UEFA Europa League Match Betting Previews, Odds & Analysis for Thursday, April 30, 2026

With the first leg of both Champions League semifinals in the books, all eyes move towards the Europa League’s final four.

The first semifinal matchup features two familiar foes meeting for the first time outside a domestic competition. Nottingham Forest hosts English Premier League rivals, Aston Villa, at the City Ground on Thursday afternoon. These two legs will be the third and fourth matchups between these clubs this calendar year.

On the contrary, the second Europa League semifinal matchup features two clubs that have never faced one another in their history. Braga is set to host Freiburg at the Estádio Municipal de Braga. The Portuguese side enters Thursday with the highest odds to win the tournament (+700).

Let’s break down these matchups and go over predictions, best bets, and DFS lineups for Thursday’s Europa League semifinal matches.

Thursday’s UEFA Europa League Schedule

• Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa- 3:00 p.m.
• Braga vs. Freiburg- 3:00 p.m.

Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa Odds & Analysis

The Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa matchup features two of the four EPL squads still alive in European competitions. Villa enters the semifinals as the odds-on favorite (-110) to win the Europa League for the first time in the club’s existence.

Unai Emery’s squad has had a top-notch season, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League table and dominating the Europa League up to this point. Villa enters the first leg of this matchup on a nine-game win streak in this competition, winning 11 of their 12 European games overall.

The Villans come into the semifinals as a confident bunch after dominating their quarterfinal tie against Bologna, winning 7-2 over two legs. They have also had Forest’s number of the past few seasons, losing just once to their EPL counterparts since 2024.

Thursday’s match marks the third matchup between these clubs since January 3, and the second in just the month of April. Villa battered Forest 3-1 back in January at Villa Park, but the two ended in a 1-1 stalemate when they met most recently at the City Ground.

Despite both sides sitting on opposite ends of the EPL table, Forest has been a different team in this competition up to this point. Vito Pereira’s squad entered their quarterfinal tie against Porto as slight underdogs, and still looked fairly comfortable taking down the Liga Portugal leaders 2-1.

The play of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega has been essential to Forest’s success in this competition. The German international finished the second leg with 7 saves, helping to protect his side’s one-goal advantage and advance to the semifinal.

Pereira has rotated Ortega with first-choice keeper Matz Sels, depending on the matchup. Selz was in goal during Forest’s most recent game against Villa, but it is unclear which of the two Forest will feature on Thursday afternoon.

Regardless of who starts, these teams’ familiarity with one another will likely lead to goals on both sides. Both teams have scored at least one goal against the other in five straight head-to-head matches dating back to early 2024.

Best Bet: BTS – Yes (-120)

Braga vs. Freiburg Odds & Analysis

Against all odds, Braga finds itself in the Europa League semifinals for the first time in 15 years. The Portuguese side hosts Freiburg on Thursday afternoon after an improbable comeback against Real Betis in the quarterfinals.

Braga drew 1- 1 with the Spanish side in the first leg at home, and many expected Carlos Vicens’ European season to be over. The tie was headed to Spain, and Real Betis were considered the heavy favorite to advance to the semifinals. After scoring two goals in 26 minutes, it appeared that Betis had all but secured its spot in the next round. That was until Os Arsenalistas would score four unanswered goals to win the tie 5-3.

Despite Braga’s miraculous comeback, the Portuguese side is once again considered a significant underdog to advance against Freiburg. The German club looked as good as any team in the quarterfinals and will be eager to perform in this competition after struggling domestically over the past week.

Freiburg dominated Celta Vigo 6-1 over their two-leg tie. Julian Schuster’s club has performed exceptionally well over its last three Europa League matches, scoring 11 goals in that span.

However, Freiburg’s recent form over the last week leaves us with some uncertainty heading into this semifinal matchup with Braga. Thursday’s match marks the third game in just seven days for Schuster’s squad, with the Bundesliga side losing the two other games with a combined score of 6-1. To make matters worse, one of the two losses came in a domestic cup knockout game that went into extra time, meaning the players were forced to play an additional 30 minutes.

Before this difficult schedule, Freiburg had been in top form, winning six of its last seven matches across all competitions. With how demanding the schedule has been at the end of April, Braga has a serious chance to steal a result in the first leg in front of its home supporters.

Best Bet: Braga ML (+125)

Thursday’s UEFA Europa League DFS Picks

Aston Villa superstar Ollie Watkins headlines our DFS lineup for Thursday’s Europa League semifinals matchups. Emery’s top goalscorer in this competition has been in a great run of form, scoring three of Villa’s six goals in the quarterfinals. The England international now has four knockout round goals this season, and will be up against a familiar foe in Forest. Watkins scored against Forest when these teams met in January, and has three goals in eight appearances against the club.

Our second forward in this lineup is Braga striker Pau Victor. The Spanish attacker was critical in sparking Braga’s comeback in the quarterfinals, scoring the club’s first goal of the second leg in front of his home country. Now, the 24-year-old has a chance to continue his goal-scoring form

against a Freiburg defense that has struggled in its last two matches. Victor has scored three goals in his last five matches across all competitions.

Freiburg’s Yuito Suzuki is our first choice in the midfield. The Japanese international has provided a spark from his spot in the middle of the pitch with 6 G/A in 10 Europa League matches. Suzuki had a brace in Freiburg’s 3-1 over Celta earlier this month.

Our second midfield option is Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White. The English attacking midfielder has been a goal-scoring machine over his last few games, scoring five goals and providing one assist in his last three matches across all competitions. Gibbs-White is in the midst of the best run of his career, and you can expect him to continue it here against Villa.

Moving into defense, Freiburg’s veteran fullback Christian Gunter marks our first selection. The German defender has been a rock for Schuster all season, but has been used as a rotational piece as the Europa League season progressed. With the team struggling and the opportunity to compete for a trophy, you can expect Gunter to play his normal role on the left flank, providing crosses and key passes as he has all season.

For the third straight matchweek, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa rounds out our final defender spot on this lineup. Konsa has scored a goal in both legs of the quarterfinals, while also providing stonewall defense on the opposite end. The English defender is proving to be a difficult man to mark during set-piece situations and has also been pivotal in Villa’s defensive success up to now.

In goal, we went with Emiliano Martinez, who will face a Forest side that he has faced many times throughout his career. Dibu has recorded 16 saves in just seven career appearances versus Forest. The Argentine is averaging 3 saves per game and one goal allowed in the first two matches against Forest this season.

In the flex position, we will be taking Freiburg’s exciting midfield prospect, Johan Manzambi. The Swiss youngster continues to shine for the German side with 2 G/A in its last five matches despite playing deeper into the midfield. The 20-year-old plays an important role in filling gaps for Schuster and has shown the ability to move up the pitch and make plays for others when given the chance.

Photo Credit: AP/Alberto Saiz