The Europa League quarter-finals take centre stage on Thursday with Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers all in action, while the Conference League has also reached the last-eight stage.
We have three selections for our best bets of the day, which include important victories for both Spurs and the Red Devils, while there could be value to be had in Djurgarden IF’s home tie with Rapid Vienna in the Conference League.
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Thursday football tips
Bet of the Day – Manchester United to beat Lyon @ 13/8
Manchester United have had a fairly torrid season, but it could yet end with a trophy as they remain among the favourites to win the Europa League.
The Red Devils go to Lyon on Thursday for their last-eight first-leg tie and, while it is unlikely to be straightforward, the visitors look good value at 13/8 to edge it.
United were the better side for spells on Sunday in an uneventful Manchester derby against City and if they maintain that level of performance they should be good enough to see off a Lyon side who sit fifth in Ligue 1.
Ruben Amorim’s side have often reserved their better displays for this competition this season, and amid the turmoil and transition at Old Trafford, they have been quietly effective in Europe.
They are yet to lose in the Europa League this season, finishing third in the new league format with five wins and three draws before seeing off Spanish side Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate in the last 16.
Lyon came sixth in the first stage to also make the last-16 without the need for a play-off and then overcame FCSB 7-1 on aggregate in the previous round, but that was clearly a more agreeable tie for the French side than United had to come through.
Les Gones are in good form, winning six of their last seven games in all competitions, but against a fired-up United, determined to save their season, they could be in for a difficult evening at their Groupama Stadium home.
Special of the Day – Tottenham v Eintracht Frankfurt – Tottenham to win and over 2.5 goals @ 11/8
An entertaining first leg between Tottenham and German side Eintracht Frankfurt is anticipated on Thursday as, like United, the Premier League side aim to salvage something from what has been a disappointing campaign.
Spurs ended a four-game winless run in the league by beating Southampton 3-1 on Sunday and, while they remain inconsistent, Ange Postecoglou’s side will surely be up for this clash against Eintracht.
A home win is fancied, while there seems a strong chance of at least three goals being scored in north London too.
There were at least three goals in three of Spurs’ last four Europa League matches, while over 2.5 goals would have landed in Frankfurt’s last two outings in this competition.
Furthermore, Spurs’ home games recently have tended to be entertaining affairs with their last three matches in front of their own fans all featuring exactly four goals.
Long Shot of the Day – Djurgardens IF to beat Rapid Vienna @ 17/10
In the Conference League, Austrian side Rapid Vienna are expected to win away at Swedish outfit Djurgardens, but this clash looks far closer than the odds suggest and the hosts are dangerous on Thursday.
Both sides picked up four wins, one draw and one defeat in the League Phase to end up side by side in fourth and fifth place, before Djurgardens eased past Cypriot team Pafos 3-1 on aggregate in the last-16.
Rapid, however, struggled to get the better of Bosnian minnows Borac Banja Luka in the previous round and eventually needed extra-time to progress.
On the face of it there appears little to choose between the two teams and Djurgardens, who won 1-0 away at Sirius in the Swedish top-flight at the weekend, can claim a victory at an appealing price over opponents who have lost their last two domestically without even scoring a goal.
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