The race for the Champions League and Europa League group stage continues in midweek, with sides hoping for a bumper pay-out. All those qualifying games should give us plenty of entertainment, with enough matches on to keep us busy, or to put together a few midweek accumulators. With some interesting ties, including a few involving British and Irish sides, these clashes are surely a much better alternative to the lacklustre friendlies taking place as sides warm up for the new domestic season.
There are Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh sides in action, with a couple of Republic of Ireland teams hoping for progression too. Those teams might have little chance of going far in Europe, but in leagues like that European money could really boost a team’s wallet. Speaking of which, we’re hoping to boost our balance ahead of the new season with a midweek accumulator on these qualifying games. You can see our both teams to score tips below, along with reasoning behind each.
Tuesday 18th July 2017
- TNS v Rijeka (Evens with Sky Bet) – TNS need to get forward in their clash with Rijeka, following defeat in Croatia. The Welsh side are expected to crash out, but we believe they can at least grab a goal before exiting the competition.
Wednesday 19th July 2017
- Rosenborg v Dundalk (11/10 with SkyBet) – After a 1-1 draw in their first meeting, it’s all to play for in this clash in Norway. We see Rosenborg edging this one, but we’re also backing Dundalk to grab a goal, after their strong European displays last season.
Thursday 20th July 2017
- Trakai v Norrkoping (8/11 with Betfred) – These two played out an entertaining first leg, with Trakai grabbing an away goal in a 2-1 defeat. We’re backing them to add to that at home, but they’ll struggle to beat a superior Norrkoping side.
- Mlada Boleslav v Shamrock Rovers (17/20 with Coral) – After Mlada claimed a 3-2 win in Dublin last week, we could be in for another cracking tie here. Rovers were able to score home and away against Stjarnan in the last round, and they should follow that up with a goal in the Czech Republic.
- AEK Larnaca v Cork (11/10 with Ladbrokes) – Cork’s scoring touch seemed to abandon them in the last round, but they are desperate for a goal here. We think they’ll pour forward against AEK, which should lead to an open, high scoring game.
- Galatasaray v Ostersunds (17/20 with BetVictor) – Gala lost the first leg 2-0, and they could be in for more defensive problems here, as they have a horrible home record in this competition. Six of their last seven home games in the Europa League have seen both teams score.
- Siroki Brijeg v Aberdeen (6/5 with Betfred) – After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Aberdeen need to push forward in the return in Bosnia, but the hosts are handy in front of goal and they should get on the scoresheet.