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Brighton will reach the Europa League knockout stages with a win.

They are second in Group B with two matches remaining and are three points above the Greek champions in third.

That could set up Brighton's final game with Marseille as a winner-wins-the-group showdown. The runners-up will have to face a team who finish third in a Champions League group in a play-off.

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West Ham will advance from the group if they beat Backa Topola, or if Olympiakos do not beat Freiburg (also 17:45 GMT).

Europa League group winners go through to the last 16 while the runners-up play in a knockout round in February.

Kostas Lianos
Greek journalist to BBC Radio Sussex

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The atmosphere will be something Brighton have never met before.

I feel comfortable enough to calm down any fears regarding crazy atmosphere like fire crackers or flares, but it will be very loud and hostile. Brighton will need to shut down the noise - but they won’t be able to silence the home crowd.

They’ll need to get comfortable by holding on to possession and scoring early. The game will be dictated in midfield. If Brighton win that battle, then they will win the war.

AEK are the type of team that you can’t allow to build confidence or momentum. If you let them impose their rhythm and tempo, combined with the atmosphere, then they can kill you.

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David Moyes has handed a second senior start to striker Divin Mubama, with Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio unavailable.

But who is he?

Well, he's 19 years old and he's been with the club for over a decade. He was the Hammers' Young Player of the Year last season.

Mubama made his first start for the club in the Europa Conference League win at FCSB last season, with his first Premier League appearance coming off the bench at Burnley at the weekend. He made an imapct too with his shot, via a deflection, bringing the winning goal.

He's also played 24 minutes in the League Cup this season.

Mubama not been out on loan so he is new to professional football. He has represented England at every age level from Under-15s through to Under-20s though.

Backa Topola make two changes from their 4-0 league win at Partizan in the Serbian League at the weekend.

Defender Vukasin Krstic drops to the bench, while forward Ivan Milosavljevic is out of the squad entirely.

Captain Goran Antonic returns in the backline and Nikola Kuveljic plays in midfield.

Backa Topola: Ilic, Antonic, Calusic, Stojic, Petrovic, Cvetkovic, Radin, Kuveljic, Cirkovic, Milovanovic, Dakovac.

Subs: Simic, Jorgic, Mirchevski, Pantovic, Vulic, Krstic, Vlalukin, Sos, Rakonjac.

West Ham make seven changes to the side that won 2-1 at Burnley on Saturday.

Nayef Aguerd, James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta are the only survivors.

There's a first senior start for 19-year-old striker Divin Mubama, who made his Premier League debut at the weekend.

As expected there's no place for Jarrod Bowen or Michail Antonio.

West Ham: Fabianski, Johnson, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Cresswell, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Fornals, Mubama, Benrahma.

Subs: Areola, Anang, Zouma, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna, Kerher, Coventry, Emerson, Chester, Scarles, Oxford.

AEK Athens make four changes following Sunday's 1-0 win at Giannina in the Greek Super League.

Former Everton defender Djibril Sidibe drops to the bench with Alexander Callens, Milad Mohammadi and Niclas Eliasson also losing their place in the starting lineup.

Harold Moukoudi, Nordin Amrabat, Lazaros Rota and Ehsan Hajsafi come in.

AEK Athens XI: Stankovic, Moukoudi, Rota, Vida, Hajsafi, Mantalos, Szymanski, Pineda, Amrabat, Gacinovic, Zuber.

Subs: Athanasiadis, Gkinis, Mohammadi, Araujo, Ponce, Eliasson, Mitoglou, Sidibe, Pizarro.

Knowing that a victory will guarantee a place in the knockout phase for Brighton, Roberto de Zerbi has named a strong XI.

De Zerbi confirmed on Wednesday that Tariq Lamptey and Ansu Fati will both be "out for a long time".

Defender Jan Paul van Hecke misses out through suspension and Adam Lallana is rested.

Igor Julio, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro, who is the joint top-scorer in the Europa League, come in.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Hinshelwood, Julio, Dunk, Veltman, Gross, Gilmour, Adingra, Mitoma, Pedro, Ferguson.

Subs: Steele, McGill Milner, Dahoud, Baleba, Buonanote, Hinchy, Chouchane, Jackson, Kavanagh, Duffus.

No hanging about tonight. Straight to the team news for the early games...

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Four games, two different kick-off times. All four English sides can advance with one game to spare - if results go their way.

EUROPA LEAGUE

Backa Topola v West Ham (17:45 GMT)

AEK Athens v Brighton (17:45)

Liverpool v LASK (20:00)

EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Aston Villa v Legia Warsaw (20:00)

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Thursday evenings can only mean one thing...

After two dramatic nights of Champions League action, the Europa League takes centre stage.

That means Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham are in the spotlight.

And don't forget Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League too.