The UEFA Europa League group phase continues this Thursday, so take a look at our tips and predictions for the Group H matches. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and enter the action at Get More Sports.
BATE Borisov (Blr) vs. Koln (Ger)
Three-Way: BATE +190; X: +237 Draw; 2: Koln +185
Spread 0: Bate -105; Koln +100
Total +2.5: Over +135; Under -133
BATE BORISOV
The Belarusian champions managed to snap the two-game losing streak with consecutive victories and are in pursuit for another domestic title, but are in the 3rd place in the Vysshaya Liga with two points behind the leaders Shakhtyor Soligorsk and five matches to go. BATE collected one point from the opening two games in the group H in the UEFA Europa League, but a win here against the worst team in the group would keep their dreams alive.
BATE played 35 games so far this year, recording 22 wins, six draws, and seven losses, with a goal difference of 58:28, which is 2.45 goals per contest on average. When it comes to matches at Borisov Arena, BATE won 11, drew three, and lost three, scoring 26 and conceding 15 goals in the process. They scored a pair of goals against Arsenal in the previous rounds but allowed four in return.
The left-winger Mikhail Gordejchuk is a team’s top scorer with 25 goals to his name, while the Montenegrin international Mirko Ivanic contributed with 12 goals. Nikolai Signevich is following Ivanic with 11 goals, Vitaliy Rodionov added so far, while Gordejchuk is also the best assist-maker with 15 dishes and Ivanic is behind him with ten assists. Head coach Alyaksandr Yermakovich is without injury-related issues for this clash, and all of his players are healthy and raring to go.
KOLN
The Billy Goats are in a horrible form of late as they recorded just one win in the last 11 games and are without a league or European victory in this season. Koln lost three in a row, and the most recent defeat to Stuttgart was particularly painful as they conceded a goal in the dying seconds of the clash. They suffered a pair of losses in the UEFA Europa League as both Arsenal and Crvena Zvezda beat them, and only a win here will keep them in the contention for the knockout stage.
Koln played 11 games in the 2017/18 campaign, recording one victory, a draw, and nine losses, with a goal difference of 9:21, which is 2.7 goals per contest on average. The Billy Goats scored just a couple of goals in the previous five away matches, suffering four defeats in the process, and it seems that they can’t play any better, so it’s going to be hard for them to get a positive result against the Belarusians.
The Colombian forward Jhon Cordoba and Danish centre-back Frederik Sorensen are currently the team’s leading scorers with two goals each, while striker Simon Zoller leads the team in assists with a pair of dishes to his name. Cordoba is not available to help his teammates due to a hamstring injury and will miss another month, while the Peruvian journeyman Claudio Pizarro is ineligible to play in the Europa League. The right-winger Marcel Risse is out with a meniscus injury; Christian Clemens is ill, while the captain Jonas Hector is sidelined until December with a ligament tear.
BATE Borisov (Blr) vs. Koln (Ger) – Match Prediction
This can be the last chance for the Germans to save their season and stay alive in the UEFA Europa League, but I am not so sure they will win, but I believe we will see goals on both ends.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (-105)
Crvena Zvezda (Ser) vs. Arsenal (Eng)
Three-Way: Crvena Zvezda +384; X: +315 Draw; 2: Arsenal -116
Spread +0.5: Crvena Zvezda +117; Arsenal -128
Total +2.5: Over -120; Under +112
CRVENA ZVEZDA
The Serbian vice-champions have an excellent opportunity to advance to the knockout phase after they collected four points from the first two games against BATE and Koln. Crvena Zvezda suffered only one loss in the previous 11 matches and are at the top of the Super Liga with four points ahead of the arch-rivals Partizan. Zveda is facing tough opponents on Thursday night, but a positive result is possible as Arsene Wenger is not expected to field his strongest lineup.
Crvena Zvezda played 23 games so far in this season, recording 17 victories, four draws, and two defeats, with a goal difference of 51:11, which is 2.7 goals per contest on average. When it comes to matches at Rajko Mitic Stadium, Zvezda has been phenomenal and recorded ten wins with only a pair of draws, conceding just three goals in the process. It is not going to be easy to keep the clean sheet against Arsenal, though, as the Gunners already scored seven goals in two matches in the UEFA Europa League.
The Ghanaian striker Richmond Boakye is the team’s top scorer with 11 goals, while Aleksandar Pesic with seven, Slavoljub Srnic with six, Mitchell Donald with five, and Guelor Kanga with four are also significant contributors in the attack. Boakye, Srnic, and Nemanja Milic posted three assists each, and they are the most creative individuals in the squad so far. The defensive midfielder Branko Jovicic is the only injured player at the moment, but the rest of the team is healthy and prepared to face the English giants.
ARSENAL
The Gunners have the chance to pretty much secure their place in the UEFA Europa League knockout stage with a victory in Belgrade, which would give them five points lead. Arsenal was in an excellent form of seven matches without a defeat, but they fell short at Watford as the Hornets beat them 2-1 thanks to Tom Cleverley’s goal in the 92nd minute. They are currently in the 6h place in the Premier League with nine points behind Manchester City.
Arhasl have played 12 games in the 2017/18 season, recording eight victories, one draw, and three losses, with a goal difference of 22:14, which is precisely three goals per contest on average. The Gunners have been dreadful on the visits, though, as all three defeats came away from home, and the only win was at Borisov against BATE, so Zvezda has a decent chance to surprise them here.
The French striker Alexandre Lacazette is the team’s leading scorer with four goals to his name at the moment, while Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck are just behind him on the goal-scoring chart with three goals each. The Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka is the best assist-maker with four dishes, while Sead Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez, and Aaron Ramsey collected a couple of assists each. Wenger cannot count on a defensive duo of Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) and Laurent Koscielny (suspension), so he will likely go with Mertesacker and Holding in the heart of the defense. The right-back Callum Chambers is also sidelined as he suffers from a hip injury, while Santi Cazorla is a long-term absentee.
Crvena Zvezda (Ser) vs. Arsenal (Eng) – Match Prediction
The Gunners have plenty of defensive problems, and I am pretty sure they will concede at least one goal here, but I also think that Walcott and Giroud in the attack will create a lot of trouble to Milan Borjan and Zvezda’s back four, so I am going with goals on this one.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-120)
