The final Europa League knockout spots will be decided as all 18 teams prepare to take to the field on Thursday evening.
Leaders Lyon are level on 18 points with English Premier League’s Aston Villa. German outfit Freiburg round up the top three spots, one point less than the top two.
With only the top eight teams guaranteed automatic qualification into the last 16, the race heats up with the final round of league matches. From ninth place through to 24 will enter the knockout stages to battle it out for a spot.
Utrecht, Malmo and Maccabi Tel Aviv are the bottom three sides and have only managed one point from the seven games they have played. Despite there being no chance of qualification for these teams, their performance on the night can directly impact other teams.
With all this mouthwatering Europa League action lined up, we highlight some of the top teams’ current form and offer our predicted outcomes in their respective games.
All matches are scheduled to kick off at 11PM E.A.T
Aston Villa vs Salzburg
The hosts have already qualified and are looking to make it seven wins from eight Europa League matches. They trail leaders Lyon only on goal difference and have the chance to finish as league leaders.
Villa beat Fenerbahçe 1-0 in their last European game, courtesy of a Jadon Sancho goal, taking their tally to an impressive 18 points.
They welcome a Salzburg side who were also winners last week, beating Crvena Zvezda 2-0 at home. The Austrian outfit have six points and must win if they are to stand any chance of progressing into the next round.
Both sides have only lost one of their last five games and are in good form ahead of the match at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side were on a remarkable 12-game winning run at home before losing 1-0 to Everton last weekend.
Prediction – Aston Villa to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
Betis vs Feyenoord
Betis were stunned 2-0 by PAOK in Greece last week to half their three-match Europa winning streak. The Spanish outfit are in eighth place with 14 points, needing all three here to guarantee automatic qualification.
They followed this up with yet another defeat over the weekend, losing 2-1 away to Alaves in La Liga. Abde Ezzalzouli scored the consolation goal and is expected to be part of the starting XI on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Feyenoord are just outside the top 24 in 26th – with six points from seven games. The Dutch champions responded well with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Sturm Graz.
This will be the first competitive match between these two sides and the hosts have a slight advantage going into the game. Feyenoord are previous two-time winners of UEFA’s second-tier club competition.
Prediction – Betis to win or draw – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
Celtic vs Utrecht
The visitors have not won a single Europa League game and it is confirmed that they are eliminated from the competition. They travel to a Celtic side who need a win to book a spot in the knockout stages.
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Celtic are currently in the final qualification spot in 24th with eight points. They did extremely well to earn a hard fought point in a 2-2 draw against Bologna last week to keep their hopes alive.
The home team are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions after yet another 2-2 draw at Hearst in the Scottish league on Sunday. Utrecht are on a totally different run of form, losing all of their last five games.
These two sides have only met twice before, both in the 2010 edition of the Europa League. Celtic won 2-0 at home but were thrashed 4-0 away, bundling them out of the competition.
Prediction – Celtic to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
Lille vs Freiburg
The French side are on a treacherous run of form that finds them on a five-match losing streak ahead of this crucial tie. Lille have nine points and must avoid defeat if they are to book a spot in the next round.
Visiting Freiburg however, have only lost once in a similar number of matches and come into the game assured of a top eight spot. The Germans were 1-0 winners against bottom club Maccabi Tel Aviv last week, leaving them in third place with 17 points.
A 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo last week, followed up by a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 have left a mood of anxiety at Lille. They are under pressure to deliver and secure a spot in the knockout stages.
The hosts have only scored three goals in six matches, making this extra difficult for Bruno Genesio’s charges.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
Lyon vs PAOK
League leaders Lyon are seeking an astounding ninth win on the bounce when they host PAOK on Wednesday. They still need a win if they are to finish at the top of the log.
Lyon have the joint-best defense in the Europa League after conceding just three goals and they face the second best attack in PAOK. The Greek outfit have scored 15 goals in their opening seven games.
Despite the goals, PAOK are in 12th with 12 points and need to avoid defeat if they are to qualify in a respectable position. They stunned Betis 2-0 in their last outing and will be confident they can get something from this final league game.
Lyon battled to a 1-0 away win against Young Boys and their only defeat in the competition remains a 2-0 loss to Betis in match day four.
Lyon have won each of their last five home games and are expected to extend that run here.
Prediction – Lyon to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
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Midtjylland vs Dinamo Zagreb
The Danish giants lost their grip on the top two places last week after a dramatic finish in their 3-3 draw with Brann. A 90+10’ penalty saw Midtjylland drop into fourth place with 16 points.
No team has scored more goals (16) than Midtjylland in this seasons’ Europa League and they are desperate to rediscover their winning touch to finish strong.
Dinamo Zagreb come into the game in 20th place with 10 points and are likely to book a place in the playoffs. The Croatian side have let in 14 goals and will need to sharpen their defense for that relentless Midtjylland attacking pressure.
Midtjylland are unbeaten in their last 20 home matches and are tipped as favorites to get yet another Europa League win here.
Prediction – Midtjylland to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
Nottingham Forest vs Ferencvaros
Ferencvaros have been the surprise package in the top eight and remain unbeaten ahead of the final league match day. Freiburg are the only other side who are unbeaten in the competition.
Their four wins in seven Europa League games has them in seventh place with 15 points, looking to remain in the top eight.
They travel to England to take on Nottingham who are in 16th place with 11 points, after they lost 1-0 to Braga last week. They bounced back with an impressive 2-0 away win at Brentford over the weekend and they are out to maintain that winning energy here.
Ferencvaros are winless in their last five matches, losing three of them. Nottingham too have only two wins in a similar number of games.
The home team have a slight edge over their opponents and have enough squad depth and experience to see this one out comfortably.
Prediction – Nottingham to win or draw – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME
