Best European Football Leagues to Bet On

Coventry City host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Coventry Building Society Arena in a fascinating Premier League clash between two sides enjoying very different starts to the 2026/27 campaign. Frank Lampard's newly promoted Sky Blues, back in the top flight for the first time in 25 years after lifting the Championship title, have found life tough so far, falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat at champions Manchester City last time out following a frustrating 0-1 home loss to Hull City, though they did show their attacking potential in a 4-2 Carabao Cup win at Plymouth. Brighton, meanwhile, have been the Premier League's great entertainers under Fabian Hürzeler, following an opening-day rout with a 4-3 thriller at Stamford Bridge and a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Leeds at the Amex.

The 2026/27 squads tell a story of ambition on both sides. Coventry broke their transfer record three times in one window, spending over £120m on club-record signing Caleb Yirenkyi (£23.1m from Nordsjælland), goalkeeper Carl Rushworth (£22.5m, poached directly from Brighton), teenage sensation Sidiki Chérif (£20.5m from Fenerbahçe), Loum Tchaouna, Aurèle Amenda, Taiwo Awoniyi, Ethan Pinnock and the returning fan favourite Gustavo Hamer, with Ellis Simms and Haji Wright leading the line. Brighton counter with their own club-record investment in Luka Vušković, who scored his first English goal against Leeds, alongside a possession-hungry unit that has averaged over 73% of the ball in their opening fixtures — the highest on record for a side through two Premier League games.

The first Manchester Derby of the 2026/27 Premier League season arrives at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 September 2026, with Manchester United hosting champions-elect Manchester City under the lights of English football's fiercest rivalry. Michael Carrick's United have been entertainingly unpredictable so far, opening with a shock defeat before roaring back to thrash Ipswich 5:2 at Old Trafford, only to then surrender a two-goal lead in a 2:2 draw at Everton in their most recent outing. City, meanwhile, have made a flawless start under new boss Enzo Maresca, and their midweek Champions League trip to Portugal ended in another controlled away victory over Porto 0:2, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals to reach 300 senior career strikes.

United's 2026/27 squad has taken shape around a new-look spine: Senne Lammens in goal behind Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw, with Kobbie Mainoo and summer signing Youri Tielemans anchoring midfield behind Bryan Mbeumo, captain Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko leading the line. Carrick will be without Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba through injury for the derby, while City report a completely clean bill of health, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marc Guehi, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez among the post-January 2026 recruits settled into a starting XI completed by Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Haaland.

Leeds United host Newcastle United at Elland Road on Monday 14 September 2026 in an England - Premier League Week 4 meeting between two sides still unbeaten in the league. Daniel Farke's Leeds have been compact rather than flashy, following a 1-1 draw at Brighton with home resilience against Brentford, but the midweek Carabao Cup trip to Chelsea ended in a 6-3 defeat that will concern Farke because of the space conceded in transition.

Newcastle arrive with a new managerial voice after Matthias Jaissle replaced Eddie Howe in August, and the early signs are encouraging: a 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth was followed by a statement 0-2 win at Tottenham, then Joe Willock's late strike settled a 0-1 Carabao Cup victory at Millwall. The Magpies' blend of direct running and set-piece pressure makes them dangerous even when they do not dominate possession.

SV Elversberg welcome record champions Bayern Munich to the URSAPHARM-Arena an der Kaiserlinde on Sunday, 13 September 2026 (17:30 CEST) for a fascinating Matchday 3 clash in the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The newly promoted Saarland side have made a sensational start to life in the top flight and currently sit level on six points with the very best, while Bayern — after lifting the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup with a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund — are still chasing their early-season rhythm. The European odds for this fixture reflect the gulf in pedigree but not necessarily current form: an away win for Bayern is priced at around 1.20, the draw at 9.00, and a home victory for Elversberg as high as 12.00, even though the hosts are one of only two teams with a perfect record so far.

