The UEFA Europa League resumes this Thursday with the first of two legs in the knockout stages of the competition.
The top eight teams are already lying in wait after securing automatic qualification into the last 16. Lyon and Aston Villa finished atop the standings with 17 points, with the former topping the table owing to a superior goal difference.
With a number of big teams left to battle it out in the knockout round, there is plenty of mouthwatering action to look forward to. We have a look at the top games and offer our predicted outcome.
Brann vs Bologna – Thursday, 8:45PM
The hosts have only played three games since the beginning of December, all in the Europa League. They have lost twice and drawn the other, a 3-3 thriller against Midtjylland.
They welcome a Bologna side who beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-0 away from home in their final Europa league phase match. Since then they have lost twice and won one game, a 2-1 win at Torino in their last outing.
These teams have met once before in their history, a barren draw last November at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium.
Four of Brann’s last five games have produced over 2.5 goals and we can expect a couple here as well. However, Bologna have a slight advantage and could bag all three points here.
Prediction – Bologna to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League playoff predictions: Wednesday match previews, current form & h2h
Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest – Thursday, 8:45PM
Vitor Perreira takes charge of Forest against his former employers in a potential blockbuster of an encounter. It will be a tough test against a Fenerbahce side who are unbeaten in their last six games.
Nottingham on the other hand are winless in their last three games. Their last win came in a 4-0 demolition of Ferencvaros in the league phase.
Fenerbahce have never lost back-to-back Europa League games at home, boosting their morale ahead of this test. This will be the first competitive match between these two sides.
The hosts have found the back of the net in six consecutive games and are tipped to score here as well. Nottingham’s current run of form makes it tough for them to get a win here.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Celtic vs Stuttgart – Thursday, 11PM
The last time these two sides met was in the 2003 UEFA Cup, with Celtic winning 5-4 on aggregate. The rivalry is renewed here with both sides enjoying good runs of form.
Celtic are unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, scoring an impressive 13 goals in their last five games.
They face a Stuttgart side who have lost just once in their last six matches. The German outfit were 3-2 winners against Young Boys in their last Europa match.
Prediction – Celtic to win or draw – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Lille vs Crvena Zvevda – Thursday, 11PM
Lille only have one win in their last nine games, and the pressure is increasing to turn their fortunes around here. With home advantage, they come into the game with a slight edge.
The visitors come into the game on a better run of form, unbeaten in their last six games – winning their last four straight matches.
Zvezda were 1-0 winners when the two teams met in the league phase last November. This was the first ever competitive match between the two clubs.
Despite their recent poor run of form, Lille do have the quality to score goals and could turn things around to get a positive first leg result. However, the visitors also pose a threat in front of goal and are likely to get a goal here.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
