Thursday's Europa League predictions and free football tips: Frankfurt fancied to ease to victory

Where to watch

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Viktoria Plzen
TNT Sports 7, 8pm

Roma vs Athletic Bilbao
TNT Sports 3, 8pm

Best bets

Eintracht Frankfurt to win to nil
1pt 13-10 BoyleSports, Hills 

Gianluca Mancini anytime goalscorer vs Athletic Bilbao
1pt 12-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Thursday's Europa League predictions

Much has changed at Eintracht Frankfurt since they won the Europa League in 2022 but their start to the Bundesliga season suggests the German side could enjoy another deep run in the competition. 

Dino Toppmoller's men have won their last three games against solid trio Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach and should have too much quality for Viktoria Plzen, who were thrashed 3-0 by Czech rivals Slavia Prague on Saturday. 

Plzen managed just three shots on target in that defeat and may struggle to lay a glove on Frankfurt, who have lost just one of their last nine home games and routed Bayern Munich 5-1 at Deutsche Bank Park last season. 

Viktoria won all of their qualifying matches by just a single goal, despite playing Ukrainian minnows Kryvbas and a Hearts side who are bottom of the Scottish Premiership with one point from six games, and they may be out of their depth against much stronger opposition. 

The Czech outfit are yet to win in Germany, losing seven and drawing one of their eight games, and Frankfurt can add to their visitors' woeful record with a shutout victory. 

Another side with Europa League pedigree are Roma, who have made the semi-finals twice and final once in their last three runs in the competition. 

The Wolves picked up their first win of the campaign on Sunday, beating Udinese 3-0 in Ivan Juric's opening game following the sacking of Daniele De Rossi, and may carry that impetus into their clash with Athletic Bilbao, against whom they could find some joy from dead-ball situations. 

Four of the seven goals Bilbao have shipped this term have come via set-plays and that could be an area Juric looks to exploit in the Italian capital. 

Gianluca Mancini was key in Roma's run to the last four of the Europa League last season, netting in both quarter-finals against Milan as well as in the last 16 versus Brighton. 

The Italian centre-back has taken four shots in five matches this term and is a huge price to find the net against Bilbao. 

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