Europa League Group Stage: Four-Game Review

Inter Milan are impressing in Group F

We look at how things are shaping up in the Europa League through four games.

The Europa League group stage is now two-thirds completed and several teams have already booked their place in the knockout phase.

We take a group-by-group look at how the competition is shaping up after four rounds of games.

Borussia Monchengladbach moved top of Group A on matchday four after a comfortable 2-0 victory away at Apollon Limassol. The German giants are one point ahead of Villarreal, who lost top spot after going down 3-2 to Zurich as the Swiss side registered their first win to revive any hopes of progressing. Zurich are now three points behind Villarreal in second and have one point more than fourth-placed Limassol.

Club Brugge are the front-runners in Group B after a convincing 4-0 win over FC Copenhagen in Denmark. That win, fuelled by a Lior Refaelov hat-trick, put Brugge on the cusp of qualifying for the round of 32 with two games remaining. Torino are second in the group, but they were leap-frogged by Brugge after going down 2-1 to HJK Helsinki. Torino can wrap up qualification if they beat Brugge on home soil in Italy in matchday five, but a slip-up could let in Copenhagen or Helsinki, who are three and four points behind second place respectively.

In Group C, Spurs and Besiktas sit joint-top with eight points and the two are neck-and-neck in the battle for supremacy. They hold a four-point advantage over Asteras Tripoli, while Partizan are already eliminated with just one point to their name. Next up in the group is Asteras versus Besiktas and Spurs versus Partizan. After four games the co-leaders are level on points, level on goals scored and level on goals conceded - and the two are set to go head-to-head in Istanbul in the final round of games.

Bet 10 Get 30 with Betfair Plus Money Back if you Lose

FC Salzburg top Group D and are already through to the last 32 with two games to spare after a resounding 5-1 victory at Dinamo Zagreb. Celtic could have joined Salzburg in progressing but they were held to a 1-1 draw with Astra Giuriu on matchday four. The Scots are still in a healthy position as they are five points ahead of Zagreb, but Astra are eliminated already. Next up in the group, Astra take on Zagreb while Celtic face Salzburg at Parkhead.

Dynamo Moscow have confirmed their place in the last 32 with four successive wins in Group E, the latest of which was a 1-0 victory against Estoril Praia. The Russians are now unbeaten in nine games in Europe and will look to extend that run against Panathinaikos next time out. PSV Eindhoven are five points behind Dinamo and four points ahead of Estoril - who they face next - while Panathinaikos are bottom on one point and cannot make the last 32. A win for PSV over Estoril would secure their progression with Dinamo.

Inter Milan are dominating Group F and are four points clear at the top with two games to go. A 1-1 draw with Saint Etienne means they are not mathematically guaranteed progression, but they have a healthy advantage, with a tasty battle developing behind them. Saint Etienne, Dnipro and Qarabag all sit level on four points with two games to go, with the French side holding on to second despite only managing four draws in four games.

Europa League holders Sevilla are top of Group G and on the brink of qualification after a 3-1 win over Standard Liege. They have eight points and hold a two-point advantage over Feyenoord, with Liege and HNK Rijeka level on four points. Feyenoord lifted themselves into second with a 2-0 win over Rijeka on matchday four, but they face a tough task against the unbeaten group leaders in the next round of games.

Everton are within a point of qualification for the knockout stages and they sit one point clear at the summit of Group H. A 3-0 win over Lille on matchday four ensured they remained a point ahead of Wolfsburg, who thrashed Krasnodar 5-1 in the other game. The German side have a four-point advantage over Lille, with Krasnodar a point further behind. Everton and Wolfsburg are looking good to progress, as the other two teams in Group H are yet to win a game.

Sparta Prague and Napoli are level on nine points at the top of Group I after comprehensive wins over Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys respectively. The two teams meet in matchday five, but Prague are on a five-game European winning streak on home turf so will fancy their chances in that game. The joint-leaders are three points ahead of Young Boys and take on Bratislava - who are out on zero points - next time up.

There is a three-way battle in Group J with two games remaining. Dynamo Kiev are the front-runners at the moment, with a two-point cushion over Steaua Bucharest, while Aalborg are only a point further back. Kiev took command with victory over Aalborg on matchday four, but it is in matchday five where the group will really take shape as Kiev take on minnows Rio Ave and Aalborg face Steaua.

In Group K, Fiorentina got a point against PAOK to confirm their place in the round of 32. The point for the Greeks means they are still in with a chance of advancing, sitting three points behind second-placed Guingamp with two games remaining. Dinamo Minsk are rock-bottom of the group on one point, having failed to get a win to their name so far.

Legia Warsaw have easily confirmed their qualification from Group L with four straight wins. They are five points ahead of second-placed Trabzonspor, who look to be battling with Lokeren to progress. There are three points between the two teams, with Lokeren taking on Legia next time up. Trabzonspor take on the bottom-placed Metalist Kharkiv who have lost all four games so far.