The UEFA Europa League knockout round enters its second leg on Thursday night as top sides look to confirm a place in the quarterfinals.
After a thrilling first leg round of matches, top teams are hoping for a positive result to secure a place in the last eight of the competition.
Braga will host Ferencvaros in the only match slated for Wednesday night, with the hosts needing to overturn a two-goal deficit after losing 2-0 away from home last week.
With the remaining seven matches taking center stage on Thursday, we have a look at the top games and offer our predicted outcome.
Lyon vs Celta Vigo – Thursday, 8:45PM
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg last Thursday, both these teams will feel they can grind out a win to book a quarterfinal spot. The stalemate means that Lyon have now gone six games without a win.
A barren draw against Le Havre at the weekend was a third consecutive one for the Ligue 1 side. The French side have also never beaten Celta Vigo in the two head-to/head matches played prior to this.
The La Liga outfit are also without a win in their last three games in all competitions, coming off a 1-1 draw against Betis over the weekend. With both sides on such inconsistent runs of form, it could set this up to be as cagey an encounter as the first leg.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Midtjylland vs Nottingham – Thursday, 8:45PM
Danish surprise package Midtjylland hold a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg as they look to cement a place in the quarters for the first time in their history.
After a mesmerizing run throughout the competition, the hosts have won their last six Europa games – conceding just once in that run. Despite their supreme European form, Midtjylland lost 1-0 to rivals Nordsjaelland at the weekend, their only loss in eight games.
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They take on a struggling Nottingham side who are now without a win in their last six games. With four defeats in that run, the Premier League side need a resilient performance if they are to avoid exiting the competition at this stage.
Midtjylland have already beaten Nottingham twice in this seasons Europa League, winning 3-2 away from home during the league phase before the 1-0 win last Thursday.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Aston Villa vs Lille – Thursday, 11PM
An Ollie Watkins goal was enough to seal a 1-0 win for Villa in the first leg, as the Premier League outfit look to cement their place in the quarters. Unai Emery has a 100% record of progressing from this stage and is looking to maintain that against Lille.
Villa are coming off a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, further putting their top four position in jeopardy. This means winning the Europa League could provide a more direct route to Champions League qualification.
They take on a Lille side who were 2-1 winners away at Rennes at the weekend, a third win in their last five matches. The first leg defeat is their only one in that run as well.
Lille have not beaten Aston Villa since 2002 and are hoping they can bounce back to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Prediction – Aston Villa to win or draw (1X) – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Betis vs Panathinaikos – Thursday, 11PM
After a dramatic and high tension first leg that saw both teams reduced to 10 men, Panathinaikos carry a surprise 1-0 lead into the second leg. Betis failed to bounce back at the weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Celta Vigo in La Liga at the weekend.
The Greek outfit were also held to a barren draw at the weekend, maintaining their impressive run of nine games without defeat. Panathinaikos are also unbeaten in their last three away games in this competition, giving them a real shot at a spot in the quarters.
Head coach Rafael Benitez, who is a former Europa League winner with Chelsea, remains confident of a positive result with his side losing just one of their last nine away matches in all competitions.
Betis have not won any of their last five matches at this stage of the competition. They need to snap that poor record to have any chance of European glory after falling short in the Conference League final last season.
Prediction – Betis to win – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!
Porto vs Stuttgart – Thursday, 11PM After
Porto seem to have one foot in the quarterfinals if their home form is anything to go by. The Portuguese league leaders carry a 2-1 advantage into the second leg at home, where they have won 10 of their last 11 games.
If they can avoid defeat here, which seems more than likely, they will qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. They followed up the first leg victory with an impressive 3-0 win against Moreirense at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart bounced back with a 1-0 win against RB Leipzig at the weekend, courtesy of a Denis Undav goal. The first leg victory was the only competitive match between these two sides in their history.
Judging by their home form this season, Porto are tipped as favorites to avoid defeat here and book their place in the quarterfinals for the first time in over a decade.
Prediction – Porto to win or draw (1X) – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!