The Europa League returns for the 2019/20 season. Tom Carnduff has a look at the markets and picks out two best bets to back.
Recommended bets
3pts e.w. Sevilla to win the Europa League at 14/1
4pts Rennes to win Group E at 9/2
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The 2019/20 Europa League campaign gets underway in mid-September and there's a great chance that we will see a different name on the trophy from last season.
Chelsea are the current holders. Maurizio Sarri also guided them to a top-four finish in the Premier League which gave them Champions League involvement. There is a chance they could return to this competition though if they finish third in their group under Frank Lampard.
Two English teams dominate favouritism with Manchester United trading at 5/1 while Arsenal are shortly behind at 7s.
Arsenal have a chance, although I remain completely unconvinced on Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's guidance.
The value is elsewhere though. It's a trophy you'd expect to return to Spain, while an unfancied Ligue 1 outfit can upset the odds with their efforts in the group stage...
Sevilla to claim the trophy again?
Last season was disastrous for Sevilla in terms of recent history - with the Spanish club crashing out at the round of 16 stage.
They were beaten 6-5 on aggregate by Slavia Prague. It brought to an end their dominance of Europe's second-string competition; one that they're expecting to win once again.
Sevilla had won the trophy three seasons in a row prior to disappointment in Prague. They'd beaten good opposition en route to those successes too; Basel, Athletic Bilbao and Liverpool all dispatched in 2015/16.
This summer has been one of big change for Sevilla and it puts them in a strong position to claim back what seems to be rightfully theirs.
They've seen Wissam Ben Yender, Luis Muriel, Quincy Promes and Pablo Sarabia all depart for fees of above €15m and they were unafraid to reinvest that money on replacements.
Rony Lopes, a winger from Monaco, and Bordeaux's Jules Kounde were the headline signings after joining for a combined €50m fee.
Los Rojiblancos also welcomed Diego Carlos, Moanes Dabour and Joan Jordan among the 15 players that made the switch to Sevilla in the summer.
In total, the Spanish side spent over €156m in this window. It's put them in an incredibly strong position and it's why they've started the new LaLiga campaign with two wins and a draw.
They're also now led by Julien Lopetegui - the former Spain manager who was dismissed prior to the 2018 World Cup following the announcement that he would be joining Real Madrid after the tournament.
All the ingredients are there for a successful season and they have a fantastic chance of going all the way in the Europa League. The starting line-up is strong, but they now have a squad who can provide a competition for places.
Sevilla should top Group A with little issue. They've been put alongside APOEL, Qarabag and Luxembourg-based F91 Dudelange. Progression as group winners is always preferable and will only help their chances of pushing into the latter stages.
Some value in Group E?
A number of the groups look open in terms of winner, but none more so than Group E with three teams having a realistic chance of progressing as winners.
Lazio are odds-on with all bookmakers to finish first. However, it's worth considering the 9/2 available on Rennes to top the lot.
Rennes secured a spot in Europe with success in the Coupe de France - beating Lille and Lyon en route to the final where they saw off Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
They've also started the new campaign in good fashion with three wins from four. Much like last season's Cup final, they have got the better of PSG with a 2-1 victory in mid-August.
They may have lost Ismaila Sarr to Watford over the summer, but they've reinvested the money gained from that sale to bring in players throughout the squad.
The forward positions have benefited the most with two new wingers and a striker joining in the window. The headline addition being Raphinha from Sporting, a right winger who had direct involvement in 12 goals last season despite his young age.
M'Baye Niang will lead the attack having swapped Torino for France. The striker has hit the ground running with two goals in four games; complimenting the 14 he netted in Italy during 2018/19.
Flavien Tait will also add options to the attack. He had a hand in 14 goals last season for Angers in Ligue 1. Primarily a left-winger, the 26-year-old can also play a central role when required.
This new look Rennes team look strong. Their five at the back system could see the likes of Lazio and Celtic struggle to break them down and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a few 1-0 scorelines among their six group games.
Odds correct at 1725 BST (10/09/19)
