Europa Conference League quarter-final predictions: Away victories on the cards

Henry Hardwicke
Spotlight
Vincenzo Italiano will be confident Fiorentina can pick up the win on Thursday evening
Vincenzo Italiano will be confident Fiorentina can pick up the win on Thursday evening

- Fiorentina have won nine of their last 10 matches
- Nice have lost just one Europa Conference League game away from home this season
- Recommended bets:
- Back Fiorentina to beat Lech Poznan
- Back Nice to beat Basel

All eyes will be on the Europa Conference League quarter-finals on Thursday night. 

Some big names have made it through to the last eight and the first legs are sure to serve up some tasty encounters. 

Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina (Thursday, 8pm)

The stats

Fiorentina look the standout side left in the competition, they are preceded in the outright betting by West Ham, but it is hard to see how the Italians do not go very close to lifting the trophy.

Fiorentina have been in excellent form, winning nine of their last 10 across all competitions and that included excellent victories over Inter Milan and AC Milan.

The Viola were frustrated by a string of draws and narrow defeats in the early part of the Serie A season, seven of their 10 Italian top-flight defeats have come by a single-goal margin, but Vincenzo Italiano's men are now in fantastic form.

The Florence outfit crushed Sivasspor 5-1 in the previous round of this competition, that included a 4-1 victory in Turkey, and prior to that, Fiorentina hammered a good Braga side 7-2. Those are seriously impressive results that have come against sides superior to Thursday's opponents Lech Poznan.

Prediction

The Viola travel to Poland to face Lech Poznan in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final and Italiano's side can secure an opening clash advantage.

The Polish outfit were pretty fortunate to come through a poor section containing Villarreal, Austria Vienna and Hapoel Be'er Sheva and knockout-stage wins over Bodo/Glimt and Djurgardens hardly set the pulse racing.

Fiorentina look to have serious chances of going all the way to the Conference League final in Prague and, at the prices, they look excellent value to secure victory at Stadion Poznan.

Basel vs Nice (Thursday, 8pm)

Didier Digard has impressed since taking over Nice on an interim basis
Didier Digard has impressed since taking over Nice on an interim basis

The stats

Basel have scored 13 goals in their last seven Europa Conference League matches and there have been at least three goals in five of those last seven games.

FCB have scored 21 times in 12 home Swiss League matches this season and Heiko Vogel's men have hit 19 strikes in their last 10 home matches across all competitions.

Nice have lost only three of 15 away Ligue 1 matches this term and a 1-0 reversal against Maccabi Tel Aviv, way back in August, is the only defeat the Eaglets have suffered on the road in this competition.

Prediction

Basel have enjoyed a charmed run to the last eight of the Conference League but FCB's fortune could run out against Nice.

The Swiss side were extremely fortunate to beat Trabzonspor 2-0 in the preliminary round, after the Turkish outfit missed a penalty and a hatful of golden opportunities, and Basel needed a 93rd-minute equaliser and spot kicks to progress from their last-16 tie against Slovan Bratislava.

Nice have been strong away from home this season and they looked primed to take a first-leg advantage at St Jakob-Park.

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Tags

Europa Conference LeagueNiceBaselFiorentinaLech Poznan