Elversberg's fairytale start continued last weekend when they stormed Borussia-Park and edged a seven-goal thriller, with David Mokwa and company producing ten shots on target to silence Gladbach and claim a famous 3-4 away victory. That result followed their opening-day statement at the Kaiserlinde, where they overturned Bayer Leverkusen in a historic 3-2 win despite holding barely a third of possession. Manager Horst Steffen's 2026/27 squad is built around the irrepressible Mokwa (two league goals already), midfielder Maurice Krattenmacher — signed from Bayern Munich's own academy for €2 million in June — creator Fisnik Asllani, and veteran campaigner Lukas Pinckert, though the latter is suspended for this match after his red card at Gladbach. The absences of defender Lukas Seifert (syndesmosis ligament tear) and forward Timo Zimmerschied (back problems) further stretch the underdogs' resources against the league's most potent attack.

RB Leipzig host Hamburger SV at the Red Bull Arena on Sunday, 13 September 2026, in one of the most intriguing fixtures of the early 2026/27 Bundesliga season. Both sides arrive at this Matchday 3 clash wounded after humbling defeats last weekend: Leipzig fell 3-1 away to Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion despite dominating possession, while Hamburg were torn apart 5-0 at home by Mainz 05, a result that leaves Merlin Polzin's men bottom of the table with zero points and zero goals scored. The head-to-head history is heavily one-sided — RB Leipzig are unbeaten in their last six meetings with HSV, winning five of them, including a 4-0 rout in the most recent encounter — and the European odds reflect that dominance, with a home win priced around 1.40, the draw near 5.25, and an away triumph as high as 7.50.

Ole Werner's RB Leipzig will be desperate to bounce back in front of their own fans, and the 2026/27 squad certainly has the quality to do so. Maarten Vandevoordt starts in goal behind a back line of Ridle Baku, Willi Orbán, Maxime Estève and David Raum, with Neil El Aynaoui, Nicolas Seiwald and Ezechiel Banzuzi screening a dangerous attack featuring Johan Bakayoko, Christopher Nkunku and Antonio Nusa. The injury room is crowded, however: Castello Lukeba, Christoph Baumgartner, Rocco Reitz, Assan Ouédraogo, Rômulo, Brajan Gruda and Veit Gebel are all unavailable, and the defensive lapses that cost them in the 1-3 defeat in Bremen will need to be addressed quickly against a Hamburg side that, despite its poor form, carries real attacking threat on the counter.

Lecce vs Monza is the opening fixture of Serie A Round 4 on Sunday, 13 September 2026, kicking off at 15:00 local time at the Stadio Ettore Giardiniero – Via del Mare. Both sides arrive at this southern showdown sitting in the bottom half of the early 2026/27 standings and desperate for points: Lecce are 14th with 3 points from their opening three games, while newly promoted Monza, back in the top flight after winning the Serie B play-offs under Ivan Jurić, are 16th with just a single point. With both attacks struggling for rhythm so far this season, this has all the makings of a tight, tactical battle between Eusebio Di Francesco's organised 4-3-3 and Jurić's industrious but injury-hit Monza side.

Lecce's season began brightly with a 2-0 away win at Venezia, but back-to-back defeats have dampened the mood in Salento. They were thumped 0 : 4 at home by an in-form Roma side on 31 August, and then fell 1 : 0 at Cagliari on 7 September, meaning they have yet to score at home this campaign. Captain and goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone remains the leader of the 2026/27 squad, with Tiago Gabriel and Kialonda Gaspar anchoring the defence, Lassana Coulibaly and Oumar Ngom screening midfield, and summer signing Willem Geubbels competing with Nikola Štulić for the central striker role alongside Santiago Pierotti and Konan N'Dri in Di Francesco's front three. Geubbels is a doubt through injury, which may force Štulić to lead the line once again.

Napoli welcome Bologna to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday 13 September 2026, in a Serie A 2026/27 Matchday 3 clash that pits two sides searching for consistency against each other. Napoli, under new head coach Massimiliano Allegri, are looking to bounce back at home, while Bologna, now led by Domenico Tedesco after Vincenzo Italiano's summer departure, are still chasing their first league win of the season. Historically this fixture favours the hosts: Napoli have won 62 of the 154 competitive meetings between the clubs, and the Partenopei have long dominated this pairing in Naples.

