Players nominated for the Ballon d’Or tend to boast a lot of longevity, being able to stay at the very top of the game for many years.
But, looking at the more recent years of the award, some of these former stars have fallen by the wayside...
Mario Balotelli (2012)
In the 2011/12 season, Mario Balotelli continued to emerge as a top talent for Manchester City but was making the headlines for his antics off of the field.
After winning the Premier League in 2012, the club moved him on to AC Milan during the following campaign. Since 2013, Balotelli has bounced from AC Milan to Liverpool, back to AC Milan on loan, and then to OGC Nice on a free transfer in 2016.
He has since put up his best numbers for a club with 43 goals in 72 games for Nice, earning a return to his national team, Italy, earlier this year. Nice are currently at 40/1 to win the Coupe de France and 20/1 to finish in the top three in Ligue 1 this season.
Franck Ribery (2013)
After winning the Champions League, German Cup, and Bundesliga, Franck Ribery came third in the overall voting of the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or.
Now 35 years old, Ribery has seen a steady decline in his stats lines from that season, with the 2014/15 season onward yielding many injuries and far fewer goals and assists.
The Colombian’s showing in the 2014 World Cup earned him a move to Real Madrid and the coveted FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.
While he was able to get goals and assists with Real Madrid, James Rodriguez struggled for a consistent starting role, has been loaned out to Bayern Munich for the last two seasons, but has been unable to play full games with regular occurrence.
Yaya Toure (2015)
Yaya Toure was one of the stars of Manchester City’s rise to becoming legitimate Premier League contenders.
But, once his former manager Pep Guardiola arrived at the club, he struggled for first-team football.
Having been nominated for the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Ballon d’Or awards, the Ivorian is now trying to work his way into the Olympiacos starting eleven, who are at 5/2 to make it into the top two of their Europa League group.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Mark Edmondson's Australian Open triumph is widely considered to be the greatest Grand Slam shock of all time.
Edmondson defeated legend Ken Rosewall in the semi-final and reigning champion John Newcombe in the final to become the lowest-ranked Grand Slam winner, a record that remains today.
It would be seven-time Slam winner Newcombe's last final and Edmondson's only final. Surprisingly, Edmondson remains the last Australian to win their domestic Slam.
At 25/1 in 888sport tennis betting odds, it would be a shock if Nick Kyrgios could win in 2019, but not quite on the level of Edmondson's victory.
Goran Ivanisevic had only entered the 2001 Wimbledon tournament courtesy of a wildcard, a slump in form seeing him plummet down the rankings.
That wildcard was given because Ivanisevic had made the final on three occasions. The Croatian made the most of his opportunity, denying Tim Henman in an epic semi-final before battling past Pat Rafter to seal an overdue Slam title.
It's one thing for a 16-year-old qualifier to hold their own against the No. 1 seed in the first round of a Grand Slam. It's another thing entirely to dispatch of them with consummate ease, and yet this is what Jelena Dokic achieved against Martina Hingis in 1999.
Dokic only secured one Grand Slam semi-final in her career in comparison to Hingis' five titles but, for one day, in 1999 she was completely superior to the best player in the world.
Rafael Nadal's defeat to Dustin Brown in 2014 continued an unlikely trend for the two-time Wimbledon champion, losing to a player ranked outside the top 100 for the fourth consecutive year.
Being the fourth shock perhaps makes this match the least surprising, but Brown's style of play makes it the most memorable.
The maverick German plays like no other, a combination of ludicrous artistry and athleticism. Nadal's run of shock defeats makes him relatively unfancied to win his third Wimbledon title in 2019.
Kuerten began the 1997 French Open ranked 66 in the world, so few were backing him to win the tournament.
A more likely candidate was reigning champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov triumphing again, but Kuerten saw him off in a topsy-turvy quarter-final that was the Brazilian's third consecutive five-setter.
Kuerten then beat qualifier Filip Dewulf in the most unlikely of semi-final match-ups before taking down 16th-seed Sergi Bruguera to win his first of three French Opens.
Nadal's > domination of the French Open market in recent years has been curtains for those seeking to emulate Kuerten.
Betting on the result of a football match is the simplest and oldest way to have a punt, but the gambling industry has come a long way over the years and there are now various ways to stake on a game.
