The Europa League action continues on Thursday night as the first legs of the knockout ties take centre stage and we take a look at two fixtures and suggest a bet in each.
Let’s begin with a look at the Outright Betting Market where Aston Villa remain prominent at the top of the market at 3.75, followed by AS Roma at 8.00 and Olympique Lyon trading at 9.00, while the rest are available at double figures and bigger.
Click here to bet on the Outright Betting Markets.
FENERBAHCE vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Fenerbahce come into this first leg looking to make home advantage count. Their recent Europa League form has been mixed, drawing 1-1 away to FCSB after suffering a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa. Prior to that, they recorded an impressive 4-0 away victory over Brann and settled for draws against Ferencvaros and Plzen.
Defensively they have shown resilience at times, but consistency has been lacking particularly in tight matches. Playing in Istanbul is always a different challenge for visiting sides and they will look to take a lead into the second leg.
Nottingham Forest arrive in strong form. They thrashed Ferencvaros 4-0 at home in their most recent outing and have won three of their last five Europa League matches. Away from home they have picked up notable results including a 2-1 win at Utrecht and a hard-fought draw against Sturm Graz, although they did fall to a 1-0 defeat away to Braga in January.
Forest have shown attacking quality throughout this campaign and appear comfortable playing on the counter, which could suit them in this match up where they are likely going to have to absorb plenty of pressure from the home team.
Head-to-Head
These two sides have never met before in European competition.
Betting – Click here to bet
Fenerbahce 2.25
Draw 3.40
Nottingham Forest 3.25
Verdict
With this being the first of two legs, caution could play a role early on. Fenerbahce will push to secure an advantage at home, but Nottingham Forest’s recent form and attacking confidence suggest they can get on the scoresheet.
BET: Total Goals – Over 2.5 at 1.93
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CELTIC vs VFB STUTTGART
Celtic FC head into this clash in decent attacking form. They secured an entertaining 4-2 home win over Utrecht in their last Europa League fixture and have scored freely in recent matches, including a 3-1 away win at Feyenoord and a 2-2 draw away to Bologna.
Despite this defensive frailties remain a concern as shown in their 3-0 home defeat to AS Roma late last year and the 3-1 loss away against Midtjylland. At Celtic Park, they will aim to build a lead before travelling to Germany for the return leg.
VfB Stuttgart have been impressive throughout the tournament. They defeated Young Boys 3-2 in their most recent test and have recorded convincing wins over Maccabi Tel Aviv, G.A. Eagles and Feyenoord. Their only recent setback came in a 2-0 defeat away to AS Roma two matches ago.
Stuttgart possess a strong attacking unit and have shown they can perform both home and away, which makes them a dangerous opponent in this matchup.
Head-to-Head
These two sides last met in European competition during the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, with one win each across the two legs.
Betting – Click here to bet
Celtic 3.25
Draw 3.50
VfB Stuttgart 2.20
Verdict
Celtic’s attacking threat at home is undeniable but Stuttgart’s balance and overall consistency give them the edge heading into this first leg. With the German side priced as favourites, they represent solid value to take an advantage back home.
BET: VfB Stuttgart at 2.20
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
