It is make or break time for many of those still left in European football as one round separates the teams from the glamour and the glory of the group stages in both the Champions League and the Europa League.
Manchester United are the only English side involved in the Champions League qualifying round of course, whilst Southampton are currently our lone flag bearers in the Europa League after West Ham bowed out in the last round. With so much at stake, nerves are going to be frayed and mistakes will be made. All of which should result in plenty of goals! Read on for our latest batch of BTTS tips.
Tuesday 18th August 2015
- Lazio v Bayer Leverkusen (8/11 with Sky Bet) – These teams are very well matched and this could be a tight game. Both sides will have only played one league match and that lack of competitive football may well lead to mistakes at the back and with plenty of accomplished finishers on the pitch that is the last thing you want to do. Both to score looks a decent option in this one.
- Sporting Lisbon v CSKA Moscow (Evens with Coral) – CSKA Moscow saw nine goals scored in their tie with Sparta Prague in the last round whilst Sporting have been racking up the goals as well of late. Moscow are midway through their domestic season and they should be in tune with each other going forwards, so we predict plenty of goalmouth action.
Wednesday 19th August 2015
- Rapid Vienna v Shakhtar Donetsk (8/11 with Betfred) – At home the Austrians are a decent outfit and they squeezed past Ajax in the last round to make it to this stage. Whilst they have the ability to trouble Shakhtar, a side packed with attacking talent should be able to pick holes in the Green-Whites’ defence.
- Valencia v Monaco (19/20 with Betfair) – Valencia’s home advantage makes them favourites against Monaco, but the side from the principality performed well in Europe last year and they’ve had some impressive results this summer. This one could go either way and we fully expect both sides to find the net at least once.
Thursday 20th August 2015
- Odd Grenland v Borussia Dortmund (21/20 with BetVictor) – Borussia are such heavy favourites for this match that they may well take it a bit too lightly against the Norwegian side from Skien. If complacency is allowed to creep in then the underdogs may well surprise the German outfit and BTTS looks a fair price.
- Astra Giurgiu v AZ Alkmaar (5/6 with Coral) – Astra showed great resilience at home in the last round against West Ham but their defensive lapses will give Alkmaar plenty of confidence ahead of this match. The Dutch side are no mugs and in Alireza Jahanbakhsh the Cheese Farmers have an exciting attacking prospect.
- Dinamo Minsk v Red Bull Salzburg (10/11 with Coral) – Red Bull Salzburg showed that they are more than capable of falling apart on the road when they lost 3-0 to Malmo and we’re backing them to make difficult work of Belarussian side Dinamo Minsk who have Montenegrin striker Fatos Bećiraj leading the line.