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Sunderland come into this clash under pressure following their 2-0 defeat against Brighton, as they have lost each of their last three consecutive league matches. However, they did manage a positive start in their European campaign, beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 before the break. It was a dominant performance from the Black Cats, who eventually found the decisive goal through Enzo Le Fee from the spot. 

Once again, there is a massive gulf in quality between these two sides, and Sunderland will hope to capitalise. Torreense qualified to the Europa League after winning the Portuguese Cup last season, but they are massive underdogs in the competition. In fact, they currently sit 15th in the Portuguese second division with the record of one win, three draws and three losses.

Both sides made winning starts to their Europa League campaigns, as Lyon beat Anderlecht 2-1 in Belgium, while Crystal Palace dismantled Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park. Over 2.5 goals has landed in six out of eight matches for Palace this season, and their recent encounter against Nottingham Forest was particularly open. 

Lyon have also been an entertaining side to watch, especially when playing on home turf. Over 2.5 goals has landed in four out of their five matches, with BTTS in three of those. They came away with a 4-0 win over Rennes in their last outing at the Groupama Stadium, and a 3-1 victory over Auxerre before that.

Bournemouth have one of the worst disciplinary records in the Premier League so far after six matches. They have picked up 18 yellow cards - only Hull have been carded more. That includes four yellow cards against Chelsea last time out. Even in the Europa League, there were six cards shown in Bournemouth’s round one fixture against Real Sociedad, with three apiece. 

Sturm Graz haven’t been as aggressive, but they are still averaging 3.73 cards per game across all competitions this season, with 2.0 for, and 1.7 against. The Austrian side have been awarded at least two bookings in each of their last seven consecutive matches across all competitions.

Benfica are heavy favourites here, and I can’t see past them winning and scoring at least a couple of goals in the process.

Marco Silva’s men claimed arguably the most eye-catching result of matchday one in the Europa League, securing a 2-0 win away to AC Milan. 

They’ve also made a reasonably strong start to their Primeira Liga campaign, winning six of their opening eight matches and scoring multiple goals in each of those victories, including each of their last three at home.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Lisbon heavyweights hit Hearts for six during Europa League qualifying at the Estadio da Luz.

Celtic picked up a morale-boosting 2-0 win away to Motherwell at the weekend, but were humbled 3-1 at home by Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener. 

The Hoops also conceded four goals in 90 minutes away to LASK Linz during Champions League qualifying, which does not bode well ahead of Thursday’s trip to Portugal.

Sunderland come into this clash under pressure following their 2-0 defeat against Brighton, as they have lost each of their last three consecutive league matches. However, they did manage a positive start in their European campaign, beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 before the break. It was a dominant performance from the Black Cats, who eventually found the decisive goal through Enzo Le Fee from the spot. 

Once again, there is a massive gulf in quality between these two sides, and Sunderland will hope to capitalise. Torreense qualified to the Europa League after winning the Portuguese Cup last season, but they are massive underdogs in the competition. In fact, they currently sit 15th in the Portuguese second division with the record of one win, three draws and three losses.

Both sides made winning starts to their Europa League campaigns, as Lyon beat Anderlecht 2-1 in Belgium, while Crystal Palace dismantled Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park. Over 2.5 goals has landed in six out of eight matches for Palace this season, and their recent encounter against Nottingham Forest was particularly open. 

Lyon have also been an entertaining side to watch, especially when playing on home turf. Over 2.5 goals has landed in four out of their five matches, with BTTS in three of those. They came away with a 4-0 win over Rennes in their last outing at the Groupama Stadium, and a 3-1 victory over Auxerre before that.

Milan have played four away games in Serie A this season, they've all seen BTTS.

Even in their 2-0 Europa League defeat to Benfica, they managed 17 shots and generated 1.03 xG.

Salzburg have scored 13 goals in four home league games, averaging almost 20 shots per match this season.

They also scored four goals in two Europa League qualifying matches.

To be fair, Salzburg have been pretty solid defensively too, conceding just twice at home.

But Milan have already shown they can create chances even against tough opposition.

They've scored in all four of their away games this season, at Torino, Juventus, Lazio and Sassuolo.

Adrien Rabiot has been in good form in the final third, with three goals and two assists already.

The Frenchman is expected to start and has been involved in 45% of the team's goals so far.

Real Sociedad have conceded nine goals in just four away games this season.

Union SG have scored 22 goals in eight Belgian league games, averaging more than 17 shots per match.

The visitors have scored seven goals in their four away trips, with both teams finding the net in three of them.

It's true that Union have been really solid at the back, conceding just one goal in four home league games.

However, they struggled when they came up against stronger opposition in Champions League qualifying, drawing 3–3 at home to Bodø/Glimt.

A Real Sociedad side sitting in La Liga's top six, scoring 1.50 goals per game in Spain's top-flight so far, will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet.

Hoffenheim have conceded 13 goals in their first five Bundesliga games, with BTTS landing in all of them.

