Europa League Tips: Betfair best bets for each quarter-final on Thursday

• Bayer winning at home and abroad

• Five-fold Bet Builder to cheer on in Feyenoord v Roma

• Juve too short at odds-on

• Read my Man Utd v Sevilla match preview here!

Bayer's charge to continue

Bayer Leverkusen v Union Saint-Gilloise
Thursday, 20:00
Live on BT Sports Extra

Whisper it, but Bayer Leverkusen look as if they are truly capable of something special this season, and coach Xabi Alonso has done a fine job since replacing Gerardo Seoane at the helm.

I wondered whether Die Werkself's improvement was merely a positive regression to the mean after a period of underperformance, but Bayer are currently so impressive that they might even sneak into the Bundesliga's top four.

The German side have seen off Monaco and Ferencvaros in the knockout rounds of the Europa League, scoring nine goals across those four matches, and in the Bundesliga they have put together a five-match winning streak at just the right time.

A 2-1 win over Bayern Munich was the standout result in that sequence.

The return to fitness of creative heartbeat Florian Wirtz has been one of the catalysts, and fleet-footed wide threats Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong (the latter is as attacking a full-back as you'll find) have been in startling form.

Frimpong has eight goals and six assists in the Bundesliga, and is attracting interest from Bayern and beyond.

Union Saint-Gilloise are not a team to be underestimated, and they swept side Union Berlin 6-3 on aggregate in the previous round. However, I wonder if the Belgian title-chasers can really keep this going, and Leverkusen are a much more potent attacking force than Union.

I'll back Bayer to win and Over 2.5 Goals on the Sportsbook here at 5/4. Nine of Bayer's last 12 competitive games have featured at least three goals, and I expect them to play on the front foot here.

All going to plan for Magic Mourinho

Feyenoord v Roma
Thursday 13 April, 17:45
Live on BT Sport 3

Love him or loathe him, you can't deny that Jose Mourinho gets things done. In his first season at the helm of Roma the Portuguese coach led them to their first European trophy since the Fairs Cup of 1961, and now he is on course for a top-four finish in Serie A and in the mix for another European trophy.

On Thursday night they face the side they beat 1-0 in the Europa Conference League final, and Feyenoord are also enjoying life.

The Dutch giants are eight points clear at the top of the Eredivisie, with chasers PSV and Ajax unable to match their consistency.

Arne Slot's Feyenoord have lost just once in the league all season, and their remaining fixtures are pretty kind.

In the Europa League, Slot's side made everyone sit up and take notice in the previous round as they demolished Shakhtar 7-1 in the Netherlands.

I think we can put together an attractive Bet Builder here on the Sportsbook at 4.61361/100.

We'll start with Roma's Paulo Dybala and Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez to each have a shot on target (Dybala is averaging just shy of a shot on target per 90 in Serie A, Gimenex is averaging 1.41 SOT per 90 in the Eredivisie), as both are in good goalscoring form.

I'll back Over 1.5 Goals (that has paid out in 18 of 20 Feyenoord games since the World Cup) and Over 6.5 Corners.

Finally, let's back Roma defender Gianluca Mancini to commit at least one foul - he averages 1.2 fouls per game in Serie A, and 1.7 in the UEL.

Sporting can spring a surprise

Juventus v Sporting
Thursday 13 April, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 3

It's no surprise that Sporting boss Ruben Amorim gets placed on a list of candidates every time a top job comes up.

The 38-year-old has worked wonders at the Jose Alvalade, ending the Lions' long wait for a Portuguese title, and reaching the knockout stages of both the Champions League (last season) and the Europa League (this season).

One of the most impressive performances of his tenure came in the last 16, as Sporting went to Premier League leaders Arsenal and won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Sporting seem to like facing North London clubs, as they took four points off Tottenham in the Champions League. Now they take an 11-match unbeaten run to Turin to face a Juventus team that suffered a demoralising 2-1 defeat at Lazio in Serie A at the weekend.

Juve would be second in Serie A if they hadn't been deducted 15 points for alleged financial malpractice, and Max Allegri has turned them into a solid and consistent side for the most part.

That said, functional victories over Nantes and Freiburg in this competition don't tell us a huge amount, and in the Champions League Juve lost five of their six group games, including a humbling defeat at Israeli side Maccabi Haifa.

I can't get on board with Juventus' price of 1.855/6 in the Match Odds market here, as it suggests the hosts are a much better side that Sporting.

I believe the gap is far smaller, so I'll lay the hosts.