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2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage

January 01, 1970

The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage was played from 17 September to 10 December 2015. A total of 48 teams competed in the group stage to decide 24 of the 32 places in the knockout phase of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.[1]

Draw edit

The draw was held on 28 August 2015, 13:00 CEST, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.[2][3] The 48 teams were drawn into twelve groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams were seeded into four pots based on their 2015 UEFA club coefficients.[4][5][6] Moreover, the draw was controlled for teams from the same association in order to split the teams evenly into the two sets of groups (A–F, G–L) for maximum television coverage.

The fixtures were decided after the draw. On each matchday, six groups play their matches at 19:00 CEST/CET, while the other six groups play their matches at 21:05 CEST/CET, with the two sets of groups (A–F, G–L) alternating between each matchday. There are other restrictions: for example, teams from the same city (e.g., Sporting CP and Belenenses, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş) in general do not play at home on the same matchday (UEFA tries to avoid teams from the same city playing at home on the same day, due to logistics and crowd control), and teams in certain countries (e.g., Belarus, Russia) do not play at home on the last matchday (due to cold weather and simultaneous kick-off times).

On 17 July 2014, the UEFA emergency panel ruled that Ukrainian and Russian clubs would not be drawn against each other "until further notice" due to the political unrest between the countries.[7] Therefore, Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Pot 1) and Russian clubs Rubin Kazan (Pot 1), Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar (both Pot 3) could not be drawn into the same group.

Teams edit

Below are the 48 teams which qualified for the group stage (with their 2015 UEFA club coefficients),[4] grouped by their seeding pot.[8][9] They included sixteen teams which entered in this stage, the 22 winners of the play-off round, and the ten losers of the Champions League play-off round.

Key to colours
Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 32
Pot 1
Team Coeff
  Schalke 04 111.883
  Borussia Dortmund[†] 99.883
  Basel[CL-CR] 84.875
  Napoli 84.102
  Tottenham Hotspur 84.078
  Ajax[†] 66.195
  Villarreal 58.999
  Rubin Kazan[†] 57.099
  Athletic Bilbao[†] 56.999
  Sporting CP[CL-LR] 56.276
  Marseille 55.483
  Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 52.033
Pot 2
Team Coeff
  Braga 51.776
  Fiorentina 49.102
  Lazio[CL-LR] 49.102
  Anderlecht 47.440
  Liverpool 47.078
  AZ[†] 46.695
  Viktoria Plzeň[†] 41.825
  Club Brugge[CL-LR] 41.440
  PAOK[†] 40.880
  Celtic[CL-CR] 39.080
  Beşiktaş 36.520
  APOEL[CL-CR] 35.460
Notes
  1. † Winners of the play-off round.
  2. CL-CR Losers of the Champions League play-off round (Champions Route).
  3. CL-LR Losers of the Champions League play-off round (League Route).

Format edit

In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advanced to the round of 32, where they were joined by the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.[1]

Tiebreakers edit

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria were applied in the order given to determine the rankings (regulations Article 16.01):[1]

  1. higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
  2. superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
  3. higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;
  4. higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
  5. if, after having applied criteria 1 to 4, teams still had an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 were reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure did not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 12 applied;
  6. superior goal difference in all group matches;
  7. higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
  8. higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;
  9. higher number of wins in all group matches;
  10. higher number of away wins in all group matches;
  11. lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
  12. higher club coefficient.

Groups edit

The matchdays were 17 September, 1 October, 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, and 10 December 2015.[10] The match kickoff times were 19:00 and 21:05 CEST/CET, except for six matches (certain matches in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Turkey) which were 17:00 CEST/CET.[11][12] Times up to 24 October 2015 (matchdays 1–3) were CEST (UTC+2), thereafter (matchdays 4–6) times were CET (UTC+1).

