Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
For years, Champions League fans ridiculed the Europa League for displaying poor quality football. But lately, everyone is paying attention to the increasingly exciting league. Clubs are working hard to get into the competition, and TV ratings are continually increasing.
Take last season as an example. Teams were evenly matched from the group stages to the finals. The result was a competition full of thrilling matches. In true fashion to the Champions League, the Europa tournament also consisted of numerous underdog stories.
No one expected Slavia Prague to knock out multiple winners Sevilla at the round of 16 and fans certainly didn't expect Chelsea to thump Arsenal 4-1 in the finals. For the new season, learn how the Europa league works and the best way to bet.
The Europa League brings together 48 teams from Europe's best leagues. The clubs are grouped into fours to create 12 groups. Sevilla, one of the most dominant teams in the tournament, leads this year's Group A. Ukranian side Dynamo Kyiv, leads Group B. Switzerland's Basel will be in group C.
Portugal's Sporting Lisbon will fight to win Group D while Celtic and Lazio will battle it out in Group E. Arsenal are the expected winners of Group F while Porto, Young Boys, Feyenoord and Rangers all have an equal shot at winning Group G.
Bulgaria's Ludogorets and CSKA Moscow will be the teams to watch in Group H. In group I, Germany's Wolfsburg, Belgium's Gent and French side Saint-Etienne all have what it takes to clinch the top spot.
Group J belongs to either Roma or Monchengladbach although it wouldn't come as a surprise should Instanbul Basaksehir win it. The last two groups are led by Wolves and Besiktas (Group K) and Man United in Group L.
Europa League teams face their Group opponents in home and away formats. And with 48 teams on the line, you can be confident to find lots of apt betting opportunities. But before you place your first wager, it's important to do your research diligently.
Because of the differences in quality between clubs, top teams from the Big Five leagues don't always send their best teams. They line up a lot of youngsters and rotational players. And while they still win many of the matches, it can lead to unexpected draws and losses.
Due to that, don't rush to bet on the perennial heavyweights; at least not before they release their starting lineups. Most teams announce the players travelling for away matches a few days before the game, so you'll always have enough time to evaluate your bets.
Accumulator bets can be challenging to get right. But if there's a tournament-best suited for these wagers, it's the Europa League. Teams from the Big Five league outscore their opponents from Eastern Europe left, right and centre. In many cases, they win by huge margins.
Besides ACCA, you can predict players likely to score and get it right frequently. That's because renowned strikers like Pierre Emerick Aubumayeng and Ben Yedder will usually be playing against far inferior sides.
You could also capitalize on goal-goal, halftime/fulltime and handicaps wagers and make incredible profits from the competition. And if you shop around to find quality odds from bookmakers, you could earn significantly more profits than most bettors.
An excellent resource to compare Europa league odds is https://oddspedia.com/football/europe/europa-league/. The website gives you an overview of the three best bookmakers to bet on the home side, draw or away team in each match. That way, you maximize your profits no matter what outcome you predict.
The knockout phase consists of five riveting rounds of football that begins with the round of 32 to the finals. In usual football style, the team that outscores its opponent after home and away tallies proceed to the next round. In case of a tie, the away goal rule applies.
The round of 32 in Europa League is intriguing for one crucial reason. It comprises of 12 group stage winners, 12 runner-ups and eight teams that finished their Champions' League groups in third place.
Due to that, the knockout stage can be as unpredictable as any elite football tournament. Of course, Champions League sides tend to be stronger than the teams they join at the round of 32. But based on recent performances, don't be surprised if your favourite team loses at this stage.
The competition toughens at the round of 16 as the heavyweights get drawn together. In recent years, teams from the Big Five leagues have dominated this stage. Last year, Chelsea predictably thrashed Dynamo Kyiv to advance to the quarter-finals. Arsenal flogged Rennes, but Inter Milan unluckily fell out to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Before Manchester United beat Ajax to win the tournament in 2017, Sevilla had clinched the trophy three times in a row. The Spanish side had also won the competition in 2006 and 2007. Chelsea won in 2019, and Atletico Madrid did the same in 2018.
Over the years, Europa League winners have had one distinguishing trait: they have had abundant experience playing in Europe. Because of that; they tend to have the edge over their inexperienced opponents right from the quarter-finals.
At times, they use their defensive prowess to minimize goals conceded in away matches. But they also utilize their best forwards to maximize goals until the competition is over. So, before you predict Astana to beat Man United; make sure you evaluate Astana's record against teams from the top leagues.
A few years ago, football fans may have derided the Europa League and vowed never to watch Thursday night football. But these days, more and more people tune in to watch their favourite teams play in the competition.
Sports media stations and bookmakers also cover Europa League matches consistently. So, if you love betting, you can watch and wager on multiple games at your convenience.
All good things have to come to an end, and the same unfortunately has to be said for football stadiums too. This article looks at the grounds which are soon to host their last match, the stadiums whose days are numbered and where fans will be watching their football from next.
Taking my son to his first football match was one of the best experiences I've had as a father so far. I've written this article for Alex to read when he gets older.
My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando
The 91 biggest football stadiums in Europe. From Manchester to Munich, Villa Park to Valencia - each one with a capacity over 40,000
