talkSPORT betting tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Thursday 18 April
The English sides have it all to do in Europe this week, with Liverpool and West Ham staring down the barrel of elimination from the Europa League following damaging first legs in the quarter-finals last week.
Aston Villa are better placed in the Europa Conference League following their 2-1 win over Lille, but the high-flying French side won't make things easy in the return fixture across the Channel.
It promises to be a pulsating night of continental action and we have picked out three juicy bets to whet the appetite on Thursday.
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Bet of the day
Over 3.5 goals in Atalanta v Liverpool @ 20/21
Liverpool have had a week to forget with their Premier League hopes taking a huge hit following a 2-2 draw at Manchester United and a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
In between those matches was a thumping 3-0 home loss to Atalanta to leave the Reds' hopes of European glory in tatters and it will require something special from Jurgen Klopp's men to turn around the tie, but even this assignment looks beyond them.
The main concern is Liverpool's form which has hit the skids in recent weeks, particularly in attacking areas where they have come up short in converting chances.
And their desperation to put things right in a bid to rescue this tie could lead to an open affair in Bergamo.
Atalanta offered Liverpool a glimmer of hope on Monday as they threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Verona in Serie A, and the short turnaround for the Italians could also aid Klopp's cause.
And goals have followed the Merseysiders around on their European travels this season, as five of Liverpool's last seven road matches in all competitions have seen both teams score and over 2.5 goals scored, while the Reds have scored 16 goals in their last six outings away from Anfield.
Back a high-scoring affair in Bergamo on Thursday.
Special of the day
Bayer Leverkusen to win or draw, Granit Xhaka to be shown a card & Viktor Boniface to score @ 17/2
Bayer Leverkusen landed the Bundesliga title for the first time on Sunday and they should have more to celebrate at West Ham's expense on Thursday.
The German side are unbeaten in 43 matches this season, winning 38 times, and even though some fatigue may be present following their title-winning celebrations, the newly-crowned German should still be too strong for a Hammers' side who have won one of their last six fixtures.
Leverkusen lead 2-0 from the first leg and they could finish the job this week by at least avoiding defeat in East London, while combining that with two other bets could be well rewarded.
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has been booked eight times this season, and the combative Swiss star could fall foul of the arbiter as he looks to thwart West Ham's attempts to restore parity in the tie.
And Viktor Boniface looks a decent shout to get on the scoresheet, just as he did in the first leg of this tie a week ago.
The Nigerian forward has scored 18 times this season, including seven in his last 10 outings, and could help pick off the Hammers as they go in search of much-needed goals.
Long shot of the day
Aston Villa to win & over 3.5 goals @ 8/1
Aston Villa beat Lille 2-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final and the Villans could finish the job in a high-scoring French affair.
Villa are back in form following a slight dip in March and will be in high spirits following their 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday.
Both teams have scored in Lille’s last six games, while seven of the French side's last nine home outings have seen at least three goals, so side with a high-scoring tussle on Thursday.
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