Group A edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Molde 6 3 2 1 10 7 +3 11 Advance to knockout phase
2   Fenerbahçe 6 2 3 1 7 6 +1 9
3   Ajax 6 1 4 1 6 6 0 7
4   Celtic 6 0 3 3 8 12 −4 3
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Fenerbahçe  1–3  Molde
Nani   42' Report Høiland   36' (pen.)
Elyounoussi   53'
Linnes   65'
Attendance: 31,209[13]
Ajax  2–2  Celtic
Fischer   25'
Schöne   84'		 Report Bitton   8'
Lustig   42'
Attendance: 47,455[14]
Referee: Luca Banti (Italy)
Celtic  2–2  Fenerbahçe
Griffiths   28'
Commons   32'		 Report Fernandão   43', 48'
Attendance: 41,330[15]
Referee: Kenn Hansen (Denmark)
Molde  1–1  Ajax
E. Hestad   8' Report Fischer   19'
Attendance: 7,890[16]
Molde  3–1  Celtic
Kamara   11'
Forren   18'
Elyounoussi   56'		 Report Commons   55'
Attendance: 9,166[17]
Fenerbahçe  1–0  Ajax
Fernandão   89' Report
Attendance: 35,292[18]
Celtic  1–2  Molde
Commons   26' Report Elyounoussi   21'
D. Hestad   37'
Attendance: 37,071[19]
Ajax  0–0  Fenerbahçe
Report
Attendance: 48,990[20]
Referee: Liran Liany (Israel)
Molde  0–2  Fenerbahçe
Report Fernandão   68'
Tufan   84'
Attendance: 8,235[21]
Celtic  1–2  Ajax
McGregor   4' Report Milik   22'
Černý   88'
Attendance: 44,118[22]
Fenerbahçe  1–1  Celtic
Marković   39' Report Commons   75'
Attendance: 35,372[23]
Ajax  1–1  Molde
Van de Beek   14' Report Singh   29'
Attendance: 48,041[24]

Group B edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Liverpool 6 2 4 0 6 4 +2 10 Advance to knockout phase
2   Sion 6 2 3 1 5 5 0 9
3   Rubin Kazan 6 1 3 2 6 6 0 6
4   Bordeaux 6 0 4 2 5 7 −2 4
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Bordeaux  1–1  Liverpool
Jussiê   81' Report Lallana   65'
Attendance: 35,328[25]
Sion  2–1  Rubin Kazan
Konaté   11', 82' Report Kanunnikov   65'
Attendance: 7,000[26]
Rubin Kazan  0–0  Bordeaux
Report
Attendance: 17,642[27]
Liverpool  1–1  Sion
Lallana   4' Report Assifuah   18'
Attendance: 37,252[28]
Liverpool  1–1  Rubin Kazan
Can   37' Report Dević   15'
Attendance: 42,951[29]
Bordeaux  0–1  Sion
Report Lacroix   21'
Attendance: 18,318[30]
Rubin Kazan  0–1  Liverpool
Report Ibe   52'
Attendance: 41,585[31]
Sion  1–1  Bordeaux
Chantôme   90+4' (o.g.) Report Touré   67'
Attendance: 9,000[32]
Rubin Kazan  2–0  Sion
Georgiev   72'
Dević   90'		 Report
Attendance: 15,116[33]
Liverpool  2–1  Bordeaux
Milner   38' (pen.)
Benteke   45+1'		 Report Saivet   33'
Attendance: 42,525[34]
Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel)
Bordeaux  2–2  Rubin Kazan
Laborde   58'
Rolán   63'		 Report Kanunnikov   31'
Ustinov   76'
Attendance: 13,640[35]
Sion  0–0  Liverpool
Report
Attendance: 10,000[36]

