Europa League Matchday 3: All 18 Fixtures on One Thursday, and the Shirt to Wear
The 2026/27 Europa League league phase reaches its third round on Thursday 22 October 2026 with all 18 clubs on one night — Bournemouth v Milan at Dean Court, Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace at the Tüpraş Stadyumu, Celtic v Celta at Celtic Park, and Omonia v Benfica at the GSP Stadium. Here is every fixture, the matchups that move the shirt market, and what to wear for them.
What Matchday 1 changed
This page was written before a ball was kicked. Matchday 1 has since been played across 16 and 17 September 2026, and it was not kind to the favourites. These are the 18 results, and what they mean for the rounds ahead.
| Result |
|---|
| Milan 0–2 Benfica |
| Sheva 0–0 Dinamo Zagreb |
| Sturm Graz 0–0 Rennes |
| Ararat-Armenia 1–4 Sparta Praha |
| Omonia 1–0 Celta Vigo |
| Bayer Leverkusen 2–0 Celje |
| Anderlecht 1–2 Lyon |
| Olympiacos 2–1 Jagiellonia |
| Sunderland 1–0 AZ Alkmaar |
| OFI Crete 2–0 Hoffenheim |
| Levski Sofia 0–1 Salzburg |
| Beşiktaş 4–1 Marseille |
| Celtic 1–3 Ferencváros |
| Viktoria Plzeň 0–3 Union Saint-Gilloise |
| Crystal Palace 4–0 Lech Poznań |
| Juventus 5–0 N.E.C. |
| Lillestrøm 1–2 Torreense |
| Real Sociedad 1–2 Bournemouth |
Swipe the table sideways →
The three results that reset the competition. Milan 0–2 Benfica at San Siro is the headline: a Pot 1 club beaten at home by another Pot 1 club, which immediately hands Benfica control of the race for a top-eight place. Celtic 1–3 Ferencváros and Beşiktaş 4–1 Marseille did the same damage in the other direction, both away sides winning by two. And Juventus 5–0 N.E.C. plus Crystal Palace 4–0 Lech Poznań put two of the biggest goal differences in the table before October.
Why that matters more here than in a group stage: with eight matches and no return legs, goal difference is the tiebreaker that decides who reaches the top eight and who drops into the play-off round. A 5–0 is worth a place.
Matchday 1 — all 18 results and the shirts they moved →
Matchday 3: Quick Answers
- When: Thursday 22 October 2026 — all 18 matches on one night (the league phase’s signature single-Thursday rhythm).
- Headliners: Bournemouth v Milan, Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace, Celtic v Celta, Omonia v Benfica, Juventus v Rennes.
- Kick-off times: 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET; early window 18:45 CET / 12:45 ET.
- Format: 36 clubs, one league table, eight games each — top 8 reach the round of 16.
- League phase runs until: 28 January 2027.
- Final: 26 May 2027 at Stadion Frankfurt.
How the 2026/27 Europa League league phase works
This is the third season of the 36-team single-league format. Every club plays eight matches against eight different opponents — four at home, four away — and all 36 sides sit in one table rather than groups. The top eight go straight to the round of 16; clubs finishing 9th to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off, and the bottom 12 are out of Europe entirely.
The league phase runs from 16 September 2026 through to 28 January 2027, and it finishes at Stadion Frankfurt on 26 May 2027. From Matchday 2 onward the Europa League settles into its signature single-Thursday rhythm — which means every headline tie gets its own night. Matchday 3 follows that pattern on Thursday 22 October, with all 18 clubs in action.
All 18 Matchday 3 fixtures
| Date | Kick-off (CET / ET) | Fixture | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Ararat-Armenia v AZ Alkmaar | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Ferencváros v Torreense | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | GNK Dinamo v N.E.C. | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Juventus v Rennes | ★★★ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Lech Poznań v Sunderland | ★★☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | OFI Crete v Leverkusen | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Union SG v H. Beer-Sheva | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 18:45 / 12:45 | Sturm Graz v Marseille | ★★☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Bournemouth v Milan | ★★★ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace | ★★★ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Celtic v Celta | ★★★ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Viktoria Plzeň v Levski Sofia | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Jagiellonia v Anderlecht | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Lillestrøm v Real Sociedad | ★★☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Celje v Salzburg | ★★☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Olympiacos v Sparta Praha | ★☆☆ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Omonia v Benfica | ★★★ |
| Thu 22 Oct | 21:00 / 15:00 | Hoffenheim v Lyon | ★★☆ |
All 18 fixtures as published by UEFA, times in CET with US Eastern conversion. The headline games kick off across both windows, but the marquee ties — Bournemouth v Milan, Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace, Celtic v Celta, Omonia v Benfica and Juventus v Rennes — all land in the 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET slot. Demand stars reflect how quickly the participating clubs’ shirts typically move once the league phase is underway, based on our own order flow — not a prediction of results.
