Europa League Treble: Roma to open an assertive lead

Roma need to recover from recent domestic disappointments

The first Europa League multiple of the knockout phase features both Roma and Villarreal...

AaB v Club Brugge
Thursday, 18:00
Back under 1.5 goals @ 3.1511/5

This is one of the less glamorous Europa League round-of-32 tussles and AaB may be a little rusty, having not played a competitive match since the group stage.

Describe their form in recent friendlies as poor would be an understatement, but it is worth remembering that the Danish club didn't concede once whilst maintaining a perfect home record in Group J.

Club Brugge were just as stingy in Group B, keeping three clean sheets from three on the road and being breached twice in total, so this clash should be cagey.

Roma v Feyenoord
Thursday, 18:00
Live on BT Sport 2
Back Roma to lead at half time and full time @ 2.3211/8

A Serie A scudetto battle with Juventus is looking increasingly unlikely for Roma, as five draws in their last six matches in the Italian top flight has resulted in them falling seven points off top spot.

What is interesting though is that four days after the second leg with Feyenoord, they face a decisive league collision with the Old Lady. Surely Rudi Garcia will want to rest as many players as possible for the Europa League return in Rotterdam in that case?

If this is to happen, Roma will have to be convincing winners of this first leg. A quick start will be necessary and Feyenoord hardly had the ideal preparation when losing 2-0 at Eredivisie strugglers Heracles at the weekend. They were trailing at both half time and full time too.

Villarreal v Red Bull Salzburg
Thursday, 20:05
Back half-time draw/full-time Villarreal win @ 5.04/1

Red Bull Salzburg were comfortably the top scorers during the group phase with 21 goals, but Alan, who was responsible for eight of these strikes, left in January for Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande, as did another key player in Kevin Kampl, who departed for Borussia Dortmund.

Chief striker Jonathan Soriano is still around, but there is no doubting that the Austrian club's attacking prongs have been blunted.

Villarreal have won eight on the bounce at home, all without conceding. However, they tend to come on strong after the interval, as they have failed to score in the opening period in five of those eight successes.

A 5 treble provides a profit of 141.75 profit if successful