12 Jun 2019
Chelsea’s 6-0 hammering against Man City last weekend represented the club’s heaviest defeat since 1991. Despite that, the West London side enter the knockout stages of the Europa League as joint favourites to go all the way, alongside Maurizio Sarri’s former side Napoli. Chelsea, Arsenal and Celtic are the three British teams in action in the Round of 32. Here we preview the best of the betting from those games.
Malmö FF vs Chelsea
After any heavy defeat, managers and players alike want nothing more than to play another game quickly to put things right. Chelsea have the chance to get the humiliating 6-0 defeat against Manchester City out of their minds with an away tie in Sweden. Sarri is believed to have a month in which to convince the board that he is still the right man for the job. With Chelsea dropping out of the top four at the weekend, and currently 6/5 to secure a top four finish, the Europa League now takes on extra significance. If the Blues aren’t able to reclaim 4th place from Manchester United, the only way that Chelsea can play Champions League football next season is by winning the Europa League. Whether Chelsea achieve that or not could decide whether Sarri is still in charge at the start of the new campaign.
Despite Chelsea’s struggles of late, they enjoyed a near perfect group stage in the Europa League – claiming 16 of a possible 18 points. The fact that Malmö haven’t lost a game in all competitions since the end of September has not affected the match result odds, with Chelsea 4/11 on for the win. Many expected Callum Hudson-Odoi to leave Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, but the young forward stayed. If Sarri makes wholesale changes in reaction to the loss against City, Hudson-Odoi could be one player to come into the side. At 6/1 to score first, that represents good value for a player who has already shown his finishing capabilities.
BATE Borisov vs Arsenal
Aaron Ramsey’s mega contract with Juventus has grabbed the headlines this week. The midfielder will reportedly quadruple his weekly wages when he moves to Italy. In the meantime, however, Ramsey has promised to give his all for the club where he’s spent 11 years of his career. Ramsey to score anytime against BATE is 21/10. Arsenal have been shaky on the road in recent weeks, losing two of their last three away league games. In spite of that poor record of late, the superior firepower at Unai Emery’s disposal is reflected in the betting with Arsenal installed as 4/9 favourites. However, the Belarusian side can be difficult to beat at home – having scored six and conceded just once in their last two home games. After a two-month winter break though, it remains to be seen how BATE will perform on the night. The league leaders are 11/2 to get the win at home.
Celtic vs Valencia
Since losing against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, Brendan Rodgers has seen his Celtic side respond by winning their last seven games without conceding a single goal in the process. Valencia will be a big step up for Celtic, however, having only lost four games all season in the very competitive La Liga. The Spanish side’s recent form though, which has seen them draw their last three games, has clearly not affected the betting. After only narrowly missing out on the Champions League knockout stages - in a group which contained Juventus and Manchester United - Valencia enter as 6/5 favourites whilst Celtic are available at 23/10. Following a hat-trick at the weekend, Hoops forward Scott Sinclair has scored 11 goals in his last 11 appearances. The 29-year-old is 14/5 to score anytime and a tempting 18/1 to score two or more.
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