Europa Conference League: Villa to take big step towards last 16
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Europa Conference League betting tips and odds
Aston Villa host Legia Warsaw in the fifth round of Europa Conference League group games on Thursday when a draw will ensure both teams advance to the knockout stage.
With both teams on nine points, six clear of Zrinjski Mostar and AZ, Villa will be keen to get the win that will put them in the driving seat for a spot in the last 16 without the need to progress via the knockout round play-offs.
Aberdeen travel to HJK Helsinki with both teams already eliminated, but we’ve still included that match in our Europa Conference League betting tips which can be backed at 35/1 in a treble.
We also have a Europa League betting preview for Thursday night’s matches.
Aston Villa v Legia Warsaw (Thu, 20.00, TNT Sports 2)
Villa replaced Tottenham in the top four of the Premier League at the weekend with a 2-1 comeback victory in north London and they are 1/4 favourites to avenge the defeat by the Poles from matchday one.
A 3-2 loss in the Polish capital means that a draw on Thursday would ensure Villa having to better Legia’s result in their final match to finish top of the group and skip an extra two-legged tie, so the motivation is there to win.
Villa, of course, have been sensational at home, winning 13 matches in a row in the Premier League and all three matches in this competition, one of which was a qualifier.
Unai Emery’s side, 3/1 favourites to win this competition, have conceded in their last five Premier League matches on home turf, so Villa to win and Legia to score at 15/8 kicks off Thursday’s Europa Conference League betting tips.
HJK Helsinki v Aberdeen (Thu, 17.45, TNT Sports 3)
Neither team has anything to play for, but the Finns are 5/4 favourites to get their first win on the board against a Dons side that are also yet to taste victory in the group.
Aberdeen lost 6-0 to Scottish champions Celtic before the international break, but bounced back at the weekend when only a stoppage-time penalty from James Tavermier prevented a win against Rangers.
Barry Robson’s side have scored and conceded in all four group matches and they are 4/7 to make it a fifth, but we’re on board both teams to score in the second half at 33/20.
That was the case in the reverse fixture and in Aberdeen’s two subsequent games against PAOK Salonika.
Fiorentina v Genk (Thu, 20.00, TNT Sports Extra)
Fiorentina may be second favourites to win the Europa Conference League, but should the Group F leaders lose at home to Genk they would be in danger of missing out on the knockout stage altogether.
The first match ended in a 2-2 draw in Belgium where there was little to split the sides in terms of possession or shots on target, and a similarly close encounter is expected in Florence.
For the last of Thursday’s Europa Conference League bettings, we’re going for a score draw at 19/5.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
