All you need to know for Thursday's European ties

Following two nights of UEFA Champions League action, the continental football feast continues on Thursday with a full round of fixtures in Europe's other club competitions.

In the league phase of the Europa League, the Matchday 2 fixtures include Aston Villa facing Feyenoord away in the Netherlands, while Nottingham Forest host Danish side Midtjylland.

Earlier in the evening, Crystal Palace open their league-phase campaign in the Conference League when they take on Dynamo Kyiv in Poland.

UEFA Europa League

Feyenoord v Aston Villa
Thursday 2 October, 20:00 (BST)

For Villa supporters, a visit to Rotterdam marks a return to the scene of the club’s most famous night.

It was at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium that Villa beat Bayern Munich to become just the fourth English side to lift the European Cup.

That was back in 1982 and the Midlands outfit have not played at the venue since, so Thursday promises to be a nostalgic night for the fans making the pilgrimage.

Villa's triumph 43 years ago remains the only time they have won European silverware, yet they are the bookmakers’ favourites to go all the way in the Europa League this season.

Unai Emery’s men, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season, got their European campaign off to a winning start last week when they beat Bologna through John McGinn's early goal.

Watch McGinn's winner v Bologna

That was their first victory in any competition this season and they backed it up in the Premier League last Sunday with an impressive 3-1 comeback win over Fulham.

However, Villa's mini-revival will be put to the test on Thursday by a Feyenoord side who sit top of the Eredivisie with six wins from seven matches.

Leading the Dutch giants' charge is a Premier League 100 Club member – Robin van Persie.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker – who was appointed head coach of Feyenoord in February – netted 144 goals in England’s top flight.

Villa fans may best remember Van Persie for the hat-trick he scored against them at Old Trafford in 2013, which sealed Man Utd's 13th — and most recent — Premier League title.

Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland
Thursday 2 October, 20:00 (BST)

European football returns to the City Ground for the first time in 29 years when Forest entertain Midtjylland.

The last time Forest hosted a match in a continental competition, they were thrashed 5-1 by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the old UEFA Cup.

But home fans will be hopeful of a more positive result this Thursday evening, on what is sure to be an emotional occasion.

In Ange Postecoglou, Forest have hired the last head coach to lift the Europa League, with the Australian guiding Tottenham Hotspur to glory last season.

However, Postecoglou is yet to taste victory from five matches in charge of his new club, a run which includes a 2-2 draw against Real Betis in their European opener last week, when Igor Jesus scored twice.

Watch Igor Jesus' first goal and celebration v Real Betis

In contrast, Forest's Matchweek 2 opponents Midtjylland are on a four-match winning streak and currently sit second in the Danish Superliga.

Midtjylland got their Europa League campaign off to the best possible start by beating Sturm Graz and will be confident of emulating last season’s run to the knockout stages.

Mike Tullberg's squad includes three players with Premier League experience – goalkeeper Jonas Lossl, defender Kevin Mbabu and midfielder Philip Billing.

UEFA Conference League

Dynamo Kyiv v Crystal Palace
Thursday 2 October, 17:45 (BST)

Palace will break new ground on Thursday when they play their first-ever match in European competition proper.

The Eagles came through a Conference playoff against Fredrikstad in August to ensure they entered the main draw of Europe’s third-tier competition.

Now, five weeks after seeing off the Norwegian outfit 1-0 on aggregate, Palace will make their debut in the league phase of the Conference League against Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv.

The Eagles’ historic fixture will take place in Lublin, Poland, due to UEFA's edict that all Ukrainian clubs play their home European matches outside of the country because of the conflict with Russia.

Palace travel to Poland looking to set a new club record of 19 matches unbeaten in all competitions, having defeated Liverpool 2-1 last weekend to equal their previous best run from 1969.

Oliver Glasner’s side are currently on the longest unbeaten sequence of any club in Europe’s top five leagues and are flying high in the Premier League, sitting in third place, behind last season's top two — Liverpool and Arsenal.

But Dynamo – who have former West Ham United midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko in their ranks – are also unbeaten in their domestic league and currently sit second behind Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Ukrainians are in the Conference League after losing both their Champions League and Europa League playoffs.

Dynamo, with two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and one UEFA Super Cup on their honours board, will be determined to use their greater European experience to ruin Palace’s big night.