Europa League: Dortmund at home, Schalke in Cyprus

Teams competing in the Europa League this year breathed a sigh of relief when they looked at the draw. This year, there is no Sevilla. With the Spanish side stepping into the Champions League after winning last year - their second consecutive title - this year's tournament is wide open. The Bundesliga's Europa League representatives this season are in-form Borussia Dortmund, inconsistent Schalke and underdogs Augsburg. All of them are hoping to get off to a good start on Thursday night.

There will be no long journey for Dortmund this week as they host Russia's FK Krasnodar. Having won all nine of their games in all competitions this season, momentum accompanies Thomas Tuchel's side into a competition they will be keen on winning. "We want to make the knockouts. Then we'll see," said the club's sporting director Michael Zorc, while Bayern Munich's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes Dortmund can go all the way: "They definitely can win the Europa League."

Dortmund exited in the group stages of the 2010/11 season and are ready to set the record straight. "We are up for European games, but hope that in the future there's a C in front of the L again," said defender Mats Hummels.

Schalke captain Benedikt Höwedes has a similar perspective. "We've had some great Champions League moments in the last few years, but that's in the past now." 191 days after that impressive 4-3 win against Real Madrid, the club starts their Europa League adventure with a trip to Cyprus to play APOEL, who Schalke beat in the first round of the 2008 UEFA Cup 4-1. Head coach Andre Breitenreiter will be in the dugout for a European game for the first time in his career.

Outsiders in the competition

Augsburg are heading into their European adventure under the slogan of "Nobody in Europe knows us", and will be looking to change that. "These are great days that we want to enjoy" said Markus Weinzierl ahead of the club's first European game in their 108-year history. Augsburg, who has yet to win in the Bundesliga this season, face a tough start to their European adventure in the form of Athletic Bilbao. They do have at least one player who knows what awaits. "Bilbao acted very aggressively and had plenty of chances. Then you feel the atmosphere in the stadium, because the fans feel every situation and their cheer is incredible. The atmosphere was truly great during the game," said Augsburg midfielder Halil Altintop, who lost in the playoffs in 2011 against Bilbao when he was playing for Trabzonspor.

Last year's surprise team, and finalists, Ukraine's Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk starts the road to May's final in Basel with a tough Group G opener at home to Italy's Lazio. Last year's semifinalists Napoli take on Club Brugge in their first Group D game, but will do so without any supporters in two stands after smoke bombs were lit in May during the semi-final first leg. Fiorentina, also semifinalists last year, open their Group I campaign at home to Basel, while Liverpool, who won the competition's pre-cursor the UEFA Cup in 2001, must forget their poor Premier League form when they take on the tricky ask of visiting Bordeaux in Group B.

Other big name clubs in this season's Europa League include former winners Ajax, who made a hash of Champions League qualification so must be content to start their Europa League quest at home to Celtic in Group A, which also boasts Fenerbahce and Molde. Group E hopefuls Rapid Vienna host Villarreal.