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This could be a really exciting game between two inform sides, especially Club Brugge who have won each of their last eight matches - netting 25 goals in the process (3.1 per game).

PSV have conceded an xG of 1.0 or higher in all three of their Champions League matches, seeing BTTS on Matchday 1 as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Shakthar at home.

They put seven goals past Wilhelm at the weekend, which is a snapshot of the scoring power that PSV can possess at home when they are fully firing.

Club Brugge have seen BTTS in two of their three Champions League matches, competing well against Aston Villa and Inter Milan and even winning 4-3 against the latter as the away side.

They've seen BTTS in each of their last two league games ahead of this clash, which is one that both sides will see as pivotal to their chances of progressing from the league phase with more challenging assignments to come.

It may not be a popular approach, but you have to respect the defensive organisation and resilience of this Arsenal side.

They refused to buckle against Liverpool at Anfield last time out, marking the first time that Mikel Arteta has won at the ground as a manager - surviving 17 shots and 52 touches in their box to secure a 1-0 victory.

This should be really routine for Arsenal, Slavia Prague have struggled at this level and have failed to win any of their three matches - losing against Sabah and Lens in their opening two games of the Champions League.

Arsenal find the early stages of the Champions League so routine, they won all eight of their games in the league phase last season, scoring 23 goals in the process and only conceding four.

These sides actually faced off as part of that campaign, with Arsenal coming away comfortable 3-0 winners as the away side - despite Arteta rotating quite heavily for that game.

Betis are a really complete side and have won all three of their Champions League games this season against Feyenoord, Porto and Lille.

They were the away side for their opening game of the Champions League, managing to score three goals past Lille with an xG of 1.80 from 20 shots.

Betis have only failed to score in one of their 14 matches across all competitions this season. That blank came against Celta Vigo a few weeks ago, and still saw Betis have 15 shots and record an xG of 1.15.

Dortmund have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three Champions League matches this season against Sabah, Villarreal and Bodo Glimt.

I think Leipzig can contribute to the goal tally here, they've scored a remarkable 18 goals across their four home games in the Bundesliga (4.5 per game), notably winning all four of these matches without conceding.

City are a natural step up in quality from the sides they've faced in the Bundesliga, so I wouldn't read too much into Leipzig keeping those clean sheets - but the scoring power is undeniable.

Leipzig have seen 3+ goals in two of their three Champions League games against Real Madrid and Como, conceding four goals in both games. They're managed by former City man Martin Demichelis, who wants to play in quite an expansive way.

Man City will welcome Leipzig coming onto them, they've seen 3+ goals in each of their last two Champions League matches and in eight of their last nine matches more widely.

RB Leipzig v Man City should be full of goals.

Leipzig’s games are averaging 4.00 goals each this season.

They’ve scored in 12 of their 13 matches, including against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Como and PSV.

Their problem is at the back, they’re conceding 1.73 goals a game across the Bundesliga and Champions League.

They’ve let in four against Real Madrid, six against Bayern and four against Como.

City should have enough quality to win this.

Yes, they lost 1-0 at home to Brighton, but they created 1.64 xG and missed five big chances.

Before that, they’d scored in every one of their 13 games this season, winning 10 of those.

Leipzig are dangerous going forward, but they can’t keep the big sides out.

They’ve lost to Real Madrid, Bayern, Leverkusen and Como already.

So I’m backing City to win, but I’d expect Leipzig to get one.

You’ll probably remember Viking holding Bayern to a mental 3-3 draw a few weeks ago.

That game sums them up.

They’re goal mad and never play on the back foot, a bit like Bodø/Glimt in that aspect.

They’ve scored in every Champions League game so far, against Aston Villa, Bayern and Stuttgart.

At home in Stavanger they should be too strong for Sabah, they've won seven of their eight home games since August and haven’t lost any.

But they’re not watertight.

They concede 1.27 goals a game, and Sabah can hurt them.

Sabah have three points from their first three Champions League games after beating Slavia Prague 2-0.

They also scored against Dortmund and gave them a good game, creating 1.49 xG.

Domestically they’re scoring 2.05 goals a game, so they’ve got enough to nick one in Norway.

I’m expecting a Viking win, with Sabah to nick at least a goal.

Has landed in every UCL game so far.

This selection has landed in all three of Isco’s games in the Champions League this season:

3 shots v Feyenoord
2 shots v Porto
3 shots v Lille

He’s had a further 19 shots across his seven starts in LaLiga this season (3.22 per 90), with this selection landing in five of those games.