Their defence is one of the main reasons they're sitting second from bottom, but things look a lot better going forward, especially at home.

They've scored six goals in three home games, taking at least 15 shots in each.

Besiktas have been involved in plenty of entertaining games too.

Both teams have scored in five of their last six matches, a run that includes impressive wins over Marseille (4–1) and Fenerbahçe (2–1).

One of the stars of that run has been Dušan Vlahović, who looks like he's getting back to his best.

The striker has scored six goals in his last five games, including a hat-trick.

With Hoffenheim creating plenty of chances but conceding goals regularly, and Besiktas enjoying such a good run in front of goal, it's hard to imagine this being a low-scoring game.

Camilo Duran is undoubtedly Celtic’s biggest attacking threat, and he looks an attractive option to attempt 2+ shots.

The Colombian forward likes to try his luck whenever the opportunity arises, as he showed at the weekend by scoring from distance against Motherwell with one of his 3 attempts.

A closer look at his numbers shows that he has averaged a sizable 3.90 shots per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, attempting multiple efforts in 5 of his last 7 outings.

Notably, Duran also fired off multiple shots in both legs of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against LASK Linz, scoring 2 goals in the home leg.

If Benfica find themselves in a comfortable lead, they may take their foot off the gas, which could open up more opportunities for Duran to get shots away.

Benfica are heavy favourites here, and I can’t see past them winning and scoring at least a couple of goals in the process.

Marco Silva’s men claimed arguably the most eye-catching result of matchday one in the Europa League, securing a 2-0 win away to AC Milan. 

They’ve also made a reasonably strong start to their Primeira Liga campaign, winning six of their opening eight matches and scoring multiple goals in each of those victories, including each of their last three at home.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Lisbon heavyweights hit Hearts for six during Europa League qualifying at the Estadio da Luz.

Celtic picked up a morale-boosting 2-0 win away to Motherwell at the weekend, but were humbled 3-1 at home by Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener. 

The Hoops also conceded four goals in 90 minutes away to LASK Linz during Champions League qualifying, which does not bode well ahead of Thursday’s trip to Portugal.

While I’m expecting Benfica to win this one, I think Celtic are well worth siding with to earn at least four corners. 

Celtic are always one of my go-to teams in the corner market, and for good reason. 

Indeed, Celtic’s Scottish Premiership matches this season have produced an average of 13.25 corners, with the Hoops taking 9.38 per game.

Martin O’Neill’s men have comfortably reached the 4+ corner mark in each of their 8 league matches this season, while they racked up 11 corners in their home defeat to Ferencvaros. 

On top of that, they forced 4 flag kicks or more in both legs of their Champions League qualifier against LASK Linz.

The case is strengthened by Benfica conceding 10 corners away to AC Milan in their Europa League opener, as well as 6 in their home win against Vitoria de Guimaraes at the weekend.

Camilo Duran is undoubtedly Celtic’s biggest attacking threat, and he looks an attractive option to attempt 2+ shots.

The Colombian forward likes to try his luck whenever the opportunity arises, as he showed at the weekend by scoring from distance against Motherwell with one of his 3 attempts.

A closer look at his numbers shows that he has averaged a sizable 3.90 shots per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, attempting multiple efforts in 5 of his last 7 outings.

Notably, Duran also fired off multiple shots in both legs of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against LASK Linz, scoring 2 goals in the home leg.

If Benfica find themselves in a comfortable lead, they may take their foot off the gas, which could open up more opportunities for Duran to get shots away.

I’m also backing Camilo Duran to be fouled at least once during this contest. 

Opponents regularly resort to fouling the Celtic ace, as shown by the number of free kicks he has won this season. 

Duran has drawn an average of 1.69 fouls per game in the Scottish Premiership this term and was brought down 4 times during Celtic’s recent home defeat to Rangers.

Even more encouraging is that he has been fouled 8 times across Celtic’s 3 continental fixtures this season, earning his side at least 1 free kick in each game.

Souffian El Karouani is not Benfica’s first-choice left-back, but he started away to AC Milan, so there is a chance he could return to the starting XI on Thursday night. 

The Moroccan committed a foul and was booked in that match, and he could have his hands full against Duran.

Brighton have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season, and they have already been involved in some high-scoring encounters.

The Seagulls beat Aston Villa and Tromso by 4-0 scorelines at the start of the season, before putting five past Coventry and three past Arsenal. They maintained that momentum after the international break, scoring twice away against Sunderland despite being reduced to ten men.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side are massive favourites coming into this clash on the south coast, and they are expected to dominate the ball. Zalgiris are likely to be forced to defend deep, which is unnatural for them as they are used to battling at the top of their domestic division.

The Lithuanian side have scored 56 goals in 28 league matches this campaign, which shows how they can be dangerous going forward, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them contribute to the scorecard. Zalgiris went through four two-legged ties to eventually qualify for the Conference League, during which they saw an average of 9.88 corners per game. 

