Everton's Davy Klaassen did enough in the first leg to warrant support in the goal markets in Slovakia on Thursday night.
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MFK Ruzomberok v Everton (1945 BST, ITV4)
Based on what we saw at Goodison Park in last week’s first leg, it would not be difficult to make a decent case for the Slovakians given the odds on offer.
Everton were frankly poor and needed a deflected Leighton Baines goal to take a lead heading into the second game.
It was a match which showed that possession means little if you do little with it. The Toffees saw more than 72 per cent of the ball but despite the stats also showing that they had 19 attempts on goal, clear-cut chances were few and far between. Indeed it could be argued that Ruzomberok created just as many real opportunities.
Ruzomberok shot narrowly wide on the break in the first half and in the second it took a fine save from Maarten Stekelenburg to keep out Jan Maslo’s header at 0-0.
Everton were caught napping at the back on a few occasions and the fact Maslo is 50/1 to score the first goal in the home leg helps show how the odds don’t reflect the slender margin between the two sides which was on display last week.
They are 8/1 to win the game, 6/1 in the draw-no-bet market and 18/1 to qualify. The problem with the latter – and indeed siding with the hosts in most markets – is that if Everton score they have the away-goal advantage and Ruzomberok will need three.
It’s hard to see that scenario unfolding given Everton did control last week’s game for long periods.
As ever in European two-legged ties, the away-goal prospect means heads could easily go down and it’s enough to put me off siding with the hosts at some sort of big price.
I come back to my pre-first leg view that Everton do have much the greater quality and you have to think that a week on – and having been given a real warning in the first leg – that levels will improve.
Instead, I’d prefer to concentrate on those who did perform to a decent level last week with the three who caught the eye, certainly in relation to the betting markets, being Idrissa Gueye, Sandro Ramirez and Davy Klaassen.
Gueye was Everton’s stand-out, first-leg performer. The midfielder started 2016/17 superbly and looked very much ‘at it’ again last week. Now playing alongside Morgan Schneiderlin, there’s scope for him to get forward a bit more and possibly among the goals. He’s 8/1 in the anytime market here but matches at Goodison in the coming weeks, when his defensive duties will likely be fewer, may suit better. He may be a player in any man-of-the-market that goes up, too. Sadly, none has at time of writing.
Sandro's appearance was a fleeting one as substitute but he certainly livened Everton up and it looks likely Ronald Koeman will give the young Spaniard a go from the start this week. If that happens, he’s probably a worthy first goalscorer favourite but at no bigger than 4/1, I’m prepared to look elsewhere.
The man I’ll take him on with is new signing Davy Klaassen, a player who, like Sandro, looks older than he really is.
The Dutchman did some things sloppily last week but what he did do well was find spaces in threatening areas of the pitch.
Some better finishing would have seen him find the target – one wild lash into the side netting wasted one of Everton’s best moves of the match, and there were other chances – but a player who scored 20 goals for Europa League runners-up Ajax last season can be forgiven that.
Klaassen’s goalscoring record is a strong one and while replicating that in new surroundings is a different kettle of fish, there were early signs that it can be done – certainly against opposition of a lower calibre.
Klaassen can be backed at 6/1 in the first goalscorer market and supporting him each way in it would secure a small profit even if he nets after someone else.
Prediction: Ruzemberok 1-2 Everton
Posted at 2100 BST on 02/08/17
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