Isco didn’t feature much at all last season due to injury, but managed 44 shots across his 17 starts for Betis during the 24/25 campaign (2.55 per 90), scoring 12 goals in the process.

He’s also on free kicks for Betis, which could prove to be a good avenue to goal with Betis winning 11.00 fouls per game across all competitions this term.

Nico Paz is one of the most exciting talents in the world right now and if you haven’t watched him yet, I urge you to.

The Argentine already has five G/A in Como’s three Champions League matches.

He is absolutely vital to Cesc Fabregas’ fluid attacking set-up, which gets the absolute best out of technicians like Paz.

He’s a brilliant dribbler, he creates chances and he scores goals and for sides to beat Como, they have to try and stop him.

That’s been the approach to Paz in the Champions League so far, as he has drawn six fouls in his three Champions League matches.

He’s been fouled twice or more in two of those, including drawing 3 against United, working out at an average of 2.07 times per 90 minutes. 

He’s drawn 1.11 fouls per 90 domestically, which could be higher when you see the amount of times people try to take him down, or an advantage is played.

One of his direct opponents is Mikael Cuiscance.

Cuiscance has committed two or more fouls in three of his last four games. He’s averaged 1.50 per 90 in the Champions League and 1.64 domestically.

His midfield partner, Amadou Haidara, has also fouled in three of his last four matches.

Although primarily a creator, Paz does find himself very high and often acts as a second striker alongside Douvikas.

So, it’s also worth noting that Lens’ back-line do commit a few fouls. Ruben Aguilar has averaged 1.67 per 90 across all competitions.

Udol has averaged 0.80 and Jean Clair-Todibo, who came on at half-time in their last Champions League match, is athas averaged 1.47.

I'd expect Mikel Arteta to rotate here, and Merino should be part of those changes - either in midfield or as a number nine.

Despite Havertz and Gyokeres being the two main striker options that Arteta has rotated between over the last year, I still think Merino is the best finisher at the club.

He scored twice when Arsenal travelled to Slavia Prague in the league phase last season, which is a good example of the threat he can pose.

He's incredibly good in the air, which could be useful for Arsenal here against a Slavia Prague side who will most definitely sit quite deep.

Merino scored four goals across 10 starts in the Premier League last season, averaging 0.70 shots on target per 90 across those games. If you look at the games where he played as a number nine, that number jumps to 1.30 shots on target per 90.

It may not be a popular approach, but you have to respect the defensive organisation and resilience of this Arsenal side.

They refused to buckle against Liverpool at Anfield last time out, marking the first time that Mikel Arteta has won at the ground as a manager - surviving 17 shots and 52 touches in their box to secure a 1-0 victory.

This should be really routine for Arsenal, Slavia Prague have struggled at this level and have failed to win any of their three matches - losing against Sabah and Lens in their opening two games of the Champions League.

Arsenal find the early stages of the Champions League so routine, they won all eight of their games in the league phase last season, scoring 23 goals in the process and only conceding four.

These sides actually faced off as part of that campaign, with Arsenal coming away comfortable 3-0 winners as the away side - despite Arteta rotating quite heavily for that game.

David Moses is going to have a really tough assignment here in trying to deal with an Arsenal midfield that use the ball better than any other side in Europe.

He's committed five fouls across just 180 minutes of action in the Champions League this season (2.50 per 90), also making seven tackles and recording 12 defensive contributions.

This is obviously a small sample size, but Moses also committed seven fouls across his five starts in the Champions League last season (1.72 per 90).

These Champions League metrics both represent a rise in Moses' domestic foul numbers, suggesting that he finds the level of the competition quite difficult - which is also the case for the majority of this Slavia Prague side.

Moses will have to deal with either Bruno Guimaraes or Myles Lewis-Skelly, who are two of the strongest players in the Premier League when it comes to winning fouls.

Eze's main opportunities for Arsenal this season have come in the Champions League, with the former Palace man starting all three games in Europe so far - compared to just 210 minutes of action in the Premier League.

This is mainly down to the fact that Arteta doesn't trust Eze out of possession. He requires complete discipline from his attacking players in the Premier League, which isn't as necessary in the Champions League, especially against this calibre of opponent.

Eze has won more fouls than any other Arsenal player in the Champions League this season (8 - 3.12 per 90), winning at least two fouls in all three games.

He was fouled four times against Bayern Munich last time out, and should be able to win at least two fouls against a Slavia Prague who are committing 12.33 fouls per game in the Champions League.

Lens haven't kept a clean sheet in either Ligue 1 or the Champions League this season, conceding seven goals in their first three European games.

