Europa League betting tips: Matchweek four tipsheet

Latest 2026 Europa League outright odds (Ladbrokes)

Crvena Zvezda vs Lille betting tips

Crvena Zvezda are looking to snap their poor form when they welcome Lille to the Rajko Mitic Stadium. 

The Serbian SuperLiga champions are winless from their last four games across all competitions in the past fortnight. 

A home point against Celtic is all they boast from three Europa League outings, but they are strong on their own patch and will fancy their chances. 

Lille won their opening two matches before being on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller against PAOK last month. 

The French side’s away form has been patchy and the first goal could prove decisive. 

Scoreline prediction

Crvena Zvezda 2-1 Lille (9/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Crvena Zvezda draw no bet (6/5 with Betfred)

Midtjylland vs Celtic betting tips

Martin O'Neill takes Celtic to the Europa League table toppers looking to continue his perfect start to life back in the dugout. 

The Bhoys legend has overseen a 4-0 Scottish Premiership defeat of Falkirk and 3-1 extra-time Scottish League Cup victory over Rangers since succeeding Brendan Rodgers on an interim basis. But will O’Neill take the Parkhead hotseat on a permanent basis?

Celtic have four points on the board, largely thanks to their defeat of Sturm Graz in Rodgers' penultimate game, but Midtjylland boast a 100 per cent record from their three league phase matches. 

As well as scoring 20 goals in their last six games in all competitions, the vibrant Danish team are in tip-top shape on their own turf, recording seven wins in a row at the MCH Arena. 

Scoreline prediction

Midtjylland 3-1 Celtic (14/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Midtjylland to win and over 2.5 goals (2/1 with Betway)

Nice vs Freiburg betting tips

Nice's Europa League dreams are in tatters after 2-1 defeats in all three of their outings. 

It's make-or-break time for Franck Haise's team and morale could be low in the camp after a last-gasp defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

Their home form has been mixed and Freiburg will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the league phase. 

The Bundesliga outfit are hardly a reliable bet on their travels, having failed to score in three of their last four away games. 

They did net in a 1-1 draw at Bologna, however, and won their two home matches to sit sixth in the Europa League table. 

Scoreline prediction

Nice 1-1 Freiburg (11/2 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Draw or Freiburg and both teams to score (7/5 with Betway)

Sturm Graz vs Nottingham Forest betting tips

This looks a great opportunity for Nottingham Forest to add three more points to their Europa League tally. But in their first European foray since 1996, can they go all the way?

The Reds bagged their maiden victory of the league phase when inflicting a first defeat of the season on Porto in Sean Dyche's first game on matchday three last month. 

They head to Austria off the back of Saturday's Premier League draw with Manchester United and face a Sturm Graz team in poor form. 

Jürgen Säumel's facing the first test of his reign at the Austrian champions following a run of three defeats in four games sparked by last month's 2-1 loss at Celtic.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Rapid Wien was hardly the ideal preparation and Forest's visit takes place just three days before a crunch Bundesliga title clash with RB Salzburg. 

Scoreline prediction

Sturm Graz 1-2 Nottingham Forest (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Nottingham Forest to win and both teams to score (23/10 with Betway)

Utrecht vs Porto betting tips

Utrecht are pointless and goalless from their three fixtures.

The Dutch outfit can point to a tricky match schedule as they have faced teams in the top eight of the league phase table. 

It doesn't get any easier for Utrecht as Porto are one of the class acts in the tournament. 

The Portuguese giants are looking to bounce back from their only defeat of the season at Nottingham Forest in their last European outing. 

Porto's success comes from a rock-solid defence and they could be tough to breach for a Utrecht team that has already blanked three times on home soil this term. 

Scoreline prediction

Utrecht 0-1 Porto (13/2 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Porto to win (8/11 with Betfred)

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Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv betting tips

Aston Villa will be looking to stroll to a facile victory in a game that has generated plenty of headlines on the front pages. 

