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Our best bets for the latest Europa League action

Europa League betting preview: Free tips, predictions and best bets for Thursday's game including Arsenal, Chelsea and Celtic

By Paul Higham

Football

Thu February 14, 2019 · 6y ago

Paul Higham runs the rule over Thursday's Europa League action with Arsenal and Chelsea suddenly needing to take the competition far more seriously.

Recommended bets

1pt Arsenal win to nil at 6/4

1pt Lazio to win at 13/10

For advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

The Europa League is back in action with the knockout stages starting with the last 32 and Chelsea and Arsenal will fancy their chances of not only getting through but also making a strong challenge to win this competition and get into the Champions League next year.

Given Manchester United's form that may be their best bet - but there are a few other live contenders including Napoli, Inter and Valencia. Multiple winners Sevilla are involved but they face a testing tie against Lazio in what looks like the tie of the round.

Here's the pick of the action...

BATE Borisov v Arsenal (1755 GMT - BT Sport 2)

Unai Emery has targeted the Europa League with Arsenal

Arsenal have been exemplary in the Europa League so far, which is hardly surprising given Unai Emery won it three times on the spin with Sevilla, and, as mentioned, given Manchester United's Premier League form this may be their best chance of getting into last season's Champions League.

The Gunners bettered the Belarusian side 10-2 over two games in last season's group stages, but BATE gave Chelsea a bit more of a challenge this season going down just 1-0 at home and 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, so it may not be so easy this time around.

These games are exactly the sort of games Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will thrive in, though, and there's more than enough quality in this Arsenal side, where even their defence has shone in the Europa League with five straight clean sheets including three away from home.

There's a familiar face in the BATE ranks in former Gunner's midfielder Aleksandr Hleb, but the 37-year-old will find it hard to make an dent on his former side and Arsenal should get the win, even if just by the odd goal or two, to set them up for a comfortable second leg at the Emirates.

Prediction: BATE Borisov 0-2 Arsenal (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)

Best bet: Arsenal win to nil at 6/4

Lazio v Sevilla (1755 GMT - BT Sport/ESPN)

Ciro Immobile will be a big danger man for Lazio

An intriguing tie between the five-time Europa League winners Sevilla, who scored the most goals in the group stages, and Italian outfit Lazio who conceded the most out of any team that qualified for the knockout stages.

Advantage Sevilla overall then, but this first leg is pivotal and a huge chance for the Italians to get a foothold in the tie given the visitors are on an awful run away from home - just two wins in 14 competitive outings in fact.

Sevilla also only bagged four of their 18 group stage goals away from home, which just confirms the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this side and why this tie is so tricky to predict.

Lazio have conceded in their last seven home games in this competition so the prospect of an away goal is definitely alive, but given their homesickness and the fact they'd probably take a narrow loss and still fancy getting the job done at home, a narrow Sevilla defeat looks the most likely outcome.

Prediction: Lazio 1-0 Sevilla (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)

Best bet: Lazio to win at 13/10

Malmo v Chelsea (2000 GMT )

Maurizio Sarri is in all kinds of trouble after Man City defeat

Is it a blessing for Maurizio Sarri to have this 'easy' Europa league tie next up after getting battered at Manchester City, or is this the banana skin that could send him closer to the revolving door outside the manager's office at Stamford Bridge?

Malmo are no mugs as they've been in the Champions League two out of the last three years, they won at Besiktas to reach this stage and have Uwe Rosler at the helm who is well aware of all things Premier League - and he'll know exactly what sort of pressure Sarri is under.

The 20,000-plus stadium will be rocking and with their season ending in November the home side have had plenty of time to formulate a gameplan. They should have plenty of energy to try and carry it out, too - at least early on. This won't be an easy night's work at all for the visitors given their woeful away run.

Expect it to be tight and tense, especially early on, and team selection from Sarri will be interesting.

Prediction: Malmo 0-1 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)

Best bet: Under 2.5 goals at 6/5

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Celtic v Valencia (2000 GMT)

Celtic are high on confidence ahead of Valencia game

Valencia face the volcanic atmosphere of Parkhead on a European night but they're still favourites to win the game on the night and heavy odds-on shots to progress.

The Spaniards drew 0-0 at Old Trafford in the Champions League but they should have won that game against Jose Mourinho's men, who beat them to a place in the last 16, and although the atmosphere will be right up there the quality of players on show is nowhere near that of the Red Devils.

Valencia's away form hasn't been the best of late with just one win in five and they'll head to Glasgow to do another professional European job, keeping it tight, quieten the crowd and look to pinch a goal on the break - they'd take a draw, and would bite your hand off for a 1-1.

And that may be just the way it ends up. Celtic have immense confidence after a dominant home run, but there's a continental savvy about the visitors that means they can easily pinch this one and they'll be happy enough to head back to the Mestalla all square.

Prediction: Celtic 1-1 Valencia (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Best bet: Draw at 23/10

Shakhtar Donetsk v Eintracht Frankfurt (2000 GMT)

Luka Jovic celebrates his fifth goal of the game against Dusseldorf

Luka Jovic celebrates scoring his fifth goal of the game against Dusseldorf

Eintracht Frankfurt were the eye-catchers in the group stages when winning six out of six and scoring 17 goals while conceding just five, beating Marseille and Lazio en route to marching into the last 32 with forward Luka Jovic attracting all kinds of attention.

They're not in the best form domestically with just one win in five as they sit in fifth place in the Bundesliga but this competition will reignite their imagination and they're a dangerous prospect as they face Shakhtar Donestk dropping down from the Champions League after just one win in their six group matches.

The Ukrainian champions are strong at home with just two defeats in their last 17 in European competition, but the free-scoring Germans can upset the odds in this one - they've scored twice in 16 of their last 17 European games and they're a prime candidate to produce a rare away win at this venue.

Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)

Best bet: Eintracht Frankfurt to win at 11/5