Europa League betting tips: Matchweek one tipsheet

2026 Europa League outright odds (Ladbrokes)

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)

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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.