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Manchester United and AC Milan have been drawn against each other five times in the past, with each occasion coming in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase. The Italian side won the first four ties before the Red Devils ended their skid by triumphing in the most recent meeting, the 2010 Round of 16. Manchester United hopes to take the first step toward beginning a winning streak of its own when it hosts AC Milan on Thursday in the first leg of their tie in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League Round of 16. The Red Devils knocked off Real Sociedad in the Round of 32, while AC Milan advanced by defeating Red Star.

Manchester United vs. AC Milan is one of eight first-leg matches on Thursday, with the second leg of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 taking place next week. Four first-leg games begin at 12:55 p.m. ET, while the remaining four get underway at 3 p.m. ET. Every fixture can be streamed on Paramount+. Before locking in your picks for AC Milan vs. Manchester United or any other first-leg matches in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League Round of 16, make sure you see what SportsLine's European soccer guru Martin Green has to say.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. Green has generated over $17,600 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season.

Now, Green has analyzed Thursday's UEFA Europa League action and locked in his top picks. He's sharing his best bets only at SportsLine.

Top Europa League predictions for Thursday, March 11

One of Green's best bets for Thursday: He's backing Manchester United (-167) to win its first-leg match against AC Milan.

The Red Devils haven't lost since Jan. 27 against Sheffield United, posting five victories and six draws in that span. Following three consecutive scoreless draws, Man United recorded its fourth straight clean sheet on Sunday, a 2-0 Premier League triumph over Manchester City that ended the Cityzens' 21-game winning streak. Bruno Fernandes, who leads the Red Devils this season with 23 goals, tallied in the win over Man City and has scored two of the team's four Europa League goals. 

Franck Kessie is second on AC Milan with 10 tallies but had his three-game scoring streak halted in Sunday's 2-0 win over Hellas Verona, while team leader Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15 goals) has scored in only one of his last six matches.

"The Red Devils will be full of confidence after beating Manchester City 2-1 over the weekend," Green told SportsLine. "Man United should be too quick and dynamic for AC Milan in this game."

How to make Europa League picks for Thursday, March 11

Green also is high on a team that "looks extremely dangerous right now and should ease its way to victory if it plays to its full potential." He has discovered a critical X-factor that has him backing this club and is only sharing who it is over at SportsLine.

So what are the Europa League best bets for Thursday? And what critical X-factor makes one team a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get the top picks for the UEFA Europa League, all from the expert who has generated over $17,600 since the 2017-18 season.