Europa League Betting Tips

History – Humble Beginnings

Here are our top Europa League betting tips. The Europa League may have been seen as less than the Champions League but now it is a top competition that big guns want to win. In more recent times the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea have won the Europa League as a way into the following season’s Champions League, acting as a safety net if they weren’t able to secure a top-four finish in what has become an ultra-competitive English Premier League.

The tournament started out as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – a name that was never going to last the test of time – which ran between 1955 and 1971. The first instalment had only 11 participants but quickly grew in both reputation and popularity, attracting 64 runners. It became obvious this competition was a big hit, so UEFA rebranded it as the UEFA Cup with the new look format first played in the 1971/72 season. We enjoyed an all-English final that year, played between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, a match that ended in Spurs favour.

In 1999 the Cup Winners Cup was merged with the UEFA Cup and a few years later the group stages were added, replacing the straight knockout format that was in place.

Format – Summer start

The Europa League gets started in early summer with the qualifying rounds taking place in July. Over 100 teams take part at this stage of the tournament and they must battle through three qualifiers and a play-off to reach the group stage and Europa League proper. The numbers are cut from 104 down to 44 teams during that period.

When the group stage gets started we then have 48 participants divided into a dozen four-team divisions, labelled Group A to Group L. Each side involved plays the other three in their mini-league twice, once at home and once at the stadium of their opponents with each match seen as a single game, so there’s no aggregate score or away goals. As is popular now, points are settled at three for a win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat.

The team finishing with the most points at the end of the six games progress to the knockout stages and are joined by those ending second. Clubs in third and fourth end their involvement in European football for the remainder of that season.

The first knockout phase is the round of 32 which consists of 12 group winners, 12 group runners up and eight teams from the Champions League who finished third in their pools. It then becomes an elimination format played across two legs, with aggregate scores and away goals then coming into play. The numbers continue to be cut until we are left with two finalists who play one match to decide that year’s Europa League champion.

Facts – La Liga Dominates

In recent years teams from England and Spain have dominated, accounting for no less than 20 champions. La Liga accounts for most winners with the Spanish top-flight giving us 11 champions and five runners up. That places the nation ahead of the Premier League in England who are currently on nine titles and seven silver medals, closing the gap all the time.

The 2019 final was an all English affair that paired Chelsea and Arsenal. The Londoners played out a tense match that was eventually won by The Blues thanks to a score of 4-1, a result achieved after they had topped Group L and eased their way through the rounds.

The current performance by club stats shows Sevilla as the Europa League’s most successful team with five titles to their name, having won every final they have played in. They are followed by Liverpool on three wins and one runner up prize, a score which is matched by Juventus and Inter Milan. Atletico Madrid makes up the top five with three gongs and is another side who have won each of the finals they have played end, never suffering the sting of defeat when it mattered.

Other British teams worth a mention are Tottenham on two wins, Chelsea also showing a couple. Ipswich Town has won, as have Manchester United. Arsenal has appeared in two finals without ever lifting the trophy, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Dundee Utd, Rangers and Celtic all have one.

Where to Bet on Europa League

Football fans who enjoy backing their Europa League predictions with cash can do so at the likes of 888Sport who offer an all-round excellent service. The online betting firm gives great coverage to the tournament, making betting available from the first qualifying round right through to the final.

There are lots to choose from, including match winner, both teams to score, total goals, first goalscorer, correct score, handicap, score and win, half time/full time and lots more. You can make your Europa League best bets on each fixture before kick-off or get involved at any point during the 90 minutes thanks to in-play betting. There’s even live coverage of certain games through the 888Sport mobile app which can be viewed using your mobile or tablet device.

Europa League Betting Tips

If you would prefer to get in early and have your say on the outright winners, you can wager cash on the Europa League champions and there’s even betting on the Europa League top scorer. The earlier you get in, the better the value. When betting ante-post, however, it’s worth remembering sides from the Champions League drop in at the conclusion of the group stage and often go on to perform well.

There are other bookmakers to bet with, including bet365, Ladbrokes and William Hill. Such is the popularity of the Europa League you’ll find most major firms offer great betting coverage in this competition. Follow our site for Europa League betting tips as our team of experts aim to guide you to profit from the first qualifier through to the final. Get team news, tips and we’ll also flag up which bookmakers are offering market best price on the most popular bets.