Simply picking the winning team rarely yields high returns on investment, so bettors have had to look elsewhere for value. This has resulted in the emergence of betting on match events, along with in-play betting.
This in-depth guide will tell you everything you need to know about football match events, which can be applied to almost any league across the globe.
It will also provide some detailed tips on how to make the most informed decisions about betting on match events.
What Is A Football Match Event?
For someone who doesn’t bet much, simply picky the winning team in a football match can be enough.
But for bettors who are on the hunt for value and like to make things more interesting, going for something other than a win or a draw can be more exciting.
Match events cover pretty much anything that goes on in a match.
Bettors can stake on a correct scoreline, first team to score, which player will score at any time, how many fouls, how many corners, whether a team will keep a clean sheet, the time a goal is scored, whether a side will win after falling behind, next player to score, the list goes on.
Nowadays, you can bet on nearly anything you can think of in a football match. An amusing example of this was the fact that some bookmakers were offering odds on Luis Suarez biting someone or Cristiano Ronaldo crying at the 2018 World Cup.
Staking on match events can make a football match a whole lot more thrilling, and it can also make you seem like an oracle if you predict something correctly.
In addition to those things, the odds on a lot of match events are likely to pay out much higher returns than simply betting on a winner.
What Type Of Match Events Are Best To Bet On?
Defining which the best match events to bet on are is a tricky question, as different things appeal to different bettors.
Some bettors like to go for events which provide the highest returns on investment, while others will stake on happenings which they can attempt to logically predict.
Betting on a correct scoreline is one of the hardest things to do in football, as the game is notoriously unpredictable. If you do manage to get it right, though, you can reap excellent rewards.
Typical scorelines such as 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, and 2-1 usually have fairly short odds, but if you have a feeling that a game could throw up a crazy scoreline, you can get some serious odds.
Take the Premier League as an example. From time to time there are some cricket scores come the final whistle. And a lot of the time, these aren’t totally surprising.
For instance, when Manchester City beat Stoke City 7-2 in October of the 2017-18 campaign, Pep Guardiola’s charges were flying high while Mark Hughes’ men were in freefall.
The Citizens ultimately won the title while the Potters were relegated. It would have been hard to predict 7-2 precisely, but betting on a few different high scorelines in that fixture could have resulted in picking the correct one.
For some bettors, it’s best to make decisions based on an analysis of players and teams in the lead up to the next match. An example of this could be to look at a referee adjudicating a match and find out how often he gives penalties.
Combine this with looking at team sheets that managers are frequently rolling out and studying who the penalty takers are.
If one side has pacey players like Raheem Sterling who often get pulled down in the box, it could be a shrewd bet to stake on City winning a penalty and Sergio Aguero slotting it home.
Making Informed Decisions Before Match Event Betting
As noted above, assessing a combination of different factors is the best way to make an informed decision about a match event. Fortunately, all the information needed is available online for bettors to access instantly.
Opta Sports is a great source of data for football bettors. The site covers the world of football in greater depth than anywhere else.
It covers over 1000 leagues and is the official partner of top leagues including the Premier League, La Liga, and the MLS. The data provided by the statisticians is exactly the kind of information that bettors need to stake on match events.
Let’s take a look at the match event “first goalscorer” as an example. If someone wanted to stake on this event, they would be wise to look at the main goal scorers from each team.
From there, they can check stats for shots on goal, shots on target, and penalty area touches of those players from the previous four games.
Bettors can also check heat maps to see which players are frequently getting into dangerous positions, while also looking at which players are more likely to score early or late on in games.
Taking that one step further, a bettor could also look into where a team’s biggest defensive weaknesses are. If one team is allowing more attacks down a certain flank, betting on the attacking player in that position against them could be shrewd.
Conclusion - More Lucrative Than Match Result Betting?
If bettors spend enough time researching their bets and checking the statistics thoroughly, they can find themselves in a strong position to make logical bets about what will happen in any given game.
For casual bettors, it is probably wisest to stick to simple things such as who will score or what the final result will be.
But for people with more time on their hands to delve deeply into the data, combination bets of different match events would prove to be the best way to maximise the chances of getting some good returns.
It’s hard to say that any form of betting is more lucrative than another, because the events being staked on are out of the bettors’ hands.
