The Europa League and Conference League take centre stage on Thursday, with some ties settled and others still having it all to play for, meaning there is the potential for value.
We have a trio of selections to follow, ranging from games in Kazakhstan, Poland and Turkey.
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Thursday football tips
H2 – Bet of the day – Astana to beat Lausanne @ 1/1
Lausanne take a 3-1 lead east to Astana in the Conference League but results can be hard to come by in Kazakhstan.
The Swiss side will have had to travel over five and a half thousand kilometres, probably via multiple flights, and fatigue could be a factor.
Lausanne have lost their two Super League matches either side of their first leg victory and could be set for another defeat.
Les Bleu et Blanc dominated the first leg but conceded a silly late goal to Ivan Basic.
That strike will give Grigory Babayan’s hosts a huge boost as they aim to cause an upset on their always awkward artificial pitch.
H2 – Special of the day – Shakhtar Donetsk to win, Both Teams to Score – No and Eguinaldo to score @ 21/4
Shakhtar Donetsk and Panathinaikos played out a 0-0 draw in Athens but the statistics suggested their opening game could have had so much more, with 22 shots in the match, 12 of which were on target.
They meet again in the Europa League on Thursday at Krakow’s Reymana Stadium, a venue where Shakhtar beat Besiktas 2-0 on July 31.
A similar scoreline could be on the agenda, with Pana previously failing to score on the road in the Champions League at Rangers, with that evening clash at Ibrox also finishing 2-0.
Kaua Elias has been the Miners’ best player this season, but fellow Brazilian Eguinaldo could lead the line in Poland after recovering from the knock that saw him miss Sunday’s 3-3 with Karpaty Lviv.
The 20-year-old scored in the away win at Besiktas and can star again.
H2 – Long shot of the day – St Patrick’s – Double Chance draw/win at Besiktas @ 11/2
Besiktas lead St Patrick’s 4-1 after their first leg meeting in the Conference League and should have no problems in reaching the play-off round.
However, backing St Pats to draw, or even win, the second leg is not a bad way to go.
The Red Army battled past Estonia’s Kalju on penalties and, although Besiktas represent a significant step up in quality, the Istanbul outfit are hardly pulling up trees and lost both legs against Shakhtar.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may also prioritise Sunday’s Super Lig opener against Eyupsor, and a scratch side could be pushed hard by their Irish visitors.
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