The Europa League serves up a full house tonight: all 18 matchday-3 fixtures across the continent, split into an 18:45 CET early wave and a 21:00 CET late wave. From Lyon's Groupama Stadium to the Estádio da Luz, here is every fixture with kick-off times in CET, BST and PKT — plus the seven ties that deserve your attention.

Early wave — 18:45 CET (17:45 BST / 21:45 PKT)

FixtureStadiumCETPKT
AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be'er ShevaAFAS Stadion18:4521:45
Lech Poznań vs Bayer LeverkusenMunicipal Stadium Poznań18:4521:45
Lyon vs Crystal PalaceGroupama Stadium18:4521:45
NK Celje vs Omonia NicosiaStadion Z'dežele18:4521:45
RB Salzburg vs AC MilanRed Bull Arena Salzburg18:4521:45
Sparta Prague vs LillestrømGenerali Arena18:4521:45
Torreense vs SunderlandEstádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa18:4521:45
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Real SociedadDen Dreef Stadion18:4521:45

Late wave — 21:00 CET (20:00 BST / 00:00 PKT Fri)

FixtureStadiumCETPKT
AFC Bournemouth vs Sturm GrazVitality Stadium21:0000:00
Benfica vs CelticEstádio da Luz21:0000:00
Celta Vigo vs JuventusBalaídos21:0000:00
Dinamo Zagreb vs AnderlechtMaksimir Stadium21:0000:00
Ferencváros vs Viktoria PlzeňGroupama Arena21:0000:00
Jagiellonia Białystok vs Ararat-ArmeniaStadion Miejski Białystok21:0000:00
Marseille vs OlympiacosStade Vélodrome21:0000:00
NEC Nijmegen vs Levski SofiaGoffertstadion21:0000:00
Stade Rennais vs OFI CreteRoazhon Park21:0000:00
TSG Hoffenheim vs BeşiktaşPreZero Arena21:0000:00

🔦 Spotlight ties

Lyon vs Crystal Palace — Groupama Stadium, 18:45 CET

Early wave • 17:45 BST • 21:45 PKT

Seven-time French champions Lyon host Crystal Palace in the tie of the early wave. Palace's first-ever European campaign keeps producing glamour ties, and the Groupama Stadium under the lights is a proper test of where the Eagles stand on the continental stage. Expect a ferocious atmosphere and a tactical chess match in midfield.

Yaar's lean: Lyon's home European record is formidable — Palace will need their best night of the season to take anything back to Selhurst Park.

RB Salzburg vs AC Milan — Red Bull Arena, 18:45 CET

Early wave • 17:45 BST • 21:45 PKT

Seven-time European champions Milan travel to Salzburg's famously intense Red Bull Arena, where young, high-pressing sides have embarrassed bigger names before. Milan's pedigree against Salzburg's energy is the classic Europa League contrast — experience versus fearlessness.

Yaar's lean: Milan should have too much quality, but if Salzburg score first, this becomes a very long night for the Italians.

Benfica vs Celtic — Estádio da Luz, 21:00 CET

Late wave • 20:00 BST • 00:00 PKT

Two of Europe's most storied clubs and two of its loudest stadiums — the Estádio da Luz hosting Celtic is a tie dripping with European Cup history. Both sets of supporters will make this one of the great atmospheres of the entire league phase. Football heritage doesn't get much richer than this.

Yaar's lean: Benfica's home fortress record in Europe is hard to bet against — but Celtic have made a habit of ruining famous nights.

Celta Vigo vs Juventus — Balaídos, 21:00 CET

Late wave • 20:00 BST • 00:00 PKT

Juventus, twice European champions, head to Galicia to face a Celta Vigo side that plays some of the most attractive football in Spain. Balaídos on a European night is a cauldron, and Juve's trip to Spain's northwest corner is exactly the kind of banana skin the league phase was designed to produce.

Yaar's lean: Juventus' know-how should tell over 90 minutes, but Celta at home will make them suffer for it.

Marseille vs Olympiacos — Stade Vélodrome, 21:00 CET

Late wave • 20:00 BST • 00:00 PKT

A Mediterranean derby with genuine needle: Marseille's Vélodrome is among Europe's most intimidating arenas, and Olympiacos travel with one of the continent's most loyal away followings. Expect noise, color and a match played at full throttle from the first whistle.

Yaar's lean: The Vélodrome factor tilts it Marseille's way — Olympiacos will need to weather a first-half storm.

AFC Bournemouth vs Sturm Graz — Vitality Stadium, 21:00 CET

Late wave • 20:00 BST • 00:00 PKT

Bournemouth's European adventure continues at the Vitality against Austrian champions Sturm Graz. The Cherries have been one of the stories of the English season, and a home European night on the south coast is uncharted, thrilling territory for their supporters.

Yaar's lean: Bournemouth's intensity at home should overwhelm Sturm Graz — the Austrians must keep it tight early.

TSG Hoffenheim vs Beşiktaş — PreZero Arena, 21:00 CET

Late wave • 20:00 BST • 00:00 PKT

Beşiktaş bring their famously passionate traveling support to Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim's slick, modern football meets Turkish ferocity. The Black Eagles are never dull on the road in Europe — this has goals written all over it.

Yaar's lean: Goals at both ends; Hoffenheim's home scoring record suggests they edge a thriller.

Elsewhere tonight

Bayer Leverkusen travel to Lech Poznań looking to flex their Bundesliga muscle, Sunderland's remarkable rise takes them to Portugal to face Torreense, Real Sociedad visit Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels, and Dinamo Zagreb host Anderlecht in a tie between two clubs with deep European roots. In the late wave, keep an eye on Ferencváros vs Viktoria Plzeň — rarely glamorous, almost always entertaining.

How to follow: broadcast rights differ by country — check UEFA.com for the official broadcaster in your region, and UEFA's official channels carry free highlights after full-time. Skip unlicensed streams: they're illegal and a malware minefield.

🔗 See also

Frequently asked questions

What time do the Europa League games start tonight?

Tonight's 18 Europa League games kick off in two waves: 8 games at 18:45 CET (17:45 BST / 21:45 PKT) and 10 games at 21:00 CET (20:00 BST / 00:00 PKT, technically Friday morning in Pakistan). All times and fixtures are listed in the tables above.

How many Europa League games are played tonight?

All 18 matchday 3 fixtures are played tonight, 15 October 2026 — 8 in the early wave and 10 in the late wave. Every team in the league phase plays on the same night.

Where can I watch the Europa League legally?

Broadcast rights differ by country — check UEFA.com for the official broadcaster in your region. UEFA also publishes free official highlights and clips on its own channels after the games. Never use unlicensed streams: they are illegal and often carry malware.

Which are the biggest Europa League games tonight?

The standout ties are Lyon v Crystal Palace, RB Salzburg v AC Milan, Benfica v Celtic, Celta Vigo v Juventus, Marseille v Olympiacos and AFC Bournemouth v Sturm Graz — a mix of European heavyweights and ambitious newcomers, detailed in the spotlight section above.