The UEFA Europa League semi-finals conclude on Thursday night with two decisive second-leg encounters as the remaining sides battle for a place in the final. We take a closer look at both clashes from a betting perspective below.
Outright Betting
Nottingham Forest are now favourites in the outright market at 2.60 with Aston Villa just behind them trading at 2.70. Braga sit at 5.50 while Freiburg are further back at 6.00 heading into the second-leg encounters.
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Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – Click here to bet
First Leg Recap
Nottingham Forest secured a valuable 1-0 victory in the opening leg to take a narrow aggregate advantage into this encounter. Forest produced a disciplined defensive display at home while limiting Aston Villa’s attacking opportunities throughout the match.
Recent Form
Aston Villa come into this clash on the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham, extending a difficult recent run which also includes losses to Fulham and Elche. Despite that Villa have been impressive in Europe at Villa Park this season recording a dominant victory over Bologna during the knockout rounds.
Nottingham Forest arrive in excellent form after securing a 3-1 away victory over Chelsea in their latest outing. Prior to that they also picked up convincing wins over Sunderland and Burnley, scoring nine goals across those two league matches and conceding just once.
Head-to-Head
Forest claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg after the teams played to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League during April. Aston Villa’s most recent victory over Forest came in January when they secured a 3-1 home win.
Match Odds (1X2)
Aston Villa: 1.78
Draw: 3.85
Nottingham Forest: 4.75
Verdict
Aston Villa will need to push forward from the opening stages as they attempt to overturn the deficit, which should create opportunities at both ends of the pitch. Nottingham Forest have shown excellent attacking form in recent weeks and look capable of troubling Villa once again on the counterattack and I am backing both teams to score.
BET: Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.83
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Freiburg vs Braga – Click here to bet
First Leg Recap
Braga take a slender 2-1 overall lead into Germany after producing a strong performance in the opening leg. The Portuguese side made their attacking chances count at home and will now look to get the job done on the road.
Recent Form
Freiburg come into this encounter after a 1-1 draw against Wolfsburg in league action but before that they suffered defeats to Dortmund and Stuttgart across all competitions. Despite those setbacks, Freiburg have produced some strong home performances in Europe this season.
Braga arrive with steady form after drawing 1-1 with Estoril in their latest domestic fixture which came after they defeated Freiburg 2-1 and also recorded victories over Casa Pia and Real Betis during an impressive recent run in Europe. Their only real trouble in the past few weeks came in a narrow 2-1 league loss to Santa Clara.
Head-to-Head
Braga’s 2-1 first-leg victory remains the only previous competitive meeting between these sides.
Match Odds (1X2)
Freiburg: 1.80
Draw: 3.75
Braga: 4.75
Verdict
Freiburg are expected to approach this match aggressively as they chase the aggregate deficit while Braga have shown throughout the competition that they possess dangerous attacking flair on the break. Both teams have consistently delivered goals in European action, and I believe there will be money in the goals markets here.
BET: Over 2.5 Goals at 1.98
Odds correct at time of writing but subject to change.
