20:00 Thursday

Atalanta vs Liverpool – Liverpool to Win 

Liverpool’s season took an unexpected turn recently as they lost their last two fixtures and failed to win the last three. They suffered a 3-0 loss in the reverse fixture at Anfield and head to the Gewiss stadium with an uphill battle as they look to qualify for the Europa League semifinals and avoid their season petering out to a disappointing end.

Liverpool are notorious for their ability to overturn a deficit in European competitions and will be confident they can do this here.

Atalanta have a three-goal lead and won’t need to push to score in this fixture. They’ll likely look to defend their lead and with three clean sheets in their last five fixtures, they’ll be confident this will be the approach to take.

However, I think the result in the last fixture was an anomaly. Liverpool have been wasteful with chances in recent games (15.68 xG in their last five games but only eight goals in the league) and are better than their recent results have shown. Missed chances have cost them and if they can start taking them their fortunes should change.

Liverpool will be the side attacking the goal and with so much at stake they must be clinical. Atalanta don’t need to win this game and even a two-goal loss means they progress to the semifinals. 

Despite recent form, Liverpool are prolific goal scorers. They have 16 goals in all competitions in their last five (not including their last two games) and are one of the Premier Leagues top scorers this season. They put six past Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 16 second leg. 

I can’t see Liverpool not finding the goal in a game they must score in. Atalanta will be focused on defending their lead and Liverpool will be focused on scoring as much as possible, this sets up the game perfectly for Liverpool to win on the night.

20:00 Thursday

Roma vs AC Milan – Goal in Both Halves

Roma welcome AC Milan to the Stadio Olympico for this Europa League quarter final second leg tie. The Giallorossi’s take a one goal lead into this fixture after a headed effort from centre-back Mancini gave them an early lead in the reverse fixture. 

AC Milan’s Europa League games have started fast this season, there have been an average of 2.2 goals before half time. 

Their last two league games have had three goals and two goals before 20 minutes and this side average one goal in the first half all season.

Chasing a lead, I expect them to start fast and to look for an early goal as they won’t want this defensively sound Roma side to settle into the game.

There were 18 shots in the first half in the reverse fixture, I expect there to be a first half goal.

There have been an average of 1.8 total goals in the second half of Roma home games this season and 2.24 goals in AC Milan away games in the second half.

20:00 Thursday

West Ham vs Bayer Leverkusen – Bayer Leverkusen to Win

Bayer Leverkusen take a 2-0 aggregate lead into this game as the Hammers welcome the Bundesliga title winners to the London Stadium for this second leg Europa League tie.

West Ham are in poor form recently, they have just two wins in their last nine games and they are off the back of a lackluster performance against Fulham in which they were lucky to not concede more than two goals. 

If that performance is anything to go by, they stand little chance of defeating a side that hasn’t lost a game all season.

The reverse fixture saw Leverkusen rack up the most shots that West Ham have conceded since 2014 (33) and deservedly defeat Moyes side with ease. 

West Ham had just one shot the entire game and 27% possession. 

The Hammers should put up more of a fight at home with nothing to lose, but West Ham fans won’t hold out much hope that this will make much of a difference as they have just two wins in their last 10 home games.

To make matters worse Hammers’ star player, Bowen missed last game through injury and won’t be 100% going into this match.

Leverkusen have just secured the Bundesliga title with a 5-0 romping of Werder Bremen and with Liverpool all but out the competition this formidable side will believe they can win this competition too and won’t take their foot off the pedal today.

They have a fully fit squad and are by far the better side. Leverkusen dominated West Ham last time and the Hammers shouldn’t have the quality to change that today.