The Premier League outfit should prove too strong on home soil against an Israeli team that have one point and one goal on the board in the league phase. 

Unai Emery's side have won their last four games in all competitions at Villa Park and will be eager to get their Europa League campaign back on track following last month's surprise loss at Go Ahead Eagles. 

Maccabi Tel-Aviv have looked out of their depth at this grade and heavy defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Midtjylland suggest they shouldn't trouble Villa. 

Scoreline prediction

Aston Villa 3-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (8/1 with Betway)

FIRST.com's top tip

Aston Villa handicap -1 (4/6 with Betfred)

Braga vs Genk betting tips

Braga have enjoyed a perfect start to the league phase and will be looking to make it four wins in a row without conceding when they welcome Genk.

Carlos Vicens' team are also attempting to score a fourth-consecutive victory and clean sheet on home soil. 

Genk are enjoying their travels, however, as they are unbeaten in their last seven away games in all competitions. 

The Belgian's grabbed all three points at Rangers in their opening league phase game, but failed to build on that in their last two outings. 

This could be a tight affair. 

Scoreline prediction

Braga 2-1 Genk (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Braga or draw and over 1.5 goals (1/2 with Betway)

Ferencvaros vs Ludogorets betting tips

It's the third meeting of the season between these two. 

Ferencvaros beat Ludogorets 3-0 on aggregate in the Champions League third qualifying round in August and will hope to confirm their dominance. 

Gaffer Robbie Keane, a name in the frame for both the Celtic and the next Wolves manager’s job, have made an unbeaten start to the league phase and they head into the clash off the back of Saturday's 4-1 domestic romp against MTK Budapest. 

They have kept just one clean sheet in their last six games across all competitions, however, while Ludogorets, who have lost two of their three league phase outings, are also struggling to keep the ball out of their net. 

There should be goals in this. 

Scoreline prediction

Ferencvaros 3-2 Ludogorets (22/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Ferencvaros to win and both teams to score (13/5 with Betway)

Rangers vs Roma betting tips

Rangers' Europa League hopes are hanging by a thread after losing all three games. 

There are signs of progress under new boss Danny Rohl, however, and they put up a spirited display in Sunday's Scottish League Cup extra-time defeat to Celtic after playing more than half the match with 10 men. 

Surprise home defeats to Lille and Viktoria Plzen mean Roma only have three points on the board. 

The Serie A giants are struggling in attacking areas and are averaging exactly one goal per game in all competitions. 

Sunday's Serie A 1-0 loss at Milan was the eighth time that games involving Roma have been settled by a single goal this term. 

Scoreline prediction

Rangers 0-1 Roma (6/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Roma to win (8/11 with Betfred)

VfB Stuttgart vs Feyenoord betting tips

These two are among the bigger names in the competition yet they sit outside the top 24 after disappointing starts to the league phase. 

Stuttgart's home form makes them the favourites to claim all three points as they have won five in a row on their own patch. 

The Bundesliga big boys are hardly the most exciting as less than 3.5 goals has landed in every game during that hot run.

Feyenoord have lost their two away games in continental competitions this term and Robin van Persie's team are struggling to translate their strong domestic form to Europe. 

Scoreline prediction

VfB Stuttgart 2-1 Feyenoord (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST.com's top tip

Stuttgart to win (5/6 with Betfred)

Quick-fire scoreline predictions

Basel 2-1 FCSB (7/1 with Betfred)

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Celta Vigo (12/1 with Betfred)

Malmo 1-1 Panathinaikos (11/2 with Betway)

RB Salzburg 1-1 Go Ahead Eagles (7/1 with Betfred)

Bologna 2-1 Brann (15/2 with Betway)

PAOK 3-2 Young Boys (20/1 with Betfred)

Real Betis 2-1 Lyon (7/1 with Betfred)

Viktoria Plzen 2-2 Fenerbahce (11/1 with Betway)

Previous matches

Matchweek 3

Brann vs Rangers betting tips

Rangers head north west to Norway looking to kickstart their campaign with a new man in the dugout. 

