Four European giants appear calm ahead of the Europa League round of 16 second-leg matches, having largely completed their tasks in the first legs.
Liverpool, Roma, Olympique Marseille, and Milan are the teams in focus, with the first three practically already through to the quarterfinals, and only a miracle could prevent Milan from joining them. This also applies to Bayer Leverkusen, who are unlikely to falter in their own fortress, the BayArena.
Liverpool thrashed Sparta Prague 5-1 in Prague, with goals from Alexis MacAllister (penalty), Darwin Nunez (2), Luis Diaz, and Dominic Solanke. In the return leg at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp will have the opportunity to give playing time to squad players and young talents who have not disappointed in recent outings.
This approach allows the German coach to preserve the strength of his key players for the upcoming crucial matches in the English Premier League, where Liverpool is engaged in a fierce battle for the title against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Our advice for this match is to take advantage of the odds offered by Bwin for over 2.5 goals scored – 1.37.
Roma, under the guidance of Daniele De Rossi, has soared both domestically and in Europe, and they are also expected to have an easy 90 minutes in their visit to Brighton, where the coach can afford to field an experimental lineup.
“The Wolves” dominated in Rome, defeating their opponents 4-0 with two goals in each half from Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Gianluca Mancini, and Bryan Cristante, and now they will travel to England to explore further opportunities.
Bwin rates the chances of the hosts for a victory at 1.83, a draw at 4.00, and the visitors’ victory at 3.90. According to us, a prestigious win for the British seems like a good option for a bet, although a draw is also entirely possible.
Former European champion Olympique Marseille, on the other hand, rendered the return leg against Villarreal meaningless after securing a 4-0 victory at their home ground. The French side settled the dispute with three quick goals within 19 minutes in the first half, courtesy of Veretout, an own goal by Mosquera, and a penalty converted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In the 59th minute, Aubameyang sealed the rout with another goal from open play, and three minutes later, “The Yellow Submarine” was reduced to 10 men.
Alberto Moreno was sent off with a second yellow card and will miss the upcoming match, where Villarreal will attempt to salvage some pride. The odds for a win for Villarreal, according to Bwin, are 2.33, while for a draw and an away victory, they are respectively 4.15 and 2.95.
Under Stefano Pioli, Milan managed to secure a good tournament result of 4-2 after gaining an early numerical advantage against Slavia at the San Siro, following a red card for a harsh foul on Diouf in the 26th minute.
The hosts led 3-1 at the end of the first half, with Olivier Giroud putting them ahead, quickly equalized by Duder. However, in the last 2 minutes before halftime, Rainers and Loftus-Cheek secured the comfortable lead.
However, during the second half, the Italian giants played with fire and allowed Slavia to narrow the gap in the 65th minute. But five minutes before the end, Christian Pulisic found himself in the arms of his teammates after a beautiful goal.
Regarding the rematch, we believe that Milan will not lose, but a draw is also possible. Bwin’s odds for victory are 2.25 for the visitors and 3.20 for the hosts, with 3.95 for a draw.
The convincing Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen should secure their victory at home against Karabakh, after a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan. Bwin’s odds for the Germans to triumph are 1.17, while those for a draw and Karabakh’s success are 8.00 and 14.50, respectively.
In the remaining three return matches, the intrigue is preserved, and each of the eight teams has realistic chances to qualify for the next phase.
English side West Ham will attempt to overturn the narrow lead of Freiburg at home, which came after a 1-0 victory in the first leg. According to Betway, their chances to do so are evaluated at 1.72. The odds for a draw stand at 3.75, while for another victory for the Germans, they are 4.50.
Equally intriguing will be the match in Glasgow, where Rangers will host Benfica after a 2-2 draw in Lisbon. For this clash, Bwin accepts bets starting from 2.70 for a win for the hosts and 2.37 for the visitors, with a draw priced at 3.60.
The encounter between Atalanta and Sporting in Bergamo also appears highly contested and unpredictable, especially after their 1-1 draw in Portugal last week. According to Bwin, the favorites are Atalanta at 2.00, while the odds for a draw are 3.75, and for a triumph of the Lisbon giant, they stand at 3.40.
Here’s the schedule for all matches on March 14 (Thursday):
19:45: Villarreal vs. Olympique Marseille, Slavia vs. Milan, Rangers vs. Benfica, West Ham vs. Freiburg
22:00: Atalanta vs. Sporting, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Qarabağ FK, Brighton vs. Roma, Liverpool vs. Sparta
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