In this preview, I’m going to be focusing on the three British sides that are in action in the Europa League.
Ferencvaros v Tottenham
Many people will see this as a straightforward game for Tottenham, but I don’t see it that way. Though Tottenham have begun to find their form with 3-0 victories over Qarabag and Manchester United, travelling to Ferencvaros will be a tough place to go. The Hungarian side has a good record at home, especially in European competition. In the last two Europa Conference group stages, they have gone unbeaten and denied sides like Monaco, Fiorentina, and Genk three points.
Furthermore in their opening Europa League game, they gave Anderlecht something to think about and were only just beaten 2-1. I think this game will be a lot tighter than the betting suggests, and therefore I am going to go with Ferencvaros on the double chance at 19/10.
Selection: Ferencvaros Double Chance (19/10)
Rangers v Lyon
Rangers made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign with a 2-0 away win over Swedish side Malmo. Lyon also collected three points as they beat Europa Conference champions Olympiacos by the same scoreline. Therefore, it should be a close game, as the betting suggests. Rangers are 7/5, the draw is 5/2, and Lyon are 17/10.
When it comes to the line-ups, we could see a few familiar names with Lyon. The likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Wilfried Zaha could both feature, so Rangers will have to be on their guard. Back in the 2021-22 season, these two sides met at Ibrox in the Europa League, and it was a 1-1 draw. I’m thinking we could get a similar scoreline here, and I’m happy to keep the 6/1 on side.
Selection: Rangers 1-1 Lyon (6/1)
Porto v Manchester United
This is going to be an interesting match for several reasons. After a lacklustre performance against Spurs, the pressure is really ramping up on Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag. Before that, they could only manage a draw against FC Twente in the Europa League, so they need to pick up results quickly. Many people are seeing Porto as a dangerous opponent for Manchester United, but I am not so sure.
Though the Portuguese side have made a good start in the Primeira, they did lose their opening Europa League match away to Bodo/Glimt 3-2. In that game they had an extra man as their opponents went down to ten men. Therefore, it was really an opportunity missed for Porto.
For this game, I think Manchester United won’t be turned over so easily, and I can see them putting up a positive response. One player that could make an impact for them is Rasmus Hojland. The young Danish striker had an injury at the start of the season, but he’s coming off the bench in recent games, and it might be his time to come back into the starting eleven. If he does start, then I can see him grabbing a goal. Last season in the Champions League, he played six games and scored five goals, so he’s shown he’s more than capable at this level. At the current time of writing, he’s 11/5 to score anytime, which looks like a fair price.
Selection: Rasmus Hojland To Score Anytime (11/5)