However, for people who like to have the chance of a higher return on investment, staking on match events is the way forward. The other benefit to betting on match events is the fact that it can provide extra excitement.
Baroness Dido Harding was walking the walk after her horse, Walk In The Mill, was the brave winner of the Becher Chase at Aintree.
Owner and former amateur rider Dido Harding, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Cool Dawn in 1998, was totally elated:
"We were hoping to run him in the National in April, and he went lame overnight. So actually, from that day, this has been the target.
"Rob and Louisa (Robert Walford's wife) have done the most amazing job getting him here - and stopping me riding him as well, which is a big part of the training job, I fear.
"I think it will be hard to say no (to the National this time), after watching that. But I have to say the temptation to get the riding permit out would be really very strong."
Trained by Robert Walford and ridden by James Best, the eight-year-old powered away from his rivals around the Aintree elbow to get the better of the running-on Vieux Lion Rouge, with Ultragold, another Aintree fences “veteran”, back in third.
Walford said of his winner: "We knew he was in good form. He jumped great, and James gave him a great ride as well.
Jockey James Best is already relishing the return trip to Merseyside next April, saying: “I know this isn't the National - but what a thrill. He's just incredible, jumps from fence to fence.
"Midway through, I thought; 'We could run a big race'. I thought; 'Just throw him at the last', land running - and away we've gone.
"April can't come soon enough."
Another Pipe Dream?
Pond House trainer, David Pipe, was clearly very happy with the performance from Vieux Lion Rouge on the day: "He's a run a cracker and galloped all the way to the line," said Pipe.
"It was fast and furious - even in these conditions - and he would need to keep up with the pace a little more in the National on better ground, but he's got a great record round these fences."
Although the nine-year-old has struggled to quite see out the 4 miles in the Grand National on his three previous attempts, Pipe believes that on this latest Becher Case evidence, he looks like he may need every single yard of it now.
The two-time Topham hero Ultragold, who finished in third place, clearly handled the step up in trip and there are plenty of positives for him going forward.
Assistant trainer, Joe Tizzard said after the race: "He's brilliant around here; he just gets into that lovely rhythm. The trip wasn't a problem today, which was always in the back of my mind, and it's a big plus for him looking forward to the Grand National."
Trained by Ross O’Sullivan, the eight-year-old made a bold bid to make all of the running, but faded back into fourth after his early exertions.
County Kildare trainer O’Sullivan said: “We’re thinking of the Topham. We’ll enter for the National, but he’ll have to go up a few pounds to get in.”
“The way he took to those fences, the long-term plan has to be to go back there. We got a great thrill out of it and we can’t wait to take him back.”
Arthur's Theme
A mistake at just the third fence in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree brought about an abrupt end to One For Arthur’s return to the track, his first run since his 2017 Grand National victory at the same venue.
The Lucinda Russell-trained nine-year-old may now head to either Haydock for the Tommy Whittle Chase on December 22nd or the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day, with plans for the National hero remaining fluid at this stage.
“He’s fine, perfect. We’ll just have to find out what we’re going to do with him now. We’ll probably go to either Haydock or Wetherby, but he’s in good form.
"He was a bit fresh and he just wasn’t concentrating. He took off too soon.” said Russell’s training assistant Peter Scudamore, the morning after the race.
Lucinda added: “He came home fine – he is very fresh and we are happy with him. We have plenty of options over the Christmas period, but definite long-term aim would be the 2019 Grand National.”
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
The Caspian Caviar Gold Cup was first run in 1963. It was originally sponsored by Massey Ferguson and known as the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup.
The race continued with this name until 1980, but since then it has had various sponsors and consequently several title changes. For simplicity, the race has become commonly known in the racing media as the December Gold Cup.
The prestigious Grade Three handicap chase is run over two miles, four furlongs and 166 yards at Cheltenham and this year it has attracted a quality field of fifteen runners.
Winner of the Old Roan on his reappearance, Frodon then chased home Baron Alco in the BetVictor Gold Cup last time out.
He took this race two years ago and confirmed his liking for the New Course in January when humping 11st7lb to victory.
He should be on the premises again.
Baron Alco (G. Moore)
Raised 6lbs for his win in the BetVictor Gold Cup where he jumped his rivals into submission.
