EUROPA LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS: Our European football tipster The Ultra previews ARSENAL v VILLARREAL and ROMA v MANCHESTER UNITED both with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
ARSENAL V VILLARREAL
8pm Everything is on the line for Arsenal and Villarreal as we go into the second leg of the Europa League Semi-Final on Thursday night. It’s fair to say everyone will be watching this game tonight with Manchester United so far clear of Roma in the other Semi-Final – unless of course we see two very early goals from Roma! Both sides recorded wins since Villarreal won the first leg 2-1 but Arsenal wouldn’t have been disappointed to have an away goal and it was a pretty even game – they would have felt unlucky to lose and they should be confident of getting a result tonight. Obviously this is a massive game for both sides as this competition is a chance to win something, but without a Europa League win Arsenal will miss out on European football next season, and that will be a huge blow to the club. Villarreal are battling for a Europa League spot in La Liga, and that looks likely.
So, with all eyes on BETDAQ Betting Exchange all this game we’re bound to have some very strong opinions on the prices. For me, Arsenal should be favourites but I wouldn’t have them at odds on. I feel 1.92 is very low considering that the first leg was very close and how poor at times Arsenal have been this season. I’m very happy to lay them here at the odds, but I’m also happy to keep stakes reasonably low. Arsenal have a good record at home in the Europa League, and they do play their best when they get time and space on the ball – and the European sides are less likely to pressure them compared to the Premier League sides. I can understand why punters want to back them, but I can’t have them at odds on. Even in their recent games, they have been playing good football but still failing to get results. Everton, Fulham and Burnley are classic examples of that and I can see Villarreal making life for Arsenal far more difficult than 1.92 suggests.
The Ultra Says:
Two points lay (liability) Arsenal to beat Villarreal at 1.92 with BETDAQ Betting Exchange
You can view all markets here -> http://bit.ly/BDQArsVll
ROMA V MANCHESTER UNITED
8pm Manchester United effectively put this tie to bed in the first leg with a 6-2 win at Old Trafford, and unless we see two/three very early goals from Roma then we won’t see much drama here. United will want the game to be as non-eventful as possible, while Roma will be going all-out attack from the start – they have nothing to lose after all. It’s fair to say it’s been an eventful few days for both clubs, United couldn’t play at the weekend due to a protest against the owners that got very messy with fans getting into Old Trafford hours before kick-off and Roma announced Jose Mourinho as their new manager at the start of next season. Roma are a very average side these days and it’s quite the fall from grace for Mourinho, but maybe it’s the type of club he needs at the moment. That being said, you would say Roma aren’t far off the Serie A version of Spurs – so it could all end in tears.
I was confident United would win the first leg and we landed a nice bet, despite going into the break 2-1 down. United absolutely bossed the game, and even the xG figures said they had an excellent first game despite being behind. Roma went into that game in terrible form, and they suffered a further defeat at the weekend against Sampdoria. They didn’t play that badly, but it’s just a reflection of where the club are at the moment. I feel this is a game for small stakes given the situation – United will want a drama free game while Roma have to attack. On balance, I feel a small bet on United is good value at 1.93 – getting involved in the overs/unders market is tricky but overs looks fairly priced at 1.5 anyway. Roma will give United plenty of chances going forward, and United can excellent on the counter so that will play into their hands.
The Ultra Says:
Two points win Manchester United to beat Roma at 1.93 with BETDAQ Betting Exchange
You can view all markets here -> http://bit.ly/BDQRomMun
