Will Day Two of Europa League Group Matches be Cagey Again? Two Plays for today’s UEL Slate

BettingThePitch

Written by: BettingThePitch

Published: Thu Sep 17, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 5 minutes

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The opening day of Europa League action was certainly a little cagey.

Only three of the nine matches produced at least three goals. Meanwhile, two games finished without a single goal.

There were some difficult matchups on yesterday's slate, which is one reason I targeted only one game.

Unfortunately, AC Milan didn't show up at home, and we fell one goal short of cashing the over. However, Benfica's team total did come through to give us a winner in that match.

Today, I'm continuing to be selective during the opening round of the league phase.

There are only two matches I want exposure to, but I really like the spots we have.

Let's dive into the plays!

Head over to our Soccer Picks Page for our expert's soccer analysis, or read my best bets below.

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Featured Plays

Besiktas vs. Marseille

Now, you may not be familiar with every club we're discussing today.

However, if you don't regularly follow leagues outside Europe's biggest competitions, Besiktas is certainly a team worth knowing.

The Turkish giants have a long history of domestic success, and they're off to another strong start this season.

Besiktas currently sit second in the Turkish league while averaging just over two goals per match.

Additionally, they've added several quality players with experience across Europe's top leagues. That talent has helped them remain extremely difficult to beat at home.

Besiktas are undefeated on their own pitch this season.

Through three home matches, they've scored 10 goals while conceding only twice. More importantly, this is one of the more difficult environments for visiting teams in European football.

The pitch itself is quality, but the atmosphere is what really stands out.

Besiktas supporters will be loud from the opening whistle and fully behind their club. For teams unfamiliar with playing in Turkey, that environment can become uncomfortable very quickly.

The current form of these two sides also makes this matchup interesting.

Besiktas enter on a three-match winning streak and should be full of confidence.

Marseille, meanwhile, are heading in the opposite direction.

The French side have only one victory across their last five matches, losing the other four.

Even more concerning, Marseille have lost both of their road matches this season. They also failed to score in either defeat.

That's a major red flag heading into this environment.

Ultimately, this play comes down to backing the team in better form and playing with more confidence.

Besiktas are rolling, they're at home, and they've been extremely difficult to slow down there.

On the other side, Marseille are struggling and now face one of their toughest road environments of the season.

At this price, I'm willing to back the hosts to take care of business.

Play: Besiktas Moneyline (-125)

Crystal Palace vs. Lech Poznan

Will Larsen and Palace start their Europa League season with a win at home today?

Let's start with the hosts again.

On paper, there's a significant gap between Crystal Palace and Lech Poznan.

Palace currently rank 29th in the Euro Club Index, while Lech sit 121st. Therefore, this is a matchup the Premier League side should control for long stretches.

The betting market agrees.

Palace's team total is sitting at 2.5 goals, which tells you how much attacking success the books expect.

However, I don't necessarily want to rely on Palace scoring three themselves.

They have only one win this season and have struggled to keep opponents off the scoresheet. In fact, Palace are conceding an average of three goals per home match so far.

That makes the full-game total much more interesting to me.

Despite the talent gap, Lech have shown they can be dangerous away from home.

The Polish side have won two of their three road matches while averaging two goals per game. However, they're also allowing nearly two goals per match on the road.

That combination sets up perfectly for what I'm looking for here.

Additionally, Lech have a striker who scored 31 goals across 50 appearances last season.

He has a natural nose for goal and doesn't need many opportunities to make an impact. If Palace give him space inside the box, he has the quality to punish them.

Of course, I still expect Palace to create the majority of the chances.

The Premier League side should have plenty of possession and enough attacking quality to score multiple goals. However, trusting this Palace defense to keep a clean sheet is another story.

That's why I'd rather attack the total than lay a bigger number with the hosts.

If Palace dominate as expected, they could do most of the work themselves. Meanwhile, one Lech goal would put us in an excellent position.

Ultimately, I think Palace win this match, but I expect the visitors to make things interesting.

Give me goals in London.

Play: Crystal Palace vs. Lech Poznan Over 3 Goals (-105)

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BettingThePitch
BettingThePitch

Just a guy who loves sports, soccer and beating the books!

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