Como look really dangerous right now, having scored ten goals in three Champions League games, including two 4-1 wins over Leipzig and Manchester United.

Nico Paz has five goals and six assists this season, while Douvikas has already scored eight times.

Lens have been doing pretty well going forward, though, averaging 1.8 goals and more than six shots on target per home game.

Even in their defeat to Sporting, they managed 21 shots and put plenty of pressure on their opponents.

The good news for the home side is that Como have conceded in every away game this season, averaging 1.54 xGA per match.

Both teams have also scored in all three of Como's Champions League games, including their 3-2 defeat to Feyenoord.

Manchester City are going through their worst defensive spell of the season, having conceded in each of their last six games across all competitions.

That's good news for Leipzig, who've won every home game this season, averaging 3.8 goals and more than 19 shots per match.

Antonio Nusa has been their standout player, with four goals and six assists in eight league games.

The problem is that Leipzig have really struggled against stronger opponents in the Champions League, conceding four goals against Como and another four against Real Madrid.

Manchester City have the second-best attack in the Premier League, with 20 goals in nine games, and they're averaging around 2 xG per match.

Both teams have scored in two of City's three Champions League games, and while they might concede again, they should have plenty of chances to score against a Leipzig side that let in six against Bayern in October.

This could be a really exciting game between two inform sides, especially Club Brugge who have won each of their last eight matches - netting 25 goals in the process (3.1 per game).

PSV have conceded an xG of 1.0 or higher in all three of their Champions League matches, seeing BTTS on Matchday 1 as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Shakthar at home.

They put seven goals past Wilhelm at the weekend, which is a snapshot of the scoring power that PSV can possess at home when they are fully firing.

Club Brugge have seen BTTS in two of their three Champions League matches, competing well against Aston Villa and Inter Milan and even winning 4-3 against the latter as the away side.

They've seen BTTS in each of their last two league games ahead of this clash, which is one that both sides will see as pivotal to their chances of progressing from the league phase with more challenging assignments to come.

This selection speaks for itself most of the time.

Haaland has had 11 more shots on target across all competitions than any other player on the pitch here (23 - 2.11 per 90), and is usually deadly against this level of opponent.

Haaland has had 3+ shots on target in both of his Champions League matches so far against Porto and PSG, managing four shots on target in City's opening away game in the Champions League as they won 2-0 in Porto.

He's also found the target in all four of his away games in the Premier League, managing multiple efforts on goal in two of these games.

I think City will have too much for Leipzig here, the home side have conceded four goals on two occasions in the Champions League this season against Real Madrid and Como, which would suggest that they're just not at the level of the elite sides in the Champions League.

I've been waiting for Antonio Nusa to have a proper breakout season, and it finally looks like it's come for the winger who has registered 12 goal contributions across his 13 appearances in all competitions.

He's always had this level of talent, but has previously lacked the confidence or clinical edge to add the numbers to his game to be a top winger.

A strong World Cup campaign seems to have given him that confidence, and he comes into this clash having registered a goal contribution in each of his last three appearances.

No Leipzig player has had more shots on target across all competitions than Antonio Nusa (12 - 1.23 per 90), with Nusa having an effort on target against Como and PSV in the Champions League so far.

City are far from settled at the back, and the pace of Nusa could be perfect for the home side as City's high line has been exposed quite regularly over recent weeks.

I think Leipzig can contribute to the goal tally here, they've scored a remarkable 18 goals across their four home games in the Bundesliga (4.5 per game), notably winning all four of these matches without conceding.

City are a natural step up in quality from the sides they've faced in the Bundesliga, so I wouldn't read too much into Leipzig keeping those clean sheets - but the scoring power is undeniable.

Leipzig have seen 3+ goals in two of their three Champions League games against Real Madrid and Como, conceding four goals in both games. They're managed by former City man Martin Demichelis, who wants to play in quite an expansive way.

Man City will welcome Leipzig coming onto them, they've seen 3+ goals in each of their last two Champions League matches and in eight of their last nine matches more widely.

Nkunku is probably not the first player that would come to mind for fouls, but he's got a really consistent record in the Champions League this term and he's been playing just behind the central striker - setting up a battle against Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez.

Nkunku has committed seven fouls across his three appearances in the Champions League this term (2.76 per 90) - more than any other Leipzig player. His role just behind Romulo as the main striker suits Nkunku, I've never seen him as a number nine but this role inevitably leads to Nkunku contesting quite a few duels.

No player on the pitch has won more fouls than Elliot Anderson across all competitions this season (32 - 3.18 per 90). It's an incredibly strong part of his game, and he should be able to tempt Nkunku to commit at least one foul with the two having a direct matchup.

