The Europa League action continues on Thursday night, and we take a look at two fixtures from a betting angle and offer up a bet for consideration in each game.
Let’s start with a look at the Outright Betting Market where Aston Villa are favourites at 3.75, followed by AS Roma trading at 8.00 and Lyon at 9.00, you can get double figures and better the balance.
Villa are the 2.50 2nd favourites to top the league stage with Lyon on offer as 1.57 market leaders.
Click here to bet on the Outright Betting Markets.
ASTON VILLA vs SALZBURG
Aston Villa come into this match sitting 2nd on the log with 18 points after winning six and losing one of their seven fixtures so far. They have been particularly strong at home where they remain unbeaten in this campaign and have conceded just once across their last three Europa League matches at Villa Park.
Their most recent outing saw them claim a narrow but impressive 1-0 away victory over Fenerbahce last week as slight underdogs, which followed a 2-1 away win over Basel, a 2-1 home victory against Young Boys and a comfortable 2-0 success at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Salzburg occupy 28th place on the standings with just 6 points from seven matches, having won two and lost five. Their away form has been a major concern with defeats on the road to Freiburg where they lost 1-0 and a 4-1 loss to Bologna in their last two Europa League trips.
They last played at home on the 22nd of January where they beat Basel 3-1 but they still possess a goal difference of -4.
Head-to-Head
These two sides have never met before in European competition.
Betting – Click here to bet
Aston Villa 1.47
Draw 4.75
Salzburg 6.25
Verdict
Aston Villa are in excellent form and have been ruthless at home, while Salzburg continue to struggle away from Austria. With Villa’s defensive solidity and attacking structure, I believe they should have too much quality for the visitors to handle and can win this game without conceding.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Aston Villa and No at 2.75
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LYON vs PAOK
Lyon head into this fixture sitting top of the table with 18 points after winning six and losing one of their seven Europa League matches. They have been outstanding defensively, conceding just 3 goals all campaign and their home form has been strong with three wins from three at the Groupama Stadium.
Their most recent match saw them edge Young Boys 1-0 away from home last week, which followed a 6-0 win away to Maccabi Tel Aviv and a 2-1 home victory over G.A. Eagles.
PAOK find themselves in 12th position overall with 12 points from seven games having won three, drawn three and lost one. They have shown resilience on the road but remain inconsistent, conceding goals in three of their last five Europa League fixtures.
They last featured on the 22nd of January where they beat Betis 2-0 at home, which came after a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Ludogorets and a 1-1 home stalemate with Brann.
Head-to-Head
These two sides have never met before in European competition.
Betting – Click here to bet
Lyon 1.69
Draw 4.00
PAOK 4.75
Verdict
Lyon have been dominant throughout this campaign and rarely look vulnerable, particularly at home. While PAOK are capable of competing, Lyon’s attacking threat and defensive discipline should see them claim all three points and I expect a clean sheet.
BET: Match result and Both Teams to Score: Lyon win and NO at 3.15
The Win Double at 2.48
I am also going to have a bet that both teams win at odds of 2.48, taking goals conceded out of the equation.
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