Matchday 3 shirt demand index: where the third-round rush lands
By Matchday 3 the league phase has real shape. Early form, first away nights in hostile grounds, and the ties that pair a permanent seller with a distinctive shirt all pull demand differently. We tiered all 18 fixtures by how quickly the participating shirts historically move once the campaign is a few weeks old. This is a demand guide based on our own order flow, not a prediction of results.
Five bona-fide shirt nights. Milan’s first away night of the league phase is a red-and-black event wherever it lands; Crystal Palace’s European adventure continues in one of the most intense grounds in the competition; Celtic v Celta pairs two of the most distinctive shirts in Europe; Omonia v Benfica is Benfica’s loud away following in Nicosia; and Juventus at home is a permanent seller.
Consistent movers and first-nighters. Sunderland’s away following buys on the night; Marseille’s white away is one of the most recognisable shirts in Europe; Real Sociedad’s Scandinavian trip is a collector’s pick; Salzburg v Celje is an Alpine derby; Lyon’s away at Hoffenheim carries a steady French-plus-German baseline; and AZ Alkmaar’s red-and-white travels well.
Ferencváros v Torreense, GNK Dinamo v N.E.C., OFI Crete v Leverkusen, Union SG v H. Beer-Sheva, Viktoria Plzeň v Levski Sofia, Jagiellonia v Anderlecht and Olympiacos v Sparta Praha. These are for the collector who plans early and wants the shirt nobody else in the pub will have — 低调但 distinctive, and often the ones that quietly sell out first.
The matchups that will shape the shirt market
Bournemouth v Milan (Thursday, Dean Court / Vitality Stadium). Milan’s first away night of the league phase is always a red-and-black event, and Bournemouth’s home shirt has become a cult collector’s item since the club’s European arrival. Our AC Milan collection moves hardest in the 48 hours before a night like this.
Beşiktaş v Crystal Palace (Thursday, Tüpraş Stadyumu). Crystal Palace’s European adventure continues in one of the most intense grounds in the competition. Palace’s away shirt is the story of the round for English buyers, and Beşiktaş’s white away is among the most recognisable in Europe.
Celtic v Celta (Thursday, Celtic Park). Two of the most distinctive shirts in Europe meet in Glasgow — Celtic’s hoops and Celta’s sky-blue are both permanent fixtures in our order flow, and a tie like this reliably pulls both on the night.
Omonia v Benfica (Thursday, GSP Stadium). Benfica’s loud travelling support lands in Nicosia, and the Lisbon club’s home shirt is a permanent seller. A proper old-European away night for the Benfica section of our Benfica collection.
Juventus v Rennes (Thursday, Allianz Stadium). Juventus at home is a permanent seller, and Rennes’ away following buys on the night. The Bianconeri shirt is one of the most ordered in our European range regardless of opponent.
Lillestrøm v Real Sociedad (Thursday, Åråsen Stadion). Real Sociedad’s Scandinavian trip is a collector’s pick — a fixture with limited back catalogue and a strong away following. The blue-and-white shirt sells quietly but consistently whenever la Real travel.
Eight shirts for Matchday 3
Milan Home Jersey 2026/27
Benfica Home Jersey 2026/27
Juventus Home Jersey 2026/27
Real Sociedad Home Jersey 2026/27
Lyon Home Jersey 2026/27
Crystal Palace Away Jersey 2025/26
Marseille Home Jersey 2026/27
Celta Vigo Home Jersey 2026/27
When is Europa League Matchday 3?
Is Matchday 3 all on one night?
How many matches does each club play in the league phase?
Who qualifies directly for the round of 16?
When and where is the 2027 Europa League final?
Which Matchday 3 fixtures produce the biggest shirt demand?
Is a Europa League shirt different from the domestic one?
Do you ship worldwide?
Ready for the Third Thursday?
Every shirt on this page is in stock now, with free worldwide shipping over $49.9. Order before kick-off — marquee-night sizes go first.
Shop Europa League Shirts