Europa League Betting Preview – 1/16 Finals (Part I)
Posted: March 17, 2015
Updated: October 6, 2017
Following the games in the Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday, sporting fans will have a chance to enjoy Europa League on Thursday.
After thrilling games took place in the 1/32 finals of the tournament, only the best teams managed to progress to the next round. There are only 16 teams remaining which means that all the stakes will rise and will see the clubs put on good performances to make it to the final in Warsaw, Poland, according to EU gambling news.
• AS Roma gears up for a thrilling battle against Fiorentina
• Dynamo Moscow face a tough game against Napoli
• Everton looking to beat Dynamo Kiev away from home
Dynamo Moscow is just one of the three sides that managed to make it this far in the competition. They will square off against Napoli in a game that should produce some great football, while AS Roma will go head to head with local rivals Fiorentina. Everton will travel to Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev and Ajax will clash with Dnipro at home.
Dynamo Moscow vs Napoli and AS Roma vs Fiorentina
Dynamo Moscow played against Napoli away last week, however they were unsuccessful as they conceded 3 goals and were lucky to score only 1 themselves. Argentine striker Higuain bagged all 3 of the goals, so the Russian side will be extra vigilant tonight against the talented player. Although they will be the hosts for the encounter, Bet365 decided to give them underdog chances 2.88 (15/8). A draw on the other hand stands at a high 3.30 (23/10).
The Italian side may find it difficult to play against Dynamo on their turf, which might give the hosts an upper edge in the game. Considering that they have already scored 3 goals at home, all Napoli have to do is try to score 1 more goal and then they can pull back a bit. Their odds for a win in this match have been set at 2.40 (7/5), an event that is also likely.
AS Roma will face Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday evening, where they will try everything within their power to overcome their local rivals in the Europa League. The first encounter ended in a disappointing 1-1 tie, so now there will be more pressure on the Romans to put on a good show for their fans. On-loan midfielder Salah provided an assist for Ilicic who scored the opener in the 17th minute, while Keita managed to equalize towards the end of the match in the 77th minute of the first leg.
Online sportsbooks in EU believe that the hosts will have the capacity to win the match, giving them odds of 2.00 (1/1). Fiorentina on the other hand have been assigned outsider chances 3.60 (13/5), since they haven’t always performed well while playing on the road. A draw stands at 3.50 (5/2), an event that is also possible given the two teams’ propensity to blunder on occasion.
Dynamo Kiev vs Everton and Ajax vs Dnipro
Dynamo Kiev opened the scoring in the 14th minute by way of Gusev in the first encounter at Goodison, however they eventually lost the game at Goodison Park 2-1. Everton put on some great performances throughout the match, which saw them clinch the victory. Thanks to the goals scored by Naismith in the 39th minute and Lukaku, who scored a penalty in the 82nd minute, the Toffees managed to get slightly ahead.
The second leg will be played on Thursday where the Ukrainian side will try to take advantage of the fact that they will be playing in front of their home crowd. Bet365 have earmarked them to win 2.00 (1/1), and judging by their recent performances at home they should be able to notch a goal or two. The odds for Everton stand at 3.60 (13/5), while a tie between them for the game has been set at 3.50 (5/2).
Ajax faced Dnipro last week at away, however the Dutch club were unable to organize themselves for the game and ended up losing the encounter 1-0. The 1995 Champions League winners were not considered favorites for the first game, however for the second leg they will be defending their colors at home, where their odds stand at 2.00 (1/1), per Bet365.
The Ukrainian side will do all they can to defend their fragile 1-0 lead, however the Ajax is known to perform well in front of their fans. Online sportsbook in EU gave the visiting team unlikely chances 3.75 (11/4) since they will probably find it difficult to express themselves. A draw for the match stands at 3.40 (12/5), an event that is also possible for this sort of a game.