Bet365 are celebrating the Europa League knockout stages with another great offer for both new and existing customers. With Manchester United hosting Liverpool in the return leg of their last-16 encounter they are giving anyone who places a pre-match bet of up to £50 a risk-free in-play bet of the same value on Thursday night’s clash.
Here we give our tips once again on all of Thursday’s mouth-watering Europa League action.
Manchester United vs Liverpool: Draw at Half-Time – Full Match Preview
Surely Louis van Gaal’s side cannot be as bad and as passive as they were in the first-leg? With United facing Europa League exit in the face they will have to be aggressive with arch-rivals Liverpool if they are to have any chance of overturning a two-goal deficit. However, United fans will know more than most that taking the game to the opposition in the opening exchanges is not something symbolic with Van Gaal’s United, particularly on home soil.
In fact, United have been drawing at half time in a staggering 65% of their home matches this season (15/23) and while Liverpool will be keen to put the tie to bed as early as possible, that could prove harder than anticipated when you know the onus to attack is on the opposition. There is also the fact that Liverpool haven’t scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in five of their last six competitive visits and it wouldn’t be surprising for there to be another snoozefest in the opening 45 minutes at Old Trafford on Thursday. At @2.10, a draw at half-time seems a sensible bet where you are still capable of gaining a meaningful return.
Valencia vs Athletic Club – Athletic Win – Full Match Preview
According to reports from Spain, crashing out of the Europa League in front of their own fans could finally spell the end for Gary Neville and his short stint as Valencia manager. An abysmal showing in the Valencia derby at the weekend has put Neville back in deep trouble and all of the signs suggest his tortuous time at the Mestalla is set to continue on Thursday.
Since taking over from Nuno in December, Neville has won just four of his 12 home matches. The first came against a side in the third-tier of Spanish football, while two have come against two of the worst teams in La Liga and the fourth was against an abject Rapid Wien side in the last round of the Europa League. Nothing has been convincing about Valencia on the pitch under Neville’s watch. When you consider Athletic have already beaten Valencia twice in the last month and that they hold Aduriz, the competitions' highest goalscorer (7) in their ranks, it doesn’t look good for Neville and Valencia. With odds of @2.62 for Athletic to win, there is plenty of money to be made on Neville’s misfortunes.
Sevilla vs Basel – Sevilla & BTTS No – Full Match Preview
Unai Emery’s side will have been disappointed not to have scored an away goal in the first-leg out in Switzerland last week, but they should still be confident of progressing and keeping their dream of becoming the first team to win three consecutive Europa League title’s alive. Not only that, but Sevilla are chasing a competition record 12th straight home win in the Europa League.
The bedrock of Sevilla’s success this season has been built on their performances at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Bizarrely, they are still waiting for their first league win away from home this season, but that hasn’t had any effect when they’ve welcomed teams on home turf. They've won their last 15 competitive matches in front of their own fans, with both teams scoring in just three of those.
Not only have Sevilla been unbeatable at home in the Europa League in a run that spans two years, a closer look suggest they not only win, but are dominant in front of their home fans. In fact, Sevilla have kept a clean sheet in 57% of their last 45 matches in UEFA’s second-tier competition (26/45). There is no doubt that Emery’s side will need to be wary of Basel’s threat, particularly with Breel Embolo returning from suspension, but winning, and keeping a clean sheet in the process, seems more than plausible and a smart way to get better odds from a match where Sevilla are heavy favourites.
Who will your money be on in the Europa League? Let us know in the comments below