Hurzeler’s men have also been incredibly consistent when it comes to generating corners this season. They have recorded at least five corners in seven of their nine matches across all competitions, averaging 5.89 per game. That figure could rise after this matchup against Zalgiris, with Brighton expected to dominate possession and spend long spells on the front foot.

Jaouen Hadjam bagged his first goal as a Brighton player against Sunderland, despite only making a brief cameo off the bench.

The 23-year-old has made three appearances for the Seagulls since completing a move from Young Boys, so this is a good opportunity for him to start in his favoured left back position. Hadjam likes to get forward and join attacks, and he had an average of 1.1 shots per 90 last season in the Swiss Super League. 

With Brighton expected to control proceedings, there should be plenty of opportunities for Hadjam to get forward into the box, and he should be full of confidence after scoring at the weekend

Luka Vuskovic has recorded at least one shot in eight of his nine starts as a Brighton player this season, averaging 1.58 shots per 90.

Based on those figures, you wouldn’t guess that he is a centre back. Standing at 6’3, the Croatian international is a massive threat from set-pieces, and his only goal of the campaign has come from a corner.

However, he does also strike the ball cleanly, so he fancies his chances from range. Last season, he was the designated free-kick and penalty taker for Hamburg in the Bundesliga, and there should be plenty of opportunities for him to advance forward against Zaligiris on Thursday night.

Amine Benchaib is the player most likely to carry a threat for Kauno Zalgiris at the Amex. The Moroccan international bagged 15 goals in 32 league appearances last season, and he has played a key role in their European matches as well.

He has featured in all eight games, and has scored twice. One of his goals came from the penalty spot, which highlights the responsibility placed on his shoulders. 

Chances will be at a premium against Brighton, but Benchaib is most likely to make things happen in the final third, and a speculative effort from distance could be on the cards.

Both sides made winning starts to their Europa League campaigns, as Lyon beat Anderlecht 2-1 in Belgium, while Crystal Palace dismantled Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park. Over 2.5 goals has landed in six out of eight matches for Palace this season, and their recent encounter against Nottingham Forest was particularly open. 

Lyon have also been an entertaining side to watch, especially when playing on home turf. Over 2.5 goals has landed in four out of their five matches, with BTTS in three of those. They came away with a 4-0 win over Rennes in their last outing at the Groupama Stadium, and a 3-1 victory over Auxerre before that.

Lyon are averaging 5.80 corners in their home games this season, clearing this line in four out of five overall. Paulo Fonseca sets his teams up to dominate possession, and they have been adept at generating chances in the final third. In fact, Lyon are averaging 17.4 shots per game, with 7.6 on target. 

Meanwhile, Palace just conceded 24 shots and eight big chances against Nottingham Forest. They were lucky to only concede once in the end, as the visitors managed 2.97 xG. Palace gave up eight corners in that match. The Eagles have allowed their opponents an average of 5.38 corners per game this campaign.

Ernest Nuamah is another player who has been adept at drawing contact, averaging 2.23 fouls drawn per 90. The Ghana international is always happy to receive the ball on the right wing, looking to drive at his marker. He often cuts inside onto his stronger left foot, which opens up shooting angles around the edge of the box. 

Nuamah bagged himself a brace against Rennes just before the break, which was his fourth goal of the season. He is averaging 2.97 shots per 90 across all competitions this campaign, and he has accrued ten shots in his last two home matches alone.

After Lois Openda suffered a fibula break against Lens last time out, Pavel Sulc looks set to be deployed further forward for Lyon. The Czechia international should deputise up front against Palace on Thursday night.

Sulc led the line for large parts of last season, when he had an average of 2.53 shots per 90. He showed impressive efficiency in front of goal, as 41% of his efforts hit the target, and he bagged 11 goals in the league. 

Sulc has recorded five shots from his four Ligue 1 starts this season, with three of those hitting the target. He also tested the goalkeeper against Lens last time out, despite Lyon suffering a 2-1 defeat.

Jefferson Lerma filled in at centre back at the weekend, and he looked really uncomfortable at times defensively. Chadi Riad remains out through injury, and Axel Disasi is serving a suspension.

However, the Frenchman is available to feature in Europe, and he should re-claim his starting spot on Thursday night. Disasi has committed a foul in three of his five appearances for Palace, including a straight red card against Ipswich after just 34 minutes. 

He will now have the tough task of trying to contain the Lyon attackers here. Corentin Tolisso usually plays in an advanced midfield role, and he is averaging 2.06 fouls drawn per 90.

Sturm Graz have been an excellent team to target for corners this season, as they are averaging 11.7 across all competitions. This selection has landed in eight of their last ten matches overall, and the two misses finished on exactly nine corners. 

Bournemouth’s average of 9.4 corners is slightly lower, but their games have also been quite open, with chances typically available at both sides. The south coast side come into this clash as heavy favourites, but they have looked vulnerable in midfield. Alex Scott being out is also a massive blow, so Sturm Graz should find chances on the break.

