by Jolayemi Jones
It is the knockout stage of the UCL season, the business end of the campaign that produces more drama than any other period. My predictions for last weekend were almost entirely spot-on, so you need to start taking my insights seriously as there is money to be made. You might even want to increase your betting stake this week, especially if you tweaked my tips last weekend.
All eyes are on the Champions League, of course, but there’s a lot of money to be made from the Europa League and Conference League as well. In case you didn’t pay attention the last 5 million times I said this, stop googling how to make money online, because the answer is right here, along with a bet code you can play as is or edit to your taste.
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AZ’s recent unbeaten run ended at the hands of Heerenveen over the weekend, but they are still a team many in the Europa League should be wary of. Their thrashing of Galatasaray in the play-off round sent a message about how dangerous they can be, and they will be looking to claim another big scalp here. Their meeting earlier in the season was barely won by Tottenham, but the stakes are higher this time.
Tottenham seem to be gradually finding their way back to form, with their injury woes starting to disappear, but they didn’t struggle in Europe even at the worst of it, anyway. Having finished fourth in the group phase, they face a tricky tie against their Dutch opponents. 2 wins in their last 5 games isn’t great form but they will come into this game confident of claiming a crucial away win.
Full time Prediction: There should be lots of goals in this one
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Real Sociedad are currently undergoing a baptism of fire in terms of fixture density. Over the past two games, they have faced Real Madrid and Barcelona, and now face Manchester United, who might be viewed as an easy opponent to face these days, but still carry a substantial threat. Regardless, their opponents are still capable of being a threat on their day so the Txuri Urdin will still treat this tie with the utmost seriousness. They have won just 1 of their 6 games against Manchester United since 2013, and their last knockout tie against these opponents ended in a 4-0 humiliation.
Manchester United are still neck-deep in trouble, and their FA Cup defeat to Fulham on penalties last weekend means that the Europa League is their only realistic chance of a trophy this season. They know that winning this competition will also give them a way back into the Champions League, the one thing that could turn around the disaster of a season they have had.
To win, the Red Devils will rely on their current excellence at set pieces, which can be very valuable, especially in cup competitions.
Full time Prediction: Real Sociedad is rightly favoured to win this one, but Manchester United is still capable of springing a surprise.
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Over the past few months, Ajax have looked stronger than they’ve looked in the previous two years. Everything looks to be coming together for them now - they are 8 points clear in the Eredivisie and got through Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the playoff round despite receiving a red card. They look capable of matching their opponents, and they come into this tie as slight favourites.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Frankfurt since the departure of Omar Marmoush in January. A heavy reliance on Hugo Ekitike has not led to positive outcomes, with their 4-1 defeat to Leverkusen last weekend piling on their misery. They have now conceded 8 goals in their last 2 games, against Leverkusen and Bayern, and they look low on confidence.
Full time Prediction: Ajax to win or draw seems sensible, but there should be goals in this one too.
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Claudio Ranieri’s return to management has brought new life to Roma’s season; they have gone from a possible relegation battle to contention for European spots in Serie A. The club has now won its last 4 games and also knocked out FC Porto in the playoff round. They have already met their opponents this season, in a game that ended 1-1, but that was at a time when they were still in crisis, before Ranieri came in.
Athletic Club are flying high in La Liga and finished 2nd in the league phase, winning 6 of their 8 games and losing just once. They are considered one of the contenders for this trophy, but they face a daunting tie against a resurgent Roma side who are considered to be favourites. However, the home side are a scary knockout prospect, and they know it.
Full time Prediction: This will be a close tie, but a draw is very likely.
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Viktoria Plzen are still fresh off the high of thrashing Ferencvaros in the playoffs last time out, but they face a difficult tie against Italian high-flyers, Lazio. With their title challenge pretty much over after their recent home defeat to Sparta Praha, this tie is a chance for them to still make this season memorable.
