Europa League predictions & 13/1 BTTS accumulator tip
Sports Journalist at FST, Gareth qualified as a journalist after graduating from university and spent over a decade as a freelance broadcast journalist, commentator and tipster before joining FST. Now living in Manchester, he is a long suffering Bolton Wanderers fan who also enjoys boxing, the NBA, tennis and rugby league.
The final round of Europa League qualifiers take place on Thursday, with the winners securing spots in the group stages and the losers dropping down into the Europa Conference League.
We’ve got predictions for each game in our dedicated Match Predictions section, and have put together a 13/1 both teams to score accumulator ahead of the action. You can see our selections for our both teams to score treble below, as well as our picks for the the other six games on Thursday.
Thursday’s Europa League BTTS accumulator
HJK vs Fenerbahce –⭐⭐⭐
Fenerbahce won the first leg 1-0, but HJK did manage to create a few opportunities despite failing to register a shot on target and with home advantage they should be able to get on the scoresheet in this return fixture.
Finnish league leaders HJK are unbeaten at home this season in all competitions (W9, D2) and have scored in 10 of those fixtures, including a 2-2 draw with Malmo in the Champions League, while Fenerbahce have played three games this season and have scored in all of them.
Galatasaray vs Randers – ⭐⭐⭐
We’ve gone with a Galatasaray win and both teams to score as our tip in the predictions section, but for the purposes of this treble we’re playing it a bit safer and sticking with a straightforward both teams to score selection. Both teams have scored in both of Gala’s home fixtures in European qualifying this summer (a 2-1 defeat to PSV and a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone) and both teams have scored in six of their seven games across all competitions. Randers have scored in all three of their away games so far this season, and both teams have scored in five of their last six games.
Sturm Graz vs SK Mura – ⭐⭐⭐
As is the case with the Galatasaray game, we fancy Sturm Graz to win there home leg against SK Mura but the Slovenian visitors can get on the scoresheet. Both teams scored in the first leg, a 3-1 win for Sturm Graz, and both teams have found the back of the net in six of the Austrian outfit’s seven games so far across all competitions. Mura have played five away games so far this term and have managed to at least score in all of them.
Antwerp vs Omonia Nicosia – ⭐⭐⭐
The first leg of this tie produced a six-goal thriller as Omonia claimed a 4-2 win and we’re expecting goals at both ends in the return fixture. Both teams have scored in four of Antwerp’s five games and Omonia have scored in four of their six games across all competitions, while the visitors have scored in nine of their last 11 competitive away games stretching back to last season.
Other Europa League tips
Alashkert FC vs Rangers
Rangers to win – ⭐⭐⭐
Rangers managed a 1-0 win over Alashkert in the first leg of this fixture at Ibrox despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. If they can keep their full compliment on the pitch on Thursday, they should have far too much quality for their Armenian hosts.
Zorya vs Rapid Vienna
Over 2.5 goals – ⭐⭐⭐
Rapid Vienna won the first leg of their tie with Ukrainian outfit 3-0 and we’re expecting more goals in the return fixture. There have at least three goals in total in each of Rapid’s last six games and in four of Zorya’s last five.
AZ Alkmaar vs Celtic
AZ to win – ⭐⭐
Celtic may have made it six wins in a row against St Mirren at the weekend but it’s worth noting that five of these victories have come at Celtic Park and The Bhoys don’t have the best away record over the last few months.
Their only away victory this season – and in the last nine competitive away games, for that matter – came at Jablonec at the start of their winning run and while AZ have lost both games this season their performances at the AFAS Stadion were excellent last season.
The hosts have won seven competitive games on the spin on home soil, scoring 21 goals in the process. The 2-0 deficit might be too much to overcome back in the Netherlands, but they can end Celtic’s winning streak on Thursday.
CFR Cluj vs Crvena Zvezda
Cluj double chance (win or draw) – ⭐⭐
It would take a monumental effort from Cluj to turn this tie around after a 4-0 mauling in Belgrade, but their home form does suggest they can get a result and the first leg wasn’t as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.
Cluj are unbeaten in the last five home games (W4, D1), and that run includes a draw with a strong Young Boys side in Champions League qualifying, while Crvena Zvezda, aka Red Star Belgrade, have lost both of their previous away fixtures in European qualifying this summer.
Slovan Bratislava vs Olympiakos
Olympiakos win to nil – ⭐⭐
Olympiakos simply outclassed Slovan Bratislava in the first leg and they can pick up da victory in Slovakia to finish off this tie. Slovan didn’t even register a shot on target in the first leg and given Olympiakos’ strong defensive record – they have three clean sheets in five games this season – they can win this one to nil.
Legia Warsaw vs Slavia Prague
Slavia to win – ⭐⭐
Slavia were held to a 2-2 draw by Legia in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier but the Polish club were perhaps lucky to come away from Prague with a draw. Legia scored two goals with just two attempts on target, and three in total. Slavia managed 17 attempts in total and as they head into this game on the back of a four-game unbeaten run (W3, D1) we feel they can get the win they need to secure a Europa League berth here.
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