It’s business time in the football season, both at home and in Europe, and on Thursday it’s the Europa League that takes centre stage with two big semi-final match-ups to look forward to.
Atletico Madrid v Valencia
It may be cast as the Champions League’s less-important little brother, but try telling these two Spanish sides that the Europa League is a ‘mickey mouse’ competition ahead of this tie at the Vicente Calderon.
Undoubtedly, both clubs want to be back in the main event soon but, for now, more glory in the Europa League will suffice and this really is a clash to whet the appetite.
Both have impressed in the competition so far and obviously know each other pretty well from their domestic endeavours.
Totesport have Atletico Madrid, unsurprisingly given home advantage, as the favourites at 11/10 to win this first leg on Thursday as they look to take a good lead to the Mestalla. These two met at the quarter-final stage of this same competition three years ago and Atletico triumphed on their way to winning the trophy when they beat Fulham in the final.
That is a good omen for Atletico but it will not be a straightforward night for them, despite the fact they have the potential matchwinner, and one of the continent’s true rising star’s in Radamel Falcao, in their ranks (Falcao 6/1 to score two or more).
Expect the home side to come out on top but Valencia (5/2, draw 5/2) will approach the game with confidence as they have had a decent league campaign so far, sitting in third place – five above their semi-final opponents.
They have also edged the league matches between them, winning 1-0 at the Mestalla in the league and drawing 0-0 away – a result, if they can match it here, that they would grab with both hands if it were offered pre-kick-off.
Atletico have won four of their last six going into this game and we see another victory for them, despite their lower league position. Valencia, who were beaten 4-0 at Espanyol on Sunday, will have other ideas but look like having it all to do come the second leg.
Prediction – Atletico 2-0 Valencia (7/1).
Sporting Lisbon v Athletic Bilbao
Perhaps the more attractive of the ties, however, is this Portuguese-Spanish affair which pits in-form Sporting (13/8 in the match betting) against the conquerers of Manchester United earlier in the competition.
Sporting have won every single home game since coach Ricardo Sa Pinto took charge in February – a fabulous run in anyone’s books – but don’t expect that to necessarily continue when an attack-minded, confident Bilbao (7/4, draw 23/10) visit on Thursday.
The La Liga side average exactly two goals a game in this competition so far and have won four of their six away games in the Europa League since the start of the group stage.
The memorable win over Premier League leaders United was the pivotal moment and appears to have given them the belief to think they can go all the way in the competition.
For that reason, they can take the game to Sporting and, unlike the Portuguese sides who have visited the capital recently, they will head there with absolutely no fear.
Totesport have Sporting favourites to edge the first leg but 7/4 on the away win looks tempting as well, given Bilbao’s appetite for the competition this term. All things considered, we are going to sit on the fence here and say a draw is the value at 23/10.
Expect plenty of drama, though, and no shortage of goals in this one. We see a high-scoring 2-2 scoreline as the outcome to leave Bilbao very much in the driving seat for the return leg back in Spain.
Prediction – Sporting 2-2 Bilbao (14/1).
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After two sub-par semi-final first legs last week, the Champions League reconvenes with both games intriguingly balanced as two sides look to protect their leads while their opposition know they have nothing to lose.