Lazio finished top of the league phase and have looked almost perfect in Europe all season long. They are considered frontrunners for the trophy already, but they know they must take every tie a day at a time to reach that goal. This could be a tricky tie, but it would be a massive disappointment were they to lose out. They look like the strongest team in their bracket, although a potential semifinal tie against Tottenham could be difficult.
Full time Prediction: Lazio should win this one.
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Kobenhavn mounted a spirited comeback in the playoff round to eliminate a Heidenheim team that had beaten them at home in the first leg. Now, they face a task that looks impossible, against the outright favourites to win the trophy. A goalless draw at Aalborg during the weekend was the worst possible preparation for this task but they will be hoping to handle things better when they come up against their illustrious opponents.
Chelsea being in this competition feels almost wicked to the other participants. They have steamrolled every opponent so far, at least in the league phase, and they look like misfits here. Many see the trophy as a forgone conclusion, but they still need to do what needs to be done against their opponents. In their bracket, they avoid both Real Betis and Fiorentina, so their path to the final looks fairly easy.
Full time Prediction: Chelsea should easily win this one.
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Panathinaikos are in very unsteady form, and it looks like the worst time to face a team from the top 5 leagues. They didn’t look particularly convincing during the playoffs when they knocked out Vikingur but home support could be vital for them to take an advantage back to Italy or at least remain in the tie past the first leg.
Fiorentina have suffered heartbreaks in the last two finals of this competition, so they will be hoping to finally win it this year. What they have going for them now is that they have extensive experience navigating the knockout phase. Up against a team they are expected to beat, they will need to focus on what they know to do.
Full time Prediction: The odds for a Fiorentina win are quite high and that’s what every smart gambler will be optimizing for.
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If there’s one thing a Jose Mourinho team knows how to do, it is winning European knockout ties. Fenerbahçe fans were amused watching their bitter rivals get knocked out in embarrassing fashion during the playoffs, but the club as a whole will be wary of being the next. In Mourinho, they have a manager who has won every European competition there is to win, so they will be confident.
Rangers are playing catch-up with Celtic domestically, but they have been impressive in Europe. They finished in the top 8 of the league phases and have some recent European pedigree, having reached the Europa League final in the 2021-2022 season. They will need that experience to handle the daunting Istanbul atmosphere properly and stand any chance of still being in the tie by the second leg.
FCSB have now gone 8 games without a defeat, leading to them maintaining their slender lead at the top of their league table. In Europe, they have been quite impressive, finishing 11th in the league phase and knockout out PAOK in the playoffs. They look capable of springing surprises, especially at home, and will rely on it to give them an advantage to take to France.
Lyon are now fully a Rayan Cherki side, with the French star pulling the strings in every game. They are on course for a European place domestically but they have been even more impressive in Europe. Cherki has probably been the best player in the competition so far, raising expectations of a possible run to the final and even a first major European trophy in their history.
Full time Prediction: Expect both teams to score.
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Alexandre Lacazette to score anytime + Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.60 Odds
Real Betis continue their resurgence since the arrival of Antony, and last weekend's victory over a star-studded Real Madrid reaffirmed their recent excellence. Their form is good news for their European hopes, especially as they are one of the frontrunners in this competition, along with Chelsea and Fiorentina.
Vitória de Guimarães are up against a team they faced twice in 2013 and couldn’t get a single goal against. Their recent run of 2 wins in their last 8 games is a bad look for a side hoping to get farther than this round in Europe. While it seems like an impossible task for the away team to eliminate this Real Betis side, remember that knockout football throws up surprises and this could be one of them.
Full time Prediction: This should be a straightforward Real Betis win.
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Nobody knows European knockout football better than Jose Mourinho. I just can’t look past his Fenerbahçe team, which is filled with experienced players who have handled several knockout fixtures many times.
Bet on Fenerbahçe to win the Europa League @ 16.00 Odds
It is hard to look past Chelsea, especially with Cole Palmer included in the squad for the knockouts. That said, I actually consider Real Betis a more formidable side this season, and that’s my outright pick.
Bet on Real Betis to win the Conference League @ 6.00 Odds
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