Cherki is such a talented player and has already registered nine goal contributions across his 14 appearances in all competitions for Man City this season.

If there's one thing that lets Cherki down at times, it's his work ethic and discipline, Maresca has touched on those traits about Cherki when explaining why he doesn't always start despite his obvious talent.

He was brilliant in City's 5-1 win over AEK Athens last time out in the Champions League, scoring a wonderful goal and having the most touches of any City player in the opposition box (13).

Leipzig have conceded 4+ goals on two occasions in the Champions League already this season against Real Madrid and Como.

City can cause them similar issues with the quality they have in forward areas, only Haaland (13) has registered more goal contributions than Cherki (9) across all competitions this season.

Many of you probably remember Neil El Aynaoui from the World Cup, where he was excellent for Morocco alongside Ayyoub Bouaddi - who could line up on the opposite side of the pitch here.

El Aynaoui somehow managed to avoid a booking over the six games he played at the World Cup, despite committing 15 fouls (2.40 per 90). If you were backing cards during the World Cup, you'll know how resistant the referees were to reach for their pockets - so that record doesn't put me off too much.

He's picked up two yellow cards across his seven starts for Leipzig domestically, committing just seven fouls to earn these cautions (1.08 per 90). He also recently picked up a yellow card in the DFB Pokal, inside just 45 minutes of action.

El Aynaoui's potential opponents here really pull the case for a card together. He'll be up against Anderson (3.18 fouls won per 90), Cherki (1.07 fouls won per 90) and Fernandez (1.86 fouls won per 90).

Enzo Maresca received quite a bit of criticism from City fans for persisting with Enzo Fernandez in City's defeat to Brighton at the weekend.

He was eventually hooked off at the 64 minute mark, having two shots before being replaced.

Enzo Maresca clearly sees Fernandez as a player that can impact the game in the final third, he mentioned this regularly when the pair were at Chelsea - resulting in Fernandez having the two best goalscoring seasons of his career under Maresca.

He's taken eight shots across his three starts in the Champions League this term (2.87 per 90). We'll need him to be a little more accurate with his efforts here as only one of those has found the target.

Elliot Anderson has won more fouls across all competitions than any other player on the pitch here (32 - 3.18 per 90).

It's an incredibly strong part of his game, and usually results from opposition sides wanting to stop Anderson playing those incisive passes between the lines, which is one of the main reasons why City signed him.

Anderson was fouled three times in City's defeat to PSG in the Champions League a few weeks ago, and will face off against Neil El Aynaoui and Christopher Nkunku, who have both been committing fouls regularly for Leipzig this term.

Guirassy has been at his best in the Champions League, scoring twice in both games he's started.

He took 14 shots across those two games, with seven of them on target, playing one at home and one away.

Dortmund have also been strong going forward at home, scoring eight goals in four Bundesliga games, and now face a Betis side that has struggled defensively against stronger attacks.

They conceded two goals against both Lille and Porto, while Barcelona put five past them.

They've also allowed an average of 5.2 shots on target per game this season.

Guirassy comes into this one with four goals in his last four games and has already shown how dangerous he can be against Spanish opposition in the Champions League.

He's also Dortmund's first-choice penalty taker, which gives him another chance to score, just like he did against Villarreal.

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Nuamah has been playing as a central striker across recent weeks as Lois Openda works back from an injury, and is at a good price to find the target at least once against a Real Sociedad side who have been really unorganised at the back this season.

Real Sociedad have kept just two clean sheets across their 15 matches this term, conceding an average of 5.07 shots on target across all competitions. They've conceded in two of their three Europa League matches, only keeping a clean sheet against a really poor Lillestroem side - who are struggling at this level.

Nuamah has grown in confidence as a central striker, having more shots on target than any other Lyon player in Ligue 1 (9 - 1.49 per 90). He also sits third in the squad for shots (3.31 per 90).

He's had 2+ shots on target in each of his last two Ligue 1 matches, and found the target against Palace a few weeks ago in the Europa League.

Trabzonspor are flying right now.

They've won each of their last seven matches, scoring at least twice in all of these games and keeping clean sheets in five of them.

This run includes notable wins over Galatasaray, Besiktas and Hearts at home - all to nil. Salah has slotted in really well to the side, already registering 15 goal contributions across his 14 starts in the division.

Trabzonspor's home record is particularly appealing for this angle, they've won all five games at home domestically by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.

Freiburg come into this clash on the back of a few wins, but lost their three games before that, including losing 3-0 to Monaco in their most recent Conference League clash.

