Opta supercomputer predicts 2026-27 Europa League favorites

Ahead of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League season, data analyst Opta has conducted 10,000 simulations to predict the outcome of the tournament's new league phase format.

According to the projections, AFC Bournemouth is the top favorite to win the competition, succeeding in 14.3% of the simulations. Benfica follows closely as the second favorite with a 14.0% chance, while Bayer Leverkusen is ranked third with a 10.2% probability. Other English clubs, including Sunderland and Crystal Palace, also feature prominently among the top seven predicted teams.

For Besiktas, the simulations suggest a 21st-place finish in the league phase, which would qualify them for the knockout round play-offs. The data indicates a 34.3% probability of the Turkish club reaching the round of 16 and a 13.3% chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.