Is blindly backing the Unders odds an option in the 2nd Qualifying Round? We assess the upcoming match-ups to move closer to the Europa League.
| 2025/26 Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round Match Markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| Levski Sofia vs Braga (Under 2.5 Goals) | 1.90 |
| Banik Ostrava vs Legia Warsaw (Under 2.5 Goals) | 1.85 |
| Lugano vs CFR Cluj (Under 2.5 Goals) | 1.85 |
| Besiktas vs Shakhtar Donetsk (Under 2.5 Goals) | 1.90 |
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
What betting lessons can we learn from the Europa League 1st Qualifying Round?
The number one lesson of all in the previous Qualifying Round of the 2025/26 Europa League was the sheer lack of goals scored.
Half of the matches finished with two or fewer goals scored in each of the tie’s two legs. The goalscoring numbers in the 1st Qualifying Round were also heavily influenced by two anomalies. One was Shakhtar’s 6-0 hammering of the Finnish side Ilves, and the other was the entertaining two-legged tie between Celje and Saba, which ended 6-5 on aggregate in favour of the Slovakians.
Interestingly, there were more one-sided match-ups in the 1st Qualifying Round – on paper – than in the 2nd Qualifying Round draw.
Polish giants, Legia Warsaw, only narrowly came through 2-0 on aggregate against the Kazakh side Aktobe. Meanwhile, CFR Cluj left it to the second leg to score all three of their goals in a 3-0 aggregate win over the Hungarian minnows Paksi.
Assessing the 2nd Qualifying Round ties for goal action
The 2nd Qualifying Round of the Europa League brings together eight winners and eight entrants from the 1st Qualifying Round. All of them qualified for this stage by finishing higher in their domestic leagues or by having stronger UEFA coefficients.
Each of the ties is much more balanced than the 1st Qualifying Round draw. Every fixture pits teams of similar experience together, whether it’s cup winners or top-four domestic finishers. As a consequence, there are few teams that are massively superior on paper.
There are a couple of high-profile match-ups featuring some huge European football clubs. Turkish giants Besiktas lock horns with the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, while Bulgarian outfit Levski Sofia face the Portuguese side S.C. Braga, who finished fourth in the Primeira Liga last season.
The first legs of these 2nd Qualifying Round ties could feature even fewer free-scoring affairs than in the 1st Qualifying Round.
Balanced match-ups often lead to tactical caution from both teams. Both sides know that in tight ties, a single goal could swing the outcome of a two-legged tie either way. When teams are evenly matched, it’s also common for teams to cancel each other out, making it harder to create high-quality chances.
In most two-legged affairs, managing the game is also quite important, especially during the first leg. If a team takes the lead unexpectedly, they will be likely to adopt a defensive approach and hold onto their slender lead rather than push more players forward.
Some teams – especially those playing away in the first leg – tend to adopt an ultra-defensive approach and aim to keep the score level to have a chance in the second leg at home. Shakhtar will likely use this tactic when they face the intense atmosphere of Besiktas’ 42,000-seat stadium on Thursday night.
Many of these teams are also in the midst of their pre-season schedules ahead of the new domestic season. Early-stage rustiness can also play a factor and is worth considering when betting on the Europa League goals markets this week.