Napoli's start to the new campaign has been a mixed one. Allegri's men opened the season with an impressive 2-0 away win at Genoa, but then slipped to a surprise home defeat, before travelling to San Siro last weekend and squandering a 2-0 lead built on goals from Matteo Politano and Rasmus Højlund to fall 3-2 to Inter, with Lautaro Martínez scoring a stoppage-time winner. That leaves Napoli with just three points from two games. The 2026/27 squad has a refreshed look: Benoît Badiashile has arrived on loan from Chelsea to bolster the defence, Lorenzo Lucca and Noa Lang have returned from loan spells, and Højlund and Alisson Santos signed permanently, though Romelu Lukaku was sold to Fenerbahçe. Selection concerns remain, with Scott McTominay unavailable after a minor heart procedure and Alessandro Buongiorno nursing a knee injury.

Sassuolo host Juventus on Sunday, 13 September 2026 at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, in one of the standout fixtures of Serie A matchday 4. Juventus arrive unbeaten under Luciano Spalletti with seven points from three games, while Sassuolo have collected four points from their opening three matches of the 2026/27 campaign. The European odds ahead of kick-off firmly favour the visitors, with Juventus priced at 1.68 to win, the draw at 4.02, and a Sassuolo home victory at 6.00.

Sassuolo's 2026/27 squad, built around Arijanet Muric in goal and the experienced Nemanja Matic in midfield, showed flashes of quality early in the season. The Neroverdi fought to an entertaining 2-2 draw away at Bologna last weekend after earlier beating Torino 2-1 at home, though they were beaten 2-1 by Atalanta on the opening day. Coach Fabio Grosso is without several key men, with Sebastian Walukiewicz, Fali Candé, Edoardo Pieragnolo, Daniel Boloca and Ismaël Koné all unavailable.

Como 1907 host Parma Calcio 1913 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Monday, 14 September 2026, in one of the most intriguing fixtures of the Serie A 2026/27 season so far. Cesc Fàbregas' side have been one of the stories of the new campaign, sitting 4th in the standings with 7 points from three matches, and they are also preparing for their debut season in the Champions League, which has only raised the excitement levels around Lake Como. Parma, back in the top flight after their Serie B journey, find themselves in 16th place with just a single point, and new coach Carlos Cuesta knows his team must tighten up quickly if they are to avoid another relegation battle. With the odds firmly stacked in the hosts' favour, this clash promises to be a stern examination of Parma's resilience against one of Italy's most ambitious projects.

Como's form has been nothing short of spectacular. After opening the season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Udinese, the Lariani stunned Napoli at the Maradona, winning 1-2 away from home before producing the performance of the round last time out, demolishing Genoa 4-1 at the Luigi Ferraris with goals from Martin Baturina, an Assane Diao brace and Nico Paz. Parma's recent results paint the opposite picture: they were beaten 2-0 by Juventus in Turin in their last away outing and could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Monza, leaving them anchored in the drop zone with confidence in short supply.

Inter host Udinese at San Siro on Monday, 14 September 2026, in a Serie A Matchweek 4 clash that pits the title favourites against a compact Friulani side still searching for consistency. The latest team news shapes the narrative: Inter responded to their 3-2 comeback win over Napoli by falling 2-1 at Real Madrid in the Champions League, while Udinese arrive after Monday's home defeat to Lazio and remain dangerous on transitions but short of several creative players.

Udinese's early season has been mixed: they opened with a draw against Como, produced an away win at Monza in the game listed as 3-2 from the visitors' perspective, then were edged 1-2 by Lazio despite taking the lead. The Bianconeri's 2026/27 squad still leans on Maduka Okoye in goal, Sandi Lovric and Oier Zarraga in midfield, Idrissa Gueye's experience, Keinan Davis' physicality and the fit-again hopes around Nicolo Zaniolo, but Zaniolo, Giorgi Chakvetadze, Alessandro Zanoli and Matteo Palma are currently listed among the unavailable players.

Torino host AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Monday, 14 September 2026 (18:30 CEST) in one of the standout fixtures of the 2026/2027 Serie A season. The Granata, sitting 14th after an inconsistent start, welcome a Roma side that has been nothing short of spectacular under Gian Piero Gasperini, with the Giallorossi currently top of the table after three rounds. Roma have won their opening league games in emphatic fashion, while Torino have managed just one victory in their first three outings, and the form book strongly favors the visitors in this Turin showdown.