Bournemouth have one of the worst disciplinary records in the Premier League so far after six matches. They have picked up 18 yellow cards - only Hull have been carded more. That includes four yellow cards against Chelsea last time out. Even in the Europa League, there were six cards shown in Bournemouth’s round one fixture against Real Sociedad, with three apiece. 

Sturm Graz haven’t been as aggressive, but they are still averaging 3.73 cards per game across all competitions this season, with 2.0 for, and 1.7 against. The Austrian side have been awarded at least two bookings in each of their last seven consecutive matches across all competitions.

Rayan wasn’t very willing to track back defensively against Chelsea last time out, which left Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie exposed at Stamford Bridge. The American international struggled without his usual partner Alex Scott, and Adams accounted for five of Bournemouth’s 15 infringements - he eventually picked up a yellow. 

Adams has committed 13 fouls in five starts this season, landing this selection in four of those. That includes two fouls against Real Sociedad, despite being replaced after 63 minutes. His average of 2.69 fouls per 90 is comfortably the highest in the Bournemouth squad, highlighting a real willingness to get stuck into duels.

Paul Koller has contributed one yellow card to Sturm Graz’s tally this season, but the Austrian defender is perhaps lucky in that regard. He is averaging 1.53 fouls per 90, and has been one of the most consistent players in the Sturm Graz teams when it comes to committing fouls. Koller has landed this selection in six of his seven starts this season. That includes one foul against Rennes in round one of the Europa League. 

Koller will be matched up against Evanilson on Thursday night - the Brazilian is averaging 2.3 fouls drawn per 90 this campaign, and he has drawn multiple free-kicks in five out of seven starts in total.

Rayan scored Bournemouth’s second goal during their impressive 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, marking his first Europa League appearance with a winning goal. The Brazilian international looks set for a massive role under Marco Rose this season, and he played centrally against Chelsea at the weekend in the absence of Justin Kluivert. 

The 20-year-old has recorded 18 shots across all competitions this season, with eight of those hitting the target. He has landed this selection in six of his eight appearances overall, and both of his goals this season have been when Bournemouth have played midweek. This looks like a favourable matchup to target Rayan again, as the Cherries should be able to carve out good chances against Sturm Graz.

Milan have picked up more yellow cards away from home than any other team in Serie A this season, with 11 in just four games.

And that number has been rising lately, with at least three bookings in each of their last three away matches.

It's a completely different story at home, where they've picked up just two yellow cards in three games this season.

Pavlović has been getting booked way more often since Rúben Amorim took charge.

The centre-back has already picked up four yellow cards in seven games, matching his total for the entire Serie A campaign last season.

The referee, Horațiu Feșnic, is pretty strict too. 

He averages nearly five yellows per game and has already handed out nine cards in his two Europa League matches this season.

Wouter Burger leads Hoffenheim with three bookings in just seven games.

That’s a higher rate than last season, when he picked up seven yellow cards across the entire Bundesliga campaign.

The referee is Lawrence Visser, who's shown 13 yellow cards in his last two Conference League matches.

And it’s not just the referee Burger needs to worry about.

Beşiktaş’ midfielders could cause him plenty of problems too.

Kökçü and Özcan are among the Beşiktaş players who get fouled the most, both averaging more than two fouls won per away game.

In their 4-1 win over Marseille in gameweek one, both of Beşiktaş’ starting central midfielders won three fouls.

Motazzen is Racing Ratings' 2nd-favourite horse of the day, with a score of 9.3/10.

He comes into this race on a hat-trick, following back-to-back victories at this very track.

Motazzen is in the form of his life, is well proven over course and distance and is in great form at this level.

He is the most experienced horse in the race, and is well suited to this distance.

Motazzen should adapt well to the ground, and while there're two horses ahead of him in the betting, that could all change by the race start.

Yordan is Racing Ratings' NAP of the day, with a 9.6/10 score ahead of this evening's action at Southwell.

He has won two of his four career races, finishing in the top two in three of those and leads the market for this race.

Yordan has shortened in odds of late as well, eyeing a second victory at this racecourse.

He's a previous course and distance winner, who has been lightly raced to leave plenty of room for improvement.

Trainer, Kevin Ryan, is in good form at this track and this outing is a drop down two levels from Yordan's last race.

Motazzen is Racing Ratings' 2nd-favourite horse of the day, with a score of 9.3/10.

He comes into this race on a hat-trick, following back-to-back victories at this very track.

Motazzen is in the form of his life, is well proven over course and distance and is in great form at this level.

He is the most experienced horse in the race, and is well suited to this distance.

Motazzen should adapt well to the ground, and while there're two horses ahead of him in the betting, that could all change by the race start.

Orderoftheday is the joint-3rd highest rated horse on Racing Ratings today, with an 8.1/10 score.

He has won two of his last five races, finishing in the top three in four of those and is carded as the 2nd-favourite at the time of writing, 4.00 trailing Minella Marathon at 3.75.