Hoffenheim have only failed to score once across their last eight matches, with that blank coming against Werder Bremen at the weekend - despite Hoffenheim taking 16 shots and registering an xG of 1.06.

Palace are a real mess at the moment. I know that we've seen Premier League sides have a real advantage in these lower level European competitions over recent seasons, but I think they look really vulnerable at the back.

They've kept just one clean sheet across their last eight matches, against a Fulham side who struggle in front of goal.

They've conceded 2+ goals in each of their last two Europa League matches against Besiktas and Lyon.

They did keep a clean sheet against Lech Poznan at home on Matchday 1, but that again is more down to the lack of scoring power from the opponent - Lech Poznan have only scored once across their three Europa League matches.

Trabzonspor are flying right now.

They've won each of their last seven matches, scoring at least twice in all of these games and keeping clean sheets in five of them.

This run includes notable wins over Galatasaray, Besiktas and Hearts at home - all to nil. Salah has slotted in really well to the side, already registering 15 goal contributions across his 14 starts in the division.

Trabzonspor's home record is particularly appealing for this angle, they've won all five games at home domestically by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.

Freiburg come into this clash on the back of a few wins, but lost their three games before that, including losing 3-0 to Monaco in their most recent Conference League clash.

Hoffenheim have only failed to score once across their last eight matches, with that blank coming against Werder Bremen at the weekend - despite Hoffenheim taking 16 shots and registering an xG of 1.06.

Palace are a real mess at the moment. I know that we've seen Premier League sides have a real advantage in these lower level European competitions over recent seasons, but I think they look really vulnerable at the back.

They've kept just one clean sheet across their last eight matches, against a Fulham side who struggle in front of goal.

They've conceded 2+ goals in each of their last two Europa League matches against Besiktas and Lyon.

They did keep a clean sheet against Lech Poznan at home on Matchday 1, but that again is more down to the lack of scoring power from the opponent - Lech Poznan have only scored once across their three Europa League matches.

Real Sociedad used to be one of the best defensive sides in Spain, but that trend has changed over recent years and they've struggled for clean sheets again this season - keeping just two shutouts across their 15 matches.

Lyon's loss to Hoffenheim last time out in the Europa League looks alarming on paper, but when you dig a little deeper you can see that Lyon rotated quite heavily for that game and I expect them to field a stronger line up here as that Hoffenheim clash preceded an important game against PSG.

Lyon have scored at least two goals in the other two Europa League games they've contested this season against Crystal Palace and Anderlecht, scoring twice as the away side against the latter.

Real Sociedad have conceded in two of their three Europa League games, only keeping a very weak Lillestorm side out in their most recent European assignment.

Bournemouth have recovered from a rocky start to the season, where they were constantly getting unlucky, and are now one of the most in-form sides in Europe.

Bournemouth have won each of their last six matches across all competitions, including each of their last two Europa League matches, with the most impressive part of this run being that all six of these victories have come to nil.

We just need them to win one half here, which looks more than plausible against a Sparta Prague side who have conceded in all three of their Europa League matches so far, against lower quality opposition.

Crystal Palace have been at their best going forward in the Europa League, with one of the five highest-scoring attacks in the competition.

The English side scored four against Lech Poznań at home, two against Lyon and another two away to Beşiktaş.

Yéremy Pino has been one of their standout players, with three goals in three European games, scoring in every round so far.

Hoffenheim, meanwhile, have lost four of their five away games in the Bundesliga and Europa League this season, conceding 11 goals, including three each against Köln and Paderborn.

The German side are still averaging 1.82 xG in the Bundesliga, though, and now face a Palace defence that's been struggling to keep clean sheets.

Palace have conceded 21 goals in nine Premier League games, the worst record in the league, and are allowing almost 19 shots per match.

Even though Palace are favourites at home, Hoffenheim have scored in three of their four Bundesliga away games this season.

Both teams have scored in every NEC Nijmegen home league game this season and they're averaging 18.7 shots and 1.68 xG at home.

In the Europa League, they recently beat Dinamo Zagreb 4–2 away, with Tjaronn Chery standing out after scoring three of NEC's five goals in the competition.

Omonia have scored seven goals in three away league games and also picked up a 3–0 win away to Celje in the Europa League.

The problem is that they've struggled against stronger opponents, conceding four against Benfica and allowing an average of 18 shots per match in the Europa League.

That 4-2 win against Dinamo Zagreb showed how dangerous NEC can be going forward, but their recent home games have also shown how difficult it's been for them to keep opponents quiet, including 2–2 draws against Fortuna Sittard and Groningen.

