UEFA Europa League

Europa League Matchday 8 Predictions

4 hours ago

| BY Sam McLoughlin

The UEFA Europa League is back for the 55th season of Europe’s secondary club football tournament, with thirty-six teams from across Europe battling it out with a dream of reaching the final in Istanbul.

@Footy_Tipster gives his best predictions ahead of this round of fixtures in the UEFA Europa League..

The UEFA Europa League returns this week with clubs from across Europe looking to fulfil their European dreams with the journey to Istanbul continuing here for two sides.

This week, we turn our focus to sides from England and Scotland in the UEFA Europa League as we conclude the league phase on Thursday night.

With all four games in focus kicking-off at 8pm, Aston Villa welcome RB Salzburg to Villa Park, Celtic are looking for a play-off spot when they welcome Dutch side FC Utrecht, Rangers will bow out of the competition and will finish their campaign away at FC Porto, whilst Nottingham Forest are hoping all the luck is on their side as they look to finish in the top eight with a victory against Ferencvaros.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some Europa League odds and betting angles for Matchday eight fixtures:

Aston Villa v RB Salzburg – Thursday, 8pm

Punters can bet on Aston Villa v RB Salzburg with William Hill

Aston Villa have already qualified for the next round with a game to spare, they sit second in the league phase table only behind Lyon on goal-difference, Unai Emery will be hoping his side can top the lot come full-time.
A 1-0 victory in their last European outing at Fenerbache seen Unai Emery become the first manager since the competitions rebrand to win 100 games, whilst his side continued that winning streak with a 2-0 victory at Newcastle on Sunday, a ground where they tend to struggle, keeping their title hopes alive.
Including qualifiers, Aston Villa have won fourteen of their last sixteen home matches in European competitions (D1 L1), winning each of their last six in a row. The Villans are aiming to win seven in a row at Villa Park for the very first time in European competition.
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Austrian side RB Salzburg travel to England looking to cause an upset and get themselves a spot in the play-off round, they currently sit twenty-eighth and two points off such places, even with a victory here though they would need lots of luck on their side.
RB Salzburg have lost each of their last five major European matches and another defeat here would bring up six defeats in a row in major European competitions for the first time in the clubs history.
FC RB Salzburg are winless in all eight major European meetings with English teams (D2 L6), losing both previous games in the UEFA Europa League against Man City in 2010-11 (0-2 home, 0-3 away).

Prediction: Aston Villa -1 Handicap, Aston Villa 2-0 RB Salzburg.

Celtic v FC Utrecht – Thursday, 8pm

Punters can bet on Celtic v FC Utrecht with William Hill

A 2-2 draw away at Bologna last week despite playing a large section of the game with just ten players means Celtic head into the last game of this UEL league phase occupying the final play-off spot by a single point.
It’s likely that only a victory will do here for Martin O’Neil’s side so they’ll be pleased to see their opponents are just one of three sides thus far yet to win a game in this league phase, picking up just one point from their seven outings.
The Hoops have now drawn their last two games 2-2 but another one here seems unlikely given none of their previous twenty main-draw UEL games have ended in a stalemate, but two defeats at home from their three UEL fixtures so far could be a concern.
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FC Utrecht head to Glasgow knowing they are simply playing for pride, only goal difference separates Ron Jans’ side and the bottom of the league phase, having taking just point from a possible twenty-one, they’ve lost each of their last three UEL games.
It’s not just in European competitions that Utrecht have struggled, they’ve lost each of their last five games whilst they’ve picked up just one win from their last twelve outings in all competitions, a difficult campaign so far.
That winless run of five games looks set to continue as well as the Dutch side are winless in their last ten away major European matches (D2 L8) since winning 4-0 at MSK Zilina in October 2003 – they’ve only netted two goals in their 10 away games since.

Prediction: Celtic To Win To Nil, Celtic 2-0 FC Utrecht.

FC Porto v Rangers – Thursday, 8pm

Punters can bet on FC Porto v Rangers with William Hill

FC Porto will return to the Estádio do Dragão on Thursday night looking to book themselves an automatic spot into the UEFA Europa League last sixteen, they sit outside of those precious top eight spots by only via goal-difference.
It’s been a strong campaign so far for Francesco Farioli’s side, they’ve lost just one of their last nineteen games across all competitions (W16, D2, L1), whilst they’ve won each of the last six games on home soil.
The Dragons have won all of their three home matches in the UEFA Europa League this season; they last won four consecutive home matches in major European competition between October 2018 and March 2019 in the UEFA Champions League.
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Rangers’ UEFA Europa League campaign this season has been nothing short of embarrassing for this historic club but Danny Rohl has returned a little bit of pride having picked up their first win of the campaign against Ludogorets last week.
The turnaround for the Gers since the German took over the club has been sensational, they’ve now won each of their last eight outings in all competitions, a run of form which has played it’s part in bringing Rangers back into the title race domestically.
Including qualifiers, Rangers have lost each of their last five away matches in Europe, which is already their joint-longest run of consecutive defeats on the road in Europe, although the Gers haven’t lost any of their last four meetings v Porto (W2, D2).

Prediction: Both Teams To Score & Porto To Win, FC Porto 2-1 Rangers.

Nottingham Forest v Ferencvaros – Thursday, 8pm

Punters can bet on Nottingham Forest v Ferencvaros with William Hill

Despite playing away from home last week in the UEFA Europa League, the boos were loud and clear from the travelling fans having seen their side almost end any hopes of a top eight finish with a 1-0 defeat at Braga.
Sean Dyche is man under real pressure but despite that, his side return to the City Ground having picked up three points in the Premier League away to Brentford on Sunday to help them in their hopes of PL survival.
Nottingham Forest have won both of their last two UEFA Europa League home games, while only in the 1978-79 European Cup have they ever won three in a row at home in a single major European campaign.
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Robbie Keane is the man in charge of Ferencvaros and he takes his side to Nottingham haven’t played just two competitive games since the 19th December, a break which hasn’t helped FTC having not won any of those two (D1, L1).
However, the Hungarian side know that victory here at the City Ground would secure them a place automatically in the last sixteen of this competition, even a draw might be enough depending on results elsewhere.
Ferencváros remain just one of three sides (Freiburg & Plzen) that are yet to taste defeat in this league phase but they’ve lost six of their nine away major European matches in England (W1 D2), with their one win coming at Liverpool in January 1968.

Prediction: Draw, Nottingham Forest 1-1 Ferencvaros.

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