The Glasgow giants are enduring a miserable season including losing both of their Europa League games under former manager Russell Martin. 

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Danny Rohl has taken the gig after a protracted process, but the former Sheffield Wednesday boss has had limited time to work with his new players following his appointment on Monday.

Brann have won their last five home games including a 1-0 defeat of Utrecht to bag their first points of the league phase earlier this month. 

They head into Thursday's early kick-off in buoyant mood after dismantling Haugesund 4-1 at the weekend. 

Scoreline prediction

Brann 2-1 Rangers (15/2 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Brann or draw and both teams to score (6/5 with Betway)

Go Ahead Eagles vs Aston Villa betting tips

After a sticky opening spell of the season, Aston Villa are looking to continue their hot streak when they travel to the Netherlands. 

Sunday's 2-1 Premier League victory at Tottenham was their fifth in a row in all competitions. 

That included two tricky Europa League ties against Bologna and Feyenoord in which Marco Bizot kept clean sheets. 

Go Ahead Eagles have three points on the board after beating Panathinaikos in Greece earlier this month. 

The Eredivisie outfit boast a solitary victory from five home outings in all competitions, however, and might lack the class to trouble Unai Emery's team. 

Scoreline prediction

Go Ahead Eagles 0-2 Aston Villa (15/2 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Aston Villa to win and over 1.5 total goals (7/10 with Betway)

Fenerbahce vs VfB Stuttgart betting tips

VfB Stuttgart look to return to winning ways in the Europa League when they travel to Istanbul. 

The German outfit responded to their matchweek two defeat to Basel by registering back-to-back Bundesliga victories without conceding. 

Saturday's 3-0 thumping of Wolfsburg means they head to Turkey in buoyant mood, but Fenerbahce also got the business done on the domestic front at the weekend. 

Domenico Tedesco, who began his managerial career in Germany, has suffered just one defeat - their league phase opener at Dinamo Zagreb - since replacing Jose Mourinho at Fener in early September. 

A strong performance resulted in a 2-1 home defeat of Nice in their latest Europa League outing and this could prove to be a tricky trip for Stuttgart. 

Scoreline prediction

Fenerbahce 1-1 VfB Stuttgart (6/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Both teams to score (8/15 with Betfred)

Feyenoord vs Panathinaikos betting tips

Feyenoord are looking to register their first Europa League points when they host Panathinaikos. 

Robin van Persie's team were beaten by Braga and Aston Villa without finding the back of the net and it's a must-win game as their other league phase fixtures look tough. 

They warmed up to the task in the best possible fashion by sticking seven goals without reply past Eredivisie opponents Heracles on Sunday. 

Panathinaikos have fluctuated between wonderful and woeful as they hammered Young Boys in Switzerland before being downed by Go Ahead Eagles on home soil. 

Christos Kontis takes charge of the Greek giants for the final time before Rafa Benitez is expected to step into the dugout. 

Scoreline prediction

Feyenoord 2-1 Panathinaikos (7/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Feyenoord to win (8/13 with Betfred)

Genk vs Real Betis betting tips

Real Betis hope to continue their promising start to the Europa League when they travel to Belgium. 

Manuel Pellegrini's men kicked off their campaign by sharing the spoils with Nottingham Forest before securing all three points at Ludogorets. 

Manchester United flop Antony's brilliant brace in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Villarreal means the Spanish side are unbeaten in seven in all competitions and they represent Genk's stiffest test to date.

The Belgian outfit squeezed past 10-man Rangers in their league phase opener but flopped to a 1-0 home defeat to Ferencvaros. 

Genk boss Thorsten Fink is coming under pressure following a slow start to their domestic campaign and his youthful side look vulnerable. 

Scoreline prediction

Genk 1-2 Real Betis (8/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Real Betis to win (13/10 with Betfred)

Celta Vigo vs Nice betting tips

A 3-1 defeat of PAOK on matchweek two remains Celta Vigo's only victory in all competitions this term.