His runner-up finish to Charbel at the start of the season reads extremely well now, given that the Kim Bailey horse recently demolished the field in the Peterborough Chase.
Definitely one for the short list.
Rather Be (N. Henderson)
Brought down in the BetVictor Gold Cup whilst going really well and certainly looked like being the shake-up.
Nicky Henderson has won this race three times so he is a horse to keep onside.
War Sound (P. Hobbs)
War Sound was an impressive win in a two and a half-mile handicap chase at Aintree last month. Trainer Philip Hobbs has twice landed the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup with Monkerhostin (2004) and Village Vic (2015).
A new form line with Warrior’s Tale reads well so ignore him at your peril.
Cobra De Mai (D. Skelton)
Ran fourth behind Mr Medic at Ascot last time and will probably struggle to reverse that form here. He did however finish second in a Grade 2 at Ayr at the end of last season, so does have ability.
With improvement very likely, he could just be what the doctor ordered.
Cepage (V. Williams)
Cepage ran well here on his final start of last season and appears to be completely at home on the New Course.
Charlie Deutsch has been popping them out from the front for Venetia of late and could quite easily emulate her 2014 victor, Niceonefrankie.
Decent each-way contender.
Casablanca Mix (N. Henderson)
She tends to have a tendency to throw away her races at the business end of things and is untested in a big field like this.
She definitely has talent but will probably have to play second fiddle to her stablemate Rather Be.
Too many risks involved.
Full Glass (A. King)
Hails from the powerful ownership dou of Munir and Souede and was a revelation in France. Ran well on his British debut at Ayr and unfortunately unseated at Haydock Park last time out.
Fell at the sixth in the Grand Sefton at Aintree last week and will need to be running up to the form of his Wetherby success on his seasonal debut to get competitive here.
The suspicion is the ground will not be tacky enough on Saturday for him to be seen at his best, but he does continue to surprise.
Sentimental each-way bet for old times’ sake perhaps?
Casse Tete (G. Moore)
He tends to run an absolute shocker or tends to hose up, so is a very difficult runner to gauge. He unseated at Ascot on his last outing but could easily bounce back and is on an attractive weight.
Another selection headache?
Romain De Senam (P. Nicholls)
Unseated at the first fence in the BetVictor and is becoming somewhat frustrating to follow given the potential he previously showed. He ran well for some way in this last year but faded back into fifth place.
Leave alone until he shows some renewed vigour.
Foxtail Hill (N. Twiston-Davies)
A front-runner who has enjoyed several Cheltenham victories by adopting a “catch me if you can” style. It’s worked for him in the past but he is likely to be hustled for that lead spot by Baron Alco or Cepage in this renewal which may result in him downing tools.
His handicap mark has plummeted and this would be the ideal time to make the most of it.
More Saturday success for father and son at their local track?
Guitar Pete (N. Richards)
Winner of this race last year and he was tipped up by this very column. As was alluded to last year, Guitar Pete is in here once again off a very handy weight and his third place run behind Baron Alco and Frodon was also a piece of great form.
Nicky Richards is boasting similar statistics to this time last season and is very much on the hot trainer list.
There is every chance he can go back-to-back on Saturday.
SUMMARY
The three literal heavyweights in the market look very susceptible to another runner who is in form and is running off a really low weight.
Guitar Pete has a very similar profile to the one he had going into last year’s renewal and he should be on the premises once again.
The Venetia Williams-trained Cepage is likely to be passed over by many in the betting but has plenty of unlocked potential given a clear round.
888sport suggests: Guitar Pete and Cepage (e/w).
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
Birmingham’s incredible run of 15 matches without defeat at St Andrew’s came to an end last weekend but Garry Monk’s men will try to get back to winning ways at the first possible opportunity.
A trip to Blackburn Rovers offers an ideal chance for a huge away win…
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The Premier League was at its dramatic best last weekend. We saw goals fly in, a shock defeat for the champions and it was all topped off with a Monday night thriller in the Marco Silva derby.
We are heading into the chaos of the Christmas schedule. Managers are rotating as they look to avoid the upsets we so often see at this time of year.
Crystal Palace have won just three league matches all season. The Eagles could slip into the bottom three with defeat here.
