Europa League Predictions
UEFA Europa League Regular Season - Soccer Betting Picks & Predictions
The 2025/26 Europa League is underway, with lots of exciting action from some of the biggest and most popular European soccer clubs. You can bet on all the soccer during the tournament here at Stake Sportsbook.
What is the Europa League?
The UEFA Europa League is the 2nd tier of European club football. It’s an annual tournament organised by UEFA and features top soccer clubs from across Europe. The competition is ahead of the UEFA Conference League, but one level below the UEFA Champions League. Winners of the Europa League will play in the UEFA Super Cup and automatically qualify for the Champions League in the following season.
Teams enter the Europa League based on their performances in their domestic leagues and cups during the previous season. Depending on the UEFA coefficient of their league, teams can automatically qualify or enter the qualification process. For example, teams finishing 5th in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and La Liga automatically enter the league phase of the Europa League.
There are 3 qualification rounds, with a final play-off round. 12 teams enter the league phase from the play-off round, joining 13 teams that have automatically qualified, along with 11 teams that dropped out of the Champions League qualifiers.
36 teams take part in the league phase of the Europa League, with the top 8 teams automatically entering the knockout stages. Teams ranked from 9-24 enter a play-off round for a chance to make the last 16.
Europa League History & Past Winners
Between 1955 and 1971, the 2nd tier European soccer tournament was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. However, this was replaced by the UEFA Cup from the 1971/72 season, which used different regulations and a different format.
The first UEFA Cup final was played between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs lifting the trophy for the first time.
For the 2009/10 season, the UEFA Cup was merged with the 3rd-tier competition, the Intertoto Cup, and rebranded as the Europa League.
Originally, the Europa League featured a group stage before the knockout rounds, but the format was changed for the 2024/25 season. Now, the Europa League uses a league format, with each team playing 4 home games and 4 away games.
Since the competition began, 30 teams have lifted the Europa League trophy, including:
Sevilla - 7 titles
Inter Milan - 3 titles
Tottenham Hotspur - 3 titles
Liverpool - 3 titles
Juventus - 3 titles
Atletico Madrid - 3 titles
UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Schedule & Fixtures
Qualifiers Recap
Between 10 July and 28 August, teams that hadn’t automatically earned their place in the 2025/26 Europa League had to fight through the qualifiers. Over 4 rounds, the number of teams was reduced from 53 to just 12.
In the playoff stage, Maccabi Tel Aviv reached the league phase by defeating Dynamo Kyiv, and Midtjylland secured a place at the expense of Finnish side KuPS. Meanwhile, Braga recorded an impressive 9-1 aggregate score over Lincoln Red Imps from the Gibraltar Football League.
Other teams to qualify through the playoffs included Ludogorets Razgrad, Young Boys, Malmö FF, Panathinaikos, FCSB, Genk, Utrecht, PAOK, and Brann. Meanwhile, major clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk, Legia Warsaw, and Beşiktaş were among those that failed to pass through the Europa League qualifying rounds.
League Phase
29 August - League draw
24-25 September - Matchday 1
2 October - Matchday 2
23 October - Matchday 3
6 November - Matchday 4
27 November - Matchday 5
11 December - Matchday 6
22 January - Matchday 7
29 January - Matchday 8
Knockout Phase
30 January - Knockout stage play-off draw
19 February and 26 February - Knockout stage play-offs
27 February - Knockout round draw
12 March and 19 March - Round of 16
9 April and 16 April - Quarter-finals
30 April and 7 May - Semi-finals
20 May - UEFA Europa League Final
Europa League Predictions
It’s early to make predictions about which teams might win the tournament, but a few have already been labelled as favourites according to the latest betting odds:
Aston Villa - Villa are the current betting favourites to win the Europa League, and easily have one of the strongest squads in the competition. Under Unai Emery, the side has impressed in the Premier League, and last season, reached the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 5-4 by the eventual champions, PSG. They’ve never won the Europa League, but won the European Cup in the 1981-82 season.
AS Roma - Serie A club AS Roma is another major favourite to win this season’s Europa League. The club won the Europa Conference League in 2021-22 and lifted the Europa League trophy for the first time in the 2022-23 season. However, since then, they’ve had 4 different managers in charge. It remains to be seen what Gian Piero Gasperini will be able to achieve with Roma.
Bologna FC - Last season, Bologna played in the Champions League for the first time since 1964-65. Although they finished 28th in the league phase, they achieved domestic success, winning their 3rd Coppa Italia. Under the leadership of Thiago Motta, the club has grown in strength, with a high-pressure style that has utilized unique formations with interchangeable attacking midfielders. Although Bologna struggled in the UCL, the team could find success in the Europa League.