That's not to say the Spaniards are a soft touch as they played the second half of Sunday's La Liga clash against Real Sociedad with 10 men but ground out their seventh draw of the campaign. 

Nice have yet to claim a point in the Europa League as they came out on the wrong side of three-goal games with Roma and Fenerbahce. 

Sofiane Diop hit his fourth goal in three Ligue 1 outings in Saturday's impressive 3-1 defeat of Lyon and he will hope to start his first Europa League fixture. 

With matches against Freiburg and Porto on the horizon, Nice need to leave Spain with a positive result. 

Scoreline prediction

Celta Vigo 1-1 Nice (6/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Sofiane Diop to score anytime and both teams to score (4/1 with Betfred)

Celtic vs Sturm Graz betting tips

Celtic are bidding to bounce back from Sunday's dismal Dundee defeat.

It was the sixth time this season that the Bhoys failed to score and Brendan Rodgers needs his 'Honda Civic' options to fire if they're to bag a first Europa League victory. 

They blanked in their last European outing - the 2-0 home defeat to Braga - and Celtic will be playing catch up if they miss the target again. 

Sturm Graz are looking to complete the Old Firm double after beating Rangers earlier this month. 

The Austrian champions had no problem finding the net at the weekend as they edged a seven-goal thriller at Blau-Weiss Linz. 

Scoreline prediction

Celtic 1-2 Sturm Graz (16/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Sturm Graz draw no bet (7/2 with Betfred)

Freiburg vs Utrecht betting tips

Freiburg are targeting an eighth game without defeat when they welcome struggling Utrecht to the Europa-Park Stadion. 

The problem for Julian Schuster's side is they have drawn four games in a row since beating Basel in their league phase opener. 

Utrecht could, therefore, be the perfect opponents as they are pointless and goalless from their two European outings. 

Ron Jans’ team have lost their last three away games in all competitions and might lack the quality to go toe-to-toe with a Bundesliga team that has scored in every home fixture. 

They head to Germany on a high after a dominant Eredivisie victory over Volendam, but Freiburg are a different kettle of fish. 

Scoreline prediction

Freiburg 2-0 Utrecht (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Freiburg to win (8/15 with Betfred)

Nottingham Forest vs Porto betting tips

Nottingham Forest have a new manager in the dugout after Evangelos Marinakis pulled the trigger on Ange Postecoglou's miserable reign after 39 days. 

Replacement Sean Dyche will hope to score a victory at the first attempt, but Saturday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Chelsea extended Forest's winless streak to 10 games in all competitions.

He will be tasked with getting through to the Europa League knockouts as well as steering safely clear of relegation worries.

It's a stiff task as Porto are in flying form and boast maximum points from their two Europa League outings. 

They have conceded just two goals in 11 games this term and warmed up for their trip to the City Ground by bashing Celoricense 4-0 in the Taca de Portugal on Saturday.

Samu Aghehowa stepped off the bench to bag a hat-trick and will hope to cause havoc from the off.  

Scoreline prediction

Nottingham Forest 1-2 Porto (9/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Samu Aghehowa to score anytime and draw or Porto double chance (5/2 with Betway)

Roma vs Viktoria Plzen betting tips

Roma face non-French opposition for the first time after an away win at Nice and home defeat to Lille. 

Gian Piero Gasperini's team must bounce back to form at the Stadio Olimpico after being beaten 1-0 by Inter on Saturday. 

The Italian giants are the hot favourites to bag all three points as Viktoria Plzen are hardly among the European elite.

Plzen have enjoyed a strong start to the league phase, however, and boast four points from two, admittedly easier, fixtures. 

If you want entertainment then this might not be the one to watch as there has been three goals or fewer in all nine of Roma's matches this term. 