He's one of two horses to come into the race following a victory, having won at Uttoxeter last time out.

Trainer Olly Murphy's record at this track is really, while jockey, Sean Bowen, has been in the saddle for Orderoftheday's last two wins.

Dropping down to Class 4, after winning at Class 3 last time out, should see Orderoftheday justify his position at the top end of the market.

South Kensington is Racing Ratings' joint-3rd favourite today, with an 8.1/10.

She has won two of her last six races, including last time out, and has finished in the top two in two of her last three outings.

South Kensington has shortened in odds of late, is the 2nd-favourite at the time of writing and is the only horse in the race to have recorded a victory in their last outing.

She is previous course and distance winner, winning last time out at this very track.

Charles Bishop stays in the saddle, maintaining some good continuity from last week and brings extra course and distance winning experience.

Yordan is Racing Ratings' NAP of the day, with a 9.6/10 score ahead of this evening's action at Southwell.

He has won two of his four career races, finishing in the top two in three of those and leads the market for this race.

Yordan has shortened in odds of late as well, eyeing a second victory at this racecourse.

He's a previous course and distance winner, who has been lightly raced to leave plenty of room for improvement.

Trainer, Kevin Ryan, is in good form at this track and this outing is a drop down two levels from Yordan's last race.

Frankfurt fell to a 6-0 defeat against Leipzig in their first game back following the international break, which was a result that summed up how their season has gone so far.

Frankfurt have only managed to win one of their opening five games in the Bundesliga this season, netting nine goals across these games but also conceding 16 - which is the third highest tally in the division.

BTTS landed in both league meetings between these sides this season, with the most recent clash producing four goals as the sides played out a 2-2 draw with a combined xG of 5.81.

Koln saw BTTS in their first game back following the international break against Mochengladbach and have seen BTTS in each of their last five matches more widely.

Le Mans have been an entertaining addition to Ligue 1 this season and have actually managed to avoid defeat at home in 2026 with all four of their defeats this year coming away from home.

Le Mans have seen BTTS in each of their last five matches, most recently falling to a 3-1 defeat against PSG on the road. They’ve only managed to win one of their opening six games, but have carried a scoring threat across these games with 10 goals scored.

Toulouse have made an identical start to the season as their opponents here and have conceded 11 goals across their opening six matches in Ligue 1. Their three away games in the French top flight have produced 12 goals (4.0 per game).

Motazzen is Racing Ratings' 2nd-favourite horse of the day, with a score of 9.3/10.

He comes into this race on a hat-trick, following back-to-back victories at this very track.

Motazzen is in the form of his life, is well proven over course and distance and is in great form at this level.

He is the most experienced horse in the race, and is well suited to this distance.

Motazzen should adapt well to the ground, and while there're two horses ahead of him in the betting, that could all change by the race start.

Orderoftheday is the joint-3rd highest rated horse on Racing Ratings today, with an 8.1/10 score.

He has won two of his last five races, finishing in the top three in four of those and is carded as the 2nd-favourite at the time of writing, 4.00 trailing Minella Marathon at 3.75.

He's one of two horses to come into the race following a victory, having won at Uttoxeter last time out.

Trainer Olly Murphy's record at this track is really, while jockey, Sean Bowen, has been in the saddle for Orderoftheday's last two wins.

Dropping down to Class 4, after winning at Class 3 last time out, should see Orderoftheday justify his position at the top end of the market.

South Kensington is Racing Ratings' joint-3rd favourite today, with an 8.1/10.

She has won two of her last six races, including last time out, and has finished in the top two in two of her last three outings.

South Kensington has shortened in odds of late, is the 2nd-favourite at the time of writing and is the only horse in the race to have recorded a victory in their last outing.

She is previous course and distance winner, winning last time out at this very track.

Charles Bishop stays in the saddle, maintaining some good continuity from last week and brings extra course and distance winning experience.

Yordan is Racing Ratings' NAP of the day, with a 9.6/10 score ahead of this evening's action at Southwell.

He has won two of his four career races, finishing in the top two in three of those and leads the market for this race.

Yordan has shortened in odds of late as well, eyeing a second victory at this racecourse.

He's a previous course and distance winner, who has been lightly raced to leave plenty of room for improvement.

Trainer, Kevin Ryan, is in good form at this track and this outing is a drop down two levels from Yordan's last race.

Motazzen is Racing Ratings' 2nd-favourite horse of the day, with a score of 9.3/10.

He comes into this race on a hat-trick, following back-to-back victories at this very track.

Motazzen is in the form of his life, is well proven over course and distance and is in great form at this level.

He is the most experienced horse in the race, and is well suited to this distance.

Motazzen should adapt well to the ground, and while there're two horses ahead of him in the betting, that could all change by the race start.

Yordan is Racing Ratings' NAP of the day, with a 9.6/10 score ahead of this evening's action at Southwell.

He has won two of his four career races, finishing in the top two in three of those and leads the market for this race.

Yordan has shortened in odds of late as well, eyeing a second victory at this racecourse.

