Europa Conference League betting tips, free bets and betting offers - Thursday 18 April
Following last Thursday’s quartet of first legs, all of these Europa Conference League ties are still firmly in the balance.
Here are our betting tips for this week’s quarter-final second leg action.
Europa Conference League Betting Tips - Thursday 18 April
UEFA Europa Conference League Acca of the Day
Lille vs Aston Villa betting tips
There was never likely to be very much between the pair, given that most would agree they are the best two left in the Europa Conference League, and the tie is one a knife-edge ahead of this clash in Villeneuve-d’Ascq.
Aston Villa broke the deadlock early a week ago, Ollie Watkins on target yet again, before John McGinn doubled the home side’s lead, firing home from the edge of the area following a well-worked corner.
However, after that, attempting to see out the victory, Unai Emery’s side sat back and paid the price.
The Villans survived an initial scare when Gabriel Guðmundsson’s header was ruled out for a very marginal offside, before Bafodé Diakité did half the deficit with a header later on, getting Lille right back in the tie.
2-1 it ended at Villa Park, so will that slender advantage prove to be enough for Villa?
The Claret and Blue Army, famously, were European champions in 1982, with this their first continental quarter-final since 1998, having overcome Hibs, Legia Warsaw, Zrinjski Mostar, AZ and then Ajax to get this far.
Emery’s team have won only one of their four Europa Conference League fixtures played outside the UK, although a repeat of the draw they yielded in Amsterdam last month would do nicely.
LOSC Lille meanwhile have reached the last eight of a UEFA tournament for the very first time, beaten in all five previous round of 16 ties prior to hammering Sturm Graz 4-1 on aggregate in March.
Paulo Fonseca’s side were unbeaten in Europe this season prior to the visiting the English Midlands, while les Dogues are also in great form domestically, on course for Champions League qualification in Ligue 1.
Across all competitions, Lille have won 15 of 20 home matches during this campaign, unbeaten in 15 dating back to September, so can they pull off a comeback at Stade Pierre-Mauroy?
Fiorentina vs Viktoria Plzen betting tips
There was nothing to seperate these two sides at Doosan Arena a week ago, meaning it’s winner takes all in Florence.
In truth, the first leg was a diabolically dull affair, those of us who sat through it regret doing so, with neither team ever coming close to making the breakthrough at Stadion města Plzně.
So, it won’t take a lot for this rematch in Tuscany to be more entertaining.
Having drawn on the road, Fiorentina are even firmer favourites to get through now than they were when the draw was made on on 15 March in Nyon.
Vincenzo Italiano’s team were beaten in both the Coppa Italia and Europa Conference League Finals last season, still fighting in both competitions again, desperate to end the club’s 23-year trophy draught.
I Viola have won eight of their 13 European home games since the start of last season, losing only two, so will they make home advantage count at Stadio Artemio Franchi?
Viktoria Plzeň meantime continue to be impossible to score against, keeping seven successive Europa Conference League clean sheets, which equates to over 699 minutes without letting the opposition score.
Miroslav Koubek’s team won all six group stages matches, only the second team in the admittedly short history of this competition to achieve this, before requiring penalties to overcome Servette in the last 16, after both legs ended goalless.
So, the Czech side have reached the quarter-finals of a UEFA tournament for the very first time and, given that they’re yet to lose in Europe this season, will believe they can go even further.
Can Viktoria Plzeň spring a massive surprise, or will Fiorentina’s dreams of a cup double stay alive?
Fenerbahce vs Olympiacos betting tips
Last Thursday’s first leg at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium produced a five-goal thriller, but who will be celebrating come full time in İstanbul?
Olympiacos looked like running away with this tie, with Kostas Fortounis breaking the deadlock after only eight minutes, before Stevan Jovetić and Chiquinho were also on target, giving the hosts a seemingly unassailable lead.
Well, what followed surprised all onlookers, with Dušan Tadić cutting the deficit from the penalty spot before, soon after, İrfan Can Kahveci struck too and, out of nowhere, 3-2 it finished in Piraeus.
Will this rematch in Kadıköy on the bank of the Bosporus be equally as entertaining?
Olympiacos are seeking to reach the semi-finals of a UEFA competition for the very first time, previously beaten in their two quarter-finals by Atlético Madrid in 1993 and Juventus six years later.
In the previous round, despite losing the first leg 4-1 at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv, José Luis Mendilibar’s team produced an astonishing comeback, prevailing 6-1 after extra time, but will they be on the wrong end of a remontada this time?
Fenerbahçe meantime have reached just a solitary semi-final on the continent to date, dumped out of the Europa League by Sevilla 11 years ago.
This season, İsmail Kartal’s side have won six of their seven Europa Conference League home games, scoring 23 goals, their sole defeat coming against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise last month, having already won the first leg 3-0 in Brussels.
So, many would make Fenerbahçe favourites to get through at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, despite kicking off a goal down.
PAOK vs Club Brugge betting tips
Club Brugge did establish a narrow first leg advantage at Jan Breydelstadion, but it’s still very much all to play for in Thessaloniki.
A week ago, it took just six minutes for the hosts to make the breakthrough, with Hugo Vetlesen firing home from the edge of the area.
However, the Blue-Blacks may be left to rue squandered opportunities because, towards the end of the second half, Brentford-bound Igor Thiago had a tame penalty saved by Dominik Kotarski; 1-0 it finished.
Will this prove to be costly come the final reckoning?
Club Brugge have now lost only one of their last 13 Europa Conference League fixtures, seeking to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition for the first time in 36 years.
Led by rookie boss Nicky Hayen, who was in charge of Brugge’s youth team only a few weeks ago, can the Belgian side finish the job in Northern Greece?
PAOK meantime have never featured in the semi-finals of any European competition, beaten in both of their previous last eight appearances by AC Milan in 1974 and Olympique de Marseille two years ago.
This season, Răzvan Lucescu’s side have won five of their last six European home games, enjoying wins over Hajduk Split, Hearts, Frankfurt, HJK and Dinamo Zagreb, scoring 20 times across these six fixtures.
So, the current Greek league-leaders will fancy their chances of overturning that narrow deficit in front of a partisan home crowd at Toumba Stadium.
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