The UEFA Europa League Semi-Finals start this Thursday, April 26th, 2018, and in the first leg matches Arsenal hosts Atletico Madrid at Emirates Stadium in London, while Marseille welcomes Salzburg at Stade Velodrome in Marseille. The clash between the Gunners and Atleti is certainly in focus of the football fans around the world, but the matchup between Marseille and Salzburg also brings a lot of excitements, so let’s see some betting tips and how to bet on the UEFA Europa League this week.
ARSENAL vs. ATLETICO MADRID
3-Way: 1: Arsenal +160; X: +225 Draw; 2: Atletico Madrid +185 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Arsenal -115; Atletico Madrid +100
Total +2.5: Over +110; Under -130
Qualification Matchup: Arsenal +162; Atletico Madrid -225
Betting Trends and Match Prediction
- Arsenal won six consecutive home games in all competitions
- Arsenal conceded in each of their last five matches overall
- Arsenal has an 8-2-2 record in the Europa League this season with a goal difference of 29:10
- Atletico Madrid won just one out of their last five games overall
- Atletico Madrid is winless in four straight away games
- Atletico Madrid has a 6-4-2 record with a 20:7 goal difference in twelve European matches this season
The Gunners’ only chance left to participate in the UEFA Champions League next year is to win the UEFA Europa League trophy this season, so they have a massive motive to overcome Atletico Madrid, although they couldn’t imagine a more difficult test in the Semi-Finals, as Diego Simeone’s boys are the biggest favorite to win the title, according to all relevant sportsbooks. Likewise, Arsene Wenger has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season after 22 years at the Gunners’ helm, so he’s surely determined to sing swan song and make his legacy even greater.
Atleti are playing in a shaky form recently, winning only one out of their last five games in all competitions along with two draws and two losses, and they’ve had a lot of problems to eliminate the Portuguese side Sporting in the previous round, losing the second leg in Lisbon 1-0 after a 2-0 victory at Wanda Metropolitano. Considering Diego Simeone’s tactical conception, his team will certainly take a cautious approach in the first leg at Emirates Stadium, waiting for their chances on the counter, while Simeone will probably miss the prolific striker Diego Costa due to a hamstring injury. On the other side, the Gunners have won seven out of their last nine games overall, and Arsene Wenger can count on all key players, besides the attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan who’s still recovering from a knee injury.
This is a quite tricky clash to predict the final outcome, as both sides possess plenty of qualities, but each team relies on different tactical set-ups. The hosts will try to find their chances through a short-passing game, and they should control the ball for most of the time while avoiding mistakes at the back will be key for their drive to succeed. I will go with a draw here, assuming we’ll see less than three goals in the total, but in games like this one, the things can change in a minute.
MY PICK: Draw (+225)
MARSEILLE vs. SALZBURG
3-Way: 1: Marseille -150; X: +300 Draw; 2: Salzburg +415 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Marseille +110; Salzburg -130
Total +3: Over +105; Under -125
Qualification Matchup: Marseille -138; Salzburg +105
Betting Trends and Match Prediction
- Marseille has a 3-1-1 record with a goal difference of 13:6 in their last five games overall
- Marseille lost just one out of their last 21 home matches
- Marseille scored 13 goals in their previous three games in all competitions
- Salzburg won four three out of their last four games overall
- Salzburg won just one out of their last five away matches
- Salzburg has a 2-3-1 away record in the Europa League this season
Marseille and Salzburg have already met each other in the UEFA Europa League Group Stage earlier in the season, playing a couple of tight games, as Salzburg’s won 1-0 at home, while the clash at Stade Velodrome was finished in a nil-nil draw. This time, they meet in the Semi-Finals, so the stake is much bigger, while the bookmakers favor Marseille at -138 to win the matchup and reach the Final.
The Olympians have beaten RB Leipzig 5-3 on aggregate in the previous round of the UEFA Europa League after a 5-2 victory and a brilliant performance in the second leg on the home soil. Since then, Marseille won a couple of games in the French Ligue 1, beating Lille 5-1 at home, and Troyes 3-2 on the road, so their attack looks sharp and ready for the Red Bulls from Salzburg.
The manager Rudi Garcia will have some problems to field his best eleven this Thursday, as the keeper Steve Mandanda, and the defenders Bouna Sarr and Rolando are all doubtful due to injuries. On the other side, Salzburg has beaten Lazio and Dortmund in the previous two rounds of the Europa League, while the manager Marco Rose can count on all players ahead of the first leg in Marseille.
Despite the fact we saw just one goal in the previous two head-to-head duels, both Marseille and Salzburg prefer an attacking approach, so this matchup could be different. The hosts are a better team on a paper, but they have to prove it on the pitch, while the Red Bulls from Salzburg are surely capable of making an another upset. Likewise, both teams are playing in a good form throughout the season without any big drops in performance, but I think Marseille will get a win in front of the home fans.
MY PICK: Marseille AH -1 (+110)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Over 3 Goals (+105)