Group C edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Krasnodar 6 4 1 1 9 4 +5 13 Advance to knockout phase
2   Borussia Dortmund 6 3 1 2 10 5 +5 10
3   PAOK 6 1 4 1 3 3 0 7
4   Gabala 6 0 2 4 2 12 −10 2
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Gabala  0–0  PAOK
Report
Attendance: 7,500[37]
Borussia Dortmund  2–1  Krasnodar
Ginter   45+1'
Park Joo-ho   90+3'		 Report Mamayev   12'
Attendance: 55,200[38]
Referee: Liran Liany (Israel)
Krasnodar  2–1  Gabala
Wánderson   8'
Smolov   84'		 Report Dodô   51'
Attendance: 8,901[39]
PAOK  1–1  Borussia Dortmund
Mak   34' Report Castro   72'
Attendance: 25,663[40]
Gabala  1–3  Borussia Dortmund
Dodô   90+3' Report Aubameyang   31', 38', 72'
Attendance: 10,500[41]
Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
PAOK  0–0  Krasnodar
Report
Attendance: 9,325[42]
Krasnodar  2–1  PAOK
Ari   33'
Joãozinho   67' (pen.)		 Report Mak   90+1'
Attendance: 15,550[43]
Borussia Dortmund  4–0  Gabala
Reus   28'
Aubameyang   45'
Zenjov   67' (o.g.)
Mkhitaryan   70'		 Report
Attendance: 57,000[44]
Attendance: 30,150[45]
PAOK  0–0  Gabala
Report
Attendance: 6,131[46]
Gabala  0–3  Krasnodar
Report Sigurðsson   26'
Pereyra   41'
Wánderson   76'
Attendance: 3,000[47]
Borussia Dortmund  0–1  PAOK
Report Mak   33'
Attendance: 55,200[48]
Notes
  1. ^ a b c
    Gabala played their home matches at Bakcell Arena, Baku, instead of their regular stadium City Stadium, Qabala.

Group D edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Napoli 6 6 0 0 22 3 +19 18 Advance to knockout phase
2   Midtjylland 6 2 1 3 6 12 −6 7
3   Club Brugge 6 1 2 3 4 11 −7 5
4   Legia Warsaw 6 1 1 4 4 10 −6 4
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Midtjylland  1–0  Legia Warsaw
Rasmussen   60' Report
Attendance: 6,798[49]
Napoli  5–0  Club Brugge
Callejón   5', 77'
Mertens   19', 25'
Hamšík   53'		 Report
Attendance: 13,043[50]
Referee: István Vad (Hungary)
Club Brugge  1–3  Midtjylland
Meunier   79' Report Sisto   51'
Onuachu   67'
Novák   74'
Attendance: 14,126[51]
Legia Warsaw  0–2  Napoli
Report Mertens   53'
Higuaín   84'
Attendance: 26,357[52]
Legia Warsaw  1–1  Club Brugge
Kucharczyk   51' Report De fauw   39'
Attendance: 16,320[53]
Midtjylland  1–4  Napoli
Pušić   43' Report Callejón   19'
Gabbiadini   31', 40'
Higuaín   90+4'
Attendance: 9,210[54]
Club Brugge  1–0  Legia Warsaw
Meunier   38' Report
Attendance: 16,349[55]
Napoli  5–0  Midtjylland
El Kaddouri   13'
Gabbiadini   23', 38'
Maggio   54'
Callejón   77'		 Report
Attendance: 18,475[56]
Legia Warsaw  1–0  Midtjylland
Prijović   35' Report
Attendance: 9,468[57]
Club Brugge  0–1  Napoli
Report Chiricheș   41'
Attendance: 180[58][B]
Midtjylland  1–1  Club Brugge
Sisto   27' Report Vossen   68'
Attendance: 8,624[59]
Napoli  5–2  Legia Warsaw
Chalobah   32'
Insigne   39'
Callejón   57'
Mertens   65', 90+1'		 Report Vranješ   62'
Prijović   90+2'
Attendance: 7,922[60]
Notes
  1. ^
    The Club Brugge v Napoli match was played behind closed doors due to the security situation in Belgium in the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks.[61]

