Reliable European cups accumulator: Can the bankroll be multiplied?
Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
Midweek brings another flurry of European club fixtures—perfect for crafting a promising accumulator. Let’s take a closer look at some key clashes scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Salzburg vs Club Brugge. The Red Bulls must make home advantage count. 06.08.2025
Two well-known clubs, both regulars on the continental stage, go head-to-head. Bookmakers are hesitant to name a favorite in this tie, but I believe Salzburg’s home turf gives the Austrian side the edge. With teams this evenly matched, maximizing the home fixture is crucial.
Salzburg confidently moved past Brann in the previous round, winning 4-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home. Brugge have only played domestic matches so far, with one win and one loss in the Belgian league, and have already claimed the national Super Cup.
Bet for the match: Salzburg to win with a 0 handicap at 1.97.
Nice vs Benfica. Expect a spectacle from both sides. 06.08.2025
Another intriguing matchup between clubs from top-tier leagues. Benfica, the Portuguese powerhouse, are slight favorites even away from home. Nice are no pushovers—they finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season to earn their Champions League qualifying spot.
Benfica impressed at the Club World Cup, advancing to the round of 16 before falling in extra time to eventual winners Chelsea. They’ve already lifted silverware this season, edging out fierce rivals Sporting 1-0 in the Portuguese Super Cup. I expect Nice to take the initiative at home, knowing how tough it is to get a result away to such opposition. This could be an end-to-end contest where finishing will be key.
Bet for the match: Both teams to score – yes at 1.64.
Feyenoord vs Fenerbahçe. Rivals ready for a thrilling battle. 06.08.2025
A high-profile showdown, with both clubs giants in their home countries and well-known across Europe. Feyenoord finished third domestically last season, narrowly ahead of Utrecht, and lost several key players in the offseason—making their absence hard to fill.
Feyenoord are slight favorites at home, expected to play aggressively up front, especially with a tricky trip to Istanbul looming. Fenerbahçe finished runners-up in the Turkish league and have strengthened their squad, though it’s mostly veterans seeking a career revival. The main man is coach José Mourinho. All signs point to an open, high-scoring encounter—backing goals is the way to go.
Bet for the match: Over 2.5 goals at 1.68.
Panathinaikos vs Shakhtar Donetsk. The Miners have the upper hand. 07.08.2025
Another fascinating Europa League qualifying tie, one that wouldn’t look out of place in the Champions League. Panathinaikos, the Greek giants and last season’s runners-up, missed out on the elite competition after losing to Rangers in Champions League qualifying—0-2 away and 1-1 at home. Those were their only official games so far this season.
Shakhtar, meanwhile, look sharp: they dispatched Finnish side Ilves 6-0 at home and 0-0 away, then swept Beşiktaş aside 4-2 away and 2-0 at home. They also scraped a 1-0 away win over Epicenter in the league. Under Arda Turan, Shakhtar have played eye-catching, attacking football, with their Brazilian contingent creating plenty of danger.
Bookmakers see this as a close contest, but I make Shakhtar the favorites.
Bet for the match: Shakhtar to win with a 0 handicap at 1.82
AZ Alkmaar vs Vaduz. Hosts should rack up the goals
Bookmakers have no doubts about the Dutch side’s superiority; these are teams from different classes. AZ Alkmaar will aim to settle the tie in the first leg, making the return a mere formality. In the Conference League, the “Cheese Farmers” edged past Ilves in a goal-fest—losing 3-4 away before thumping them 5-0 at home. Alkmaar will attack relentlessly, while Vaduz will try to compensate for the class gap with commitment and organization.
Vaduz barely scraped past their Northern Irish opponents—losing 0-1 at home but turning it around with a 3-0 extra-time win away, helped by a red card to their opponents late in the first half.
The only real question is how many goals the hosts will score—I’m backing plenty.
Bet for the match: AZ Alkmaar individual total over 3 goals at 1.5.
The combined odds add up to almost 15, with each event looking quite reliable. You can also build smaller accumulators from these matches. With so many games on offer, there’s room to expand this accumulator even further.
