UEFA Europa Conference League Group Stage Predictions

Summary

The Europa Conference League was set forth by UEFA in order to give smaller clubs an advantage and to create more hype around the rich talent in the European continent.

There isn’t anything that these clubs wouldn’t go through to bring joy to their fan bases and that is exactly why this competition gets the love it has been receiving after a successful inaugural season.

Although many clubs are focused on the bigger competitions within the continent, balancing both domestic competition and intercontinental play will be a huge test for clubs, especially those with their first time in the championship.

The big four leagues will have stacked representatives from each of their countries and those will likely be the favored clubs heading into the group stage.

The draw can be absolutely brutal for smaller clubs, and this can come down to luck at the end of the day.

The uncertainty surrounding teams always builds hype and it will be no different this season!

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The Hammers need to Come Up Big - West Ham FC - England

West Ham have started the Premier League campaign in a bad way and look towards the Europa Conference League to gain some confidence in themselves once again.

A consistent top six side for the past decade or so, West Ham return many of their best players but the chemistry looks off for such a well-rounded team, up to this point in the season.

The Conference League should be a great tournament for the Hammers to get some much-needed wins while also being able to prepare for the weekend matches domestically.

Without a doubt David Moyes will believe his club has bigger sights in England but there is something to say about being dominant against other European teams as well.

Look for West Ham to be a dominant force in the UECL and gain traction as the tournament goes on.

Unai Emery’s European Masterclass - Villarreal FC - Spain

Dragging the Villarreal fans through the bad years into relevancy with his reign, Unai Emery is back in another European competition after falling out of the Champions League and Europa qualifying this season.

Villarreal is a veteran squad with polished players who can play night in and night out at all positions.

Their goal scoring ratio in European competitions is huge and they have a clear chip on their shoulder when playing fellow continental teams.

Villarreal supporters are going to be disappointed that the UECL will be their mode of play this season, but another trophy does not seem out of reach whatsoever.

Elite in the heights of Holland - AZ Alkmaar - Netherlands

AZ Alkmaar have been hiding under the radar for a couple of seasons now within the European region.

Although many may know their name in the Netherlands, Alkmaar put out a shocking performance against Portugal hopefuls Gil Vicente last week.

They stand 4-0 in aggregate and are looking to continue their prolific run in all competitions smoothly.

Alkmaar will be known to all very soon and the Conference League will be a huge coming out party for them.