He's a previous course and distance winner, who has been lightly raced to leave plenty of room for improvement.

Trainer, Kevin Ryan, is in good form at this track and this outing is a drop down two levels from Yordan's last race.

Sunderland come into this clash under pressure following their 2-0 defeat against Brighton, as they have lost each of their last three consecutive league matches.

However, they did manage a positive start in their European campaign, beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 before the break. It was a dominant performance from the Black Cats, who eventually found the decisive goal through Enzo Le Fee from the spot. 

Once again, there is a massive gulf in quality between these two sides, and Sunderland will hope to capitalise. Torreense qualified to the Europa League after winning the Portuguese Cup last season, but they are massive underdogs in the competition. In fact, they currently sit 15th in the Portuguese second division with the record of one win, three draws and three losses.

Torreense pulled off a massive result in round one of the Europa League, as they beat Lillestrom 2-1. It was a bit of a smash and grab as the hosts were the dominant side, but Torreense showed real character to hold on to the three points. Torreense were shown four yellow cards in that match, and Nuha Jatta was also sent off in the 85th minute for a second yellow.

Torreense can be quite an aggressive team, and cards are usually one to keep an eye on when they are playing. They were awarded two red cards against Tondela at the weekend for two separate incidents. In addition to that, Torreense also picked up three yellow cards.

David Bruno landed this selection in Torreense’s opening Europa League match against Lillestrom, accounting for two fouls. That was enough to earn the fullback a booking. He was also shown a yellow card against Porto in the Super Cup at the start of the season. The 34-year-old is not short of experience, but he does struggle in the tougher matchups. 

Bruno is likely to be up against either Malick Fofana or Nilson Angulo on Thursday night - two players who like to be direct and beat their marker. The Torreense defender could be in for another difficult night, which makes this price stand out.

On the opposite side, Dany Jean is the regular starter on the left wing for Torreense. If the hosts are going to get anything from this match, they will need him to be on top form. The Haitian international scored six goals last season, and he was their main outlet in transition. He has already scored twice this campaign from nine appearances, and he landed this selection against Porto in the Super Cup. 

Jean featured for 86 minutes against Lillestrom in Torreense’s opening Europa League fixture, and he finished the match with one shot to his name. That one effort came from outside the box after cutting in onto his stronger right foot - a regular feature of his play.

Noah Sadiki has been a key figure in the Sunderland midfield alongside Granit Xhaka, and he is typically more willing to push forward into advanced areas. Sadiki has recorded seven shots from his seven starts across all competitions, averaging 1.06 shots per 90. That figure could rise this weekend, as the Black Cats are likely to dominate. Sadiki should have plenty of opportunities to get forward into promising shooting positions, so this price appeals. 

Torreense allowed Lillestrom to rack up 25 shots worth 2.58 xG in their opening fixture in the Europa League, and the Norwegian side accounted for 67% possession. Sunderland should be even more dominant on Thursday night.

Stockport come into this fixture having won each of their last three matches, winning two of these games to nil. They’ve started the season strongly overall, sitting third in the table having won five of their opening nine matches.

Stockport have won three of their five matches in front of their own fans, notably scoring 13 goals across these games - which is the second highest scoring tally of any side at home in League One this term, with the exception of Reading (14).

Bromley are struggling to adapt to the level of League One, winning just two of their eight matches. The 20 goals that Bromley have conceded in League One so far this season is the joint highest tally of any side, and it’s not like they’re scoring much either - netting just nine goals across their eight matches.

PSG played some of the best football I’ve ever seen at the Etihad on Wednesday night, coming away 4-2 winners in Manchester having found the target 10 times from their 15 shots in the clash.

That victory marks their fifth consecutive victory ahead of this fixture, following a slow start to the season which mirrors the sluggish start that Luis Enrique’s side made to last campaign.

Strasbourg are really struggling defensively at the moment having failed to keep a clean sheet across their last 20 matches. They’ve failed to win any of their last three games, losing each of the last two, and have conceded 12 goals across their six games in Ligue 1 (2.0 per game).

PSG came away 2-1 winners in this fixture last season, despite dropping down to 10 men for the final quarter of that game. I see them having far too much scoring power for Strasbourg here, who are struggling for consistency under Hugo Oliveira. 

Inter have scored 2+ goals in all but one of their Serie A games so far this season, with the exception of a 1-0 win away from home against Cagliari - that saw Inter generate an xG of 3.67 from 31 shots, suggesting that it should have been a more routine victory.

Inter are the top scorers in Serie A so far this season having netted 18 goals across their six games. They’ve won five of these matches, only dropping points to a high flying Roma side, but do have defensive vulnerabilities. 

Inter have conceded eight goals across their opening six games, which is why I’m leaning more towards backing them for 2+ goals rather than backing them for the win outright. They scored three goals on their trip here last season, but still didn’t get the three points with Bologna matching that tally.

