With the Europa League play-offs drawing to a close on Thursday, we have a string of blockbuster battles from across the continent.
While Scottish giants Celtic might be searching for what would be an iconic European miracle on foreign soil, Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest are 90 minutes away from claiming a heavyweight scalp.
Ahead of what should be a pulsating night of European action, we have taken a look at a pair of Thursday’s most intriguing Europa League betting tips.
17:45 Stuttgart vs Celtic
Putting in what was a sensational first-leg performance in Glasgow last week, Stuttgart will be confident of officially punching their Round of 16 ticket with another public statement. Storming their way to a dominant 4-1 victory at Celtic Park, Die Roten are firmly sat in the driving seat and the mood in Sebastian Hoeneb’s camp should be at a real high. Signing off their group stage charge with a rollercoaster 3-2 win against Swiss heavyweights BSC Young Boys, Thursday’s hosts have suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous eight matchups across all competitions. Despite eventually settling for a thrilling 3-3 stalemate away at Heidenheim over the weekend, Stuttgart have found a real clinical edge in the final third. Likewise, with one-foot already in the final 16 of this season’s tournament, Hoeneb’s side have won their last three showdowns at the MHPArena by an aggregate score of 7-3.
Missing out on the opportunity to claim a first-leg advantage last week, Celtic are more than aware that they have an almighty job on their hands when they travel to Germany on Thursday night. Completely blown away in Glasgow as they fell to that 4-1 drumming, Martin O’Neil’s side have endured a nightmare week. Watching their Premiership title dreams take a major blow last time out as they were hit with a last-gasp 2-1 loss against Hibernian, the Scottish heavyweights have also continued to show some rather glaring defensive issues. Getting the New Year underway with an infamous 3-1 defeat at home against arch-rivals Rangers, the one-time Aston Villa boss has seen his side register just a single clean sheet from any of their previous nine straight showdowns across all fronts. Likewise, the Hoops have also shipped a pair of goals in their last three consecutive matchups outside of Glasgow.
Stuttgart vs Celtic Betting Tip: Stuttgart win & Both teams to score @ 19/10 with Pribet
20:00 Celta Vigo vs PAOK
Claiming a crucial first-leg advantage last week as they secured a 2-1 victory in Greece, Celta Vigo will be looking to extend on their Europa League adventure with a statement of intent. Last seen over the weekend securing a 2-0 win at home against Mallorca, the Sky Blues have recorded consecutive victories and have come roaring back since their minor blip on either side of opening February. Losing just a pair of their previous 12 appearances across all competitions – a run that stems back to December 17th – Claudio Giraldez’s side should also be excited by their extended success at Balaidos. Including a 2-1 win against French giants Lille last month, Celta Vigo have won five of their previous six showdowns in Galicia. Getting the New Year underway with a stunning 4-1 romp against Valencia, Thursday’s hosts have also notched 14 goals in those six consecutive showdowns at Balaidos.
Missing out on the chance to claim a first-leg advantage on home soil last week as they slumped to that 2-1 defeat in Thessaloniki, PAOK have an almighty challenge on their hands here. Failing to claim a domestic response over the weekend as they had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate against AEL Larissa, Razvan Lucescu’s side have continued to show some recent inconsistencies. Mustering just a single victory from any of their previous five appearances across all competitions, PAOK are also desperately searching for a clinical edge in the final third. Signing off their group stage adventure with a 4-2 defeat away at Lyon on January 29th, Lucescu’s men should also be worried by their most recent trip to Spain. In fact, Thursday’s guests fell to a routine 3-1 defeat when they travelled to Balaidos for a Europa League group stage showdown back on October 2nd.
Celta Vigo vs PAOK Betting Tip: Iago Aspas to score or assist @ 13/10 with Luckster
Thursday’s Europa League Double
- Stuttgart vs Celtic – Stuttgart win & Both teams to score @ 19/10
- Celta Vigo vs PAOK – Iago Aspas to score or assist @ 13/10
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