Roy Hodgson is a man under pressure, particularly after losing to 10-man Brighton and West Ham last week. They have scored four goals in seven home league matches this season – a record that must be improved to stand a chance of safety.
Leicester are a streaky team, as they have been since their title win. A decent run of form came to an end with a limp performance at home to Tottenham last weekend.
Claude Puel’s are ninth at the moment, winning this weekend could take them up to seventh, while defeat could drop them to the bottom of the mid-table pack.
The Foxes desperately lack cutting edge without Jamie Vardy. If he misses out as expected, Palace are a good price.
TIP: Crystal Palace to win @ 29/20
PREDICTED SCORE: Palace 2-0 Leicester (Priced at 19/2 with 888sport)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs Burnley
It’s a return to the Premier League grind for Tottenham after their dramatic result in the Camp Nou.
Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to rest Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane against Leicester last Saturday paid off with a victory at the King Power and European progression.
Burnley got a long overdue victory at home to Brighton last weekend. Sean Dyche’s team are out of the relegation zone, though they could be down in 19th by Sunday evening. Unlike last season, the Clarets’ defence is leaky and looks incapable of stopping the top sides.
A European hangover is the only thing that will stop a Spurs victory. The hosts should win this easily.
TIP: Over 2.5 Spurs goals @ 3/4
PREDICTED SCORE: Spurs 3-0 Burnley (Priced at 6/1 with 888sport)
Watford’s winless run was extended to six matches when they conceded a last gasp equaliser to Everton on Monday night.
Javi Gracia’s side were expected to regress at some point, but crucially, the performances have still been good.With 21 points on the board, the Hornets are set for a season in mid-table, though they will be keen to halt this streak.
Cardiff’s home form has bumped them up to 14th. Neil Warnock’s side have improved, but their troubles on the road have continued with five straight defeats.
The Bluebirds could be outclassed at Vicarage Road on Saturday as they face a talented Watford outfit.
PREDICTED SCORE: Watford 2-0 Cardiff (Priced at 13/2 with 888sport)
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Wolves’ slump was dramatically flipped on its head last week. A midweek win over Chelsea and an impressive win at Newcastle have put the Midlands club in 10th, just four points off sixth-placed Manchester United.
This match is an opportunity to climb further up the table against one of the ‘best of the rest’ rivals.
Bournemouth benefited from a favourable early season schedule. Five defeats in six matches have pulled Eddie Howe’s team back closer to where we might expect.
They currently sit in that congested group of upper-mid-table teams and could return to sixth this weekend if results go their way.
Bournemouth’s defence has shown the fallibilities we have come to expect. They are always a decent bet to find the net, though, so both teams to score is the way to go.
TIP: Both teams to score @ 7/10
PREDICTED SCORE: Bournemouth 1-1 Wolves (Priced at 23/4 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
We are now well into December and the busy festive period is fast approaching.
All 20 top flight clubs will play at least six top flight fixtures between December 15th and January 3rd – it is a fantastic time of year to be a football fan.
Pep Guardiola’s side fell short at Stamford Bridge last weekend and punters will be expecting a backlash from the defending champions.
Meanwhile, Fulham and West Ham will do battle in the evening fixture.
Our tip selection for this game has landed in each of the last five games and an exciting contest awaits at Craven Cottage. But we’ll get onto that encounter later…
For now, let’s start with Manchester City vs Everton. The Blues will look to get our tasty 7/2 double off to the perfect start in front of an expectant Etihad Stadium crowd.
Pep’s side put three past Everton at Goodison Park in their previous encounter and another comfortable win could be on the cards.
Good news for Everton: they’ve lost just one of their last six fixtures. Bad news for Everton: they’ve won just two of those – one against Brighton & Hove Albion and the other against Cardiff City.
The visitors will be looking to send out a statement with a positive result here. As of December 12th, the Toffees are out at 18/5 to win OR draw this weekend.
Everton have claimed a point from this fixture in each of the last two campaigns and Marco Silva will be hoping for a third successive draw on Saturday afternoon.
The Toffees have struggled on the road against England’s biggest clubs this campaign and this could get ugly for the visitors.
TIP: Man City to win and both teams to score @ 31/20
PREDICTED SCORE: Man City 3-1 Everton (Priced at 17/2 with 888sport)
FULHAM vs WEST HAM UNITED
Fulham found themselves up against it at Old Trafford last weekend; the Red Devils scored four goals in a Premier League game for the first time since November 2017.
