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Group C
If ever the UEFA Europa League had the pedigree to have a so-called 'group of death', then this term's Group C would fit the bill. It consists of Braga of Portugal, Romanian side Ludogorets, German giants Hoffenheim and the tricky Turks Istanbul Basaksehir.
Both Hoffenheim and Istanbul Basaksehir came close to Champions League football after losing tense, high-scoring playoff ties to Liverpool and Sevilla respectively and they are resultantly geared up to put things right in the continent's secondary club competition.
Ludogorets have won every Bulgarian league title since 2012 but have failed to ever make an impact on the continental stage, often falling at the first hurdle of Champions League qualification. Braga have now qualified for the Europa League group stages three seasons running but only progressed beyond the group stage on one of the other two occasions and the loss of last term's top goalscorer Rui Fonte to Fulham leaves them fairly light up-top.
The group is so difficult to call because of one thing the quartet all have in common; inconsistency. That said, 30-year-old Julian Nagelsmann's desperate desire for a trophy should in itself drive Hoffenheim into top spot coupled with a sturdy defence which was the second best in the Bundesliga last term. Istanbul Basaksehir ooze experience of Europe in Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aurélien Chedjou to name but a few and should comfortably take second.
1st - Hoffenheim
2nd - Istanbul Basaksehir
3rd - Braga
4th - Ludogorets
Group D
Along with Arsenal, AC Milan are joint-favourites to lift the Europa League next summer and Vincenzo Montella's free-spending side should have few issues in navigating their way past Austria Vienna, Rijeka and AEK Athens.
AC Milan have invested in excess of €150 million bringing in the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, André Silva and Hakan Çalhanoglu this summer and probably have the strongest first eleven in the competition so should wrap-up top spot in a weak group before the final match-day.
Although they were in Pot Two for the draw, Austria Vienna scraped through Europa League qualifying against NK Osijek of Croatia and finished rock bottom of their group in the competition last season, conceding the most goals in the group stage.
In Marko Livaja and Hugo Almeida, AEK Athens have goals and their 3-0 demolition of a decent Club Brugge side in qualifying highlighted that and this renders them the most likely to challenge the Italians in the group. In the last two seasons, Rijeka have failed to make it past the Europa League and so making it this far in itself will be viewed as progress.
1st - AC Milan
2nd - AEK Athens
3rd - Austria Vienna
4th - Rijeka
