Europa League betting preview: Free tips, predictions and best bets for Thursday's game including Arsenal and Man Utd
It's the final set of group games and Paul Higham expects goals at Man Utd and Wolves, and even fancies backing Arsenal away.
Recommended bets
1pt Arsenal to beat Standard Liege at 5/4
1pt Man Utd to beat AZ and both teams to score at 11/4
1pt Alfredo Morelos first goalscorer in Rangers v Young Boys at 4/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Standard Liege v Arsenal
- 5.55pm GMT - BT Sport 2
A draw is good enough for Arsenal, who are basically through anyway barring a miracle in Belgium as Standard Liege need a five-goal victory to ensure they finish above the Gunners in the group. A straight win may be enough to sneak the Belgians through over the Germans if they lose to Guimaraes, while a draw there has us all reaching for the calculators and the rule book!
Back to the game at hand, and Freddie Ljungberg got a belated bounce out of his new team in the second half at West Ham, and with the interim boss still settling on his side he’ll be wanting to make sure they impress again for the full 90 minutes this time.
Standard have been handy at home, winning their last five in this competition so will offer a threat, especially in the first half as they’re bound to come out quickly and the Gunners have failed to score from open play in their last six away games.
Standard have won 12 of their last 14 at home, with over 2.5 goals in ten of those, and with Michael Preud’homme’s side going hell for leather from the off, goals are assured. Ljungberg may make a few changes but knows momentum needs to keep building, and with their firepower they’re well capable of slotting a few home themselves.
It’s not been profitable at all backing Arsenal of late, but in an open game against inferior opposition then they’re worth taking a plunge on.
Best bet: Arsenal to beat Standard Liege at 5/4
Manchester United v AZ Alkmaar
- 8pm GMT - BT Sport 2
The draw in Holland in October came when United where in the midst of the 'sticky patch' that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says they've now emerged from, and the club could hardly be in better spirits now as old Trafford will be transformed into a grotto of joy after beating Spursd and Man City in a week.
Solskjaer wants to kepe momentum, of course, but will make changes here and with both sides already through and United just needing a draw to top the group, it's anyone's guess as to the line-up and how both teams will approach what essentially is a dead rubber.
AZ have only lost once in their last 17 games so will not accept defeat easily and finishing top will ensure a more comfortable draw in the last 32. They're also tough to break down, with seven clean sheets in their last eight wins and that could pose problems against a much-changed United side.
While the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams look set to feature, Solskjaer will not make the wholesale changes he did in their defeat at Astana and will look to keep the winning run going - as will AZ boss Arne Slot who also has a young, hungry side who have plundered goals at will during this tournament so far.
There's a danger it could fizzle out into a drab draw but there's enough talent to suggest both teams could let loose and we could get a low-pressure feast of football. four of five ten in 16
Wolves v Besiktas
- 8pm GMT - BT Sport ESPN
Wolves are already through from this group and with leaders Braga in Bratislava there could be a chance to top the standings, which would represent a great success after a sticky start to the group stages.
Nuno's side edged the reverse fixture 1-0 in Turkey, but Besiktas arrive on a fine run of form after eight wins out of nine where they've been scoring goals at one end (socring twice in four of six games) and keeping them out (three clean sheets in six games) at the other.
One of European football's great cliches is that Turkish sides don't travel well, but cliches often develop from truth and Besiktas have won just six of their last 17 road trips in the Europa League. They;'ve lost both away games in this group, conceding seven goals in the process.
They have scored in both of those group defeats though, so there's every confidence that they can bag again on the road even if it is in a losing cause.
Best bet: Wolves to beat Besiktas & both teams to score at 9/4
Rangers v Young Boys
- 8pm GMT - BT Sport 3
Qualification is tantalisingly close for Steven Gerrard’s side now, they just need to avoid defeat against Young Boys to book their place in the last 32, with a win making sure they go through as group winners.
Young Boys are the only side to beat Rangers in this group stage though, and after the bitter disappointment of that cup final defeat to Celtic still fresh in the memory, they’ll have to regroup quickly to avoid another stinging loss possibly seeing them dumped out of Europe.
The home fans at Ibrox will ensure that spirits are high though, as European progression is key in the team’s development and there will be some big names floating around in that knockout draw. It’s a tricky result to be sitting on though and Gerrard will have to get his tactics right on the night to avoid being caught between two stools.
Four of Rangers's last five home wins have come by at least a two-goal margin, along with four of their six home wins in this competition, and that bodes well with Young Boys drawing at feyenoord and losing at Porto in their two road trips in the group so far.
Having the visitors needing a win could work in Rangers' favour as going for broke will leave them exposed, and the hosts usually get ahead in this competition - Gerrard's side have only conceded the first goal once in 14 Europa League home games.
Alfredo Morelos loves this competition, having netted in four out of five group games, and every time being their first goalscorer, and he will again spearhead an attack which should provide the catalyst for the hosts to bag a closing win to storm into the knockout stage.
Best bet: Alfredo Morelos first goalscorer at 4/1
Odds correct as of 1653 GMT on 11/12/19
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