Bologna have started the season poorly and have only managed to win one of their last five matches across all competitions. They haven’t won any of their three home games this term, and a visit from the league leaders is unlucky to improve that record.

Newcastle have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League so far this season, with that shutout coming against Tottenham - who still managed to register 17 shots and an xG of 1.12.

Newcastle are far too open for me at the moment, it was evident again in their 4-1 defeat to Coventry last time out. Newcastle aren’t having many issues scoring themselves though, seeing BTTS in each of their last four Premier League matches.

Aston Villa come into this clash on the back of a brilliant midweek win in the Champions League over Fenerbahce, coming away 6-0 winners at Villa Park.  They have, however, seen BTTS in each of the four matches prior to that win - with Unai Emery’s side keeping just one clean sheet so far this term domestically.

There should be no shortage of goals when East Kilbride face Montrose in Scottish League One on Saturday. 

Both teams have been among the SPFL’s great entertainers this season, so over 2.5 goals looks an appealing option.

East Kilbride were involved in plenty of high-scoring games during last season’s promotion campaign, and this term has been no different. 

Indeed, 8 of their 10 league games this season have produced over 2.5 goals, including 4 of their 5 at home. 

Given the attacking intensity Mick Kennedy’s men play with, they are more than capable of covering the over 2.5 line themselves. 

They are also vulnerable at the back though, as shown by last weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Airdrie.

Montrose have been just as reliable, with over 2.5 goals landing in 9 of their 10 league games, including their win over East Kilbride in the reverse fixture in August.

Clyde look well placed to preserve their perfect home record in Scottish League Two by beating Annan on Saturday. 

The Bully Wee are joint top of the table and made it five home wins from five with a 2-1 victory over Dumbarton last weekend.

They will be confident of extending that run against an Annan side that are propping up the table.

Moreover, the Galabankies were thrashed 6-1 at home by Stranraer last weekend and have also lost their last three league games on the road. 

Each of those three away defeats came against a team currently fifth or lower in the table, which strengthens the case for Clyde to claim another home win.

Looking at this game, one player that fills me with excitement is Fer Lopez.

The Spaniard has impressed this season after a tough first campaign for Wolves where he had little impact.

So far, Lopez has netted four goals and claimed two assists. He’s been one of the division’s best players and on ability, he may well be the best.

He is Wolves’ top scorer and his eight shots on target is the most in the squad - an average of 1.10 per 90 minutes.

He’s had at least one shot on target in four of his last five starts.`

With Lopez’ ability, flair and ability to impact the game, naturally, he becomes a bit of a target for the opposition and he’s drawn 14 fouls this season, the second-most in the squad behind Mateus Mane.

That works out at an average of 1.77 times per 90 minutes.

He’s been fouled in seven of nine starts this season and drew three in midweek against Bolton.

Two of Burnley’s central midfield players - Laurent and Hatate average some of their highest fouls committed numbers at 1.41 and 1.39, respectively.

The Brazillian midfielder is fantastic. Incredibly industrious, aggressive and always looking to win the ball back and get Wolves on to the front foot.

That aggression and tenacity does lead itself to a high foul count though and his 15 fouls is the most in the Wolves squad, an average of 1.81 per 90 minutes.

In tough games, we’ve seen some big foul counts. He made two against West Ham as well as four against each of Sheffield United and West Brom. 

Laurent, Hatate, Mejbri and Raghouber, who all operate centrally, have drawn the three highest foul counts for Burnley.

Krejci is clearly a player who could cut it at the level above. He’s been a bit in and out this season but started in midweek and played the full 90 minutes.

He’s made five fouls across his three Championship appearances, with midweek being the first game without one.

He will likely come into contact with those central players that were mentioned before and he’ll need to marshall veteran striker Jamie Vardy.

Krejci’s fouls can often come at the other end. He is excellent in the air and is a target for Wolves from set pieces, but he can get a little bit overzealous in his attempts to win the ball.

Motherwell’s poor form makes Kilmarnock worth considering to avoid defeat at Rugby Park on Saturday. 

The visitors have lost their last four Scottish Premiership matches and failed to win three of their four top-flight away games this season, with their only road success coming on the opening weekend.

Kilmarnock are bottom of the table, but Neil McCann’s side have started to show signs of life after a difficult start.

They have lost just once in their last four league outings, and even in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat away at Rangers, they created several chances.

Before that, Killie picked up a point at Aberdeen, won away to Hibs and came close to beating Hearts at home.

With their form improving and Motherwell struggling, the hosts look capable of taking something from this game.

There should be no shortage of goals when East Kilbride face Montrose in Scottish League One on Saturday. 

Both teams have been among the SPFL’s great entertainers this season, so over 2.5 goals looks an appealing option.

East Kilbride were involved in plenty of high-scoring games during last season’s promotion campaign, and this term has been no different. 

Indeed, 8 of their 10 league games this season have produced over 2.5 goals, including 4 of their 5 at home. 

