The Europa League action continues on Thursday night, and we preview two fixtures and offer up a bet for consideration.
Let’s start with a look at the Outright Betting where the bookies have Aston Villa trading as 4.25 favourites followed by Roma at 7.00 with FC Porto, Real Betis and Nottingham Forest all priced at 9.00. You can get 11.00 and better the balance.
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FENERBAHCE vs ASTON VILLA
Fenerbahce come into this match sitting 12th on the log with 11 points after winning three, drawing two and losing one of their opening six fixtures. Their home form has been encouraging and they are unbeaten in their last three European matches in Istanbul, conceding just twice across those games.
Their most recent action saw them thrash Brann 4-0 away last month, which followed a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home to Ferencvaros and a goalless stalemate away to Plzen prior to that.
Aston Villa occupy 3rd place on the standings with 15 points from six matches, having won five and lost just once. They have been impressive both home and away and boast a strong defensive record with only four goals conceded in the competition so far, while they have netted 10.
They last played in Europa on the 11th of December where they edged Basel 2-1 away from home, following 2-1 and 2-0 victories over Young Boys and Maccabi Tel Aviv respectively in their previous outings.
Head-to-Head
The last time these sides met was in the 1977/78 UEFA Cup where Aston Villa won both legs, claiming a 4-0 home win and a 2-0 victory in Turkey.
Betting – Click here to bet
Fenerbahce 2.60
Draw 3.50
Aston Villa 2.60
Verdict
Both sides come into this clash in strong form but I believe Aston Villa’s structure and defensive stability could give them the edge in what should be a tightly contested matchup.
BET: Aston Villa at 2.60
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BRAGA vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Braga head into this fixture in 7th position overall with 13 points after winning four, drawing one and losing one of their six matches. Their home performances’ have been solid and they have found the net consistently, scoring in every game during this campaign.
They beat Nice 1-0 on the road last time out, which came after a 1-1 draw with Rangers in November last year.
Nottingham Forest are in 11th place on the table with 11 points from six games due to winning three, drawing two and losing once. They have been particularly strong defensively, keeping three clean sheets in their last four Europa matches.
Their most recent fixture saw them defeat Utrecht 2-1 away from home, which came after a convincing 3-0 victory over Malmo FF and a goalless stalemate away to Sturm Graz.
Head-to-Head
These two sides last met in a 2016 club friendly where Nottingham Forest claimed a comfortable 3-0 victory away in Portugal.
Betting – Click here to bet
Braga 2.70
Draw 3.40
Nottingham Forest 2.60
Verdict
This promises to be a competitive encounter, but Nottingham’s recent defensive solidity and ability to manage games on the road may prove decisive. I am backing them to get the job done without a reply from Braga.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Nottingham and No at 4.75
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
