Follow Thursday's Europa League and Conference League
LIVE: Aston Villa 0-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Huge police presence outside Villa Park amid expected protests
LIVE Conference League: Crystal Palace 1-0 AZ - Lacroix opens scoring after Mateta penalty saved
FT: Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest - Gibbs-White penalty saved
Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:00 GMT)
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Villa Park
Image source, BBC SportVilla Park is filling up ahead of kick off, although it is certainly not full in the home areas.
The away fans, of course, are not in attendance with the travelling supporters' section left empty this evening.
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to TNT Sports on Adam Wharton's return from injury: "A lot more than 30 [minutes], but Adam Wharton is back in training and not 100% fit, but it is good to have him back."
On recent form: "We are still disappointed about the defeat against Larnaca and how the game went. Making one mistake, but that is what we have to learn to play in this rhythm. You can't allow yourself to make mistakes because you get punished.
"Even our defeats at Arsenal and Everton, the performance was always on a good level.
"The two clean sheets [against Liverpool and Brentford], and two wins helped us get confidence again."
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother pinch me moment for Crystal Palace fans as they get to watch their team in European action under the Selhurst Park lights.
Last season's FA Cup winners are in the top half of the Premier League, while they are going along nicely in League Cup after reaching the quarter-finals.
Tonight, they turn their attention to the Conference League and AZ Alkmaar, who are third in the Dutch League.
It's been a mixed bag of results in Europe so far for Palace, who opened with an away win against Dynamo Kyiv before losing at home to AEK Larnaca.
Will Palace secure a first league phase home win?
Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:00 GMT)
Today is the three-year anniversary of Unai Emery's first match as Villa manager.
Villa have won 12 of their 14 home European games under the Spaniard.
Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:00 GMT)
Aston Villa need to try to bounce back from their surprise defeat by Go Ahead Eagles last time out in the Europa League.
Only two teams lost twice last season and finished in the top eight.
"The objective is of course to be in the top 24, but the priority is seeing if we can achieve top eight because that is better," said boss Unai Emery.
"We are speaking about it in training and preparing to try to get out our best performances collectively."
When asked if it is a priority to avoid the Europa League knockout rounds in February to ease their fixture schedule, he replied: "The objective is to be first in the table.
"Our priority is to win every match now. We have to try to get three points to become contenders for top eight again and avoid an extra round of fixtures."
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Image source, ReutersCrystal Palace do not have a spare midweek until mid-January once the November international break is over.
Qualifying for Europe and reaching the League Cup quarter-finals means they face 14 games in the space of 46 days between 22 November and 7 January.
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Conference League
This is only the fifth season of the Conference League.
Two of the first four winners have come from the Premier League - West Ham (2023) and Chelsea (2025).
Will Crystal Palace go on and make it three English winners in five seasons?
"For me, it makes no sense talking about winning the Conference League because we have to accept and respect all the opponents," said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
"We will try to win it, like we try to win the Carabao Cup, like we try to win the FA Cup. Last year, we could do it, but on the other side, I think nobody can expect that Crystal Palace wins a trophy every single year. But we will go for it, definitely."
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Image source, Getty ImagesCrystal Palace are loving life in Europe. So much so they have had a bit of fun before what is their first competitive fixture against a Dutch team.
The club website has put together a handy Dutch edition 'phrasebook' for fans, external who want to cheer Palace on in the language of the visitors.
Among the phrases being offered up are: wij hebben super Oli Glasner (we've got super Oli Glasner) and er is geen spits beter dan Jean-Philippe Mateta (there ain’t no striker better than Jean-Philippe Mateta).
And how about this one: bericht aan de luchtverkeersleiding: Jefferson Lerma staat op het punt een lange ingooi te nemen. That translates to 'message to air traffic control: Jefferson Lerma is about to take a long throw-in'.
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner on facing AZ Alkmaar: "AZ Alkmaar are a very experienced team – maybe not in terms of their age, but they always qualify for European football.
"Two years ago they played Aston Villa in the group stage. Three years ago they played in the semi-finals of the Conference League and lost against West Ham.
"They’re a very good team, maybe one of the top four teams in the Netherlands with Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar. I watched their game on Sunday afternoon against Sparta Rotterdam. They won 1-0, but I think they could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up at half-time."
Crystal Palace v AZ Alkmaar (20:00 GMT)
Image source, Reuters
Image source, PA Media
Image source, ReutersAston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:00 GMT)
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at Villa Park
We even have a police officer in the press room to make sure the passes are correct and making sure that nobody is there which shouldn't be.
Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:00 GMT)
Hundreds of protestors - both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel - are outside Villa Park. A pro-Palestine protest began at around 6pm behind the Trinity Park Stand, with eye-witnesses estimating it included around 200 people. Villa's team bus arrived at around 6.30pm and the players safely made it into the ground ahead of kick-off. A pro-Israel protest - currently smaller in size than the pro-Palestine one - started at around 7.20pm near Witton Lane.
We'll bring reaction to that result but time now to put some focus on the 20:00 GMT kick-offs.
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
All over.
Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but a point on the road for Nottingham Forest.
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
We're deep into the four minutes of stoppage time. Zach Abbott is applauded by Sean Dyche after some good defending. He's certainly put himself about since coming on.
Image source, Getty ImagesComment on this page & via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
It's classic Dyche, and exactly what Forest need after the chaos of appointing Ange. Accumulating points is dull, but the alternative was maybe a trophy, maybe relegation, could beat City, could lose to absolutely anyone. Points in the Prem. Points in Europa. That's what you'll get.
Rich
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Martin Keown
Former England defender on TNT Sports
It just falls to Dominguez on the edge of the box and he wraps his foot onto that and it hits the bar and post.
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
So close to the winner!
The corner is headed to the edge of the box to Nicolás Domínguez, whose strike takes a deflection and strikes the crossbar.
Another corner, but then the whistle goes for a foul on a home player.
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Good work by Zach Abbott and he wins a corner for Nottingham Forest...
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Another change for the hosts now as Jeyland Mitchell comes on for Arjan Malić.
Two minutes to go.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Midtjylland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
|
2 Sporting Braga | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
|
3 Freiburg | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| |
5 Celta Vigo | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
|
6 Viktoria Plzeň | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
|
7 Ferencváros | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
|
8 Brann | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
|
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| |
10 Dinamo Zagreb | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
|
11 Young Boys | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
|
12 Porto | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
|
13 Fenerbahçe | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
|
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| |
15 Panathinaikos | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
|
16 Basel | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
|
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| |
19 Go Ahead Eagles | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 6 |
|
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| |
21 Bologna | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
|
22 PAOK | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 5 |
|
23 Feyenoord | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
|
24 Genk | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 4 |
|
25 Ludogorets Razgrad | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 |
|
26 Red Star Belgrade | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 4 |
|
27 Sturm Graz | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 4 |
|
28 Stuttgart | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
|
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 4 |
| |
30 Red Bull Salzburg | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
|
31 FCSB | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 3 |
|
32 Maccabi Tel Aviv | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 2 |
|
33 Utrecht | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 1 |
|
34 Malmö FF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 1 |
|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 0 |
| |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
|
