For Liverpool, their road to Dublin starts in Linz, Austria.

LASK finished third in the Austrian Bundesliga last season and beat Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Europa League play-off round in August.

They made it to the round of 16 of this competition back in 2020, losing 7-1 on aggregate to Manchester United.

Image source, Reuters

LASK shouldn't be overlooked tonight. They have only lost one of their last 16 matches in all European competitions (W11, D4), a 1-4 defeat to Slavia Prague in last season’s Europa Conference League.

At home, the Austrian side are unbeaten in eight in Europe (W5, D3) since losing 0-2 to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League in November 2020.

Janet: Pleased to see Kelleher starting tonight. I hoped he'd be a Europa League keeper. He is a class act. I really like Bajcetic, interested to see how he does in a different position. Ben Doak.- very exciting. Like the mix of the team

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Defender Matty Cash "can't wait to get going" as he returns to Poland on club duties, with Aston Villa facing Legia Warsaw tonight.

Cash has 12 caps for the Poland national team but he expects it to be a "different" experience coming to Poland and not playing for the home team: "It is quite different actually. Normally when I’m turning into this stadium I’m on a different bus. But it’s going to be a good atmosphere – I can’t wait to get going."

On whether he is a celebrity in Poland: "To be fair, when I turn up at the airport I normally get some people asking for some photos. I don’t know if that makes me a celebrity. For me personally, I just enjoy my football. I want to come here and play, and do the best I can for the country. I love being here. But if you want to mark me as a celebrity, I’d say yes, probably…!"

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery wants to write a new chapter at the club as they prepare to start their first European season in 13 years.

"It means a lot, Europe, I want to share it with Aston Villa fans, players, coaches," he said.

"I want to write a new chapter.

"Sometimes there's been success, sometimes not but you are always trying to use each experience to get better. Every moment, winning or losing, is a very good experience."

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On the telly Steven Sidwell has just been asked if there are any dangers for Liverpool in their group.

"Nope, they should be sailing through this," he says. The Reds are overwhelming favourites to top Group E.

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Ian Kennedy, BBC Radio Merseyside

A change of scenery now for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's men embark on a Europa League campaign fixture against LASK. They’d have preferred a Champions League tie of course but it wasn’t to be, but the way they’ve started this season suggests they’ll be back there soon enough.

Apart from an old habit of going behind in games, the Reds are looking the part again. What looked a tough opening set of fixtures has turned into an excellent start going into a good looking game at home to West Ham on Sunday. They have a resilience about them - highlighted by their recovery from a poor first half at Wolves to score three second-half goals – and they were without Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Early days, but Klopp will be delighted with what he’s seen so far. A platform for a really strong campaign seems to have been built.

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So, what does a night like tonight mean for Villa fans?

Well, for lifelong fan Jo Harper it's extra special as Villa take on Legia Warsaw, the team of his adopted city in Poland.

I have a feeling a lot of Villa fans will relate to Jo's story and memories of the last time Villa were in Europe as well as some of the other highs and lows...

Have a read of it here.

Image source, Jo Harper.

Ben Doak, 17, makes his first Liverpool start tonight - and he's certainly one to keep an eye on.

Signed for £600,000 from Celtic in 2022, Doak has made several substitute cameos for Liverpool - including replacing Mo Salah against Chelsea on the Premier League's opening day.

He is clearly highly rated at Anfield, with Virgil Van Dijk comparing him to a "tasmanian devil".

"I remember when he came on against Aston Villa away last year, and he did that stepover and went past the full back," said Van Dijk after a pre-season friendly in Preston.

"He’s very exciting, very direct, one-on-one. I call him a Tasmanian Devil with the way he is buzzing around, he’s just so quick. If his decision making gets better - and he has all the time in the world for that - then he could definitely be one for the future."

The future, it seems, is now.

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After Aberdeen and Rangers' European progress tonight? You can follow all the action on our dedicated live text.

We'll also provide the occasional update on this page.

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Back in Europe for the first time in 13 years, Aston Villa have four-time Europa League winning boss Unai Emery guiding them through the Conference League this season.

Villa earned their place in the group stages with an 8-0 aggregate thrashing of Hibernian. They look like they mean business in this competition.

The Midlanders begin their campaign against Legia Warsaw, with fixtures against AZ Alkmaar and Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar to follow.