Scoreline prediction

Roma 2-1 Viktoria Plzen (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Roma to win and under 3.5 goals (13/10 with Betway)

Quick scoreline predictions:

Braga 1-1 Crvena Zvezda (6/1 with Betfred)

FCSB 1-2 Bologna (7/1 with Betfred)

Lyon 2-0 Basel (8/1 with Betfred)

Lille 2-1 PAOK (7/1 with Betfred)

RB Salzburg 3-2 Ferencvaros (20/1 with Betfred)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1-3 Midtjylland (16/1 with Betfred)

Malmo 1-2 Dinamo Zagreb (15/2 with Betfred)

Young Boys 1-1 Ludogorets (13/2 with Betfred)

Matchweek 2 

Bologna vs Freiburg betting tips

Bologna will be relieved to return to home comforts after a wretched week on the road. 

Vincenzo Italiano's team kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa before conceding a last-gasp equaliser to Lecce in Serie A on Sunday. 

They are two from two at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in this campaign, however, and welcome a Freiburg outfit that have blown hot and cold.

A hard-fought victory over Basel means the German side have three points on the board, although they fashioned just one shot on target against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga at the weekend. 

Scoreline prediction

Bologna 2-1 Freiburg (15/2 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Bologna to win (19/20 with Betfred)

Celtic vs Braga betting tips

Braga fans waved white hankies at Spanish boss Carlos Vicens after Sunday's defeat to Nacional made it five games without a win on the domestic front. 

The loss came days after a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord ensured a successful start to their Europa League campaign and Vicens indicated he will make changes. 

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will hope his opposite number has one eye on Sunday's trip to Sporting as his side search for a first win of the league phase. 

The Bhoys bagged a decent point at Crvena Zvezda last week, but they failed to score for the fourth time this term in their Scottish Premiership clash with Hibernian last time out. 

This could be scrappy, but Kelechi Iheanacho, who netted in Serbia, might make the difference. 

Scoreline prediction

Celtic 1-0 Braga (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Kelechi Iheanacho to score or assist (5/4 with Betway)

Fenerbahce vs Nice betting tips

We head to Turkey for a meeting between two teams looking to bounce back from opening-day defeats. 

Fenerbahce were downed 3-1 by Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia and Nice suffered a 2-1 loss to Roma on home soil. 

The Dinamo defeat was the first of Domenico Tedesco's reign at Fenerbahce and the Italian's enjoyed a strong start on home soil, with two wins and a draw. 

Nice, meanwhile, are poor travellers having lost all three of their away games in all competitions.

The fact manager Franck Haise said his side weren't "swimming in joy and confidence" ahead of Sunday's 1-1 league draw with Paris FC is a concern. 

Scoreline prediction

Fenerbahce 2-1 Nice (7/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Fenerbahce or draw and both teams to score (6/5 with Betway)

Roma vs Lille betting tips

Roma are looking to secure a second French scalp after a successful raid on Nice in last week's opener. 

Quick-fire goals from Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini ensured Terem Moffi's late penalty was little more than a consolation for the hosts. 

Confidence should be high in the Roma camp as a winning return to domestic action at the weekend made it five victories from six in all competitions.

Gian Piero Gasperini's team have conceded in just two games and tackle a Lille outfit that has failed to score in their last two Ligue 1 outings. 

LOSC also made a winning start to their Europa League campaign, but they needed Premier League legend Olivier Giroud to step off the bench and fire a late winner against Brann. 

Scoreline prediction

Roma 2-1 Lille (7/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Roma and under 3.5 goals (7/5 with Betway)

Basel vs VfB Stuttgart betting tips

Basel face Bundesliga opposition again and they're attempting to avenge last week's 2-1 defeat to Freiburg. 

Philip Otele's late goal in Germany was little more than a consolation and Sunday's subsequent league defeat to Luzern made it a nightmare week for the Swiss champions. 

Their form's in stark contrast to VfB Stuttgart, who kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo before beating Cologne in the Bundesliga. 

There's a line between the two teams as Die Roten suffered a 3-1 defeat at Freiburg in early September. 

