Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal: Europa League prediction, TV channel, live stream, team news, time, h2h results, odds

Arsenal get their Europa League group stage campaign underway with a trip to Austria to take on Rapid Vienna on Thursday.

The Gunners secured Europa League qualification thanks to victory in last season's FA Cup final, having only finished eighth in the Premier League table.

Under Unai Emery, the north Londoners reached the final of the 2018/19 competition but crashed out at the round of 32 last season in dramatic fashion against Olympiacos.

As well as the Austrian outfit, Mikel Arteta's men have been drawn in a group alongside Norwegian side Molde and Ireland's Dundalk.

Date, time and venue

Rapid Vienna vs Arsenal is scheduled for a 5.55pm BST kick-off on Thursday, October 22.

The match will be behind closed doors at Allianz Stadion in Vienna.

How to watch

TV channel: The match will be televised on BT Sport 2, with coverage starting from 5:15pm.

Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will be able to watch the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app.

Team news

Thomas Partey is in line to make his first start for the club. The Ghana international made his debut against Manchester City at the weekend after coming off the bench, but now looks ready to play from the start.

Arteta has vowed to take the Europa League seriously this season and wants to win it. The Spaniard’s team selection should reflect that against Vienna and, despite making changes, it is likely to be a strong team that plays in Austria.

Shkodran Mustafi is pushing to start in defence after returning from injury, but is likely to be on the bench.

Mohamed Elneny is expected to start in midfield as Dani Ceballos is injured, while Reiss Nelson could get a rare chance to shine on the right. Eddie Nketiah or Alexandre Lacazette will lead the line.

Arsenal predicted XI (3-4-3): Leno; Luiz, Gabriel, Kolasinac; Cedric, Elneny, Partey, Maitland-Niles; Nelson, Nketiah, Saka.

Prediction: Rapid Vienna 1-3 Arsenal

Rapid Vienna have made an excellent start to the domestic season with three wins and a draw in their opening four games but Arsenal should have too much firepower, with some of their youngsters keen to impress.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

This will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides.

Betting odds and tips

• Arsenal to win: 11/10

• Rapid Vienna to win: 11/4

• Draw: 3/1

Odds courtesy of Betfair Exchange. Click here to find out more.

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