The opening round of the Champions League took centre stage last week – and now it is the turn of the Europa League!
Europe’s second-tier competition is ready to go, with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest the Premier League representatives, while Celtic and Rangers are also part of the 36-team roster.
Ahead of Matchday 1, we have cherry-picked four online betting tips which you are welcome to factor into your midweek Europa League football bet.
And if you are looking to place a combo bet this week, remember that our unique Acca Boost feature can increase your potential winnings by up to 50%.
*All odds are subject to change
Aston Villa vs Bologna: Draw @ 3.56
It really is a big night for Unai Emery at Villa Park, with Aston Villa yet to taste victory in any competition this season. Last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland was the fifth winless Premier League match in a row for the Villans, and the pressure is mounting on the manager. Bologna have begun the Serie A season with two wins and two losses, the most recent result a crucial 2-1 victory over Genoa. Bologna did suffer defeat in both away matches against AS Roma and AC Milan, but they will be well aware of the opportunity to capitalise on a fragile Villa side. With that in mind, we can see this Matchday 1 fixture finishing as a draw.
Rangers to beat Genk @ 2.36
Things at Ibrox are not exactly great right now, with poor results and fan protests aimed at struggling manager Russell Martin. Furthermore, Rangers’ last match against Belgian opposition was pretty horrendous, as they slipped to a 6-0 defeat vs Club Brugge, finishing off a 9-1 aggregate humiliation. But that is all in the past now, and Genk enter this fixture in Glasgow on the back of consecutive home losses in the Jupiler Pro League to Charleroi and Union Saint-Gilloise. Rangers collected a vital 2-0 win over Hibernian on the weekend in the Scottish Cup, so this could represent a great chance for the manager and players to step up.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Fenerbahce: Anytime goalscorer – Youssef En Neysri @ 2.50
En Nesyri has started the season in fine fashion, registering four goals in five Turkish Super Lig appearances. And this is a competition he seems to shine in, having scored six times in 12 matches for Fenerbahce last campaign. Dinamo Zagreb will be full of confidence after beating rivals Hajduk Split 2-0 on the weekend, though the Croatian side showed defensive frailties in their previous fixture with a shock 2-1 home defeat vs HNK Gorcia. Can Dinamo keep a striker of En Nesyri’s quality quiet? Well, we do not reckon so!
Lyon to beat Utrecht @ 2.07
Lyon have impressed so far in Ligue 1, with four wins and just one loss from their opening five matches. Victories over Lens and Marseille really caught the eye, with the only blemish coming in the form of a 3-1 defeat at Rennes. In contrast, Utrecht are struggling a bit right now, with back-to-back Eredivisie defeats vs Groningen and Fortuna Sittard leaving them 8th in the table. Taking recent form into account, as well as the European pedigree possessed by Lyon, we really like the look of the French side’s odds here.
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