Europa League: How it will work and who's going to win it

The tournament has increased to 36 teams and the format is significantly different. But who will win?

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, Galeno of Porto and Tottenham's Brennan Johnson with the Europa League trophy.

The Champions League was back with a bang last week; now it’s the turn of the Europa League, with Europe’s second-tier competition taking centre stage with a packed schedule of opening fixtures across Wednesday and Thursday. But much like with the Champions League, this isn’t quite the same Europa League we’ve seen before.

The tournament has increased from 32 to 36 teams and the format is significantly different, mirroring the new-look Champions League. The previous group stage of four teams in eight groups is no more, replaced by a league phase in which all clubs will play eight matches – two more than before – and are ranked in a single 36-team table.