Underdogs continue to surprise with Ladbrokes.com offering odds of 7/1 on Europa League glory for Roy Hodgson’s men come May.
Thursday 25th March 2010
The draw for the quarter-finals of this season’s Europa League was made late last week with surprise side Fulham from the English Premier League handed a tie against current German champions VfL Wolfsburg.
To the surprise of many, Fulham knocked out reigning Europa League champions Shakhtar Donetsk from the Ukraine by an aggregate score of three goals to two in the second round of the competition. In last week’s third round, Roy Hodgson's side shockingly progressed after recovering from losing the first leg away by three goals to one and conceding an early goal in the second leg at Craven Cottage to secure a memorable five goals to four aggregate win over Italian giants Juventus.
However, the London-based team are not being given much chance of winning the final, which is due to be held at Hamburg’s Nordbank Arena on May 12, with Ladbrokes.com showing the shortest odds at 7/1. Even longer, ToteSport.com is offering Fulham at 8/1 to win their first ever European trophy while PaddyPower.com and Coral.co.uk show 9/1.
Eleven years ago, Fulham were playing in England’s third level of professional football against sides such as Torquay United but three promotions in five seasons saw the team achieve English Premier League status in 2001. WBX.com has the Londoners at odds of 97/10 to win this season’s Europa League followed by BetDaq.com, SkyBet.com, Bet365.com, BetFred.com, WilliamHill.com, SportingBet.com, VictorChandler.com, 888Sport.com, StanJames.com and BlueSq.com showing 10/1.
If Fulham make it through the last eight, they will face either Hamburg or Standard Liege in the semi-finals with Betfair.com offering punters odds of 21/2 on Europa League glory for ‘The Cottagers’ come May followed by BoyleSports.com and Bwin.com with 11/1.
The only other English club remaining in this season’s Europa League, Liverpool, remain favourites to win the competition with BlueSq.com, SkyBet.com, BoyleSports.com, VictorChandler.com and 888Sport.com offering odds of 10/3. The Merseysiders were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League in December at the hands of Italy’s Fiorentina but have since recovered to defeat Unirea Urziceni from Romania and France’s Lille in the second and third rounds of Europe’s lesser cup competition.
Punters can get odds of 7/2 from Bwin.com, Coral.co.uk, WilliamHill.com, Bet365.com, ToteSport.com, BetFred.com and PaddyPower.com on Liverpool winning the Europa League for the fourth time while BetDaq.com, StanJames.com and WBX.com are going with 15/4.
Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez is facing a lot of criticism after assembling a very expensive side and needs a trophy this season to silent his naysayers. Betfair.com currently shows odds of 389/100 on the English side winning the Europa League while bettors can get 4/1 from Ladbrokes.com.
Liverpool have been drawn against Portugal’s Benfica in this season’s quarter-finals with the second leg at Anfield with a semi-final match-up against either Valencia or Atletico Madrid awaiting the victor.
