The Europa League mega group stage comes to a close on Thursday night and there are plenty of matters to be settled, with some fascinating clashes to come.
The big guns have faired well. Olympique Lyonnais and Aston Villa are already through to the Round of 16 and SC Freiburg are almost there; meanwhile AS Roma need a result away to Panathinaikos and Real Betis can qualify if they beat Dutch side Feyenoord at home.
So, with the knockout phase coming into view let’s take a look at the SBOTOP pick of five players who have starred for their teams and are sure, in at least four of the cases, to make more Europa League 2026 highlights as the competition unfolds.
Corentin Tolisso: Lyon
After two years of turmoil the recovery of Lyon continues and Captain Corentin Tolisso is having the time of his life back at the club he loves. The central midfielder has enjoyed a glittering career, winning five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League medal while at Bayern Munich, as well as a World Cup medal with France in 2018. He returned to Lyon, where he made his name and earned his move to Munich, in 2022, and now he leads a team thriving in Europe and up in fourth place in Ligue 1.
A probing central midfielder Tolisso scored his first senior career hat-trick in Lyon’s 6-0 win away to Maccabi Tel Aviv in November and has four goals for the tournament. And he leads a team which is hard to hold at bay and hard to beat, having conceded only three goals in the tournament so far.
Victor Lindelof: Aston Villa
The latest Europa League 2026 betting odds pitch Unai Emery’s Aston Villa as the favourites to lift the crown. The Villans boast an enviable array of attacking talent, led by Ollie Watkins and with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Evann Guessand able to provide a moment of magic.
But they have a stout defence too, conceding just four goals so far, and the signing of Victor Lindelof from Manchester United has been a shrewd move. The 31 year old Swedish international brings a wealth of big game experience and his cool persona will be crucial as the games rack up for Villa as we move into spring.
Manager Emery demands success, and he’s a master in this competition with four titles in his locker, three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal, and he needs his defence to be as sound as his attack is lethal.
Petar Stanic: Ludogorets
24 year old attacking midfielder Petar Stanic is top scoring with six goals and if his team picks up a result on Thursday night he has a decent chance of a Golden Boot, wit a two goal cushion over the chasing pack. Ludogorets are sitting just outside the play-off places in the UEFA Europa League table and have a home game against Nice which they will throw everything at. The Serbian U21 star arrived at the Bulgarian club in the summer and this thirst for goals has won him fans at Ludogorets and the respect of European defenders.
Igor Jesus: Nottingham Forest
With four goals in the competition so far Brazilian striker Igor Jesus has justified his £10m move from Botafogo in the summer. He made his name at Shabab Al Ahli where he scored 34 goals in 66 games and has found his scoring touch in the Europa League with Forest. With five caps for the Selecao Jesus has real pedigree and Forest boss Sean Dyche will hope he is fit for the crucial clash with Braga on Thursday. Veteran striker Chris Wood is out injured so Jesus remains Forest’s biggest goal threat and, while he didn’t train on Wednesday after picking up a knock, he should be fit for the play-offs, if not this week.
Noah Atubolu: SC Freiburg
With five wins and two draws SC Freiburg are in third position and can look forward to a Round of 16 place and they have a mean defence, which has conceded just three goals to thank for that. 23 year old keeper Noah Atubolu has progressed through the junior ranks at Freiburg, joining the club at the age of 12, making his competitive debut in a DFB Pokal match in 2022. He has since made 78 appearances for the first team while picking up 22 U21 caps with Germany and Atubolu has become the first choice stopper for head coach Julian Schuster.
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