Henry Hardwicke picks out his four favourite bets from Thursday’s Europa League action to make a four-team accumulator that returns at 13/1.
Visit Betway’s football betting page.
Best bets
Aris Limassol to beat Rangers @ 14/5
Brighton to beat Marseille @ 11/8
Bayer Leverkusen to beat Molde @ 3/8
Liverpool to beat Union Saint-Gilloise @ 1/5
Accumulator @ 13/1
Aris Limassol v Rangers (17:45)
Aris Limasool look a standout bet when they host Rangers on Thursday night. The Gers were hammered 3-1 at Ibrox by Aberdeen on Saturday and that defeat ended Michael Beale’s short spell in charge of the Glasgow giants.
The Light Blues have already slipped seven points off Scottish Premiership title rivals Celtic and they appear to be a club in turmoil.
Rangers did get the better of Betis at Ibrox in their Europa League opener, but the fierce Glasgow crowd is always going to be a major asset for Gers and there will only be limited support travelling to Cyprus on Thursday evening.
The prices suggest that a clash with Aris Limassol represents a drop in grade for Rangers. However, the Scottish side failed to win against Servette in Switzerland in Champions League qualifying and have already lost on the road at Kilmarnock, showing that they are well below their best.
Marseille v Brighton (17:45)
Brighton were hammered 6-1 at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, but the Seagulls can bounce back against Marseille.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men remain a quality outfit despite that setback at Villa Park and it is worth remembering that they have won five of their opening seven Premier League fixtures.
Brighton suffered a shock defeat against AEK Athens on matchday one of the Europa League, but that was a game the Seagulls dominated having won the shot and corner count and enjoyed 75 per cent possession.
That loss should focus Brighton’s attention as they know that they need maximum points in Marseille and the Seagulls look excellent value to get the job done.
Molde v Bayer Leverkusen (20:00)
Bayer Leverkusen have made a fantastic start to the season, winning seven of their first eight matches in all competitions, and they are currently occupying top spot in the Bundesliga.
The Company’s Eleven hammered Hacken 4-0 on matchday one of the Europa League and that means Xabi Alonso’s men have rattled home 32 goals across their opening eight games of the campaign.
Molde were beaten 1-0 by Qarabag in their opening clash in Group H and they look a few grades below the standards that are currently being set by Leverkusen.
Liverpool v Union Saint-Gilloise
Liverpool are a short price to beat Belgian Pro League leaders Union Saint-Gilloise, but that looks completely justified at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s men will be reeling after their controversial defeat at Tottenham on Saturday and this is a Liverpool side that needs no invitation to attack.
The visitors are also a forward-thinking outfit but they are a long way off the level of Liverpool, who should create a hatful of chances on Thursday night.