Monaco have won all four of their Conference League games, including in qualifying, scoring at least three goals in both home matches.

Despite being unbeaten at home in Ligue 1, they've conceded against Lens, Toulouse and Lille, while allowing an average of 1.36 xGA per game in the league.

Nordsjælland have seen both teams score in four of their last five games, including 1–1 and 2–2 draws against Hearts and CSKA Sofia in the Conference League.

Their defence has been letting them down against stronger sides, even in their own league.

Nordsjælland are coming off a 3–2 defeat to Midtjylland, in another game that saw 37 shots between the two teams.

In Europe, they've already allowed 14 shots on target in just two games, which could be a big problem against Paris Brunner, who's scored eight goals this season and has already found the net twice in the league phase.

Brunner also scored in the 3–0 win over Freiburg, and both he and Monaco have been at their best at home.

Celtic racked up 14 corners alone in that game against Falkirk, although it is worth noting that the hosts sat very deep at times to protect their lead. Besiktas should be more progressive, but Celtic have nevertheless been a target for corners all season. The Scottish side are averaging 8.1 corners per game across all competitions this season, rising to 8.7 at home.

They have been adept at getting to the byline to create corner opportunities, but Besiktas should also be able to contribute to the tally at Celtic Park. The Turkish side are averaging 5.7 corners per game, and there isn’t much to split these sides pre-match.

There were four cards shown in Celtic’s last European match against Celta Vigo, and the Scottish side accounted for all of those. Martin O’Neill’s men haven’t been in the best of form coming into this clash, which has led to an uptick in cards. In fact, they have landed this selection in nine of their last 11 games across all competitions.

Besiktas are drawing an average of 2.5 cards per game this season, rising to 3.2 when playing away from home. They have been a frustrating side to play against, and they are likely to cause problems for Celtic midweek.

Colby Donovan has committed 17 fouls in his last nine appearances across all competitions, and he has been carded in a third of those matches. That includes three infringements against Celta Vigo in the previous round of the Europa League. The fullback likes to be aggressive in his duels, and he should see plenty of involvement defensively on Thursday night.

Leandro Trossard looks set to start on the left wing, which will put him directly up against Donovan. The Belgian international is averaging 2.13 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season since completing his move from Arsenal, and he has seen plenty of the ball.

Camilo Duran finds himself in a rich vein of form, and he has scored in seven of his last nine starts across all competitions. The Colombian international has been impressive on the European stage, and he has landed this selection in all three starts. That includes three shots against Ferencvaros in round one, with one of those hitting the target.

Duran then bagged his first goal in the Europa League against Benfica, scoring Celtic’s only goal of the match in Portugal. He is averaging 3.4 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, which is comfortably the highest figure in the squad.

In addition to his contributions in the final third, Duran is averaging 1.8 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season. He likes having the ball at his feet, and sometimes drops a bit deeper to try and link the play going forward. Duran can be a real handful for opposing defenders to contain, and Emmanuel Agbadou will try to keep him quiet on Thursday night.

The centre back is averaging 1.74 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and he has registered a foul in ten of his eleven starts this season. Based on that, this looks like a standout price.

Pierre Sage’s men were hindered massively by an early red card for Jean-Philippe Mateta at the weekend, forcing them to sit deep in a low block for the entirety of the game. It has been a tough start to the season for Palace, as they currently sit in the relegation zone with the worst defensive record in the division. They have been inconsistent in Europe, with a record of one win, one draw and one loss, but over 2.5 goals has landed in all three of their matches.

Hoffenheim are another struggling side, sitting 12th in the Bundesliga. This is a clash between two poor defensive units, which makes goals a target.

Hoffenheim have seen a total of 30 goals in their opening eight league matches - with 14 goals scored, and 16 conceded. Their games tend to be quite open, with space in midfield, so there have been plenty of cynical fouls committed. Hoffenheim have one of the worst disciplinary records in the German top flight, and they are averaging 2.69 cards per game across all competitions.

They have landed this selection in all three Europa League matches for Hoffenheim this season, with three yellows against OFI Crete in round one, five cards against Besiktas, and three yellows against Lyon in their previous European outing.

Ozan Kabak has been a key contributor to that record, and he is averaging 2.65 fouls per 90 across all competitions. The former Liverpool man is a regular starter at the back for Hoffenheim, and he recorded two infringements against Werder Bremen at the weekend. Kabak has maintained his aggressive approach in the Europa League, racking up four fouls against Lyon last time out, which was enough to earn him a booking.

