As the Europa League roars back into action, several compelling matchups are set to take center stage. Among the highly anticipated games are Nottingham Forest versus Midtjylland and Feyenoord against Aston Villa. Here's a closer look at what to expect.

Nottingham Forest vs. Midtjylland

Nottingham Forest welcomes Midtjylland to the City Ground for their Europa League match. Forest, under their new manager Ange Postecoglou, are eager to find their footing after a rocky start to the season. Postecoglou is still searching for his first win as manager, and the team will be keen to turn things around in front of their home fans.

Midtjylland, however, presents a formidable challenge. They are currently in contention for the Danish Superliga title and demonstrated their European capabilities with a 2-0 victory over Sturm Graz in their Europa League opener. The Danish side is known for its experience in European competitions and its prowess in set-piece situations, areas where Forest will need to be particularly vigilant.

Forest's confirmed Europa League squad includes Ola Aina, Elliot Anderson, Willy Boly, and Morgan Gibbs-White. They started their Europa League campaign with a 2-2 draw away at Real Betis. Igor Jesus scored twice in that match.

The match is being broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

Feyenoord vs. Aston Villa

Feyenoord and Aston Villa are set to clash in a compelling Europa League encounter. Feyenoord, managed by Robin van Persie, faces a test against Unai Emery, Aston Villa's manager and a four-time Europa League winner.

Feyenoord suffered a 1-0 defeat to Braga in their opening Europa League match but bounced back with a 1-0 victory against Groningen in the Eredivisie. They have a strong home record in the Europa League, remaining unbeaten in their last six home games, during which they have outscored their opponents 18-4.

Aston Villa, after a shaky start to the season, secured a 1-0 victory over Bologna in their Europa League opener and followed it up with a 3-1 win over Fulham. Emery's experience in the competition is expected to guide Villa, although he did suffer a defeat against Feyenoord while managing Sevilla in 2014.

This will be the first meeting between the two sides, although Feyenoord has a history of facing English opposition. Villa is unbeaten in five matches against Dutch sides.

AI predictions lean slightly towards Aston Villa, with Grok predicting a 2-1 victory for the Villains. ChatGPT suggests a tight contest, favoring Villa to edge it or settle for a draw.

The match kicks off at 8 pm BST on Thursday, October 2nd, at De Kuip in Rotterdam. For fans in the United States, the match will be broadcast on Paramount+, Fubo, and CBS Sports Network. In India, the match can be watched on the Sony Sports Network and the SonyLIV app.

Other Europa League Action

Several other teams are also competing in the Europa League. Fixtures include Roma vs. Lille, Ludogorets vs. Betis, and Fenerbahce vs. Nice.