Torino's early-season campaign has been a mixed bag. Fabio Grosso's men bounced back from defeat with a brilliant away win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, edging 1-2 against Fiorentina on 5 September thanks to second-half strikes from Che Adams and Rolando Mandragora. That result followed a painful home setback in the Coppa Italia, where Torino crashed out to newly promoted Monza by a 0-1 scoreline, and a 2-1 league defeat at Sassuolo in late August. Deadline-day arrivals Daniel Bragança, Nathan Patterson and Rafik Belghali are still settling in, and with Duván Zapata and Giovanni Simeone leading the line, Torino will need far more cutting edge than they showed against Monza if they are to trouble Roma's defense.

Brest host Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Francis-Le Blé on Sunday, 13 September 2026 in France - Ligue 1, with Eric Roy’s side arriving in confident mood after a 2-1 win at Le Havre and a 2-2 draw with Toulouse; those results, added to the 2-2 draw at Le Mans, leave Brest on five points from three matches and give Brittany a rare early-season edge in belief even though PSG remain the heavy favorite.

PSG travel west still searching for their first league win of the 2026/2027 campaign after a shock 2-1 home defeat by Monaco, a result that followed 2-2 draws with Lille and Rennes; Marquinhos had put Luis Enrique’s team ahead against Monaco before second-half goals turned the night against the champions, so selection pressure is high even though the reported squad list has no new suspensions to manage.

Le Mans welcome Lens to the Stade Marie-Marvingt on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in a Ligue 1 2026/27 fixture that pits the league's surprise package against the newly promoted strugglers. The hosts sit 14th after three matchdays, still searching for their first win of the campaign following a 1-1 draw at Nice, a narrow 2-3 defeat away to Rennes, and an entertaining 2-2 home stalemate with Brest. Lens, meanwhile, have started the season strongly and currently occupy 5th place, though they were stunned 0-1 at home by Lorient last weekend after thrashing Auxerre 5-2 and falling 2-1 away at Strasbourg earlier in the month.

The betting markets strongly favour the visitors, with European odds pricing a Lens victory at 1.64, the draw at 4.41, and a home win for Le Mans at 5.64. Those numbers translate to roughly a 47% probability of an away win, 28% for a draw, and just 25% for Le Mans, which reflects the gulf in quality between a side that finished second in Ligue 1 last season and one playing its first top-flight campaign since 2009/10 after back-to-back promotions under coach Patrick Videira.

Lille host Troyes at the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday, 13 September 2026, in a Ligue 1 clash that pits an unbeaten home side against a newly promoted team still searching for consistency. Davide Ancelotti's Lille sit 4th with seven points from three matches, while Stéphane Dumont's Troyes are 9th with four points. The European odds reflect the gap between the teams, with Lille priced as clear favorites around 1.45, the draw near 4.50, and Troyes quoted as high as 7.50 to pull off an away surprise. Lille's only setback of the young season came in midweek, when they fell 2-3 to Real Betis in their Champions League opener despite a late fightback, but their league form remains perfect so far.

The Dogues arrive with real momentum from domestic play, having ground out a 1-0 away win at Toulouse before the international break, following an impressive 2-2 home draw with Paris Saint-Germain and a 2-0 opening victory at Angers. Lille's 2026/27 squad blends experience and youth: Berke Özer has started in goal behind a defense featuring Tiago Santos and Romain Perraud, captain Benjamin André anchors the midfield alongside Ethan Mbappé and Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, with veteran Olivier Giroud leading the line. Hamza Igamane, Tanguy Nianzou, Désiré Bakwa and Nabil Bentaleb are currently unavailable, but Ancelotti has enough depth to rotate after the European midweek without losing intensity.

AC Milan host Benfica at San Siro on Wednesday 16 September 2026 in a standout 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league-phase opener, with Rúben Amorim’s rebuilt Rossoneri taking on Marco Silva’s in-form Eagles in one of the round’s most tactical matchups. European odds have made Milan a narrow home favorite at about 2.18, the draw is close to 3.80, and Benfica are around 3.47, but the market price still undervalues Milan’s San Siro edge in a game our prediction settles at 2:1 for the Italian side.

Milan arrive unbeaten in Serie A after early-season tests, showing resilience in a 1-1 draw at Juventus and control in a 2-0 win over Venezia, with a 2026/2027 squad built around Mike Maignan in goal, Pervis Estupiñán, Strahinja Pavlović, Mario Gila and Koni De Winter across the back, Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot and Yunus Musah in midfield, and Christian Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers, Samuel Chukwueze and Gonçalo Ramos providing the decisive attacking thrust.

