The UEFA Europa League group phase continues this Thursday, so take a look at our tips and predictions for the Group B matches. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and enter the action at Get More Sports.
Young Boys (Swi) vs. Dynamo Kiev (Ukr)
Three-Way: Young Boys +175; X: +266 Draw; 2: Dynamo Kiev +195 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Young Boys -118; Dynamo Kiev +114
Total +2.5: Over -133; Under +127
YOUNG BOYS
The Swiss vice-champions are in a good run of three consecutive victories, including the 5-1 thrashing of Sion in the Super League. Miralem Sulejmani and Jean-Pierre Nsame recorded a brace apiece to send Young Boys at the top of the league with seven points ahead of Basel. They have three points form the first three matches in the Europa League, and a win over Dynamo Kiev would complicate the situation in the group. However, the Ukrainians are the leaders at the moment, and even a draw would be an excellent result for them, so they will sit back and wait for their chances to arrive.
Young Boys played 23 games so far in the 2017/18, recording 13 victories, five draws, and five losses, with a goal difference of 49:21, which is just over three goals per contest on average. When it comes to matches at home, Young Boys are without a defeat in the previous five, and they already beat Dynamo at Stade de Suisse when the teams met in the UCL qualifications earlier this season. They scored 18 goals in the last five at home, so the visitors will have to do a lot to keep the clean sheet here.
The forward Roger Assale is the team’s top scorer with 12 goals in 22 appearances, while Jean-Pierre Nsame and Christian Fassnacht are tracking Assale with ten and eight goals, respectively. Assale is also the best-assist maker with eight dishes to his name; Fassnacht has five, while Nsame, Jordan Lotomba, and Nicolas Moumi Ngamale added three assists each. Adi Hütter cannot count on Taulant Seferi (groin), Guillaume Hoarau (hamstring), and Leonardo Bertone (ankle).
DYNAMO KIEV
The Ukrainian vice-champions won only three matches in the previous ten, and they are already seven points behind Shakhtar Donetsk in the domestic league. Still, Dynamo is doing fine in the Europa League as they collected seven points and are at the top of the league with four more than Young Boys, and unlike the Swiss team, they don’t have to attack in this clash and can patiently wait for their opportunity to arise. Even a defeat here will not take them off the first place, but a win would send them to the knockout stage of the Europa League.
Dynamo Kiev played 23 games so far in this campaign, recording 12 wins, seven draws, and four losses, with a goal difference of 43:23, which is 2.85 goals per contest on average. Dynamo is not particularly good when playing away from home, but they scored a goal in the last six, and I believe they will find the back of the net on this one as well, despite failing to do so in the previous visit to Bern when Young Boys won by two goals to nil.
The Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani is the team’s leading scorer with eight goals in 17 appearances, while Viktor Tsygankov with five, and Vitali Buyalsky and Junior Moraes with four are following him on a goal-scoring chart. Denys Garmash and Tamas Kadar combined for seven assists, and they are the most creative individuals at the moment, especially Garmash, who must be marked and closed down or else he can create havoc in Young Boys penalty box. Alyaksandr Khatskevich will be without the midfielder Tsygankov as he suffers from an adductor injury, while Sergiy Sydorchuk is out with a knee injury and will not feature here.
Young Boys (Swi) vs. Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) – Match Prediction
The visitors are on the brink to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League, and they are experienced enough to wait for Young Boys to attack so that they can hit them on the counters. I am expecting an open game from the start, and I believe the teams will combine for at least three goals.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-133)
Partizan (Ser) vs. Skenderbeu (Alb)
Three-Way: Partizan -167; X: +344 Draw; 2: Skenderbeu +690 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Partizan -105; Skenderbeu +106
Total +2.5: Over +110; Under -115
PARTIZAN
The Serbian champions are in good form of three victories in a row including the last one at Borac when Zoran Tosic’s 97th-minute goal secure them three points. Partizan is currently in the 2nd place in the Super Liga with four points behind their eternal rivals Crvena Zvezda, and they have a solid opportunity to continue participation in the Europa League with a win over Skenderbeu on Thursday. Partizan was a better side in a 0-0 tilt in Albania, and they are apparently more tactically and technically gifted, so a win in Belgrade is widely expected.
Partizan played 25 games in this season, recording 14 victories, eight draws, and three losses, with a goal difference of 47:21, which is 2.70 goals per contest on average. When it comes to home matches, the Steamroller have just one win in the last four, while all three of defeats in the 2017/18 occurred at Partizan Stadium, but still, they are the big favorites to beat Skenderbeu here.
The Cameroonian striker Leandre Tawamba is the team’s top scorer with ten goals in 23 appearances, while Ognjen Ozegovic with five, and Seydouba Soumah with four are also the important contributors. Tawamba is unquestionably an MVP in Belgrade as he also leads the team with eight assists, while Marko Jankovic added four, and Petar Djurickovic has three dishes at the moment. Miroslav Đukić is happy to have almost all of his players available for this clash as only the midfielder Nebojsa Kosovic is injured and will not be back until February.
SKENDERBEU
The Snow Wolves are in an excellent form of ten games without a loss as they won the previous two over Teuta and Luftetari Gjirokastra, and are at the top of the Albanian league with five points ahead of Kukesi. Skenderbeu collected two points from the first three matches in the Europa League, same as Partizan, and even though they are underdogs in Belgrade, they must not be excluded quite yet.
Skenderbeu played 21 games in the 2017/18, recording 13 victories, six draws, and two defeats, with a goal difference of 60:15, which is over 3.50 goals per contest on average, but that doesn’t mean we should expect plenty of goals on Thursday. The South Easterners are better at home than in away matches as both losses came on the road, and I am not convinced they have what it takes to avoid a defeat here.
The midfielder SabienLilaj is the team’s leading scorer with seven goals to his name, while Ali Sowe with six, Gjergj Muzaka with five, and Liridon Latifi with four are following Lilaj on a goal-scoring chart. Muzaka, Gledi Mici, and Afrim Taku recorded three assists apiece and are the best assist-makers for the Albanians thus far. Bakary Nimaga and Martin Nespor are doubtful for this encounter, but the rest of the squad is healthy and ready to go.
Partizan (Ser) vs. Skenderbeu (Alb) – Match Prediction
Partizan has an excellent chance to get near to the Europa League knockout phase with a win here, and it would be embarrassing for them not to beat Skenderbeu at home, so I am expecting the Serbian champions to secure much-needed three points in a low scoring encounter.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 goals (-115)
