Six sublime Europa League tips for last 16 first leg tussles
Published:
Lee Gormley | March 9, 2016
Top tips for Europa League clashes
The Europa League takes centre stage on Thursday night, as Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool do battle, but there are plenty of other fascinating European encounters, for which Coral have tasty tips for you to enjoy!
Basel v Sevilla – Back a draw at 23/10
Unai Emery’s Sevilla are aiming to win the Europa League for incredibly a third successive time this season, but their recent form on the road suggests they may hit a slight stumbling block against Basel.
The cup holders are 23/10 to endure a first leg stalemate with Basel, following a run of six away outings without a single victory, including four draws, with their previous win on the road coming in January.
Fenerbahce v Braga – Sen strikes anytime at 12/5
Fenerbahce have recently rallied to the summit of the Turkish Super Lig and are seeking to transfer that impressive domestic form onto the European stage, and reliant wideman Volkan Sen should be key to success over Braga.
The Turkey international winger has sprung to life in recent weeks, firing in crucial goals during back-to-back domestic victories over bitter rivals Besiktas and Akhisar Belediyespor, and he is a tasty 12/5 to make it three in a row in this European outing.
Shakhtar Donetsk v Anderlecht – Hosts 5/2 to bag three or more
Shakhtar currently lead the Ukrainian Premier League and have been on a rampant run in previous outings, having dispatched three goals past both Bundesliga outfit Schalke and domestic opponents Poltava.
The hosts are therefore 5/2 to fire in another treble of strikes or more on their home patch, against an Anderlecht outfit that have been defeated in their last three Belgian top-flight fixtures, conceding six times in those losses.
Athletic Bilbao v Valencia – Aduriz 10/3 to net last
Two La Liga sides collide in this last 16 European tie, as Gary Neville sets his Valencia team up for a meeting with Bilbao, with the hosts having not lost in this fixture in any competition since 2012.
Athletic attacker Aritz Aduriz loves this fixture, with the former Los Che frontman having netted the last goal in all of his last four outings against his former employers, as well as currently topping the Europa League scoring charts. Back him at 10/3 to strike last again here.
Sparta Prague v Lazio – Visitors win 1-0 at 13/2
Both previous encounters between this pair in the Czech Republic have ended narrow 1-0 results, with Lazio earning victory first back in 2000 and then Sparta Prague prevailing on home soil three years later.
It would appear it’s the Serie A side’s turn to edge out their rivals and they are 13/2 to secure a 1-0 victory on the road, with that previous triumph in 2000 coming thanks to a first-half strike from the one and only Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Villarreal v Bayer Leverkusen – Hernandez goal anytime at 13/8
Javier Hernandez has enjoyed a sensational season since arriving at Bayer Leverkusen from Manchester United last summer, having fired in an incredible 25 goals in all competitions, including five in European outings.
The Mexican marksman is therefore a promising 13/8 to strike again anytime against a Villarreal side that have won just one of their previous five games on all fronts.
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