However, the Cottagers will fancy their chances against a hit-and-miss West Ham outfit on Saturday night.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has been solid enough in attack, scoring seven goals in 16 league fixtures. He could be Fulham’s difference maker this weekend.
West Ham have won three on the spin but Marko Arnatovic’s injury will be a huge blow to Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead of the busy festive spell.
Expected to be side-lined until early 2019, Arnautovic will be sorely missed – though West Ham do have enough quality to cause problems for this struggling Fulham defence.
Felipe Anderson has started to come into his own in recent weeks, notching five goals in his last six Premier League outings.
The onus will be on him to create chances for the Hammers in Arnautovic’s absence and he is a decent bet at 23/10 to get his name on the scoreboard.
The best bet here though is for over 2.5 goals. As mentioned earlier, this has landed in each of the last five meetings between the two teams and 4/6 is an excellent price.
Viewers may be treated to an early Christmas cracker at Craven Cottage here.
TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 4/6
PREDICTED SCORE: Fulham 2-2 West Ham (Priced at 10/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The Europa League is beginning to heat up. Some of the continent’s biggest clubs, namely Inter Milan and Napoli, will drop into Europe’s secondary club competition after falling short in the Champions League and the race to advance to the knockout stages is on.
Chelsea and Arsenal are both through to the next round but Celtic and Rangers are still in the fight to progress. It should be another nervy but exciting night of Europa League football on Thursday evening.
Without further ado, let’s get down to the tipping. According to 888sport’s Europa League betting odds, this four-fold pays at around 8/1. Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic are the headline act in our final accumulator of the 2018/19 group stages…
BESIKTAS vs Malmo
Group I is arguably the most intriguing ahead of matchday six. Both qualifying spots are still up for grabs and that is testament to just how competitive all four teams have been. This is going right down to the wire…
Malmo claimed a 2-0 win over Besiktas back in October and punters will fancy the Swedish side to prevail. The visitors have lost just two of their last 16 away games in all competitions and they will be hard to break down.
A point won’t be enough for Malmo; they have to push for the victory. The away side could leave themselves exposed on the break and that brings the 4/5 for over 2.5 goals into play.
TIP: Besiktas to win @ 4/7
PREDICTED SCORE: Besiktas 2-1 Malmo (Priced at 7/1 with 888sport)
Group G is also wide open ahead of matchday six and Rapid Vienna will be quietly confident of doing enough to secure second spot in the race to reach the next round.
The Austrian outfit have won three of their four Europa League games in 2018/19 and that may be enough to tempt punters to side with the hosts. At 13/10, Rapid Vienna are worth a second look in the betting.
Meanwhile, Rangers know what they have to do in order to reach the next round. Winning away from home in Europe is never easy but Steven Gerrard will have his side fired up for this one.
Punters fancying the Scottish outfit will be tempted by the 2/1 for an away win but the 3/4 for over 2.5 goals carries more appeal. This could be another entertaining affair under the Vienna floodlights.
TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 3/4
PREDICTED SCORE: Rapid Vienna 2-2 Rangers (Priced at 23/2 with 888sport)
ARSENAL vs FK Qarabag
Already safely through to the next round, Arsenal could be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas. After all, Qarabag shouldn’t pose too much of a threat at the Emirates Stadium…
Unai Emery’s men will finish top of Group E after a solid campaign and the Gunners boss may wring the changes on Thursday night. A weakened Arsenal side should still be capable of scoring over 1.5 goals (7/25) though.
Qarabag are now playing for pride but the floodgates could open if Arsenal make an early breakthrough. The visitors have conceded 12 goals in their five Europa League matches so far this season.
Playing for nothing other than pride, Qarabag may relax and they could surprise us all under the Emirates Stadium lights on Thursday evening. Optimistic Qarabag backers can get 10/3 for the visitors to avoid defeat.
TIP: Over 1.5 Arsenal goals @ 7/25
PREDICTED SCORE: Arsenal 3-0 Qarabag (Priced at 13/2 with 888sport)
CELTIC vs Red Bull Salzburg
Not for the first time, Celtic have had to do things the hard way in Europe. Brendan Rodgers will be determined to lead his side to the Europa League knockout stages but victory won’t come easy here.
