A draw for the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Finals is set, just as the lines and markets are too, so let’s see who are the biggest favorites to raise the trophy at the end of the season, and who will go under the radar trying to win the cup and get the ticket for the Champions League next season. With eight teams left in the competition, there is still a lot of action ahead of us, as the first legs of the Europa League Quarter-Finals are set for April 5th, 2018.
EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS
Arsenal vs. CSKA Moscow
Atletico Madrid vs. Sporting
Lazio vs. Salzburg
RB Leipzig vs. Marseille
Atletico Madrid or Arsenal – everyone’s first choices
After hammering Lokomotiv Moscow 8-1 on aggregate in the Europa League Round of 16, Atletico Madrid is still the biggest favorite to win the trophy, according to all relevant Sportsbooks, as the market on Atleti is set at +137. They’ve easily won the first leg against the Russian team (3-0), while in the second leg in Moscow, Diego Simeone’s boys have shown the class beating Lokomotiv 5-1 on their own soil, scoring four goals in the second 45 minutes.
Atleti are an experienced team with a plenty of talent among the squad, while their style of play is perfect for the knockout phase. Diego Simeone is a brilliant tactician and motivator, so Atleti should easily past Sporting in the Quarter-Finals, picked as -300 favorites by the bookies to win the first leg in Madrid.
Arsenal is the second on the bookmakers’ list, as the price on the Gunners to win it outright is set at +300, and Arsene Wenger’s team is certainly capable of going all the way. The Gunners have smashed AC Milan 5-1 aggregate, easily winning both legs of this matchup, particularly the first one in Italy when they’ve missed a plenty of chances to score a couple of goals more.
Likewise, there is another good reason why Arsenal is a huge contender to win the Europa League this season – the Gunners are already out of the Champions League race in their domestic championship, so the only way for them to reach the Champions League next season is to conquer the Europa League this year. In the Quarter-Finals, they will meet CSKA Moscow which should be an easy task, while the bookies favor Arsenal at -275 to win the first leg in London.
ODDS TO WIN EUROPA LEAGUE
Atletico Madrid +137
Arsenal +300
Lazio +750
RB Leipzig +900
Marseille +1000
Salzburg +1600
Sporting +2500
CSKA Moscow +3300
Who can make the upset?
Lazio at +750 and RB Leipzig at +900 are both long-range shots, but these are two attacking-minded teams who can battle against anyone. Lazio has beaten Dynamo Kiev 4-2 on aggregate in the previous round after winning 2-0 in the second leg in Kiev when the Eagles put on a magnificent performance, showing they are a far better team than the Ukranian side.
They will face the Austrian champions Salzburg in the Quarter-Finals, and it will be a proper test for Simone Inzaghi’s boys who are in the fifth spot of the Italian Serie A at the moment, so they will fight on two fronts to qualify for the Champions League next season. On the other side, Salzburg has made a massive upset in the previous round of the Europa League, beating Dortmund 2-1 on aggregate, while the Red Bulls are undefeated for seven months and 34 matches in a row in all competitions, so they could be a potential surprise at +1600.
RB Leipzig has eliminated Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16, while they have beaten Napoli in the Round of 32, so the Red Bulls from Leipzig are certainly capable of doing great things. In the Quarter-Finals, they will meet Marseille who’s a +1000 favorite to win the Europa League trophy, and this is arguably a derby matchup and the most intriguing clash of this round.
Marseille has beaten Athletic Bilbao 5-2 on aggregate in the previous round, winning both legs (3-1 at home and 2-1 on the road) in a style, showing they possess a deadly counter-attack, while the playmaker Dimitri Payet has proved his worth to the team, building up his form just right on time. Both RB Leipzig and Marseille are battling for the Champions League ticket in their domestic championships, so the winner of this matchup will get a huge boost before the Semi-Finals.
Who has a mountain to climb?
Sporting is set as a +2500 favorite to win the Europa League for a reason, as they will play against mighty Atletico Madrid in the Quarter-Finals, so the Lions surely have the most difficult opponent from all teams who’s managed to reach this far. The first leg is set at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, and it is crucial for the Lions to somehow survive this match before they come back home for the second leg. However, if they suffer a heavy defeat, it will be almost impossible to make it up against tough Atletico Madrid team.
CSKA Moscow is probably the weakest team left in the competition, but they’ve managed to make a huge upset in the previous round, beating Lyon on away goals after winning the second leg in France, 3-2, despite they were huge underdogs in this matchup. The Horses will face Arsenal in the next round, so they will be an out-of-towner once more, but it obviously suits very well to their play, as CSKA Moscow is an experienced team who knows how to take advantage of their chances.
MY PICK: Atletico Madrid (+137)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Marseille (+1000)
