Hot on the heels of the new-look Champions League comes the first edition of the Europa League in UEFA’s new big-table format.
To simplify what’s always a complex punting puzzle, our matchweek 1 ploy is to identify and take on clubs that have started the season poorly in their domestic leagues.
Europa League Matchweek 1 best bets
Midtjylland to beat Hoffenheim @ 7/5
Under 0.5 Union St Gilloise goals vs Fenerbahce @ 13/10
Olympiakos to beat Lyon (draw no bet) @ 19/10
Bet on the latest Europa League odds at Betzone
Danish league leaders value at home to stuttering Hoffenheim
FC Midtjylland are 7/5 match-betting underdogs at home to Bundesliga Hoffenheim, but the German outfit look well worth opposing as 6/4 road favourites.
The hosts sit top of the Danish Superliga after nine games and have yet to lose in seven games at MCH Arena this season. In fact their sole loss of a campaign that’s already 15 games old came 3-2 away to Slovan Bratislava in Champions League qualifying.
By contrast, Hoffenheim have had a ropey start. They scraped a 3-2 home win over Holstein Kiel in their opening league game, thanks in part to an early penalty and a red card for their opponents. Kiel are now bottom of the league after four games.
Since then the Germans have lost three games straight and that’s no kind of mood to go visiting in-form opponents who have lost just twice on home soil since the start of 2023/24.
Tip: Midtjylland to beat Hoffenheim @ 7/5
Count on Fenerbahce to blank goal-shy Belgians in Istanbul
The last thing Union St Gilloise need right now is an away trip to face a Jose Mourinho team in one of the least hospitable environments European football has to offer.
Last season’s Europa League surprise package have been totally toothless in front of goal of late, failing to find the net in five of their last six matches in all competitions.
Fener have won three of their last four games without conceding, so there’s a case for backing the 4/7 match betting favourites to win to nil at 13/8.
However Union have also kept clean sheets in three of their last four games so the safer play looks to be backing under 0.5 goals for the visitors at a generous 13/10.
Tip: Under 0.5 Union St Gilloise goals vs Fenerbahce @ 13/10
Misfiring Lyon vulnerable at home to Conference League holders
Ligue 1 outfit Olympiquye Lyonnais look queasy 17/20 favourites to beat reigning Europa Conference League champions Olympiakos in France on Thursday.
Pierre Sage’s troops have lost three of their first five league games, winning just once and don’t even have the excuse of having already played Champions League contestants Paris Saint-Germain, Lille or Brest.
Their Greek guests have retained the key players from last season’s run to Conference League glory and can enlist the continental smarts that saw them outplay Champions-League-bound Aston Villa home and away to push more pain on Lyon.