Anderlecht host Lyon at Lotto Park in the first matchday of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase, with both clubs looking to build on encouraging starts to their domestic campaigns. Vítor Bruno's Anderlecht arrive on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 win over KV Mechelen, sealed by Tawfik Bentayeb's second-half strike at Achter De Kazerne — a narrow victory that kept the Brussels club in the mix near the top of the Belgian Pro League. The Purple & White will lean on their 2026/27 core, including goalkeeper Colin Coosemans, defenders Giulian Biancone and Léo Pétrot, and the attacking pairing of Danylo Sikan and Oliver Antman, although Killian Sardella, Ilay Camara and Lucas Hey remain sidelined through injury. Our full breakdown of that trip to Mechelen is available in the 0-1 match prediction.

Lyon, meanwhile, have begun their Ligue 1 season with real intent under their current European campaign. The French outfit brushed aside Auxerre in a 3-1 home win at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, a match in which their front line repeatedly cut through the visitors' defence, while keeping the memory of a scrappy draw against Le Havre fresh — a game in which a dramatic late equaliser rescued a point after a VAR-dominated finish. Detailed analysis of those results can be found in the 3-1 and 1-1 predictions, and the French side also opened their league campaign in perfect fashion by winning 2-0 away at Toulouse — see the 0-2 match preview for the full story.

Bayer Leverkusen open their 2026/27 UEFA Europa League campaign on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, when Slovenian champions Celje visit the BayArena for Matchday 1 of the league phase. Leverkusen qualified directly after finishing sixth in the Bundesliga last season, while Celje arrive via the Champions League play-off route, dropping into the Europa League after their epic tie with Slovan Bratislava and making their debut in the competition proper. The German side are heavy favourites in the European odds at around 1.25 for the home win, with the draw priced near 6.50 and a famous Celje victory quoted as high as 11.00.

Leverkusen come into the tie in excellent attacking form under their new-look 2026/27 squad. They crushed Union Berlin 4:0 in the Bundesliga on 5 September, just days after surviving a DFB-Pokal thriller at Wehen 0:4 away from home. New signings such as goalkeeper Mark Flekken, defender Facundo Medina, winger Afonso Moreira and youngsters Ibrahim Maza and Malik Tillman have slotted in quickly alongside holdovers Edmond Tapsoba, Aleix García and Patrik Schick, with Miguel Gutiérrez already starring from left-back.

Olympiacos Piraeus open their 2026/2027 UEFA Europa League campaign on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, when they welcome Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus for Matchday 1 of the league phase. Kick-off is scheduled for 22:00 local time, and the clash marks the first-ever competitive meeting between the two clubs. The Greek giants dropped into the Europa League after falling to NEC Nijmegen in the Champions League qualifiers, while Jagiellonia arrive in Piraeus as one of the Ekstraklasa's most in-form teams, averaging over three goals per game across their recent fixtures.

Olympiacos head into the fixture with plenty of momentum under coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, having dismantled AEL Larissa 0-4 in the Greek Cup on 2 September before grinding out results in the Super League against Asteras Tripolis and Volos. The 2026/2027 squad has been reshaped with president Evangelos Marinakis targeting a deep run in the competition, and the headline summer arrival is Mexican forward Armando "La Hormiga" Gonzalez from Chivas de Guadalajara, whose signing is expected to add firepower alongside Roman Yaremchuk. Defensively, the Piraeus side have conceded just once in their last three domestic outings, a foundation Mendilibar will look to keep intact after last season's setbacks, including the 0-2 home defeat to PAOK in January that served as a wake-up call for the project.

Omonia host Celta Vigo at the GSP Stadium on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, in the opening round of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase. Kick-off is scheduled for 16:45 UTC, with Celta arriving as the favourites in the European odds at 1.96, compared with 3.60 for the draw and 4.28 for an Omonia victory. Both teams are searching for an early lift after inconsistent starts to the new campaign, and the first competitive meeting between the Cypriot and Spanish sides promises a tense tactical battle in Nicosia.

