Europa League Tips: Berlin to win Union battle

Party time in Berlin

Union Berlin v Union Saint-Gilloise
Thursday 08 September, 17:45
Live on BT Sport

These are heady days for supporters of Union Berlin. The club is in the top four of the Bundesliga after five matchdays, having finished a remarkable fifth last season. The Iron Ones reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal last season, and they have made an unbeaten start to the campaign. This is also their second consecutive European adventure, after the club competed in the Conference League last term.

Coach Urs Fischer is the star. The Swiss boss took the club into the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, and he has improved their standing in each and every season since. The former Basel boss is backed up by excellent recruitment from sporting director Oliver Ruhnert.

On the pitch, Surinamese forward Sheraldo Becker has been absolutely outstanding. He has five goals and two assists already in the Bundesliga, and he has adapted well to a change of strike partner, with Jordan Siebatcheu replacing Taiwo Awoniyi.

Union Saint-Gilloise surprised everyone last season by making a genuine push for the Belgian title, although they did then fall short of winning the championship, as they were edged out by the usually dominant Club Brugge. In the Champions League qualifiers they beat Rangers 2-0 in Belgium, but crumbled at Ibrox, losing 3-0 in the second leg.

Union Berlin are on a high after beating Leipzig and drawing 1-1 with Bayern in their last two home matches, and the fact that this game will be at the Alte Föersterei instead of the cavernous Olympiastadion makes an enormous difference. I'll happily back the hosts -1.0 on the Asian Handicap here at 2.01/1.

Mourinho on the hunt

Ludogorets v Roma
Thursday 08 September, 17:45
Live on BT Sport

Such was Jose Mourinho's delight at becoming the first coach to win the UEFA Europa Conference League, he celebrated the achievement by getting a tattoo of the three major European trophies. Mourinho is the only coach to win the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, and being the shrinking violet he is, he wanted to mark that unprecedented achievement.

Mourinho has already won the Europa League with Porto and Manchester United, and his Roma squad has shown it can cope with the hectic schedule a European competition brings. In Serie A, the Giallorossi had made a decent start until a 4-0 hammering at Udinese last time out. After that debacle, I expect to see a reaction.

Ludogorets have completely dominated Bulgarian football in recent years, but I can't see the hosts laying a glove on Mourinho's men here. They were beaten home and away by Dinamo Zagreb in the UCL qualifiers, and they needed a 120th-minute penalty to see off Lithuanian side Zalgiris in the UEL qualifiers.

I'll back the visitors -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.910/11.

Arnie's team to terminate visitors' hopes

Sturm Graz v Midtjylland
Thursday 08 September, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Graz is not only the birthplace of muscle man and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it is currently the home of Austria's second-best side. Sturm Graz came in second behind perennial champions RB Salzburg last season, and they were narrowly edged out by Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League qualifiers.

Midtjylland won the Danish Superliga in 2015, 2018 and 2020 and they have plenty of recent European experience, but they are struggling at the moment. Spaniard Albert Capellas took over in the summer, and has delivered just nine points from his first eight league matches. They were also thrashed 7-2 by Benfica in the Champions League qualifiers.

Sturm Graz can be backed Draw No Bet here at 2.021/1, and given the form of the two clubs (Midtjylland have lost four of their last seven games), that's a price I'll happily snap up.

Vinny to shine on Freiburg's big night

Freiburg v Qarabag
Thursday 08 September, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Freiburg have reached the group stage of a European competition for the first time since 2014, and they only won one of their six matches that year, finishing third in their group. Coach Christian Streich has a far better squad at his disposal these days, and his team is top of the Bundesliga table after winning four of their first five matches.

The talismanic Vincenzo Grifo has already delivered three goals and an assist, and his ability at set plays has been the bedrock of Freiburg's recent success. With a raucous atmosphere at Europa Park, I expect Freiburg to apply plenty of pressure upon their Azerbaijani opponents.

Qarabag lost at Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League qualifiers, and I believe in-form Freiburg will beat them here. I'll use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder to back Freiburg to win and Grifo to score or assist at 1.824/5.