Manchester United won its first UEFA Europa League title in 2017, defeating Ajax 2-0 in the final. After two seasons in the UEFA Champions League, the Red Devils returned to the competition last year and reached the semifinals, where they lost 2-1 to eventual champion Sevilla. Manchester United looks to move a step closer to a second championship when it hosts Real Sociedad on Thursday in the second leg of the 2021 UEFA Europa League Round of 32. The Red Devils are in a great position to advance to the Round of 16 after cruising to a 4-0 victory in the first leg of their tie against Real Sociedad.
Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad is one of 15 second-leg matches on Thursday, with the first leg of the 2021 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 taking place next month. Seven matches begin at 12:55 p.m. ET and eight others get underway at 3 p.m. ET. Before locking in your Europa League picks for Real Sociedad vs. Manchester United or any other match on Thursday, make sure you see what SportsLine's European soccer guru Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. In fact, Green has generated over $16,900 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season.
Now, Green has analyzed Thursday's UEFA Europa League action and locked in his top picks. He's sharing his best bets only at SportsLine.
Top Europa League predictions for Thursday, Feb. 25
One of Green's best bets for Thursday: He's backing Leicester City (-187) to win its second-leg match against Slavia Prague at 3 p.m. ET.
These teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their tie, marking the second consecutive match in which Slavia Prague failed to score. Meanwhile, Leicester City is in the midst of a six-game unbeaten streak during which it has recorded four victories and a pair of draws. Harvey Barnes is second on the team this season with 13 goals and shares the lead in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League with three for the Foxes, who have posted four clean sheets during their current run.
"Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has vowed that his team will rediscover its killer instinct in the second leg," Green told SportsLine. "The Foxes have been strong at home in the Europa League this season."
How to make Europa League picks for Thursday, Feb. 25
Green also is high on a team that suffered a "shocking" loss in the first leg of the Round of 32. He has discovered a critical X-factor that has him backing this club and is only sharing who it is over at SportsLine.
So what are the Europa League best bets for Thursday? And what critical X-factor makes one team a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get the top picks for the UEFA Europa League, all from the expert who has generated over $16,900 since the 2017-18 season.
