Lillestrøm vs Plzeň – News and Probable Lineups

Two teams that have yet to make an impact in the group stage of the 2026-27 Europa League are set to collide on Thursday, as Lillestrom hosts Viktoria Plzen.

Currently, Lillestrom occupies the 31st position in the general standings, having amassed just one point from three matches, while Viktoria Plzen finds itself in 33rd place with no points.

Match overview

Lillestrom began their 2026-27 Europa League group phase with a disappointing loss, falling 2-1 on home soil to Torreense, but they did manage to secure a point in their second match, drawing against Sparta Prague away in mid-October.

However, any progress indicated by that draw was swiftly diminished in their third outing, where they were overwhelmed 6-0 at home by Real Sociedad in their latest game.

The Canaries have collected one point across three fixtures, resulting in them standing 31st in the aggregate table, moving forward to their last five matches in the group stage of this competition against Viktoria Plzen, Lyon, Lexi, Bournemouth, and Celta Vigo.

Hans Erik Odegaard’s team comes into this match following a 1-0 victory over Start in the Eliteserien, marking their third consecutive win.

Lillestrom, crowned Swedish champions five times, triumphed in last season’s Norwegian Cup, securing their place in the Europa League despite being a second-tier team.

Meanwhile, Viktoria Plzen has also struggled during this season’s tournament, suffering defeats in all three of their matches and currently sitting at the bottom of the table with no points.

Radoslav Kovac’s squad kicked off their group stage with a 3-0 loss at home to Union SG, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Ferencvaros on October 15, and they were then edged out 2-1 at home by Lexi in their most recent match in this season’s tournament.

Viktoria Plzen enters this encounter on the back of two consecutive wins, including a convincing 4-0 triumph over Ostava in their league fixture on November 1.

Having reached the knockout stage playoffs in the previous season’s Europa League and remaining unbeaten during the group phase then, their current struggle towards the bottom of the standings is quite surprising.

Team News

Lillestrom is expected to miss the services of Vebjorn Hoff and Kristoffer Tonnessen due to injuries, but aside from that, they appear to be in relatively good condition for the match.

Felix Va has had an impressive season, netting 10 goals and providing five assists across 28 appearances, and the 28-year-old forward will be vital in the attacking third.

Thomas Lehne Olsen has also performed admirably this season, contributing seven goals across all competitions, and the 35-year-old is set to play centrally for the Swedish side.

On the other hand, Viktoria Plzen will be without Jan Paluska and Vaclav Jemelka as they are dealing with injuries heading into this European matchup on Thursday evening.

Christophe Kabongo serves as the team’s top scorer this season, finding the net seven times in 16 outings, and the 23-year-old will play a pivotal role in the attack.

Additionally, Amar Memic is anticipated to earn a position in the squad, having contributed to 10 goals in all competitions this season, with four goals and six assists to his name.

Lillestrom probable starting XI:

Dahlberg; Ottesen, Foss, Gabrielsen, Paintsil; Ibrahimaj, Ottosson, Nyheim; Bassi, Olsen, Felix Va

Viktoria Plzen probable starting XI:

Cradles; Paliscak, Dweh, Vavro, Souare; Hrosoxy, Cerv; Memic, Visinsky; Ladra, Kabongo

Both teams have faced difficulties in the competition this season, and establishing confidence in either side is a challenge, leading us to anticipate a tight draw.