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Europa League Acca: Thursday 3rd December
It’s Matchday 5 in the Europa League this week and I have to say that the game selection does feature a lot of what would appear to be one-sided games. So rather than simply selecting games based on their odds (which is little more than guesswork) I have decided to balance the risk differently. So while my Champions League tips pay out at a huge amount this week, my Europa League acca is a much lower odds shot.
The main reason for that is, as I mentioned before, the game selections for the British teams. Most games pit the top team in the group against the bottom and of course, that means odds on the teams are rather short for the favourites.
Now while that does mean lower odds, it also means a considerably better chance of hitting a win and truth be told, I am now at the point where I feel I have waited long enough for a win and if I have to pick lower odds selections, then that is what I will do.
Games to look out for this week is Celtic’s daunting trip to the San Siro to take on Milan, Arsenal facing Rapid Vienna in London, Spurs making the trip to Austria to take on LASK Linz, Leicester also on the road in Luhansk against Zorya, while Rangers face a home game against Standard Liege.
I have picked a selection of these games and mixed into it another game to try and improve the odds a bit between two teams I feel should be a more evenly matched contest. Let’s hope that this can result in a win this week as I feel I am now overdue one!
I think it is a crunch time of the season for Leicester. They are already qualified for the net stage of this competition, but their form in the Premier League has tailed off and I am sure Brendan Rodgers will be hoping his team can get back to winning ways here. Luhansk’s only victory in the group stage has come against AEK Athens but I think Leicester are a cut above the Greek side and even away from home, I fancy the Foxes to get the job done here. The only issue is whether manager Brendan Rodgers elects to rest a couple of key men, that could make it a bit closer, but even so I would expect the visitors to emerge with a narrow but deserved win here.
AZ Alkmaar v Napoli – Away Win
There is still so much to play for in Group F with these two teams plus Real Sociedad battling it out for the two qualification spots for the next phase. Alkmaar handed Napoli their only defeat of the Group Stage so far on the opening matchday with a 1-0 win in Naples, although it was a game the Italian side dominated. However, Napoli always strike me as a much more dangerous counter-attacking team and I think in Holland, they will be more able to play this way and not try to push the game as they did at home. That, I feel, makes them more dangerous and I am backing them to get the win that would confirm them as qualified into the next stage here.
Arsenal v Rapid Vienna – Home Win
Arsenal were drawn into a pretty easy group in Group B alongside Rapid Vienna, Molde and Dundalk and I would be hugely surprised if the Gunners do not win all six games in the group, even if they elect to rest players for their final games given they are all but certain to qualify. One more point is all they need to be sure and I am expecting them to pick that up easily here at home to a Vienna side that struggled to beat Dundalk in their two most recent games. This should be as close to a formality for a home win as you can get in the Europa League and given Arsenal’s form in the Premier League at the minute, they badly need it.
Rangers v Standard Liege – Home Win
Rangers are on the verge of qualifying from a tough looking Group D with a win certainly qualifying them, and a draw also possibly being enough if Benfica draw or win against Lech Poznan on the same night. Steven Gerrard’s team have been in superb form of late both domestically and in European competition and they are unbeaten in their four games so far, including two against Benfica. That is no mean feat for a side who are banging goals in left right and centre in the SPL at the moment. Liege were poor in Belgium against Rangers and I can’t see their chances improving any here at Ibrox. Rangers should get the home win they crave here.
Author: Dean Wyatt
Dean Wyatt is the founder and editor here at Acca Nation. He’s been betting sports for over 20 years and is a profitable sports trader on the exchanges.