Thursday's Europa League Tips: Back a welcome win for Villa & a 4/1 shot in Stuttgart | OneFootball

UEFA Europa League

Thursday's Europa League betting tips and predictions

Paul Higham has his best bets for Thursday's Europa League, including Aston Villa to kick-off the campaign in style and a nervy Rangers to struggle against Genk.

Lille v Brann

17:45 kick-offLive on Discovery+ & TNT Sports 4

Lille made the last 16 of the Champions League last season and are a class above their Norwegian visitors, who are 6/1 outsiders as they return to European competition for the first time in 15 years and who've won just one of 14 continental away days.

The hosts are 2/5 so not much joy backing them at that price, but we'll take 13/10 on Olivier Giroud to score anytime - with a return of 15 goals in 25 Europa League outings.

Aston Villa v Bologna

20:00 kick-offLive on TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+

Unai Emery is under a spot of pressure after their winless start to the league season, which has brought them just three points and only one goal and resulted in Emery calling his players lazy. This is his tournament as well after winning it so often, so he'll want a response with his side 4/5 at home against Bologna.

The Italians also played here in the Champions League last season, losing 2-0 at Villa Park as they really struggled away from home with just two goals in four in the competitions. They've also already lost two away games 1-0 this season.

Villa have been way off it this season, but they won five from six at Villa Park in last year's Champions League with four clean sheets, and their six games have seen just eight total goals, so I wouldn't expect many here.

Ferencvaros v Plzen

20:00 kick-offLive on TNT Sports Extra & Discovery+

Hungarian champions Ferencvaros are slightly favoured at 6/4 after beating Viktoria Plzen 1-0 in Budapest in last season's Europa League play-off round, but the Czechs won 3-0 on their home patch to get through.

And Ferencvaros are stuck in a rut at home where they've not won in three and conceded seven, while Plzen made the last 16 in this last season and have won nine of 14 group stages matches in Europe. Conditions could be right for an away win here.

Rangers v Genk

20:00 kick-offLive on TNT Sports 2 & Discovery+

Russell Martin is under serious pressure so maybe another run to the Europa League knockouts for the sixth straight appearance can fend off the protesters at Ibrox. And they're slight favourites at 7/5 to kick-off the campaign with a win over Genk.

Another Belgian team arriving in Glasgow will stir up recent memories of Club Brugge's emphatic 9-1 aggregate victory in Champions League qualifying - but Genk aren't in great form domestically with just two wins in eight and back-to-back defeats ahead of this game.

All things being equal I'd back Rangers to use Ibrox to overpower Genk, but the atmosphere has been so bad recently that should the Belgians score first things could turn nasty. So instead of a rampant Rangers start I'll back a nervy opening 45 minutes staying level at the break.

Red Bull Salzburg v Porto

20:00 kick-offLive on TNT Sports Extra & Discovery+

We've got Porto as the favourites here at 19/20 after making their best ever start to the season with six straight wins and just one goal conceded - while RB Salzburg haven't won in three and lost at home at the weekend.

Salzburg also lost to Brugge and drew with Brann in their home Champions League qualifiers, which extended their winless run in European home games to seven - with five defeats and four of those without scoring. Given Porto's defensive start to the campaign that's a decent bet again.

Stuttgart v Celta Vigo

20:00 kick-offLive on TNT Sports Extra & Discovery+

A step down for Stuttgart after making the Champions League last year and they look like a decently-priced home banker to me at 20/23 as they hold all the advantages - including winning their opening two home games to nil in the Bundesliga.

Celta return to Europe after nine years out with an inexperienced young manager at the helm and without a win so far in La Liga - remarkably following an opening day defeat by reeling off five straight 1-1 draws.

Perhaps that's an omen for the 11/4 draw here but I think the Germans will have just too much for them to grind out a win.

Utrecht v Lyon

20:00 kick-offLive on Discovery+ & TNT Sports Extra

Utrecht won five out of six qualifiers to make the group stage, but Lyon offer a huge step up in class for their first appearance in the main draw for 15 years and they've just lost their form of late having suffered successive 1-0 defeats in the Eredevisie.

Lyon are genuine cup contenders at this level, with just two defeats in 32 Europa League group games, and they're in good form with four wins from five in Ligue 1, making them great ACCA material and well worth a play at 11/10 for an away win.

But I'll go a bit further here as Lyon are confirmed fast starters, scoring first in every game this season, and they've been ahead at the break in three of five so I'll back them to go into half-time ahead before completing the job.

Young Boys v Panathinaikos

20:00 kick-offLive on Discovery+ & TNT Sports Extra

Young Boys played in the Champions League last year but lost all eight games and finished with a -21 goal difference, so this is definitely more their level. They're 13/10 favourites and did win five on the spin before a shock Swiss Cup exit at the weekend to a lower league side.

In 19/10 shots Panathinaikos they face a team in a bit of a mess after sacking their manager for a poor start to the season - and in Europe their form isn't much better with just one win in the past eight away days.

There's too much uncertainty on this one to pick a winner, so I'm tempted by the draw, but we should at least get goals. Three of the last four for the Greeks and five of Young Boys' last seven home games in the Europa League have side both teams score, while the Swiss side have seen over 2,5 goals in six of their last seven home games in all competitions.

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