A further glimmer of hope for the hosts is Stuttgart's failure to keep a clean sheet in their four away fixtures this term. 

Scoreline prediction

Basel 2-2 VfB Stuttgart (11/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Both teams to score (11/20 with Betway)

Feyenoord vs Aston Villa betting tips

A meeting between two teams that reached the Champions League knockout stages last term. 

There was some talk of Unai Emery’s future in early weeks, but Aston Villa's season has lifted off after beating Fulham in the Premier League last Sunday. That result came off the back of the Europa League victory over Bologna. 

Ollie Watkins shook off the disappointment of missing a penalty against Bologna by grabbing his first goal of the campaign at the weekend and he should be in buoyant mood for the trip to the Netherlands. 

Feyenoord fashioned a single shot on target in last Thursday's 1-0 loss at Braga, but Robin van Persie's team bounced back to winning ways against Groningen in the Eredivisie on Sunday. 

They have won all four home games, conceding just once, this term and could prove tough to break down. 

Scoreline prediction

Feyenoord 1-1 Aston Villa (11/2 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Ollie Watkins to score or assist (6/5 with Betway)

Lyon vs RB Salzburg betting tips

Lyon love a 1-0 victory. 

The French fancies have won their last three games by the scoreline, including last Thursday's Europa League opener against Utrecht. 

In fact, Paulo Fonseca's team is built on a rock-solid defence, having conceded in just one of their seven fixtures in all competitions. 

Despite failing to break down Porto on home soil a week ago, RB Salzburg have scored at least two goals in every away game this term and present an interesting test for the in-form hosts. 

Scoreline prediction

Lyon 2-1 RB Salzburg (7/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Lyon and under 3.5 goals (6/4 with Betway)

Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland betting tips

Nottingham Forest look to score their first victory of the Ange Postecoglou era at the sixth attempt.

The Reds bagged a point at Real Betis in last week's Europa League opener, but Saturday's Premier League defeat to Sunderland suggests Postecoglou still has work to do on the training pitch. 

Midtjylland have three points on the board after seeing off Sturm Graz and Monday's domestic league defeat of Randers took their winning streak to four games. 

Premier League opposition is significantly stronger than the Danes have faced recently, however, and the City Ground will be rocking under the Thursday night lights. 

Scoreline prediction

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Midtjylland (7/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip: 

Nottingham Forest to win and both teams to score (19/10 with Betway)

Porto vs Crvena Zvezda betting tips

Porto are flying. 

Francesco Farioli's team are a perfect eight from eight in all competitions and kicked off their Europa League campaign with a last-minute winner at RB Salzburg.

The Porto boss has stressed the need to "earn points as quickly as possible", although Farioli could be forgiven if he has one eye on their upcoming league meeting with Jose Mourinho's Benfica. 

While Crvena Zvezda also boast a 100 per cent record in their domestic league, Porto are a different kettle of fish from Serbian opposition.

A workmanlike home draw against Celtic in their Europa League opener suggests they are unlikely to cause too many problems for Porto. 

Scoreline prediction

Porto 2-0 Crvena Zvezda (6/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Porto -1 (handicap) (19/20 with Betway)

Sturm Graz vs Rangers betting tips

Last Thursday's 1-0 home defeat to Genk continued Russell Martin's miserable start as Rangers boss. 

The under-pressure gaffer will be hoping Max Aarons' dramatic winner against Livingston at the weekend sparks an uptick in form, however. 

Despite finally securing a first victory of the Scottish Premiership campaign, Rangers fans continued to give Martin grief after the final whistle, but he has the chance to secure back-to-back wins for the first time. 

Sturm Graz also needed a last-gasp goal to bounce back from Europa League disappointment with a domestic victory. 

The Austrian champions' mixed home form of three wins and two defeats gives Rangers hope, but this looks a tough assignment. 

