Eight tickets to the Round of 16 are up for grabs this Thursday as the Europa League knockout playoffs reach their conclusion. Some ties are virtually sealed, Nottingham Forest's 3-0 cushion, Stuttgart's commanding 4-1 lead, while others remain wide open, with Red Star vs Lille and Ferencváros vs Ludogorets balanced on a knife's edge.
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First Leg: Celtic 1-4 Stuttgart
| Stuttgart | Draw | Celtic |
|---|---|---|
| 1.39 | 5.55 | 7.00 |
Stuttgart were clinical at Celtic Park, with Bilal El Khannouss scoring twice in the first half to silence the Glasgow crowd. Benjamin Nygren briefly levelled, but late goals from Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomás sealed a dominant 4-1 away victory. Celtic now need to overturn a three-goal deficit in Germany, something they've never achieved.
Back at the MHP Arena, Stuttgart can afford to play on the front foot without any pressure. Their counter-attacking game is lethal, and if Celtic push forward chasing the miracle, they'll leave spaces that Deniz Undav and Leweling will exploit ruthlessly. Celtic's defensive frailties have been a recurring issue all season, and realistically this tie is over. Expect Stuttgart to manage the game comfortably and potentially add to their advantage.
🔥 Odds Boost: Stuttgart To Win, Both Teams To Score & Deniz Undav 2+ Shots On Target - 4.50 (boosted from 4.00)
First Leg: Fenerbahçe 0-3 Nottingham Forest
| Nottingham Forest | Draw | Fenerbahçe |
|---|---|---|
| 1.63 | 4.30 | 5.20 |
One of the most impressive results of the entire round. Forest dismantled Fenerbahçe in Istanbul with a masterful tactical display under Vítor Pereira. Murillo opened the scoring with a stunning long-range strike, Igor Jesus doubled the lead, and Morgan Gibbs-White completed the rout. The stats told the full story: 21 shots for Forest compared to just 4 for Fenerbahçe.
Now at the City Ground, one of the most intimidating atmospheres in English football, Forest are in complete control. Fenerbahçe will be without suspended defender Jayden Oosterwolde and face a near-impossible task against Forest's rock-solid Milenković-Murillo defensive partnership. Domenico Tedesco's side need three goals without reply just to force extra time, and their toothless first-leg display offers little reason for optimism. Forest should close this out with minimal fuss.
🔥 Odds Boost: Nottingham Forest To Win To Nil & Morgan Gibbs-White To Have A Shot On Target - 4.00 (boosted from 3.50)
First Leg: SK Brann 0-1 Bologna
| Bologna | Draw | Brann |
|---|---|---|
| 1.52 | 4.50 | 6.40 |
Bologna's Santiago Castro scored after just nine minutes in Norway, and the Italian side spent the rest of the match defending with discipline. Goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski produced a spectacular save from Ulrik Mathisen's header to preserve the clean sheet.
Back at the Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna will look to control possession, slow the tempo, and suffocate the game. Brann, who finished 24th in the Europa League league phase, need to score at least once in Italy, which is a tall order against a side that excels at keeping things tight. Expect Bologna to manage this tie professionally, potentially adding a second goal through Riccardo Orsolini or Federico Bernardeschi off the bench.
First Leg: PAOK 1-2 Celta Vigo
| Celta Vigo | Draw | PAOK |
|---|---|---|
| 1.69 | 3.90 | 5.25 |
Celta Vigo showed their European pedigree in Thessaloniki. The ever-reliable Iago Aspas opened the scoring with a trademark finish, and Willot Swedberg added a second. PAOK pulled one back through Alexander Jeremejeff, keeping the tie alive at 2-1.
At Balaídos, Celta are the clear favorites but have been inconsistent this season. PAOK thrive in chaotic, high-pressing encounters and will look to disrupt Celta's midfield rhythm early. They finished the league phase with an 80% home clean sheet rate and conceded just 0.40 goals per game on their own turf, but travelling to Spain is a different challenge entirely. If Celta can weather the early storm, they should see this through.
First Leg: Panathinaikos 2-2 Viktoria Plzeň
| Plzeň | Draw | Panathinaikos |
|---|---|---|
| 2.05 | 3.35 | 3.90 |
A thrilling 2-2 draw in Athens makes this effectively a one-legged shootout. Denis Visinsky gave Plzeň an early lead before Andrews Tetteh equalized for the Greek side. With no away goals rule, everything is still to play for.
Plzeň are extremely tough to beat at home, they went unbeaten through the entire league phase on their own ground. Panathinaikos will lean on Tetteh's pace and the creativity of Bakasetas, but the compact Doosan Arena is a difficult venue for visiting sides. Expect a tight, tense affair where set pieces could prove decisive.
First Leg: Lille 0-1 Crvena Zvezda
| Crvena Zvezda | Draw | Lille |
|---|---|---|
| 2.75 | 3.50 | 2.55 |
The biggest upset of the first leg round. Red Star silenced the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with a late first-half goal from Franklin Tebo Uchenna, and Lille couldn't find a way through despite dominating possession. Veteran Olivier Giroud came off the bench but couldn't spark a comeback.
Now the tie moves to the "Marakana" in Belgrade, one of European football's most intimidating fortresses. Red Star are famous for protecting leads in front of their raucous home fans, and the atmosphere will be electric. Lille have the superior technical quality on paper and will push hard for an early goal, but if they can't score in the first hour, the pressure of the Belgrade crowd might prove overwhelming. This is the most delicately poised tie of the night and could go either way.
First Leg: Dinamo Zagreb 1-3 Genk
| Genk | Draw | Dinamo Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| 2.36 | 3.50 | 3.05 |
Genk were impressive in Croatia, with Bryan Heynen and Zakaria El Ouahdi capitalizing on a disorganized Dinamo defense. A late Dinamo goal keeps a mathematical lifeline, but the Belgian side hold a commanding two-goal advantage heading home.
At the Cegeka Arena, Genk will look to finish the job. Dinamo Zagreb have a history of European comebacks, but they'll be without suspended midfielder Miha Zajc. Genk are a young, energetic side that can occasionally lose concentration when leading, that's Dinamo's best hope. An early Croatian goal would make things interesting, but Genk's pace and movement should see them through.
First Leg: Ludogorets 2-1 Ferencváros
| Ferencváros | Draw | Ludogorets |
|---|---|---|
| 1.57 | 4.45 | 5.60 |
A physical, card-heavy battle in Bulgaria. Kwadwo Duah gave Ludogorets the lead before Bamidele Yusuf equalized for Ferencváros minutes later. A second-half Ludogorets strike restored their advantage, and the Hungarians now need to overturn a one-goal deficit at the Groupama Arena in Budapest.
Ferencváros will have a sold-out crowd behind them and are more than capable of turning this around. Playmaker Mohammad Abu Fani has the vision to unlock Ludogorets' compact defense. The Bulgarian side are experienced in European competition and know exactly how to park the bus and protect a lead. This could be the most dramatic tie of the night, expect late drama in Budapest.
Head to Duelbits PREDICT and bet on cross-match outcomes for Thursday's Europa League fixtures:
Before diving into the individual previews, Duelbits has a cross-match boost spanning three of Thursday's biggest games:
Cross Match Boost (Stuttgart vs Celtic, Nottingham Forest vs Fenerbahçe, Bologna vs Brann): 3+ Goals In Each Match - 5.50 (boosted from 4.50)
Stuttgart scored four away at Celtic Park, Forest put three past Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, and Bologna will push forward with a slender lead. Three goals per match across these fixtures is an ambitious but realistic target at enhanced odds.
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