Omonia's preparations have produced contrasting results: Henning Berg's side produced an emphatic away victory over Aris Limassol, finishing 1-4, before losing the Cypriot Super Cup 1-0 to Pafos and drawing 0-0 with Omonia Aradippou. They had previously beaten the same opponent 3-1 in the league, while their recent European displays included a 4-2 home win over Sint-Truiden and a 1-0 away defeat. Celta Vigo remain winless in La Liga after following a 2-0 home loss to Athletic Club with 0-0 at Real Sociedad and 1-1 away to Getafe, leaving Claudio Giráldez under pressure to convert possession into goals.

Sturm Graz host Stade Rennais at the Merkur Arena in Graz on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, as the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase gets underway. It is a first-ever competitive meeting between the Austrian and French clubs, and both arrive with something to prove: Sturm are looking to bounce back from their Champions League playoff defeat to Fenerbahçe, while Rennes begin their European campaign on the back of their best Ligue 1 start in six years, unbeaten through their opening three league matches. The latest team news favors the visitors, as Sturm are without goalkeeper Daniil Khudyakov, playmaker Otar Kiteishvili, forward Leon Grgić and midfielder Filip Rózga through injury, whereas Franck Haise reports a fully fit Rennes squad for the trip to Austria.

Rennes head into this fixture in confident mood after edging Marseille 1-0 at Roazhon Park last Friday, a result that followed their hard-fought away win at Angers by 2-1 and their dramatic late victory over Le Mans by 3-2. Sturm's domestic form has been more erratic — a 4-1 ÖFB Cup win over Voitsberg was sandwiched between a 3-1 league defeat at Rapid Wien and a 1-1 draw with Austria Lustenau. The European odds (1X2) reflect the French side's momentum: Sturm Graz are priced at 3.50, the draw at 3.75, and an away Rennes win at 2.02, making the visitors clear favorites despite playing on the road in Graz.

Sunderland welcome AZ Alkmaar to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday 16 September 2026 (20:00 BST) for their UEFA Europa League league phase opener — one of the most eagerly anticipated European nights on Wearside in years. The Black Cats, coached by Régis Le Bris, begin their first Europa League campaign in front of a sell-out home crowd, while the visitors from the Netherlands arrive as one of the Eredivisie's most dangerous attacking sides despite seeing their perfect start to the season end just days before this trip to England.

Sunderland's recent form underlines their growing resilience: they ground out a 1-0 win over Hull City in the Carabao Cup third round, with Chemsdine Talbi's second-half strike settling the tie, and followed a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Brentford — where Enzo Le Fée converted a late penalty — by beating Fulham 1-0 at home in the Premier League. Their 2026/27 squad blends youth and experience: Le Fée dictates play in midfield, captain Luke O'Nien leads by example, Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete anchor a compact defence, young keeper Melker Ellborg has made the gloves his own, and Wilson Isidor, Chris Rigg and Nazariy Rusyn provide the attacking thrust.

Beşiktaş vs Marseille in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League is set for Tüpraş Stadyumu on 17 September 2026, a meeting between Vincenzo Italiano’s rebuilt Beşiktaş and Bruno Génésio’s new Marseille. The Turkish side’s 2026/27 core is built around Alexander Nübel, Amir Murillo, Emmanuel Agbadou, Emirhan Topçu, Rıdvan Yılmaz, Salih Özcan, Wilfred Ndidi, Orkun Kökçü, Leandro Trossard, Václav Černý and Dušan Vlahović, with Milot Rashica, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Semih Kılıçsoy adding pace around the striker. Marseille’s 2026/27 group under Génésio leans on Jeffrey De Lange/Thomas Vermot in goal, Derek Cornelius, Nayef Aguerd, Bamo Meïté, Ulisses García and Emerson in defence, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Tochukwu Nnadi, Ángel Gomes, Himad Abdelli and Timothy Weah through midfield, plus Amine Gouiri, Neal Maupay, Igor Paixão and Faris Moumbagna in attack.

Latest form slightly favours Beşiktaş at home: they arrive after statement domestic results such as 1-2 away to Fenerbahçe in the cup and 6-2 against Çorum FK, though the 1-0 Europa League loss at Žalgiris showed Italiano still wants more control in Europe. Marseille have had a bumpier start under Génésio, losing 1-0 at Rennes after the painful 2-3 home defeat by Paris FC and a 2-0 loss at Monaco, so defensive transitions and set-piece concentration are the big questions before Istanbul.

