Thursday’s football tips: Villa skipper McGinn 3/1 for a card in Euro showdown with Forest

There's a 1980s vibe in tonight's all-English Europa League semi-final as Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa at the City Ground.

Both these sides won the European Cup at the start of that decade, only to fall from grace in the new Millennium and end up in the lower leagues.

But they're back on an upward curve again and a place in the Europa League showpiece awaits the winners of what should be a epic two-leg battle.

Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa top betting tips

It has been a rollercoaster season for Nottingham Forest, who are on to their fourth manager as they fight to stay in the Premier League.

Aston Villa have been far more stable under Unai Emery and he knows what it takes to win this tournament, having lifted the trophy four times with Sevilla and Villarreal.

Emery's side haven't been playing particularly well of late though while Forest head into tonight's first leg on a high after spanking Sunderland 5-0.

That makes the home win appealing at a best 8/5 with Betfair tonight but backing the half-time draw looks like the safest option at 23/20 with BetMGM.

This one could be spicy with so much at stake and combative Villa skipper John McGinn is a tempting 3/1 at Ladbrokes to go into the book.

Sporting Braga vs Freiburg

German side Freiburg have never reached a European final but only Sporting Braga now stand in their way in the Europa League.

Freiburg head into this clash on a bit of a downer after losing 2-1 to Stuttgart in the DFB Pokal and crashing to a 4-0 Bundesliga defeat at Dortmund.

Braga also lost at the weekend away to Santa Clara but had been in good form before that, going six games without defeat.

The Portuguese side are 7/5 favourites with Bet365 for a win tonight and that looks decent value given they have home advantage.

Ricardo Horta should offer the biggest threat for Braga and the forward is 13/5 at Ladbrokes to have over 1.5 efforts on target.

Think you’ve found odds that look too good to be true? Explore our Value Betting guide and learn when a price is genuinely favourable.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace are closing in on the Conference League Final but will need to take care of a Shakhtar Donetsk side with much more European experience.

The Ukrainians have been Champions League stalwarts for the last couple of decades but the conflict in their homeland has understandably had a major impact in recent years.

Despite playing all their home games on neutral ground, Shakhtar have still managed to reach the last four and will fancy their chances in Poland tonight.

They beat Dutch side AZ Alkmaar 3-0 at ‘home' in the quarter-finals but are as big as 3/1 with some firms for a win tonight.

Crystal Palace do look like a step up in class from any side Shakhtar have faced so far this term in Europe so the Eagles could be worth a punt at evens with Bet365.

Jean-Philippe Mateta should start up front after a starring role in the quarter-finals and the giant Frenchman is 6/5 at QuinnBet for a goal or assist.

Super singles

• John McGinn to be carded 3/1 Ladbrokes
• Braga to win 7/5 Bet365
• Jean-Philippe Mateta goal or assist 6/5 QuinnBet

Upcoming match previews and betting tips

• Thu 20:00 Braga vs Freiburg
• Thu 20:00 Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa
• Thu 20:00 Rayo Vallecano vs Strasbourg
• Thu 20:00 Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace
• Football Bet of the Day: Goals to fly in the Eagles’ trip to Poland on Thursday

Racing tips

Rizzel had some nice winners at Punchestown yesterday and is back with another double dose of tips.

• Thursday’s Lucky 15 Tips – Selections from Punchestown
• Thursday’s Racing Tips – Vanilier will make amends for his unseat in last year’s Cross Country Chase

As always, leave your own tips and comments below.

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