Scoreline prediction

Sturm Graz 2-1 Rangers (8/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip: 

Sturm Graz draw no bet (4/6 with Betfred)

Quick scoreline predictions:

Brann 1-1 Utrecht (11/2 with Betway)

FCSB 3-2 Young Boys (22/1 with Betfred)

Ludogorets 1-2 Real Betis (7/1 with Betway)

Panathinaikos 2-1 Go Ahead Eagles (7/1 with Betfred)

Viktoria Plzen 1-0 Malmo (7/1 with Betfred)

Celta Vigo 1-1 PAOK (6/1 with Betfred)

Genk 1-0 Ferencvaros (8/1 with Betfred)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv 2-2 Dinamo Zagreb (11/1 with Betway)

Matchweek 1

Braga vs Feyenoord betting tips

Braga, best of the rest behind the big three in Portugal last term, tackle Dutch giants Feyenoord in a heavyweight clash to kick things off.

The hosts have made a steady-if-unspectacular start to the campaign, but are strong on home soil, winning five of their seven Europa League games at the Estádio Municipal de Braga last season. 

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Unbeaten Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord reached the Champions League last 16 in 2024/25, although they fumbled their play-off tie with Fenerbahce this time around thus dropping into the Europa. 

Robin van Persie's side have scored in every outing this season so this should be a cracker. 

Scoreline prediction

Braga 2-2 Feyenoord (11/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals (21/20 with Betway)

Crvena Zvezda vs Celtic betting tips

A meeting between two teams that crashed out of the Champions League in the play-offs. 

Celtic need to bounce back from their Kairat calamity and have hardly set the pulses racing in the opening weeks of the domestic campaign.

A trip to Serbia looks tricky for Brendan Rodgers' Bhoys, despite Crvena Zvezda also being humbled by minnows in their bid to reach the Champions League proper. 

The Belgrade-based club are seven from seven in the Serbian SuperLiga and will be full of confidence from last Saturday's win at Partizan. 

Scoreline prediction

Crvena Zvezda 2-1 Celtic (17/2 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Crvena Zvezda or draw (8/15 with Betway)

Freiburg vs Basel betting tips

Which Freiburg will turn up? 

The one that thumped VfB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen or was routed by Augsburg and Koln. 

It's fair to say Julian Schuster's team have blown hot and cold since fumbling Champions League qualification on the final day of last season’s Bundesliga, but they will expect to get the job done against Basel. 

Xherdan Shaqiri inspired the club to Swiss Super League glory last term and has continued his hot form, with 10 goal contributions in 10 appearances this campaign. 

Scoreline prediction

Freiburg 3-1 Basel (11/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Xherdan Shaqiri to score anytime (14/5 with Betway)

Nice vs Roma betting tips

Roma can't get enough of a 1-0 scoreline. 

There has been a single goal in all four of the Giallorossi's league fixtures, although they have won three times including last Sunday's Derby della Capitale against Lazio. 

A fourth clean sheet of the campaign could be on the cards as Nice are averaging less than a goal-per game. 

Franck Haise's team crashed out of the Champions League in the third qualifying round and have yet to really get going in France.

Last Saturday's 4-1 humbling at Brest made it five losses from seven in all competitions and their poor form's a concern. 

Scoreline prediction

Nice 0-1 Roma (15/2 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Under 2.5 goals (10/11 with Betway)

Real Betis vs Nottingham Forest betting tips

Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou takes his new team to Spain to face last season's Conference League finalists. 

Nottingham Forest are winless from three since the ex-Tottenham boss replaced Nuno Espírito Santo, although there were signs of the players adapting to his style of play in last Saturday's draw at Burnley. 

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The visitors might need to call on their deep squad to overcome a Real Betis side that finished sixth in La Liga last term and have been beaten just once this season. 

It should be an entertaining watch as there have been plenty of goals in matches involving these two. 

