With the European action rolling onto Thursday, the this season’s Europa League finalists will be decided on what should prove to be a nail-biting night of action.
As Aston Villa welcome bitter local rivals Nottingham Forest across the Midlands for their blockbuster second-leg battle, Freiburg and Braga will also meet in Germany with a spot in the final of this year’s tournament firmly up for grabs.
Ahead of a frantic night of action, we have taken a look at some of Thursday’s most attractive Europa League betting tips.
20:00 Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
Although Vitor Pereira might have made a string of alterations away at Chelsea on Monday afternoon, Nottingham Forest produced another sensational display. Cruising their way to a routine 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, the former Wolves boss has seen his squad embark on a remarkable purple patch. All but mathematically extending on their Premier League status earlier in the week, Forest are riding a major wave of momentum. Claiming what could prove to be a crucial first-leg advantage as they secured that 1-0 win at the City Ground last week, Pereira’s high-flying squad have now won all of their last five consecutive appearances across all competitions. Likewise, 90 minutes away from punching an iconic Europa League final ticket on Thursday night, Forest are also unbeaten in their last 10 outings across all fronts.
While Aston Villa might have opened 2026 in the midst of a remarkable purple patch, Unai Emery’s men have come crashing back down to earth in a worrying fashion. Failing to claim a first-leg advantage last week and putting in a toothless performance as they were hit with a 1-0 loss at the City Ground, the one-time Arsenal boss has made his budding frustrations clear. Putting in another concerning display over the weekend as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home against relegation scrappers Tottenham, Aston Villa have now lost each of their previous three consecutive appearances by an aggregate score of 4-1. Showing some recent struggles in the final third, Thursday’s hosts will be under a tremendous amount of pressure when they return to Villa Park in midweek.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest Betting Tip: with Pribet
20:00 Freiburg vs Braga
Securing what could prove to be a crucial first-leg advantage on home soil last week, Braga are 90 minutes away from punching their spot in the final of this season’s Europa League. Eventually clinging to a thrilling 2-1 victory in front of their own supporters, Carlos Vicens’ high-flying squad have shattered a string of records this year. While the Archbishops might be set to settle for yet another fourth-place finish among Portugal’s elite, Braga have suffered just a sole defeat from any of their last nine appearances across all competitions. Extending on their Europa League adventure last month as they secured an iconic 5-3 aggregate win against Spanish outfit Real Betis, Thursday’s guests have also gained a reputation for their lively outcomes. In fact, Vicens’ camp have seen five of their last six outings finish with both teams finding the net.
While Freiburg might have continued on an astonishing flurry on either side of March’s international break, Julian Schuster’s side have largely come crashing back down to earth over the past fortnight. Missing out on the chance to claim some crucial momentum over the weekend as they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate at home against Wolfsburg, Freiburg also have a mountain to climb on Thursday night. Eventually falling to a first-leg 2-1 loss when they travelled to Portugal last week, Schuster’s camp are also searching for some crucial defensive grit. Including a nightmare 4-0 drumming at the hands of Borussia Dortmund on April 26th, Thursday’s hosts have remarkably mustered just a pair of clean sheets from their previous 18 appearances across all competitions – a run that stems back to February 1st.
Freiburg vs Braga Betting Tip: Both teams to score @ 19/20 with Luckster
Thursday’s Europa League Double
- Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – Ezri Konsa over 0.5 fouls @ 5/4
- Freiburg vs Braga – Both teams to score @ 19/20
Place a £10 bet on our Daily Double with Vegas Land and pocket £43.88 if all predictions are correct.
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