Prior to that, Kabak accumulated five infringements against Besiktas, and three fouls against Crete in round one. This is another tough matchup for the centre back, and the Palace forwards should keep him busy.

Mateta is likely to get the nod to start midweek, given his limited involvement against Spurs, and the fact he will be suspended for the next three league games. The striker has only recently returned from injury, but he has looked relatively sharp. Mateta found the back of the net against Besiktas in the previous round, which was his first start back after recovering. He followed that up with three shots against Newcastle, of which two hit the target, before being replaced after 62 minutes.

He will be Palace’s main threat in the final third on Thursday night, and will hope to take advantage of this leaky Hoffenheim rearguard.

Adam Hlozek looks set to lead the line for Hoffenheim here, and he is averaging 3.9 shots per 90 across all competitions this season. Hlozek comes into this clash in good form - he managed to score against Lyon in the previous round of the Europa League, despite only coming off the bench, and he started the next three matches since.

Hlozek landed this bet in all three appearances since, scoring another goal against Holstein Kiel in the DFB Pokal. Hlozek likes to try his luck from distance at times, and he is also a set-piece threat. He will be the target man for Hoffenheim going forward, and there are several ways he can get over this line midweek.

Kristoffer Zachariassen has been giving away plenty of fouls this season, averaging almost two per 90 minutes.

In midfield, the Norwegian could come up against Yunus Musah, who's been fouled in each of his last four starts, including twice in each of his last two.

Three opponents have already been booked for fouling the Milan midfielder this season, including one against Benfica at home in the Europa League.

Zachariassen has already picked up a yellow in the Europa League himself, while Ferencváros are averaging three yellows and more than 14 fouls per match.

Including the Europa League qualifiers, Zachariassen has given away at least one foul in 10 of his 11 games and will have plenty of defensive work to do against a Milan side that've been drawing more than 14 fouls per game in the competition.

Leon Avdullahu has been giving away more fouls in the Europa League, with seven in three games, including three against Beşiktaş and another three against Lyon.

Hoffenheim have also been one of the most poorly disciplined teams in the competition, averaging 20 fouls and four yellows per match.

Avdullahu will be up against a Crystal Palace side with players like Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada in midfield.

Both have been fouled 14 times this season, while Yeremy Pino leads the team with 15 and has scored in every Europa League game.

The referee is another concern.

Horațiu Feșnic is averaging almost five cards per game this season and giving 26 fouls per match.

That's not good news for Avdullahu, who's picked up three yellows this season, including two in his last three games.

Despite their surge in form, the Cherries still have quite a poor disciplinary record, and they have landed this selection in five of those six wins. Bournemouth are averaging 2.64 cards per game across all competitions this season, highlighting how they like to be aggressive in their press, and strong in tackles.

Marco Rose’s men come into this clash as favourites, but they cannot afford to underestimate Sparta Prague. The hosts have taken four points from their opening three Europa League matches, and their opponents have hit this mark in all of those matches.

Sparta have racked up a total of 22 corners in their three European outings this season, averaging 7.3 corners per game. Even though that figure is heavily influenced by a count of 13 corners against Ararat in round one, the Czech side have been adept at getting to the byline, and they should be front-footed on home turf here.

Bournemouth are an in-form team, but their matches haven’t been totally one-sided. In fact, the Cherries are conceding an average of 5.6 corners per game when playing away this season, which suggests that the hosts will be able to find chances going forward.

Andy Irving is expected to start in midfield for Sparta on Thursday night, after the Scottish international completed a move from West Ham over the summer. The 26-year-old has scored three goals in his ten appearances for his new club, and has hit the ground running.

Irving is averaging 1.2 shots per 90 across all competitions for Sparta this season, which is a notable increase on his figures at West Ham, which shows how he is given more attacking freedom for his new side. For context, he failed to score in any of his 18 appearances for the Hammers from July 2024 to January 2026.

Marco Rose has typically opted for rotation in midweek matches, but Marcus Tavernier has been the player who he cannot afford to drop. The 27-year-old has only missed one game this season, which was against Lincoln City right at the start of the campaign. Tavernier managed eight goals in 35 appearances across all competitions last season, and he is well on track to better that tally to have his most prolific campaign to date. The attacking midfielder already has six goals to his name from just 14 appearances across all competitions this term.

Tavernier is averaging 2.35 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, and he is likely to be the designated free-kick taker for the Cherries midweek.

Roman Macek looks set for a massive task in defensive midfield here, having to contain the Bournemouth forward line. He is likely to find duels against Evanilson, who is averaging 2.6 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions.