Celtic open their 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase at Celtic Park on Thursday 17 September 2026 against Ferencvaros, with kick-off at 20:00 local time, and Martin O’Neill’s side arrive with momentum after a perfect domestic start: a 3-0 home win over Aberdeen, a comeback 1-2 victory away to St Mirren and a narrow 0-1 success at St Johnstone, leaving them top of the Scottish Premiership with five wins from five. Ferencvaros’ route to Glasgow has been more continental, squeezing past Twente, Górnik Zabrze and Trabzonspor in qualifying, including a 4-0 play-off second-leg win, but their league form has been patchier, most recently a 2-2 draw with Újpest.

The European odds make Celtic clear favourites for this reunion, with a typical 1X2 line around 1.80 for a home win, 3.80 for the draw and 4.00 or bigger for Ferencvaros, while over 2.5 goals and both teams to score are both strongly supported by the market. The head-to-head also leans Celtic’s way from the sides’ 2020 and 2021 meetings, but Ferencvaros have enough pace in transition to make this uncomfortable if Celtic’s full-backs push too high. Our prediction is Celtic 3 : 1 Ferencvaros: the Scottish champions’ early-season rhythm, set-piece threat and attacking depth should eventually overwhelm the visitors, even if Ferencvaros find one breakthrough.

Crystal Palace return to European competition at Selhurst Park on Thursday, 17 September 2026 (20:00 BST) as they host Polish champions Lech Poznań in Matchday 1 of the UEFA Europa League league phase. Pierre Sage's side qualified automatically for the league phase after lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy last May, and the Eagles will be desperate to open their Group stage campaign with a win in front of a packed 25,194-strong home crowd. This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, with Palace drawn to face Lech at home alongside TSG Hoffenheim, Real Sociedad and Sparta Prague, while their away fixtures take them to Lyon, Beşiktaş, Jagiellonia Białystok and Red Bull Salzburg.

The betting markets make Crystal Palace clear favourites with European odds sitting around 1.45 for a home win, 4.90 for the draw and as high as 7.00–8.00 for a Lech Poznań victory, while both teams to score is priced near evens (1.91) and over 2.5 goals at 1.85. Palace's form has been mixed to start the 2026/27 Premier League season — they followed defeats to Everton and Manchester City with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Fulham, before crashing out of emotional contention in a dramatic 2-3 home defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday, where Axel Disasi's red card proved costly. Their one bright spot came in midweek, a comfortable 3-0 EFL Cup victory over Middlesbrough, with Jørgen Strand Larsen netting a brace.

Juventus host NEC Nijmegen at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Thursday, 17 September 2026 (19:00 UTC) in a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league phase opener, and the Italian giants arrive with an unbeaten start to the new season. Luciano Spalletti's men were held to a 1-1 draw by AC Milan at the weekend after kicking off their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 home win over Parma and a 1-0 away victory at Frosinone, conceding just one league goal in three matches.

The contrast in form could hardly be sharper. Nijmegen's high-scoring but defensively fragile Eredivisie campaign continued with a dramatic 2-2 home draw against Excelsior, a match in which they needed a 90+1' Nathan Lebreton equaliser to salvage a point, and they are conceding over two goals per game. Their away form offers slightly more hope, having won 3-1 at PEC Zwolle in late August, but heavy qualifying defeats to Bodø/Glimt (3-0 and 1-3) exposed real problems against organised European opposition.

Levski Sofia host Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday, 17 September 2026 at Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov in the UEFA Europa League league phase, and both sides arrive with plenty to prove. The Blues are still smarting from their 2-4 defeat to arch-rivals CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian Super Cup, though they responded with a hard-fought 2-1 away win at Slavia Sofia and a 1-0 league victory over CSKA 1948. Austrian giants Salzburg, meanwhile, come into the tie as slight favourites on European odds of around 2.20, with the draw at roughly 3.40 and a Levski win near 2.90.

