I appreciate I have done a fair few Champions League articles in recent days/weeks so here is a UEFA Europa League roundup for you guys covering all the games involving British teams this evening. With West Ham, Rangers, Celtic and West Ham all in action there was plenty for me to get my teeth stuck into and find out all the relevant info you should know about these games before considering a bet. I will also offer some of my own predictions and tips to hopefully assist you with your bets. Happy reading!
Legia Warsaw v Leicester City Preview
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Thursday 30th September – 5:45PM Kick Off
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Live on BT Sport 2
Leicester will be hoping a result tonight will hopefully kick-start what has been a frustratingly inconsistent start to the season. Many, including myself, expected the Foxes to really kick on this season following an impressive transfer window but that hasn’t yet happened. They travel to Poland to take on Polish giants Legia Warsaw who have a formidable home record.
- The Polish champions opened up their European campaign with a fine 1-0 win over Spartak Moscow and are sitting pretty at the top of the group. A win against Leicester tonight would leave the Foxes with a mountain to climb if they want to qualify.
- I touched upon their formidable home record in European competition. They’re unbeaten in six of their last eight home games in the UEL proper (W4, D2, L2). Not only that, but the hosts have also managed to keep clean sheets in four of those games, including against recent Champions League semi-finalists, Ajax.
- Their passionate fans in a stadium which has a capacity of 32,000 makes it an intimidating place to come and play. Will be a hard game for Leicester, no doubt.
- Another poor result for Leicester at the weekend as they could only draw 2-2 at home to Burnley. The performance from an attacking sense was a bit more like it as they mustered up 22 shots and finished the game with an xG score of 2.26
- Three absentees for Leicester in the shape of the injured James Justin and Wesley Fofana as well as Wilfred Ndidi who misses out through suspension. Apart from that a full strength squad is expected to have travelled.
- Rodgers is expected to name a strong XI here knowing that three points is required if they want to keep qualification to the next phase in their own hands going into the next few group games knowing a visit to Napoli awaits.
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Verdict & Prediction
Given the quality of both their squad and their manager, a turnaround in form is surely round the corner for Leicester. A result tonight could be exactly what is needed to turn their season around and I expect them to get. Legia will be a tough opponent, no doubt but the English side have so much more quality within their ranks which should see them through. 3-1 Foxes win my prediction for this one.
Sparta Prague v Rangers Preview
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Thursday 30th September – 5:45PM Kick Off
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Live on BT Sport 3
Important game tonight for Gers as they look to get their first points on the board in Group A as they return to the Czech Republic once more to take on Sparta Prague. They won’t have fond memories of the Czech capital following their last 16 3-1 aggregate defeat against Slavia Prague in a fiery round of 16 clash last season. They will be hoping to right those wrongs tonight and are in need of some points following their match day 1 defeat at home to Lyon a fortnight ago.
- Sparta Prague began their Europa League campaign with an uneventful goalless draw against Brondby earlier this month.
- They have made a typically solid start to their domestic campaign, winning six and drawing two of their first nine games in the Czech top flight and are just two behind main rivals Slavia Prague in the current league standings. They actually take on Slavia this coming weekend which is a massive game in the domestic league and something that will no doubt be on manager Pavel Vrba’s mind going into this.
- They are suffering with something of an injury crisis which will no doubt help Rangers. Numerous important players are missing tonight including Borek Dockal, Casper Hojer, Lukas Julis and Ladislav Krejci.
- It won’t be the usual partisan crowd in Prague tonight and UEFA has confirmed the fixture will be played in front of 10,000 children after UEFA relented on a stadium closure following racist chanting by Sparta fans towards Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni.
- On the team news front, Scott Arfield returns to the squad after missing the weekend Premiership win over Dundee, while defender Stephen Kelly and goalkeeper Robby McCrorie are also added to the travelling party.
- Filip Helander, Ryan Kent, Nnamdi Ofoborh and Ryan Jack remain out. There are also major doubts this morning over defender Connor Goldson with many major sources suggesting he hasn’t travelled due to an unknown reason leaving them terribly short at the back.
