UEFA Europa League group stage to kick off

By Emre Asikci

ANKARA (AA) - The UEFA Europa League group stage will kick off on Thursday with a bevy of 24 matches.

Three Turkish clubs -- Besiktas, Trabzonspor, and Istanbul Basaksehir -- will play their first matches away.

In Bratislava, Besiktas will play Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava in Group K, while Istanbul Basaksehir will take on Italian club Roma at Stadio Olimpico in Group J. Both matches will start at 22:00 CET (1900GMT).

In their match at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, Trabzonspor will face Spanish team Getafe at 19:55 CET (1655GMT).

The first two teams from 12 groups will reach the last 32 round of the Europa League.

The final will be held in Gdansk, Poland on May 27.

First-week fixtures of the Europa League as follows:

Matches kicking off at 1655 GMT

Group A

Apoel Nicosia (Greek Cypriot side) vs F91 Dudelange (LUX)

FK Qarabag (AZE) vs Sevilla (ESP)

Group B

Dynamo Kiev (UKR) vs Malmo FF (SWE)

FC Copenhagen (DEN) vs Lugano (SUI)

Group C

FC Basel (SUI) vs FK Krasnodar (RUS)

Getafe (ESP) vs Trabzonspor (TUR)

Group D

LASK (AUS) vs Rosenborg (NOR)

PSV Eindhoven (NED) vs Sporting Lisbon (POR)

Group E

CFR Cluj (ROM) vs Lazio (ITA)

Rennes (FRA) vs Celtic (SCO)

Group F

Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) vs Arsenal (ENG)

Standard Liege (BEL) vs Vitoria Guimaraes (POR)

Matches kicking off at 1900 GMT

Group G

FC Porto (POR) vs Young Boys (SUI)

Rangers (SCO) vs Feyenoord (NED)

Group H

Espanyol (ESP) vs Ferencvarosi TC (HUN)

Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs CSKA Moscow (RUS)

Group I

KAA Gent (BEL) vs Saint-Etienne (FRA)

VfL Wolfsburg (GER) vs Oleksandria (UKR)

Group J

Borussia Monchengladbach (GER) vs Wolfsberg (AUS)

Roma (ITA) vs Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)

Group K

Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs Besiktas (TUR)

Wolverhampton Wanderers (ENG) vs Sporting Braga (POR)

Group L

Manchester United (ENG) vs FC Astana (KAZ)

Partizan Belgrade (SRB) vs AZ Alkmaar (NED)