George Pitts has 9/4 and 4/1 selections for the second legs of the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night, including CSKA Moscow v Arsenal.
Europa League recommended bets
2pts Arsenal to beat CSKA Moscow 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 at 5/2
1pt Lazio to win and both teams to score at 39/10
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record.
CSKA Moscow v Arsenal (2005 BST, BT Sport 2)
A competition that was the least of their worries at the start of the season, Arsene Wenger is now prioritising the Europa League and aiming for glory with Arsenal.
The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, too far adrift of their top-four rivals in the race for Champions League qualification.
The winner of the Europa League competition gains automatic qualification for the Champions League and Wenger hopes his side can lift the trophy in Lyon next month.
They are in a commanding position in the quarter-finals, taking a 4-1 lead into the second leg for their trip to CSKA Moscow.
Alexandre Lacazette, making his first start in nearly two months at the Emirates in the first leg, netted a first-half double shortly after Aaron Ramsey’s early brace saw five goals netted in total following Aleksandr Golovin’s 15th-minute strike.
Arsenal tend to finish the season strongly under Wenger and they are no different as it stands. Their weekend win over Southampton means they have now won six on the bounce in all competitions and, despite a ‘spectacular’ first half last week, according to Wenger, he insists they have only ‘done half a job’.
The Frenchman will be keen to make sure his side are focused travelling to Moscow, as they look to book their place in Friday’s draw. Barcelona famously threw away a 4-1 lead against Roma in the Champions League this week and Wenger will be keen to see his side avoid doing the same.
They can be backed for the victory at just over evens (21/20) in some places and 13/5 to win with BTTS.
Lacazette started on the bench on Sunday, but he is a good price in a score-and-win double (9/4) and 4s to open the scoring, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible.
The north Londoners have won their last two away games in the Europa League with clean sheets, and you can get them to win to nil at 3s.
Realistically speaking, Arsenal should win on the night and comfortably on aggregate, without worrying about missing out on the semis. They should field a strong side and make a job well done for Wenger’s men.
Prediction: CSKA Moscow 0-2 Arsenal (Sky Bet's odds: 9/1)
Best Bet: Arsenal to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 at 5/2
Alternative: Arsenal to win to nil at 3/1
Best of the rest...
Elsewhere, Marseille host RB Leipzig with the Germans leading 1-0 going into the return leg and you can back the French outfit to turn the tie around, at around 11/4 to qualify for the semis.
Marseille can be backed to win on the night with BTTS at 16/5, while tournament favourites Atletico Madrid have a 2-0 lead to take back to Portugal to face Sporting Lisbon, so they still need to do the job and an away goal would be vital. Diego Simeone’s men are just below evens if you are to add the win to your coupon and 17/10 to win with another clean sheet.
The other game takes place in Austria, as Lazio travel to Salzburg, with the Serie A side leading 4-2 after a thrilling first leg. The pro for the hosts is that they have two valuable away goals to their name, so they could grind out a 2-0 win, priced at 14s. But Lazio need to make sure of it so the Italians winning with BTTS at just below 4s looks like a great price.
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Posted at 1715 BST 11/04/18
