Europa League

This is the second level or tier in European club football, but since the last change of format (since the introduction of the Europa Conference League) it has become more competitive and the level has gone up for sure. This tournament has undergone several format and name changes over the years. Certain nations are struggling to play a serious role in The Champions League but are able to do that in the Europa League. The representing countries in this tournament are more diverse due to the distribution of tickets and qualifying options compared to Europe’s elite club tournament. We occasionally see teams from outside the top six countries in Europe reaching the later stages. This will happen less in the Champions League. Still, Europa League winners usually come from the top four footballing nations. The Europa league begins with qualifying rounds. The group phase starts off with 32 clubs divided in eight groups. Just like in other European tournaments, teams are placed into four different pots when the groups are drawn. Winners of the Europa Conference League from the previous season will be automatically allocated in pot one. The first placed team in each group will go through to the knockout stages and the teams that finish second will have to play a play-off against a football club that finished third in a Champions League group. The teams that end third in their groups will be sent to the Europa Conference League.
Winners of the Europa League will play in next season’s UEFA Super Cup against the winners of the Champions League. When you’re betting on the Europa League, you need to dig deep to figure out which lineup they are going to play. Massive clubs that play in the Europa League might rest some players every now and then because their own league is of more importance to them. We can’t stress this enough so be aware of making your predictions and placing your bets. It is always an option to wait for lineups to be confirmed and make it easier for yourself. Odds might also shift when the lineups are confirmed due to some surprises that bookmakers didn’t expect. This is something you can definitely use to your advantage by making an educated guess on a certain lineup if you’re able to find good information. Let us clear up some things about the Europa League!

Europa League history

In the 1971/1972 season, the first edition of the Europa League was held. At that time it was still called the UEFA Cup. There aren’t a handful of clubs that have been dominating this tournament. This is probably due to the fact that if clubs are performing well in the Europa League, they will usually end up playing in the Champions League on a regular basis. Especially if they win it. Sevilla is the only exception here, which we should give a special mention. They have been able to win this prestigious tournament six(!) times between the 2005/2006 and 2019/2020 season. To put this achievement into perspective, no other club has managed to win this cup more than three times. More and more money can be made by playing in the Europa League. This makes it more attractive to play in, even for bigger clubs. For smaller clubs it is a real opportunity to develop.

Popular teams that play in the Europa League

The popularity of teams that play in the Europa League obviously correlates with the fan bases. Big clubs that end up playing in the Europa League but are regulars in the Champions League usually have the most fans. A side that has gained a lot of respect over the years with their winning performances is Sevilla. Again, they managed to lift this trophy 6 times since the turn of the century, winning a whopping 100% of their finals they’ve featured in. Weirdly enough, they haven’t been capable of going deep in the Champions League during this time.  Football clubs that have been the most successful in this competition (next to Sevilla) based on trophies are: Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.

Tips for betting on the Europa League

Interest in this competition has definitely increased over the years due to the level of play that has gone up, especially since the last format change. Finding valuable information on Europa League games isn’t too difficult, comparable to the Champions League. The world wide web gives you the opportunity to dig deep and find factors that might influence or potentially even decide games. Without enough research it is virtually impossible to create an edge on your bookmaker which makes it hard to be profitable and built on a long term betting strategy. A thing we can’t stress enough (and this occurs more than in the Champions League) is the fact that, especially in the group phase, teams tend to rest important squad players. Betting on low odds and predominantly on favorites is not often a good strategy in our opinion but when you are betting on this tournament you need to be extra careful. This is definitely a potential downfall for recreational sports bettors. On the other hand, this can be used to your advantage. Betting against favorites in certain cases can be beneficial in the long run if you do it right and if you are able to pick up on patterns when it comes to ‘big’ versus ‘small’ clubs. Don’t forget that the majority of sports bettors are recreational and they tend to bet in favor of big clubs a lot which makes those low odds drop even more. We hope that this tip helps you to find strategies that are profitable.

Lastly, we want to warn you for specific situations that clubs find themselves in. The second leg of a knockout tie is pretty straight forward and based on the result in the first leg, you know what result a team needs to get to go through. Always consider the position that a certain club is in. Maybe they just need a draw in the last group game. A team might be through already and can rest its key players. Keep this in mind and it will prevent you from making some basic betting mistakes. Again, this can be used in your advantage as well as being a potential downfall, just be aware.

What type of bets are suitable for this league?

Asian handicaps are the best type of bet in our opinion so this will apply to every single league. As a sports bettor that takes betting seriously, you need to find ways to create an edge on bookmakers. Taking your time to analyze matches and searching for reasons why a certain team will perform better or worse than bookmakers think (looking at the odds). Bookmakers use tools like algorithms to figure out what odds are realistic but there is no algorithm that can include every single potential factor. Spend time doing research and try to find elements that can potentially change a game and try to recognize certain patterns. Playing Asian lines is also interesting. We’re talking about betting over or under a certain amount of goals in a game or half. This can be either based on statistics solely or your own analysis of a match. Don’t be afraid to bet on draws as well. It is a market where a lot of recreational bettors rather not bet on. This makes it even more valuable. If a market is not bet on, odds might rise in certain situations. There are specific situations in the group phase where a draw is needed by both teams to go through. Never overlook those opportunities.

Alternatives to betting on the Europa League

The Europa League is often called the Champions League’s little brother and that makes sense in our opinion as well. Structure wise they are quite similar. Situations in the group phases can also be alike, with big clubs playing smaller clubs on a regular basis. Another alternative will be the Europa Conference League. Almost identical when it comes to structure as well, just a little less prestigious.

Bookies with Europa League affinity