Thursday, January 22, 2026, sees a host of Europa League matches taking center stage, including Sporting Braga versus Nottingham Forest and Rangers against Ludogorets. These matches are crucial as teams vie for spots to progress further in the competition.

In Glasgow, Rangers are set to face Ludogorets at Ibrox Stadium. Rangers' recent form in the Europa League has been underwhelming; they have struggled to secure wins in their previous matches. Despite their struggles in the UEL, Rangers' home form has been a silver lining, remaining unbeaten in eight games at Ibrox since a defeat to Roma. Securing a victory against Ludogorets would not only bring in UEFA prize money but also add valuable coefficient points to Rangers' club coefficient and Scotland's overall coefficient total. This is particularly important for Rangers, as a strong coefficient could pave the way for direct entry into the UEFA Champions League League Phase next season if they win the Scottish Premiership.

Ludogorets, on the other hand, have ignited their campaign with a win over Celta Vigo and a draw with PAOK. They are currently unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions. However, they have not been in competitive action for over a month, which could pose a challenge as they face Rangers. Historically, Rangers have a good record against Bulgarian teams, winning three out of four previous encounters.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Sporting Braga will host Nottingham Forest at the Estádio Municipal de Braga. Braga's recent Europa League form includes a 1-0 away win against Nice. Nottingham Forest secured an away win against FC Utrecht.

Both matches promise to be engaging encounters with significant implications for the teams involved in their pursuit of Europa League success. Other matches are also taking place, including Aston Villa who lead in Turkey after a Jadon Sancho goal and Celtic who lead 2-0 in Italy.