Macek is typically the more defensive-minded player in the double pivot, and he will have plenty of ground to cover at times. The 29-year-old is averaging 1.7 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and he has landed this selection in five of his last nine starts, picking up three yellow cards in that stretch as well.

The Black Cats have really struggled in the Premier League, but performances midweek have been much more positive. They beat Brentford 3-2 in the EFL Cup last week, earning them a spot amongst the final eight teams in the competition. In the Europa League, Sunderland are battling near the top of the standings with the record of two wins and one draw, and this looks like an excellent matchup for them to extend their unbeaten record.

Dinamo Zagreb sit mid-table on four points, and they were beaten 4-2 by NEC Nijmegen in their last European outing. There seems to be a significant gulf in quality between these sides on paper, so Sunderland will hope to make that count.

Dinamo Zagreb have only received a total of three yellow cards across their three Europa League matches so far, but this upcoming clash against Sunderland is likely to be their toughest yet. The Black Cats have drawn an average of 1.8 cards per game this season, and this selection has landed in each of their last three matches across all competitions.

Coventry picked up two yellow cards at the weekend, while Brentford were shown three bookings before that. Regis Le Bris’ men tend to play with more attacking intent at the Stadium of Light, and they will have to be front-footed here as they hope to build some momentum.

Niko Galesic in particular is one to keep an eye on at fullback, and he is averaging 1.66 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season. In the Europa League, that number jumps to 3.29 fouls per 90, where he has landed this selection in all three appearances. No Zagreb player has committed more fouls than Galesic on the European stage this season, and he will likely draw the matchup of Malick Fofana out wide.

The Sunderland winger was fouled twice against Brentford last week, and he is averaging 1.22 fouls drawn per 90 since joining for Sunderland. He is a player who likes to be direct in his play and try to beat his marker, exemplified by an average of 2.6 fouls drawn per 90 when playing for Lyon last season.

Dinamo Zagreb come into this clash as underdogs, but seeing Sunderland at the bottom of the Premier League standings will certainly give them some hope of pulling off an upset at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats have struggled to limit chances for their opponents so far, and they will have to keep an eye on Dion Beljo. The Croatian striker has scored in both Europa League appearances this season, including a brace against NEC Nijmegen in the previous round.

He is averaging an eye-catching 5.02 shots per 90 in the Croatian top flight this season, with 12 goals to his name from ten starts, which shows just how devastating he can be in the final third.

Paris Brunner has scored in all four of his Conference League appearances, including in qualifying, with 17 shots and nine on target.

He's Monaco's top scorer this season, with eight goals in 11 games.

Nordsjælland have conceded 13 goals in seven away league games, averaging 1.86 per match, while allowing more than six shots on target per game.

They've also struggled defensively in the Conference League, conceding three goals against Hearts and CSKA Sofia and allowing seven shots on target in each game.

Monaco have scored 14 goals in six home games this season, including four against Górnik Zabrze and three against Freiburg.

Brunner has been particularly dangerous at home, averaging 2.09 shots on target per 90 minutes and scoring five of his eight goals this season on home soil.

Brighton put in a gutsy and spirited performance at the Etihad last weekend, and they held on to a 1-0 victory. The Seagulls are now third in the Premier League standings, just five points behind Arsenal. They have been seriously impressive, and Fabian Hurzeler’s men will hope to carry that momentum into Thursday night.

Getafe’s form has been more mixed, and they were dealt a shock 5-2 defeat against Lugano in the previous round of the Conference League. The Spanish side have taken just one point from their opening two European matches, and this isn’t an easy matchup to break that streak. Even though Brighton tend to rotate midweek, they should have more than enough firepower to get over the line here.

Martin Satriano has been Getafe’s most active player in the final third this season, and he comes into this clash in excellent form. The Uruguay international provided the assist for Enes Unal to equalise against Sevilla at the weekend, before Satriano found the back of the net himself.

The winger is averaging 2.49 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, rising to 3.15 when playing at home. In fact, he has landed this selection in seven of his eight appearances on home turf this campaign. Satriano likes to cut inside from the left wing, and the ten of his 22 efforts in the league this season have come from outside the box.

Hurzeler has typically opted for rotation in midweek games, and Georginio Rutter will be expecting a recall. The Frenchman has been in good form recently, and he found the back of the net against Man City in his last start, which was in the EFL Cup. Rutter had four shots in that match, and four hit the target,

The 24-year-old has landed this selection with ease in both Conference League appearances so far. That includes a brace in round one against Zalgiris. Rutter couldn’t score against a stubborn Jablonec rearguard, but the striker did record six attempts, of which three hit the target, which shows just how active he is in the final third.