6/4 is a solid price for a home win given their incredible European record at Celtic Park. The hosts have been solid enough in recent weeks and their ardent supporters could make the world of difference.
With top spot already secure, Red Bull Salzburg could field a weakened side for this clash. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see a few fringe players in action for the visitors.
The 27/25 for both teams to score is a decent bet. Salzburg have the quality to push Celtic close but the Scottish champions should be strong enough to get the job done.
TIP: Celtic to win @ 6/4
PREDICTED SCORE: Celtic 1-0 Salzburg (Priced at 8/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Come 10pm on Wednesday evening, the 2018/19 Champions League knockout stages will be set. The race to qualify for the last-16 is well and truly on…
The two Manchester clubs are in action on Wednesday night. Both are through to the next round but finishing top of their respective groups could be decisive in the draw. City need to avoid defeat at home to Hoffenheim whilst United’s route to top spot is trickier.
Let’s take a look at 888sport’s latest Champions League betting odds ahead of Wednesday’s games. At the time of writing, this four-fold is priced up at around 15/1 – fingers crossed for lots of betting success on the final group stage matchday this season.
AJAX vs Bayern Munich
Ajax have won their last 11 matches on home soil, including both of their Champions League group stage fixtures. The Dutch outfit will fancy their chances of making it a clean sweep at the Johan Cruyff Arena…
Plenty of punters will fancy Ajax to flourish against a sub-par Bayern Munich side, especially after picking up a point in Germany. 17/20 for the hosts to avoid defeat could turn out to be a huge price.
Bayern have failed to inspire confidence domestically this campaign; the Bavarians are nine points adrift of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table. Victory here is essential for Niko Kovac’s side as they look to build momentum ahead of the festive break.
For some, EVENS for Bayern to win a group stage game will be too good to turn down – and understandably so. This has all the makings of an exciting affair.
TIP: Ajax to win OR draw @ 17/20
PREDICTED SCORE: Ajax 2-2 Bayern (Priced at 19/2 with 888sport)
MANCHESTER CITY vs HOFFENHEIM
Newsflash: Manchester City ARE human. Pep Guardiola’s men fell short against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night – and that defeat should serve as a timely reminder to City ahead of the busy Christmas period.
In some ways, Hoffenheim is the perfect match to get over that Chelsea hangover. Finding value for any City home game is tough but 3/5 for the Premier League side to notch over 2.5 goals is a decent bet.
The Bundesliga outfit gave City a stern examination in Germany and they should give this one a good go. With that in mind, an open and expansive encounter looks likely – this could be a great watch for neutrals.
PREDICTED SCORE: Man City 3-1 Hoffenheim (Priced at 17/2 with 888sport)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs LYON
A win for Shakhtar will be enough to see the Ukrainian side advance to the last-16 and that is what makes this one of the most intriguing matchups of the week. Some of Tuesday’s tips were hard to call but this is arguably more difficult.
The hosts let a two-goal lead slip in the corresponding fixture earlier in the campaign and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Shakhtar start quickly again here. 17/10 for the Ukrainian side to take a lead into the break is a decent price.
However, I fancy Lyon’s class to shine through in the end. The Ligue 1 outfit showed plenty of quality in their two group games against Manchester City and an early goal should help to settle a few nerves.
PREDICTED SCORE: Shakhtar 1-1 Lyon (Priced at 13/2 with 888sport)
Valencia vs MANCHESTER UNITED
Valencia have little to play for if truth be told – their spot in the Europa League is already confirmed ahead of matchday six. That could spur the Spanish side on though as they look to continue their decent home form.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in four of the last five meetings between the two sides and this could be another uninspiring contest. 10/11 is a decent price for a low-scoring affair.
Despite his struggles in 2018/19, Jose Mourinho is still Jose Mourinho and United will pick up the odd shock result here and there. They defeated Juventus in Turin and another away triumph could be on the cards.
With a huge Premier League fixture against Liverpool ahead, Mourinho could rest a few players here. However, this has ‘smash and grab’ written all over it and 19/10 is massive for a team of United’s calibre.
TIP: Man United to win @ 19/10
PREDICTED SCORE: Valencia 0-1 Man United (Priced at 17/2 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
