Europa League Tips: Fighting Irish to keep swinging

Europa League Tips: Fighting Irish to keep swinging

We've got four more selections from the Europa League for you, and Kevin Hatchard thinks Dundalk will find the net against Molde...

Norway this ends goalless

Molde v Dundalk
Thursday 03 December, 20:00
Live on BT Sport ESPN

As expected, Dundalk have found the step up to the group stage of the Europa League a tough one to make. They have lost all four of their games, conceding at least twice in all of those matches. However, the 2018 and 2019 Irish champions have certainly not surrendered to their fate meekly, and although they were pretty defensive at times in their trip to Arsenal, they have thrown men forward in their other matches.

Both teams have scored in three of the four Dundalk games, and they netted three times in a 4-3 reverse at Rapid Vienna in their last away game. They are feeling good about themselves offensively, having just put 11 goals past Athlone Town in an FAI Cup semi-finals.

Molde are playing catch-up after losing twice to Arsenal, but they can take solace from winning their first game against Dundalk by two goals to one. The Norwegians have kept just one clean sheet in their last six games, and it's worth noting that both teams have scored in ten of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

I think Dundalk can score here, so I'll go for Both Teams To Score at 2.14.

Foxes to bounce back

Zorya v Leicester City
Thursday 03 December, 17:55
Live on BT Sport 1

It's been a strange fortnight for Leicester. They were swept aside 3-0 at Anfield against Liverpool, needed a last-gasp strike to avoid defeat at Braga in a 3-3 draw, and then they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at home by Fulham. Although they have qualified for the last 32 already, top spot isn't yet secure, and boss Brendan Rodgers will want to see a response from his players.

Zorya are still alive in this competition after an outstanding 3-0 win at AEK Athens, a result made all the more bizarre by the fact they had lost 4-1 at home to the Greek side. They were steamrollered 3-0 at the King Power, and it's worth noting that all four of their group-stage matches have featured at least three goals.

We can back Leicester to avoid defeat here and combine that with an Over 2.5 Goals bet on the Sportsbook's Same Game Multi to get a combined price of 1.98, and I think that's an attractive play.

Get set for Turkish delight

Sivasspor v Villareal
Thursday 03 December, 17:55
Live on BT Sport

Sivasspor and Villarreal played out an eight-goal thriller on Matchday One, a topsy-turvy clash that Unai Emery's Yellow Submarine eventually won 5-3. While this encounter is unlikely to scale those heights, we should see some goals.

Villarreal have seen both teams score in their last four games, including a hat-trick of 1-1 draws, and they haven't failed to score in a match for over a month. In the Europa League they have cut loose, smashing in 13 goals in just four matches.

Both teams have found the net in seven of Sivasspor's last ten matches, and they have scored in all four of their UEL group games so far. I'll happily go for Both Teams To Score here at 1.8.

La Liga high-flyers to win, but not in style

Real Sociedad v Rijeka
Thursday 03 December, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

These are heady days in San Sebastian. Real Sociedad still have last season's Copa del Rey against bitter Basque rivals Athletic Club to look forward to (the clubs agreed to wait for the return of fans to stadiums), they are top of La Liga and they are still in the mix to progress to the last 32 of the Europa League. All of this has been achieved without last season's star performer Martin Odegaard, who is battling for a first-team spot at Real Madrid.

La Real have won four of their last six home games, and only one of those games featured four goals or more. They haven't conceded multiple goals in a home match since July. In the Europa League this season, all four of their games have featured exactly one goal apiece.

Croatian side Rijeka have won just one of their last seven matches in all competitions, and they are already out of this tournament with two games left. They have only scored twice, and in the reverse fixture they lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad thanks to a 90th-minute strike from Jon Bautista.

I'll back the hosts to win, combined with an Under 3.5 Goals bet at 1.98 on the Same Game Multi.