The third instalment of this years Europa League group stage gets underway this week, with three English clubs in action.
We bring you previews of Olympiacos v West Ham, Brighton v Ajax and Liverpool v Toulouse, along with our top football betting tips.
Key Fixtures
Olympiacos v West Ham
The Hammers travel to Greece on Thursday for their latest European adventure, looking to continue their perfect record in this years Europa League. Victory in this game will just about guarantee them a place in the next round, but head into the game following a draw at home with Newcastle and a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Aston Villa.
The hosts currently sit top of their domestic league, but have taken just 1 point from their opening 2 Europa League fixtures as they look to improve on last seasons showing, where they finished bottom of their group. Olympiacos have only been beaten once this season, a 3-2 home defeat against SC Freiburg in the Europa League, and will look for inspiration from loanee Daniel Podence, who has been involved in 2 home victories against West Ham during his time at Wolves, grabbing a goal involvement on each occasion.
Olympiacos will be without the suspended Andreas Ndoj, and will be hoping to avoid disciplinary issues from the crowd as well as the players, following the abandonment of their last fixture against Panathiniakos due to an away player being hit with a firework.
West Ham will likely rotate their lineup for this fixture, but will need to show enough strength to get a result in what is likely to be a hostile atmosphere. A win for Olympiacos would really open things up in Group A, but we expect West Ham to see it through.
Prediction: Olympiacos 1-2 West Ham
Brighton v Ajax
Two sides renowned for their attractive football, innovative tactics and devotion to developing young players meet at the Amex Stadium on Thursday night. Both sides are winless in this years competition and need to get going if they are to advance from what is a very strong Group B.
Brighton have picked up just 1 point from their opening 2 games, an away draw at Marseille, and need to find a way to transfer their Premier League form into European competition. The Seagulls currently sit 7th in the Premier League, and although they are winless in their last three games, they look set to fight again for European qualification.
Brighton added Danny Welbeck and Solly March to their worryingly long injury list at the weekend, this news, along with the fact that Brighton are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, will be something that gives hope to their Dutch visitors.
If Brighton fans are worried about their form over the past month, they’ll be reassured by Ajax’s form for the entire season. The four-time European champions have not won a game since the end of August, an astonishing run of form which has seen manager Maurice Steijn leave the club by mutual consent, with Ajax sitting second from bottom in the Eredivisie table.
If form is what to go by, then neither side should hope for victory in this one, but we expect Brighton to inflict further misery on Ajax and pick up their first win in this years Europa League.
Prediction: Brighton 3-1 Ajax
Liverpool v Toulouse
The top two sides in Group E meet on Thursday with both teams currently unbeaten in this year’s Europa League group stage. Liverpool will sit on the verge of qualification for the next round if they can continue their 100% record with a win, but Toulouse can wrestle top spot away from their hosts with a victory at Anfield.
Liverpool have made an excellent start to the season, winning all of their games at Anfield and sitting in 4th place in the Premier League, beaten just once by early leaders Tottenham Hotspur, who sit 3 points ahead of them. Liverpool may rotate for this one as they enter the game as overwhelming favourites, but will know how significant a win would be in terms of wrapping up progression to the next round prior to the hectic winter schedule.
Toulouse have been in fairly indifferent form and are currently mid-table in Ligue Un. This is their first time in European competition for 14 years, and their first meeting with Liverpool since a 5-0 aggregate defeat in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers of 2007. A win on Thursday night would certainly be a famous one, but avoiding defeat would be enough to leave them in a strong position for a second-place finish and advancement to the next round.
We expect Toulouse to put up a fight in this game which will mean more to them than the hosts, but Liverpool are stacked with quality and have seen off much stronger sides at Anfield over the years.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Toulouse
Betting Tips
Thursday’s Acca Tip:
- Aris Limassol v Real Betis – Real Betis to Win
- Backa Topola v SC Freiburg – SC Freiburg to Win
- Marseille v AEK Athens – Marseille to Win
- Raków Częstochowa v Sporting CP – Sporting CP to Win
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Qarabag – Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Win
- Brighton v Ajax – Brighton to Win
- Liverpool v Toulouse – Liverpool to Win (-1.5)
- Roma v Slavia Prague – Roma to Win
31.29/1 at BetUK
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