MY ACCOUNT
The Europa Conference League moves to the quarter-final stage, and after three qualifying rounds, a play-off section, a group stage and a knockout round play-off, just eight teams remain.
– Fiorentina have won nine of their last 10 matches
– Nice have lost just one Europa Conference League game away from home this season
– Recommended bets:
– Back Fiorentina to beat Lech Poznan
– Back Nice to beat Basel
With the last-eight first-leg ties taking place on Thursday, we have picked out two value selections.
Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina (Thursday, 8pm)
The stats
Fiorentina look the standout side left in the competition, they are preceded in the outright betting by West Ham, but it is hard to see how the Italians do not go very close to lifting the trophy.
Fiorentina have been in excellent form, winning nine of their last 10 across all competitions and that included excellent victories over Inter Milan and AC Milan.
The Viola were frustrated by a string of draws and narrow defeats in the early part of the Serie A season, seven of their 10 Italian top-flight defeats have come by a single-goal margin, but Vincenzo Italiano’s men are now in fantastic form.
The Florence outfit crushed Sivasspor 5-1 in the previous round of this competition, that included a 4-1 victory in Turkey, and prior to that, Fiorentina hammered a good Braga side 7-2. Those are seriously impressive results that have come against sides superior to Thursday’s opponents Lech Poznan.
Prediction
The Viola travel to Poland to face Lech Poznan in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final and Italiano’s side can secure an opening clash advantage.
The Polish outfit were pretty fortunate to come through a poor section containing Villarreal, Austria Vienna and Hapoel Be’er Sheva and knockout-stage wins over Bodo/Glimt and Djurgardens hardly set the pulse racing.
Fiorentina look to have serious chances of going all the way to the Conference League final in Prague and, at the prices, they look excellent value to secure victory at Stadion Poznan.
Back Fiorentina to beat Lech Poznan at 4/6 with LiveScore Bet.
Basel vs Nice (Thursday, 8pm)
The stats
Basel have scored 13 goals in their last seven Europa Conference League matches and there have been at least three goals in five of those last seven games.
FCB have scored 21 times in 12 home Swiss League matches this season and Heiko Vogel’s men have hit 19 strikes in their last 10 home matches across all competitions.
Nice have lost only three of 15 away Ligue 1 matches this term and a 1-0 reversal against Maccabi Tel Aviv, way back in August, is the only defeat the Eaglets have suffered on the road in this competition.
Prediction
Basel have enjoyed a charmed run to the last eight of the Conference League but FCB’s fortune could run out against Nice.
The Swiss side were extremely fortunate to beat Trabzonspor 2-0 in the preliminary round, after the Turkish outfit missed a penalty and a hatful of golden opportunities, and Basel needed a 93rd-minute equaliser and spot kicks to progress from their last-16 tie against Slovan Bratislava.
Nice have been strong away from home this season and they looked primed to take a first-leg advantage at St Jakob-Park.
Back Nice to beat Basel at 21/20 with LiveScore Bet.
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