Thoughts on the Liverpool and Villa teams then?

Eleven changes from Jurgen Klopp feels bold!

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Aston Villa boss takes the opportunity to rotate his side and give a chance for others to shine in the first team.

Having come off the bench to score late in Saturday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, Jhon Duran leads the line in place of Ollie Watkins.

In midfield, summer signing Youri Tielemans replaces Douglas Luiz, while further forward Leon Bailey starts, with Moussa Diaby on the bench.

Villa debutant Clement Lenglet and Calum Chambers come into defence in place of Pau Torres and Matty Cash, who doesn't get the chance to start in the country he represents on the international stage.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Chambers, Konsa, Lenglet, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, McGinn, Zaniolo, Duran.

Subs: Cash, Douglas Luiz, Watkins, Torres, Alex Moreno, Diaby, Olsen, Dendoncker, Ramsey, Marschall.

Legia Warsaw make two changes from the 1-1 draw at Piast Gliwice.

In a surprise move, Former Tottenham striker Tomas Pekhart - the club's top scorer this season with eight goals - drops to the bench, with Marc Gual taking his place. At the back, Steve Kapuadi replaces Artur Jedrzejczyk.

Legia Warsaw XI: Tobiasz, Pankov, Kapuadi, Yuri Ribeiro, Wszolek, Slisz, Elitim, Kun, Josue, Gual, Muci.

Subs: Burch, Pekhart, Kramer, Gil Dias, Sokolowski, Celhaka, Kobylak, Hladun, Baku, Rosolek, Jedrzejczyk, Strzalek.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has entirely changed his starting XI from the side which won at Wolves in the Premier League at the weekend.

Ryan Gravenberch makes his full Liverpool debut following his summer move from Bayern Munich, while teenager Ben Doak earns his first Reds start.

Virgil Van Dijk, currently suspended from Premier Leage action following his red card against Newcastle, captains the side.

Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bajcetic, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Gravenberch, Elliott; Doak, Diaz, Nunez

Subs: Alisson, Jaros, Gomez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Jota, Robertson, Matip, Quansah

LASK XI: Lawal; Ziereis, Andrade, Luckeneder; Flecker, Jovicic, Horvath, Renner; Ljubicic, Zulj, Havel

Subs: Bello, Talovyerov, Kone, Balic, Usor, Ljubic, Stojkovic, Mustapha, Ba, Goiginger, Siebenhandl, Darboe

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says the Reds must "stay calm and level-headed" as they begin their Europa League campaign as favourites to win the competition.

The centre-back, who is available for Thursday's group opener at LASK after missing the past two Premier League matches through suspension, acknowledged that the team have made a fine start to the campaign, but insisted expectations need to be managed.

"It's a reflection of the world we live in at the moment. It's from one extreme to the other," said the Dutchman.

"There are so many games to play and twists and turns to happen.

"We know we had a good start but there are so many things still we need to improve. We need to stay calm.

"Everyone else from the outside world will say things, but we should not worry and think about it."

Liverpool have named a much-changed side for this game, with Ben Doak named in the starting XI.

Full team news to come.

Image source, Getty

The last time Liverpool competed in the Europa League was seven years ago, in 2016, when they reached the final.

Jurgen Klopp's debut season at Anfield ended in heartbreak, as Sevilla ran out 3-1 winners in Basel.

This time around the Reds are in Group E with Austrians LASK, Union SG of Belgium and French side Toulouse.

Liverpool fans, fancy another deep European run?

With the introduction of the Europa Conference League a couple of years ago alongside the Europa League, European competitions are including more and more teams from all corners of the continent.

Liverpool are perhaps more accustomed to away days to Madrid or Munich, but this evening they find themselves heading to Austria. While Villa are headed to the Polish capital in their first European away trip in 13 years.

It got us thinking, what European away days have you been on that turned out to be memorable? Perhaps following your team has taken you to some weird and wonderful places that you may never have normally dreamed of visiting.

So, get in touch and let us know your favourite European away days!

Four English teams are in European action tonight.

Liverpool take on Austrian side LASK at 17:45 BST in the Europa League, with Aston Villa away to Legia Warsaw at the same time in the Conference League.

At 20:00 BST Europa Conference League champions West Ham host Backa Topola while Brighton take on AEK Athens in their first ever European match.

Shall we?

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