Europa League matchday two predictions, odds and football betting tips

Best bets

Rennes draw no bet v Villarreal
TNT Sports 7, 8pm
2pts 31-30 Betfair, Paddy Power

Victor Boniface to score first in Molde v Bayer Leverkusen
TNT Sports Digital, 8pm
1pt 10-3 Betfair, Paddy Power

Thursday Europa League predictions

Replacing Quique Setien with Pacheta in the dugout has done little to turn around Villarreal's fortunes this season and they could be in for another tough encounter against Rennes at El Madrigal.

The Yellow Submarine sacked Setien after three defeats in their opening four games in La Liga but incoming coach Pacheta has failed to arrest their slide and his first five matches in charge have yielded one win, two draws and two defeats.

One of those losses came on matchday one in the Europa League as they went down 2-0 at Panathinaikos and Villarreal are starting to feel the effect of a summer which saw Pau Torres, Nicolas Jackson and Samuel Chukwueze, among others, depart.

They could be up against it when they host Rennes, who have recorded more draws than they would like, racking up five in seven league games this term, but made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign.

Rennes were 3-0 winners against Maccabi Haifa on matchday one, firing off 11 shots on target in that game.

And the attacking nature of Bruno Genesio's side suggests they are a good draw-no-bet selection against Villarreal. 

After six games, Bayer Leverkusen lead the way in the German Bundesliga and they demonstrated their new attacking verve in their Europa League opener last month.

Xabi Alonso's side eased to a 4-0 win over Swedish side Hacken at the BayArena on matchday one and they have scored at least three times in all but one of their seven games this season.

One player profiting from their front-foot approach is summer signing Victor Boniface, who has bagged six goals in six league fixtures and also got on the scoresheet against Hacken.

Typically the spearhead of the Leverkusen attack, Boniface is a worthwhile bet to score first away to Molde.

Click for more free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.