Real Betis - Real Betis have never won a European competition, but have found consistency under the leadership of former Premier League-winning manager Manuel Pellegrini. This season, they’re one of the top favorites to win the Europa League thanks to a strong performance in the Conference League last season, which saw them reach the final, where they were beaten by Chelsea.
FC Porto - Porto is the most successful Portuguese club in terms of European competitions, with 2 European Cup/Champions League wins in 1987 and 2004. In addition, they won the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011. Although they spent 3 consecutive seasons in the UCL between 2022 and 2024, Porto have now played in the Europa League since the 2024-25 season. Last season, they reached the knockout phase playoffs and are one of the favourites to win the competition this season.
Nottingham Forest - Forest actually qualified for the Conference League, but took the spot of Crystal Palace after they were demoted due to falling foul of UEFA financial regulations. They’re considered one of the favourites thanks to their strong squad, but they’re also managed by Ange Postecoglou, who won the Europa League last season with Tottenham. Forest have never won the Europa League but won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.
Europa League Betting Tips, Odds & Previews
When you’re betting on European football, you need to have a carefully thought-out sports betting strategy to help you execute things on matchday. Our pointers should stand you in good stead:
Pay attention to schedules - The Europa League happens during the regular soccer season, while teams are also playing domestic league games. It’s important to check the match calendar of each team, as some teams will end up with a very congested fixture list. Travel is also a major factor in Europa League away games, so consider this when looking at match previews.
Consider the importance of the competition - For some teams, the Europa League is a massive chance of a trophy, and qualifying for the UCL is a big factor. However, other teams will be content to play second-string teams and focus on their domestic league.
Use our guides and prediction blogs - Through Stake’s sports blogs, which offers predictions and tips, you can get all the insights and latest info from football experts so you can make more well-informed picks on any given matchday. For example, our Champions League picks and FIFA World Cup predictions. You can also check out our guide on how to bet on soccer or our ultimate guide to sports betting to help get you started.
Live Stream Europa League Football/Soccer Matches Online
The best way to enjoy the Europa League and watch all the action is through Stake’s dedicated live stream. By signing up, you can get unfettered access to all the live soccer action, so you won’t miss a single tackle, goal, or red card. You can place live bets on the games as they happen, with pre-match and live betting markets available on all Europa League games.
Live streaming has been a game-changer, and at Stake, you will find that games will have a “Play” button that you can click on, and coverage will be uninterrupted.
Europa League Betting Odds, Payouts & Promotions
Stake.com is the best place for soccer betting thanks to our wide coverage of major tournaments, including the Europa League and the FIFA World Cup. You can find the latest odds on all matches and World Cup outright betting markets too. What’s more, Stake offers a variety of sports betting promotions for you to enjoy.
Before you start betting, make sure you understand odds and how to calculate your potential payouts. This is really important when it comes to finding the best value and placing successful bets. Switch between decimal, fractional, and American odds to use the one that’s easiest for you.
While using Stake, you’ll benefit from straightforward deposits and withdrawals, with a variety of popular local currencies and crypto betting options available. You’ll be able to deposit and withdraw funds in Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Canadian Dollars,Turkish Lira, and Vietnamese Dong, as well as supported cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, Doge, LTC, TRX, and SOL.
You can also deposit crypto with Mesh, or use Swapped.com or MoonPay to easily buy crypto before sending it. Make sure you store your coins safely in the Stake vault when your deposit arrives.
Soccer & Football Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
Check the stats - All of your betting predictions should be backed up with careful research and analysis of all available statistics and data. There are plenty of stats available on modern football matches, especially the Europa League. Use this data to gain a better understanding of matchups and make football predictions. Last Europa League season, an average of 2.86 goals were scored per match, while the home side won 50% of matches.
Take advantage of live betting odds - Live betting is an excellent way to maximise the value of your bets. As the match is in play, the football odds will be updated in real time based on events that occur, such as goals, corners, fouls, and more. You can even watch the live stream and use the live stats to gain insights and make informed betting decisions.
Follow all the latest news - It’s also a good idea to stay up to date with important team news and information about the upcoming games. Make sure you check for news of injuries to key players, which can significantly affect the team’s chances during the game.
Stake VIP Club & Responsible Betting
When you join Stake, you’ll also be able to enjoy the benefits of the Stake VIP Club. You can earn rewards, including regular rakeback and reload bonuses, as well as your own VIP host, as you level up your account. Check the VIP FAQ page for more information on the rewards you can earn and how to level up.
But for now, we suggest you consider our Stake Smart tips to get the most out of your betting experience with us. Set a reasonable budget and use tools such as deposit limits and time limits to stay in control as you enjoy betting on the Europa League. Remember, gamble responsibly to stay safe while online.
