Feyenoord vs. Roma (Thursday, 5.45pm)
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Familiar foes Feyenoord and Roma meet again on Thursday evening, as De Kuip hosts the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff.
While the Dutch champions dropped down from the Champions League, their Italian counterparts finished second in Group G; so with a last-16 place at stake, the clubs now clash for a third successive season.
We say: Feyenoord 2-1 Roma
Feyenoord are always a force to be reckoned with at De Kuip, while Roma often fall short on the road. As a result, the home side should make the most of their home advantage and take a slim lead with them to Rome next week.
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Young Boys vs. Sporting Lisbon (Thursday, 5.45pm)
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Young Boys and Sporting Lisbon will meet in competitive action for the first time ever on Thursday as they kick off their two-legged Europa League knockout round playoff tie.
The hosts dropped into the continent's secondary competition after finishing third in their Champions League group, while their Portuguese visitors finished second in their Europa League group.
We say: Young Boys 1-2 Sporting Lisbon
Sporting Lisbon boast more quality than their hosts, and while they are unlikely to go all out for a big victory with a home leg looming, we still fancy Amorim's men to come out on top on Thursday.
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Galatasaray vs. Sparta Prague (Thursday, 5.45pm)
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On account of their failure to prolong their Champions League adventure, Galatasaray begin their bid for Europa League stardom on Thursday, hosting Sparta Prague in the first leg of their knockout round playoff.
While Okan Buruk's men placed third in their Champions League section, their Czech visitors were runners-up in Europa League Group C, thus missing out on a direct route into the last 16.
We say: Galatasaray 3-1 Sparta Prague
Confidence is flowing through the veins of both sets of players right now, but with Sparta Prague only just returning to competitive action last weekend after a period of friendlies, the visitors may be at a slight disadvantage.
Coupled with the fact that Galatasaray often flaunted their offensive prowess in the Champions League, a Lions contingent brimming with talented attackers - some of whom boast plentiful European experience - should come good in a dominant first-leg display.
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Shakhtar vs. Marseille (Thursday, 5.45pm)
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Returning to competitive action following a two-month hiatus, Shakhtar Donetsk battle Marseille in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on Thursday night.
The Ukrainian champions settled for third place in their Champions League group to drop down to the second tier, while Gennaro Gattuso's men were runners-up in Europa League Group B.
We say: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Marseille
Having not taken to the pitch for a competitive match in over eight weeks, rustiness is sure to come into play for Shakhtar Donetsk, who were not hugely impressive during their period of winter friendlies.
Gattuso's men have left a lot to be desired in recent weeks too, but the importance of Mbemba's imminent return cannot be overstated, and the French outfit should be good enough for a hard-earned draw in Germany.
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AC Milan vs. Rennes (Thursday, 8.00pm)
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Vying for a place in the Europa League's last 16, AC Milan meet Rennes in the knockout round playoffs, with Thursday's first leg being held at San Siro.
The clubs clash for the very first time in a competitive fixture, as Champions League drop-outs host a team that cruised through Group F in the autumn.
We say: AC Milan 1-1 Rennes
Not only have Rennes scored in all but one of their last 16 Europa League matches, but they also tend to travel well - a record of eight wins from 12 European away games speaks for itself.
Milan may have half an eye on Sunday's Serie A clash with neighbours Monza, so the tie could remain finely poised ahead of next week's return leg.
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Lens vs. Freiburg (Thursday, 8.00pm)
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Lens welcome Freiburg to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis for the first leg of their Europa League playoff knockout round tie on Thursday.
The hosts dropped out of the Champions League on their return to the European stage after over a decade away, while Freiburg made it out of their Europa League group for a second straight season.
We say: Lens 2-1 Freiburg
With Lens coming into the game on the back of a three-game winning run, and Freiburg having lost three on the bounce, there is no doubt as to who will come into the tie with more confidence.
Lens are also extremely difficult to beat at home, given the raucous atmosphere at the Bollaert-Delelis, and Freiburg have lost their last four away games, but the tie will most probably still hang in the balance ahead of next week's second leg, despite a home win looking likely.
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Benfica vs. Toulouse (Thursday, 8.00pm)
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Toulouse make the trip to Lisbon to face Portuguese champions Benfica in their Europa League playoff round first leg on Thursday.
After a woeful start to their Champions League campaign, Benfica remarkably roared back late in the section to salvage a Europa League spot, while the visitors often put poor domestic form to one side to progress behind Liverpool in their group in this competition.
We say: Benfica 3-0 Toulouse
Despite a minor blip at the weekend, and a recent shock cup exit to Estoril, Benfica have been sensational since December and should have too much firepower for a beleaguered Toulouse side.
Another disappointing defeat at the weekend has plunged Toulouse back into relegation trouble at home, and even though they have performed better on the continent this season, this will be a hugely difficult assignment for the French side.
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Braga vs. Qarabag (Thursday, 8.00pm)
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Braga will welcome Qarabag FK to Portugal on Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League knockout playoff tie.
The visitors kept their qualification hopes alive with a second-placed finish in the group stage, while the hosts dropped into the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group.
We say: Braga 3-0 Qarabag FK
With more quality throughout their squad and home advantage on their side, we back Braga to gain the advantage in Portugal on Thursday before travelling to Baku for the second leg.
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Oliver Thomas
