bottle thrown by a spectator on the leader of OM Dimitri Payet, match stopped in stride and palaver between the two camps before the interruption, this time definitive, of the shock of Ligue 1.

The Marseillais face Galatasaray (leader of group E) and their boiling supporters without Payet, suspended, with the ambition to bring back a first European victory this season.

After 4 draws in 4 matches, Jorge Sampaoli's team are penultimate with four points behind the Turks and one behind Lazio Rome, who travel to Lokomotiv Moscow.

Europa League: French clubs in contention Vincent LEFAI AFP

If the first place offers a direct ticket to the knockout stages of the Europa League, the second is not eliminatory: it gives access to a round-trip play-off against a team classified third in the group in the Champions League.

The third in C3 can, for his part, hope to be transferred to the Europa Conference League (C4), provided he wins play-offs against a team that finished second in the group in this new competition.

Olympique Lyonnais, at the top of Group A after four victories in as many games, already have their qualification in their pockets before going to Denmark to challenge Brøndby.

At the Red Lantern, the most prolific attack of C1 with 12 goals, half of which for the top scorer Karl Toko-Ekambi, will seek to continue his good series and further improve his statistics.

At Louis-II, AS Monaco want to win to ensure they finish first in Group B ahead of their direct opponent, Real Sociedad.

But the Basque club, runner-up to Real Madrid in La Liga, will arrive motivated in the principality: PSV Eindhoven, second with one point less, goes to Graz by betting on a misstep by the Monegasques.

In the other groups, Naples (gr. C), Eintracht Frankfurt (gr. D), Braga (gr. F), Bayer Leverkusen (gr. G) and West Ham (gr. H) can also win on Thursday evening their ticket for the knockout stages of the Europa League, depending on their own result and those of their opponents.

Program of the 5th day of the Europa League:

Wednesday (in Paris hours, GMT + 1)

Group C

(4.30 p.m.) Spartak Moscow (RUS) - Naples (ITA)

Thursday (in Paris hours, GMT + 1)

Group A

(9 p.m.) Brøndby (DEN) - Lyon (FRA)

Glasgow Rangers (SCO) - Sparta Prague (CZE)

Group B

Monaco (FRA) - Real Sociedad (ESP)

PSV Eindhoven (NED) - Sturm Graz (AUT)

Group C

Leicester (ENG) - Legia Warsaw (POL)

Group D

Olympiakos (GRE) - Fenerbahçe (TUR)

Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) - Antwerp (BEL)

Group E

(6.45 p.m.) Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) - Lazio Rome (ITA)

Galatasaray (TUR) - Marseille (FRA)

Group F

Red Star of Belgrade (SRB) - Ludogorets (BUL)

Midtjylland (DEN) - Sporting Braga (POR)

Group G

Real Betis (ESP) - Ferencváros (HUN)

Bayer Leverkusen (GER) - Celtic Glasgow (SCO)

Group H

Rapid Vienna (AUT) - West Ham (ENG)

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) - Genk (BEL)

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© 2021 AFP