The group stage of the Europa League (previously called the UEFA Cup) kicks off tonight (September 17).

Forty-eight clubs will inaugurate the competition proper, and the top two teams from the 12 groups will go through to the knockout phase alongside the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.

Three British clubs (Celtic, Fulham and Everton) are in action this evening as the tournament gets underway.

The Bhoys are in Israel to play Hapoel Tel Aviv, the Cottagers take on CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria and the Toffees host Greek side AEK Athens.

The UEFA Europa League is the second most prestigious European football competition after the UEFA Champions League. Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk are the current champions, having beaten Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the 2009 final.

You can watch the live online coverage of the Europa League at uefa.com.

Games tonight:

AFC Ajax vs. FC Timişoara

NK Dinamo Zagreb vs. RSC Anderlecht

LOSC Lille Métropole vs. Valencia CF

Genoa CFC vs. SK Slavia Praha

Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC vs. Celtic FC

SK Rapid Wien vs. Hamburger SV

Hertha BSC Berlin vs. FK Ventspils

SC Heerenveen vs. Sporting Clube de Portugal

PFC CSKA Sofia vs. Fulham FC

FC Basel 1893 vs. AS Roma

Panathinaikos FC vs. Galatasaray AŞ

SK Sturm Graz vs. FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti

S.S. Lazio vs. FC Salzburg

Villarreal CF vs. PFC Levski Sofia

FC Steaua Bucureşti vs. FC Sheriff

Fenerbahçe SK vs. FC Twente

SL Benfica vs. FC BATE Borisov

Everton FC vs. AEK Athens FC

Club Brugge KV vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk

FK Partizan vs. Toulouse FC

AC Sparta Praha vs. PSV Eindhoven

CFR 1907 Cluj vs. FC København

Athletic Club vs. FK Austria Wien

CD Nacional vs. Werder Bremen