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But there is Bilbao and some other teams that have played very well and of course Lazio despite the few games that they lost recently, but I think especially those Italian teams are not to be neglected in these competitions.
I think the field of possible favorites is still wide open. Sometimes these competitions develop against all expectations and it happened a couple of times in the last few years.
There are still some great names in there, but this doesn't mean anything. I think a surprise could be possible as well. Before the Europa League started, I think Anderlecht wasn't said to be ranked as highly as they are now.
Lazio and Athletic Bilbao have the same points, namely 16 points with 5 wins and 1 draw, on the other hand both teams are also the teams with the strongest defense so far in the UEFA Europa League, at least from 6 matches. Lazio only conceded three goals, and Bilbao even less, they only conceded two goals. On the other hand in their respective domestic leagues, they are also teams that are quite reckoned with when facing top teams, especially Lazio who were able to stop Napoli's winning record and were able to hold Atalanta to a draw.
and another team that is worth considering this season is E. Franankfurt, they are one of the best teams in the Bundesliga and they also have a reliable striker who is currently on the rise, namely Omar Mamoush. but unfortunately, when the competition towards the last 16 was quite tight, the English club that usually performed impressively, they had to lose their consistency.