English soccer clubs Everton and Fulham are also included in the final 32 for this season’s lesser-known European competition.
Wednesday 17th February 2010
This week sees the beginning of the knockout stages of this season’s UEFA Europa League with three English soccer clubs still involved in the tournament led by favourites Liverpool.
The Europa League is the name of the redesigned UEFA Cup competition, which is the lesser relation to Europe’s premier Champion’s League event, and will now see 32 teams go head-to-head home and away for spot in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool were dumped out of the Champions League in December after finishing in third spot behind France’s Olympique Lyonnais and Italy’s Fiorentina in the competition’s final group stage. However, the team still has a plethora of talented young players with European experience and are being offered at 5/1 by VictorChandler.com to win the Europa League.
French coach Gerard Houllier led Liverpool to their last title in this event in May of 2001 after defeating Spain’s Alaves. However, the English team has since experienced an unbroken run of Champion’s League appearances including finishing as runners-up in 2007 and winning the tournament in 2005.
Bet365.com, BetDaq.com and Bwin.com show Liverpool at odds of 11/2 to win the Europa League followed by ExtraBet.com, 888Sport.com, SkyBet.com, BoyleSports.com, StanJames.com, PaddyPower.com, BlueSq.com, Coral.co.uk and Ladbrokes.com with 6/1.
Liverpool begin their Europa League campaign against defending Romanian champions FC Unirea Urziceni tomorrow evening at Anfield with WBX.com showing odds of 31/5 that the home side will win the tournament altogether. Slightly longer, BetFred.com and SportingBet.com show 13/2 while Betfair.com is offering 67/10 ahead of ToteSport.com with 7/1
Liverpool’s great cross-town rivals Everton are also in the Europa League after finishing fifth in last season’s English Premier League and are being offered at odds of 17/1 to win the tournament by WBX.com.
Beaten soundly by their last Portuguese opponents, Benfica, in the autumn, Everton kicked off the latest leg of their Europa League campaign last night with a 2-1 win over Sporting Clube De Portugal at Goodison Park. Betfair.com now has the Merseyside team at odds of 83/5 to win the tournament followed by PaddyPower.com and BlueSq.com with 18/1.
Slightly longer, BetDaq.com is offering David Moyes’ men at odds of 19/1 to win the Europa League followed by Coral.co.uk, Stan James.com and BoyleSports.com with 20/1.
London-based Fulham are also still in the competition after surprising many to overcome stiff opposition including FC Basel and CSKA Sofia in previous rounds.
Fulham finished in seventh spot in last season’s English Premier League to earn their spot in the Europa League and are shown at odds of 50/1 by BoyleSports.com, Bet365.com, ToteSport.com, VictorChandler.com, BetFred.com, StanJames.com, PaddyPower.com, Bwin.com and ExtraBet.com
Veteran manager Roy Hodgson’s men begin their campaign tomorrow at home against defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk and are listed by WBX.com at odds of 52/1 to persevere and win the entire tournament. Fulham’s odds would inevitably drop if they could post a good result but for now BetDaq.com is showing 54/1 while Betfair.com has 61/1.
At the far end BlueSq.com, 888Sport.com and Coral.co.uk show Fulham at odds of 66/1 to win the Europa League this season.