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Verdict & Prediction
Very, very tough game to call and the bookies agree with both sides at pretty much identical prices to win the game this evening. The absences in the Gers side worry me, especially with Goldson not out leaving them incredibly short at the back. The absence of fans to an extent is something of a leveller and for that reason I fancy a score draw in this one, 1-1.
Celtic v Bayer Leverkusen
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Thursday 30th September – 8:00PM Kick Off
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Live on BT Sport 3
Some game at Celtic Park tonight as German giants Bayer Leverkusen come to Glasgow and I am expecting fireworks. Watching the Hoops this season has been mightily entertaining as their 4-3 loss to Betis a couple of weeks ago can prove. Form isn’t actually great with Celtic down in 6th in the Premiership and without a point so far in Europe but performances have been pretty decent in my opinion. Ange Postecoglou has questioned the “narrative” that his team are “struggling” and there is no doubt at times his side have played some fantastic football.
- Some really positive team news to report for the hosts as top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi, club captain Callum McGregor and summer signing Georgios Giakomakis have all returned to full training.
- Postecoglou says there is zero chance all three will start and does not plan on making many changes to his starting XI. He did however go on to say that all three of them could make appearances from the bench if required which is a huge boost.
- On the injury front, Josip Juranovic will be missing after sustaining a hamstring injury in Sunday’s draw with Dundee United. Two Scotland internationals – winger James Forrest and left-back Greg Taylor – are among those still sidelined and will miss out this evening.
- Leverkusen began the new Bundesliga season in fantastic fashion. They are just 3 points behind league leaders Bayern Munich and currently sit 2nd. New head coach Gerardo Seoane has started off life well having joined this summer from Swiss champions Young Boys.
- Leverkusen will have to do without Austrian midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger, former Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios and Burkina Faso centre-half Edmond Tapsoba who all remain sidelined.
- For those tuning in to this one please keep an eye on teenage sensation Florian Wirtz. He notched once again at the weekend in the 1-0 win over Mainz increasing his personal goal tally for this season to five in six appearances. He is just 18 years of age and already being linked with £60m+ moves away this upcoming summer.
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Verdict & Prediction
Celtic really haven’t been as bad as results suggest and the return of a number of key players is sure to boost them in the long run. However Leverkusen have started the season very strongly and are currently flying in the Bundesliga. Expect them to just about get the better off Celtic in what should be a goalsy affair. 3-2 Leverkusen win is my prediction in this one.
West Ham v Rapid Vienna
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Thursday 30th September – 8:00PM Kick Off
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Live on BT Sport 2
The final British team we look at this evening will be West Ham as they host Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna this evening hoping to continue their 100% start to the Europa League campaign. The Hammers were fantastic registering a 2-0 win in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb and are surely favourites to top Group H which also contains Belgian outfit Genk.
- West Ham are massive favourites tonight and probably rightly so given the form they are in this season and I fancy them to see off Rapid Vienna tonight with relative ease.
- A few problems at right back for David Moyes to contend with as Vladimir Coufal is a doubt and Ryan Fredericks is definitely out through injury. As a result, youngster Ben Johnson is expected to start at right back this evening.
- Significant rotation is expected from Moyes tonight to guard against fatigue with as many as 7/8 changes predicted from a side which would usually start in the Premier League. They have decent depth to the squad and against a poor Rapid side I think they should still be okay to win comfortably.
- Rapid have had a truly torrid start to the new season. They have now won just one of their last six games in all competitions, and lost 3-0 to Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga last time out, seeing them drop to second-bottom with eight points from nine games.
- Confidence seems extremely low in the camp and they are struggling with a mounting injury crisis. Christopher Dibon, Richard Strebinger, Oliver Strunz and Lion Schuster all sidelined through injuries.
- Seems no belief in the Austrian media that Rapid are even remotely capable of getting a result tonight and can probably explain why the visitors are as long 12/1 to get a win tonight.
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Verdict & Prediction
Despite the changes, the players coming in for West Ham tonight should be keen to impress and have more than enough quality to beat a depleted and out of form Rapid Vienna side. This is the first European game West Ham have hosted since 2006 and a big crowd is expected and they should be buzzing for this one. Fancy a very comfortable West Ham win 3-0.
