football | Wednesday, February 22, 2023 1:40 PM

Europa League Best Bets: A Trio Of Angles Thursday’s European Offering

Scott Thornton

Europa League Best Bets: Thursday, February, 23rd

The second legs of the Europa League play-off round take place on Thursday. We have the best bets for you ahead of what promises to be an enthralling night of football. Some of the giants of European football are in action and looking to keep their hopes of glory alive.

This is Juventus’ last hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. While Manchester United welcome Barcelona for a tie that has historically been seen in the latter stages of Europe’s elite competition.

In this article:

Nantes vs Juventus Preview & Best Bet
Monaco vs Leverkusen Preview & Best Bet
Manchester United vs Barcelona Preview & Best Bet

Nantes vs Juventus Preview

Thursday, February 23rd, 17:45 (UK)

The Italian giants drew in front of their own fans in the first leg. They need to put in a much better display if they harbour any hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Allegri’s men had twice as many shots as the French side in the first leg but were unable to make the chances count. However, they bounced back by winning and keeping a clean sheet in Serie A at the weekend.

Nantes scored with their only shot of the game in Turin. They were beaten 3-1 by Lens at the weekend and have struggled in Ligue 1 this season. They remain in 13th place and it’s difficult to see them venturing far into this competition.

Nantes vs Juventus Best Bet

Juventus have won five of their last six away matches and have kept a clean sheet in all of those wins. The only side to beat them were Napoli; who are looking virtually unbeatable at this time. Despite Spalletti’s side putting five past the Old Lady, they are still scoring 0.67 more goals on average than their opponents over the course of these away matches.

Nantes haven’t won any of the last five matches where they have been similarly priced to win. They have only scored in one of those. The visitors should have too much quality on Thursday night.

Selection: Juventus To Win
Best Odds: 1.80 (Bet365)
Stakes: 7/10

More Nantes vs Juventus Tips

Monaco vs Leverkusen Preview

Thursday, February 23rd, 20:00 (UK)

The first leg between these sides was a thrilling encounter that set up this encounter nicely. Monaco have the advantage having secured a 3-2 victory on the road. However, the absence of the away goals rule means that this tie is still in the balance.

Leverkusen will look to attack from the off to claw back the deficit. The German side dropped out of the Champions League after finishing behind Porto and Club Brugge. Exiting the Europa League in this play-off round would be indicative of what has been a very disappointing season for Leverkusen.

Monaco vs Leverkusen Best Bet

Goals are on the agenda for this one. Monaco are unbeaten in their last 11 matches and there has been an average of 3.91 goals per game over this period. Their home matches this season are averaging 3.79 goals per game and there have been four goals or more in their last for matches at the Louis II Stadium.

Leverkusen’s matches have also seen a glut of goals this season. Their games in all competitions are averaging 3.25 goals per game. This climbs to 3.36 goals in their matches on the road.

Selection: Over 2.5 Goals
Best Odds: 1.74 (Bet365)
Stakes: 8/10

More Monaco vs Leverkusen Tips

Manchester United vs Barcelona Preview

Thursday, February 23rd, 20:00 (UK)

The meeting at the Nou Camp stands out as one of the best Europa League matches in recent times. Manchester United looked to attack Barcelona and cause numerous problems for the Catalans. They took the lead after falling behind but eventually had to settle for a draw.

Barcelona were also a threat going forward. The teams went toe-to-toe and had 18 attempts each. This week it’s United who will have home advantage and this could make all the difference in deciding who qualifies for the next round.

Manchester United vs Barcelona Best Bet

United have lost just two matches at Old Trafford in all competitions this season; the last of which came in September. Since then they have won 15 of their 17 matches at Old Trafford. Over this period, they have scored an average of 2.29 goals per game and conceded just 0.47.

Barcelona are also on a tremendous run of form. They are unbeaten in 18 matches but there was an element of good fortune about their second goal in the first leg. They have been beaten by Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich on the road this season. United possess the quality to add their name to that list.

Selection: Manchester United To Win
Best Odds: 2.30 (William Hill)
Stakes: 5/10

Odds via various bookmakers as at 12:00 February 22nd 2023. Odds may now differ.

More Manchester United vs Barcelona Tips

What are Football Best Bets?

Our best bets are posted by some of the best tipsters around. These are our tipsters best value bets. A best bet can be placed on any number of different markets. The most common of which are 1X2, the Asian handicap, BTTS, and the goals markets. Value can be found in matches from leagues across the world. Be sure to follow bettingexpert for the latest best bets.