Europa League Group Stage Odds & Picks – Matchday 2 (Sept 30)

• It is the UEFA Europa League Matchday 2 on Thursday, September 30
• Among the 16 ties are Real Sociedad vs Monaco, Celtic vs Bayer Leverkusen, and Fenerbahce vs Olympiakos
• We list the odds for all 16 games and preview the three above, offering our best picks

Matchday 2 of the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League takes place on Thursday, September 30, with 16 games across the eight groups, There are some intriguing clashes among the 16 ties, including Real Sociedad vs Monaco, Celtic vs Bayer Leverkusen, and Fenerbahce vs Olympiakos, all of which are covered in detail below.

Read on to see the odds and our best bets for these games.

Europa League Matchday 2 Odds

All odds as of September 29 at DraftKings

Real Sociedad vs Monaco Prediction

Real Sociedad’s flying start to the La Liga season has set them up perfectly for a serious tilt at this season’s Europa League but they did drop points in their opener in Eindhoven when they drew 2-2 with PSV. With only Real Madrid above them in the La Liga table, the Basques are full of confidence right now and will be aiming to take control of Group B with a win, even if they will be minus a few key players through injury.

🙌 At your feet, @mikel10oyar 💙#AurreraReala pic.twitter.com/EqPFwjUXlx

— Real Sociedad 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@RealSociedadEN) September 26, 2021

Prior to Monaco’s 1-0 home win over Sturm Graz in their own Europa League opener, coach Nico Kovac was under huge pressure to keep his job after a terrible start to the domestic campaign, but that win was the catalyst to a significant upturn in form. Since then, two wins and a draw have propelled the Monégasques up to the top half of the table and within reach of the top four.

Next 🆙

We're in San Sebastian 🇪🇸 to face @RealSociedadEN in the #UEL on Thursday ! 🤗 pic.twitter.com/TtcJOnDcVc

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) September 28, 2021

Monaco’s improvement, kick-started by the win over Graz, gives them a chance here but the Basques will be desperate to register their first win of the tournament. A draw is not out of the question with neither side wanting to taste defeat in round 2, but Sociedad is a good team with quality players who can compete against any team in this tournament if they click. With the home win in plus money, that’s where the value lies.

Picks: Real Sociedad to win (+125)

Celtic vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction

Celtic’s tournament got off to the worst possible start with defeat in Seville against Real Betis but they more than played their part in a seven-goal thriller; the Spaniards eventually winning 4-3. While the Scots looked dangerous in attack, they were shaky at the back and this has to be addressed if they are to progress in this tournament. This is a problem they also have suffered from domestically where they languish down in sixth place in the SPL.

"It will be a fantastic occasion, our first home game against a quality opponent which I'm sure the fans and the players are super excited about."#UEL | #CELB04 | #COYBIG 🍀 pic.twitter.com/0MMMabGay7

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 29, 2021

Leverkusen’s Europa League campaign started with a win on home soil when they edged a tight game 2-1 against Hungarian champions Ferencvaros. They have also made a good start in the Bundesliga with four wins from their six games and are joint-second with Wolfsburg; just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Wheels down 🛬 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

🔜 #CELB04 #UEL pic.twitter.com/dzGiKssefa

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) September 29, 2021

Given the problems that Celtic have in defense, it is hard to make a case here for a home win. The Germans have enough quality in their ranks to win this comfortably and if they can get an early goal, they could have control of Group G by the final whistle. The away win is odds-on so offers little value, but a 2-0 win for Leverkusen looks a great shout.

Pick: Leverkusen to win 2-0 (+1000) 

Fenerbahce vs Olympiakos Prediction

This will be feisty. This may be the first Europa League meeting between these two but any game between Turkish and Greek clubs is a massive event given the rivalry between the two countries. The Ulker Stadyumu will be a fervent cauldron of noise and passion on Thursday and will make for a hostile atmosphere for the visitors from Greece, who are looking for a fifth consecutive win in all competitions.

Olympiakos maçının hazırlıklarına başladık. ✅#UEL pic.twitter.com/6D2S0Nno2x

— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce) September 28, 2021

Fenerbahce starts this as a slight favorite – partly due to the significant home advantage but also because they kicked off their Europa League campaign with an impressive draw away to Eintracht Frankfurt. They also come into this off the back of consecutive wins in the Turkish Süper Lig.

📍 Off tο #Turkey! ✈️🔴⚪️#Olympiacos #UEL #FENOLY #replay4olympiacos #replaygreece #replay #replayjeans @REPLAY pic.twitter.com/dL0qIZuMOa

— Olympiacos FC (@olympiacosfc) September 29, 2021

The in-form Turks also have a hugely impressive home record to further boost their chances and while I expect Olympiakos to be competitive due to the good run they are on, the home win – which remains in plus money – is the value bet.

Pick: Fenerbahce to win (+135)