Group E edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Rapid Wien 6 5 0 1 10 6 +4 15 Advance to knockout phase
2   Villarreal 6 4 1 1 12 6 +6 13
3   Viktoria Plzeň 6 1 1 4 8 10 −2 4
4   Dinamo Minsk 6 1 0 5 3 11 −8 3
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Rapid Wien  2–1  Villarreal
Schwab   50'
S. Hofmann   53' (pen.)		 Report Baptistão   45'
Attendance: 36,200[62]
Attendance: 10,784[63]
Dinamo Minsk  0–1  Rapid Wien
Report S. Hofmann   54'
Attendance: 4,553[64]
Attendance: 17,481[65]
Villarreal  4–0  Dinamo Minsk
Bakambu   17', 32'
Soldado   61'
Bailly   71'		 Report
Attendance: 14,025[66]
Rapid Wien  3–2  Viktoria Plzeň
S. Hofmann   34'
Schaub   52'
Petsos   68'		 Report Ďuriš   12'
Hrošovský   76'
Attendance: 39,400[67]
Dinamo Minsk  1–2  Villarreal
Vitus   69' Report Soldado   72' (pen.)
Palitsevich   86' (o.g.)
Attendance: 4,959[68]
Viktoria Plzeň  1–2  Rapid Wien
Holenda   71' Report Schobesberger   13', 77'
Attendance: 11,691[69]
Referee: Luca Banti (Italy)
Attendance: 4,250[70]
Villarreal  1–0  Rapid Wien
Soriano   78' Report
Attendance: 14,760[71]
Rapid Wien  2–1  Dinamo Minsk
M. Hofmann   29'
Jelić   59'		 Report El Monir   65'
Attendance: 34,800[72]
Viktoria Plzeň  3–3  Villarreal
Kolář   8' (pen.)
Kovařík   65'
Hořava   90'		 Report Bakambu   40'
Jonathan   62'
Soriano   90+4'
Attendance: 10,071[73]
Referee: Tony Chapron (France)
Notes
  1. ^ a b c
    Dinamo Minsk played their home matches at Borisov Arena, Barysaw, instead of their temporary stadium Traktor Stadium, Minsk.

Group F edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Braga 6 4 1 1 7 4 +3 13 Advance to knockout phase
2   Marseille 6 4 0 2 12 7 +5 12
3   Slovan Liberec 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7
4   Groningen 6 0 2 4 2 8 −6 2
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Slovan Liberec  0–1  Braga
Report Rafa   60'
Attendance: 8,132[74]
Groningen  0–3  Marseille
Report Nkoudou   25'
Ocampos   40'
Alessandrini   61'
Attendance: 21,520[75]
Marseille  0–1  Slovan Liberec
Report Coufal   84'
Attendance: 10,040[76]
Braga  1–0  Groningen
Hassan   5' Report
Attendance: 9,150[77]
Braga  3–2  Marseille
Hassan   61'
Eduardo   77'
Alan   88'		 Report Alessandrini   84'
Batshuayi   87'
Attendance: 10,495[78]
Slovan Liberec  1–1  Groningen
Luckassen   87' Report Hoesen   90+6'
Attendance: 8,793[79]
Marseille  1–0  Braga
Nkoudou   39' Report
Attendance: 12,973[80]
Groningen  0–1  Slovan Liberec
Report Padt   81' (o.g.)
Attendance: 18,693[81]
Braga  2–1  Slovan Liberec
Ferreira   42'
Crislan   90+2'		 Report Efremov   35'
Attendance: 8,144[82]
Marseille  2–1  Groningen
Nkoudou   28'
Batshuayi   88'		 Report Maduro   50'
Attendance: 9,107[83]
Slovan Liberec  2–4  Marseille
Bakoš   75' (pen.)
Šural   76'		 Report Batshuayi   14'
Nkoudou   43'
Barrada   48'
Ocampos   90+4'
Attendance: 9,600[84]
Groningen  0–0  Braga
Report
Attendance: 15,715[85]
Referee: Simon Lee Evans (Wales)

Group G edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Lazio 6 4 2 0 13 6 +7 14 Advance to knockout phase
2   Saint-Étienne 6 2 3 1 10 7 +3 9
3   Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7
4   Rosenborg 6 0 2 4 4 12 −8 2
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk  1–1  Lazio
Seleznyov   90+4' Report Milinković-Savić