Scoreline prediction

Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest (12/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Both teams to score - yes (13/20 with Betway)

Aston Villa vs Bologna betting tips

It's been a turgid start to the season for Aston Villa as they are winless in the Premier League, out of the Carabao Cup and have scored just twice. And Aston Villa markets are heating up with the football bookmakers as a result.

Unai Emery's team beat Bologna 2-0 at home in last season's Champions League and returning to European competition could spark a return to form. 

The visitors netted just once in four Champions League away games that term and have failed to score in two trips in the Serie A this campaign. 

It could be a tough watch, but the hosts should have the quality to claim three points. 

Scoreline prediction

Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna (6/1 with Betfred)

FIRST's top tip

Aston Villa to win to nil (19/10 with Betway)

Rangers vs Genk betting tips

Rangers and Genk fans could probably swap notes on their terrible starts to the season. 

The hosts, who suffered a humiliating Champions League exit, are winless from five in the Scottish Premiership, while the visitors have lost half of their eight matches in the Belgian top flight. 

Russell Martin's really struggling to get a tune out of Rangers, but the heat is also on opposite number Thorsten Fink. 

Last Sunday's last-gasp defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise has the potential to be a mood killer, although Genk performed with credit against a team that won in the Champions League last week. 

They could be dangerous. 

Scoreline prediction

Rangers 1-2 Genk (9/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip

Draw or Genk (4/7 with Betway)

RB Salzburg vs Porto betting tips

Porto are looking to continue their perfect start to the campaign.

The Portuguese titans have only conceded once in six - in last month's 2-1 victory at Sporting - and will fancy their chances of inflicting more misery on the hosts. 

RB Salzburg crashed out in qualifying for the league phase of the Champions League and are winless from their last three league outings. 

The Austrian Bundesliga runners up leaked seven goals in that period and could be vulnerable. 

Scoreline prediction

RB Salzburg 1-2 Porto (15/2 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip

Porto to win (11/10 with Betfred)

Utrecht vs Lyon betting tips

Lyon are flying since their Ligue 1 relegation reprieve.

Despite part of manager Paulo Fonseca's nine-month suspension only being lifted last week, OL have won four of their five league games without conceding.

They were unbeaten on the road in last season's Europa League before being dumped out of the competition by Manchester United in the quarter-finals. 

Utrecht have battled through three qualification rounds to reach the league phase.

They head into the clash off the back of successive league defeats without scoring, however, and their recent poor form has coincided with top scorer Victor Jensen being unavailable through injury.

Scoreline prediction

Utrecht 1-2 Lyon (15/2 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip 

Lyon to win (21/20 with Betway)

VfB Stuttgart vs Celta Vigo betting tips

Success in the German Cup rescued an underwhelming campaign for Stuttgart in which they failed to make a splash in the Champions League. 

VfB, who sold Nick Woltemade to Newcastle for big money in the summer, have made a mixed start to the new Bundesliga season, but they are two from two on home soil without conceding. 

Forward Ermedin Demirovic scored and assisted in last Friday's 2-0 win over St Pauli and he should impress at this grade despite struggling in the Champions League.  

Celta Vigo have drawn their last five La Liga games with a 1-1 scoreline and remain winless this term. 

The Spanish club reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2017, but the current crop will do well to emulate that. 

Scoreline prediction

VfB Stuttgart 2-1 Celta Vigo (7/1 with Betway)

FIRST's top tip

Ermedin Demirovic to score anytime (11/8 with Betway)

Quick scoreline predictions

Midtjylland 1-1 Sturm Graz (15/2 with Betfred)

PAOK 2-1 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (7/1 with Betway)

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Fenerbahce (11/1 with Betway)

Malmo 1-0 Ludogorets (13/2 with Betway)

Go Ahead Eagles 2-0 FCSB (11/1 with Betfred)

Lille 3-1 Brann (10/1 with Betway)

Ferencvaros 3-2 Viktoria Plzen (22/1 with Betfred)

Young Boys 1-0 Panathinaikos (8/1 with Betfred)

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Odds correct at the time of writing.