Given the attacking intensity Mick Kennedy’s men play with, they are more than capable of covering the over 2.5 line themselves. 

They are also vulnerable at the back though, as shown by last weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Airdrie.

Montrose have been just as reliable, with over 2.5 goals landing in 9 of their 10 league games, including their win over East Kilbride in the reverse fixture in August.

A fascinating title race is developing in Scottish League One, and I’m keen to back league leaders Ross County to claim another victory away at Queen of the South in a game featuring over 1.5 goals.

The Staggies are setting the pace in the third tier and are one of only two teams still unbeaten in the SPFL this season, alongside fellow title challengers Hamilton. 

County sit above Accies thanks to their superior goal difference, having scored multiple goals in seven of their eight league victories. 

Their latest triumph was a resounding 5-0 win away at Montrose last weekend.

Queen of the South have beaten Cove Rangers and Peterhead in their last two league matches, but this will be a much tougher test. 

The Doonhamers were thrashed 8-0 by Ross County in the league last month.

I don’t expect a repeat of that scoreline here, but County can claim another win and score at least twice in the process.

Clyde look well placed to preserve their perfect home record in Scottish League Two by beating Annan on Saturday. 

The Bully Wee are joint top of the table and made it five home wins from five with a 2-1 victory over Dumbarton last weekend.

They will be confident of extending that run against an Annan side that are propping up the table.

Moreover, the Galabankies were thrashed 6-1 at home by Stranraer last weekend and have also lost their last three league games on the road. 

Each of those three away defeats came against a team currently fifth or lower in the table, which strengthens the case for Clyde to claim another home win.

Dumbarton tend to do their best work at home and look worthy of support on the double chance when they host Stirling Albion on Saturday.

All 12 points the Sons have earned this season have come at home, including victories in each of their last three matches at the Rock.

They also beat joint league leaders Clyde 2-1 in their first home game of the campaign.

Stirling have turned a corner recently with a couple of wins, but their only away success in the league came against bottom side Annan, and even that was a narrow 1-0 victory.

The Binos had lost each of their previous four away games prior to that success, including heavy defeats at Forfar and Elgin and a loss away to Edinburgh City in which they conceded seven goals.

Moreover, Steven Whittaker’s side have won just 3 of their 10 league matches this season, so it is difficult to see them claiming another victory against a Dumbarton side who have been so strong at home.

Thierno Barry is developing really well at Everton, I was keen to keep an eye on him when he arrived from Villarreal last summer and he took some time to find his feet in the Premier League but can definitely offer a real threat to Chelsea here.

Barry is Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League so far this season having netted three goals across his six starts. He netted eight goals across 21 starts last season, so he’s made a decent start and should be able to match if not exceed the tally from his debut campaign.

Barry has taken 22 shots across his six starts in the Premier League (3.92 per 90), seeing eight of these efforts find the target (1.43 per 90). He’s clearly playing with more confidence than he did last season, with a clear increase on the 0.66 shots on target he averaged throughout last campaign.

Morgan Rogers has settled into his new role at Chelsea really well, and is thriving with the setup of Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer alongside him in Chelsea’s front three.

Rogers has scored four goals across his six starts in the Premier League this season, most recently scoring Chelsea’s second goal against Bournemouth in a 5-1 rout - finding the back of the net after just three minutes in that game.

Rogers has taken 17 shots across his six starts in the Premier League (2.93 per 90), seeing six of these efforts find the target (1.03 per 90). Both Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are notably shorter than Rogers to have an effort on target here, despite Rogers having very similar underlying numbers.

It’s now 22 games in the Premier League without a clean sheet for Chelsea after they conceded against Bournemouth last time out, and I can’t see them keeping out this Everton side on Saturday afternoon.

Chelsea have conceded multiple goals in games against Leeds, Hull, Brighton, Brentford and Fulham which is a record to suggest that Xabi Alonso’s side have some very concerning underlying defensive issues which go beyond getting a bit unlucky at the back.

Chelsea have conceded the joint most goals of any side in the Premier League this season, shipping 13 goals across their six games. Seven of these have been conceded in their away games as well, they’ve only managed to win one of their three games on the road so far. 

Everton have scored five goals across their three home games so far, avoiding defeat in all three games. They’ve avoided defeat against Chelsea in each of the last three head to head meetings in the Premier League with Everton as the home side, coming away 3-0 winners last season. 

James Tarkowski is seriously good at winning fouls for a centre back and is at a nice price to be hauled down at least once here having drawn 10 fouls across his six starts in the Premier League so far (1.67 per 90).

That record puts Tarkowski in the 89th percentile when compared to other centre backs in the Premier League when it comes to winning fouls. He was fouled once in this fixture last season, and was also hauled down once in Everton’s defeat at Stamford Bridge during the 25/26 campaign.

Tarkowski will be in a battle with Joao Pedro, who has committed five fouls across his five starts in the Premier League so far this season (1.04 per 90) and should engage in an entertaining battle with the Everton centre back that sees Tarkowski fouled at least once.