UEFA Europa League

Europa League Matchday 3 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.

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This week, we focus on sides from England and Scotland in the UEFA Europa League, starting in Norway and the Netherlands, as a struggling Rangers side travel to Bergen to face Brann. In the Netherlands, Go Ahead Eagles welcome Aston Villa to Deventer in a historic fixture for the club.

Later on Thursday evening, Celtic look to bounce back from their recent domestic display as they face Sturm Graz at Celtic Park, whilst Nottingham Forest begin life without Ange Postecoglou with a clash against FC Porto at the City Ground.

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

Brann v Rangers – Thursday, 5.45pm

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Brann welcome Rangers on Thursday night whilst sat within the top twenty-four of this Europa League group, their 2-1 defeat to Lille on Matchday one was followed up with a 1-0 victory here in Norway against Dutch side Utrecht.
Freyr Alexandersson’s side should be fairly confident here having won each of their last five home games across all competitions, although their last defeat here did come in this competition against Swedish side Hacken in August.
This is the first meeting between these two sides but Brann do remain unbeaten against teams from Scotland (W1, D1), whilst four of their last five wins on home soil have come by a one goal margin.
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After a couple of weeks of Rangers in conversation with quite a few different potential managers, Danny Rohl is the man that has been trusted to try and bring this club back to where they believe they deserve to be.
The German will not be phased by the situation that Rangers find themselves in given what he had to deal with in his previous job at Sheffield Wednesday, this is a chance for Rohl to get fans on side from the off and also end the Gers’ run of five successive European defeats.
I’m not expecting too may goals in Norway on Thursday night with a close encounter expected, but i’m going to go against the odds a little bit here and back Rangers to get themselves at least a draw under their new boss.

Prediction: Rangers +1 Handicap, Brann 1-1 Rangers

Go Ahead Eagles v Aston Villa – Thursday, 5.45pm

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Go Ahead Eagles bounced back from a 1-0 defeat in their Europa League curtain raiser with a huge 2-1 victory away to Greek side Panathinaikos but that remains their own victory in their last five games across all competitions.
Melvin Boel’s side return to De Adelaarshorst after a 2-1 defeat away to PSV on Saturday but familiar surroundings might not be much of an advantage here given they’ve won just once here so far this season.
This is a big test for the Dutch side, especially as they’ve won just one of their last eight major European matches but this is their first time facing English opposition, maybe we will see that poor record end here.
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After a very slow start to the season, Aston Villa have well and truly turned a corner having won each of their last five games in all competitions including both of their Europa League outings so far against Bologna and Feyenoord.
Unai Emery knows this competition better than anybody else given he’s the most successful manage in the Europa League history, whilst Aston Villa have won eleven of their last fifteen major European group stage matches, maybe this will be the season that Villa pick up silverware.
This is Villa’s second trip to the Netherlands already during this Europa League campaign having travelled to Rotterdam three weeks ago, they remain unbeaten in all of their last six meetings against Dutch opposition (W5, D1).

Prediction: Match Result and 2 or More Goals in the Match – Aston Villa, Go Ahead Eagles 0-2 Aston Villa

Celtic v Sturm Graz – Thursday, 8pm

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Celtic return to Celtic Park on Thursday night in need of a win to get some supporters back on side, the Hoops have won just one of their last five games in all competitions and return to familiar surroundings fresh off the back of their shock 2-0 defeat against Dundee on Sunday.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are yet to win in this new UEFA Europa League campaign (D1, L1) and have scored just once so far but a return to Glasgow could restore some confidence in this Celtic side, as they’ve lost just one of their last eleven games here albeit that defeat was against Braga just three weeks ago.
These two sides last met back in 2016 during a pre-season friendly but this will be the first competitive meetings between the two sides, Celtic have won just two of twelve games against Austrian sides (D3 L7), losing the last three.
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This is the second time already in this campaign that Sturm Graz have faced a side from Glasgow after beating Rangers 2-1 at the start of the month in Austria, winning this one would make Sturm Graz the first side since Barcelona in 2007/2008 to beat these two sides within the same European campaign.
The win against Rangers for the Austrian Bundesliga leaders was their first win in this competition since October 2023, suggesting they don’t tend to carry their domestic form over into their European campaigns.
Sturm Graz have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten away games in all competitions but failed to score in their last away trip in this competition, i’m going to back Celtic just to get over the line in this one.

Prediction: Both Teams To Score & Celtic To Win, Celtic 2-1 Sturm Graz

Nottingham Forest v FC Porto – Thursday, 8pm

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Well it’s been all change at Nottingham Forest since their defeat against Chelsea on Saturday, Evangelos Marinakis left the City Ground early which only meant one thing for Ange Postecoglou, with the Australian relived of his duties just nineteen minutes after the final whistle, incredible.
Marinakis has turned to Sean Dyche which from the outside suggests they are worried about Premier League relegation, Dyche’s first task here is to stop Nottingham Forest’s losing streak at the City Ground, losing each of the last four games in all competitions.
It’s difficult to know how this one with play out given Sean Dyche is usually known for his defensive style but four of Forest’s last five home games have all produced at least three goals, so this could go either way in terms of goals.
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FC Porto are definitely one of the most in-form teams in European football right now, Francesco Farioli’s side are unbeaten in their eleven games so far this season, winning ten of those as they sit at the summit of Liga Portugal.
The Dragons are also just one of seven sides that maintain a 100% record so far in this Europa League campaign, they’ll be hoping to keep that run going here in Nottingham as they meet English opposition for the fiftieth time.
With eight of Porto’s last ten UEFA Europa League games seeing both teams on the scoresheet, i’m going to back the same to occur here on Thursday night but you cannot go against this kind of form, i’m back Porto to get all three points.

Prediction: Porto To Win, Nottingham Forest 1-2 FC Porto.

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