Levski's domestic form has been otherwise excellent, highlighted by a 6-0 thrashing of Spartak Varna and a comfortable win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv, but their 0-4 Champions League qualifying loss at AEK Athens exposed defensive vulnerabilities against quicker continental attacks. Salzburg, regulars in European competition, are dealing with several injury concerns of their own, with Johannes Moser, Gaoussou Diakité and Soumaïla Diabaté all ruled out, while Levski report no unavailable players for the 2026/27 season squad. The Austrians' high pressing will test a home back line built around Plamen Hristov, Anthony Centelles and Carlos Makoun.

Lillestrom host Torreense at Åråsen Stadion on Thursday 17 September 2026, kicking off at 19:00 UTC in a UEFA Europa League league-phase opener that is new territory for both clubs: Lillestrom are back in Europe after edging Egnatia in the play-off round, while Torreense are tasting major UEFA competition for the first time and arrive after a narrow 1-0 Portuguese Super Cup loss to Porto.

Form says Lillestrom must be sharper than in their late-spring wobbles, when they slipped to 2-0 at HamKam and 1-2 at home to Kristiansund, but their European tie against Egnatia showed resilience; Torreense’s build-up has been steadier in Liga Portugal 2, drawing 0-0 with Leixoes and 2-2 with Penafiel.

OFI Crete host TSG Hoffenheim at Pankritio Stadio on Thursday 17 September 2026 in a 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league-phase opener that pairs the Greek Cup holders with Christian Ilzer's Bundesliga side. European odds make Hoffenheim the clear favourite at about 1.49, with the draw near 4.60 and OFI around 6.00, but the Cretans arrive with momentum after their Greek Cup run and a 0-0 away stalemate against PAOK in the cup.

Hoffenheim's latest news is mixed but trending upward: after narrow 3-2 and 2-3 defeats to Köln and Borussia Dortmund, they responded by edging Stuttgart 2-1 on 12 September. That late win matters because Ilzer had seen his team lead at half-time in both previous Bundesliga losses, so game management remains the key storyline before travelling to Heraklion.

FC Viktoria Plzeň host Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a UEFA Europa League 2026/27 league phase clash on Thursday, 17 September 2026 at the Doosan Arena (Štruncovy sady) in Plzeň, with kick-off at 21:00 local time. It is the first ever competitive meeting between the Czech and Belgian sides, and both arrive with momentum: Plzeň impressed in European qualifying, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit to beat Crvena zvezda 5-1 at home, while Union SG lifted their second Belgian Super Cup this summer. The bookmakers make Plzeň the slight favourites at 2.45, the draw is priced at 3.50, and an away win for the Brussels club sits at 3.60, underlining how tight this opening league phase fixture promises to be.

Plzeň's 2026/27 squad has been reshaped smartly by sporting management, with around €7.5M invested in young talent. Centre-forward Baboucarr Faal arrived from Karpaty Lviv for €3M, midfielder Stefan Pirgic joined from Železničar Pančevo for the same fee, and centre-back Filip Prebsl came over from Karviná, with Sebastian Boháč adding depth in midfield. Martin Jedlička has returned from loan, and the spine of the side remains built on goalkeeper Viktor Baier, defenders Sampson Dweh and Jan Paluska, veteran midfielder Patrik Hrošovský, plus attacking outlets Lukáš Červ, Amar Memić and Mohamed Touré, with Matěj Vydra providing experience up front. Recent results show a resilient side that grinds out results, as in the 0-0 league draw away at Hradec Králové earlier in September, and their defensive discipline was already evident last season in the 0-0 stalemate away to champions Sparta Prague in May.

Real Sociedad welcome AFC Bournemouth to the Reale Arena on Thursday, 17 September 2026, as the two sides open their 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league-phase campaigns in San Sebastián. The hosts, Copa del Rey holders under Pellegrino Matarazzo, are slight favourites in the European odds ahead of kick-off, with the bookmakers pricing a Real Sociedad win at around 2.60, the draw at 3.40, and an away victory for Bournemouth at roughly 2.70 – margins that underline just how tight this opening fixture promises to be.

Real Sociedad arrive with mixed domestic form, having battled to a 3-2 away win at Elche, followed by a goalless 0-0 draw at home to Celta Vigo and a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol. Bournemouth, meanwhile, have looked sharp in England, cruising past Lincoln City 4-0 in the Carabao Cup and earning a 2-2 draw at Newcastle, and the Cherries will fancy their chances of exposing a Sociedad back line that has been inconsistent against pace.