The UEFA Europa League Semi-Finals are scheduled for this Thursday, May 3rd, 2018, and Atletico Madrid will host Arsenal at Wanda Metropolitano after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in London, while Salzburg will welcome Marseille at Red Bull Arena after a 2-0 defeat at Stade Velodrome. All four teams still have a good chance to reach the Final, promising some terrific football in both matches, so let’s see how to bet on the UEFA Europa League this week.
ATLETICO MADRID vs. ARSENAL
3-Way: 1: Atletico Madrid -135; X: +275 Draw; 2: Arsenal +420 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Atletico Madrid`-135 ; Arsenal +115
Total +2.5: Over +105; Under -125
Qualification Matchup: Atletico Madrid -300; Arsenal +225
Betting Trends and Match Prediction
- Atletico Madrid has a slight advantage after a 1-1 draw in the first leg on the road
- Atletico has a 2-2-1 record in the last five games overall
- Atletico Madrid is unbeaten in 12 straight home matches, recording ten wins and two draws
- Arsenal won just one out of their previous five matches overall
- Arsenal has a 2-2-6 record in the last ten away games in all competitions
Atleti earned a well-deserved draw in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals at Emirates on last Thursday, despite they played with ten men after Sime Vrsaljko’s second yellow card in the tenth minute of the game. They battled bravely for 90 minutes, looking to make some damage on the counter, and they managed to find the back of the net in the 82nd minute when Antoine Griezmann took advantage of a poor reaction by Arsenal’s defenders. Now, Diego Simeone’s boys need to be patient, as they can sit back and wait for their opportunities, but that is just the way they like it.
On the other side, the Gunners will have to look for a goal at Wanda Metropolitano, as a nil-nil draw is not enough after they’ve missed plenty of scoring opportunities in front of the home fans, taking 29 shots toward Atleti’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Arsene Wenger’s boys aren’t playing in a good form, winning only one out of their last five games in all competitions, while conceding in each of their previous seven encounters. Likewise, the Gunners lost 2-1 to Manchester United on last Sunday at Old Trafford.
With eleven men on the pitch, the hosts are certainly favorites to win this match, so the visitors should have much more problems to control the ball like they did it in the first leg at home. However, Arsenal possesses a lot of talent among the squad, and they are surely capable of scoring here, although Atletico Madrid’s defense is brilliant at Wanda Metropolitano. Diego Simeone will miss the full-backs Filipe Luis and Juanfran due to injuries, while Sime Vrsaljko will serve his suspension. On the other side, Arsene Wenger can count on all important first-team players, besides Henrikh Mkhitaryan who’s still doubtful because of an injury.
MY PICK: Atletico Madrid to Win (-135)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-105)
SALZBURG vs. MARSEILLE
3-Way: 1: Salzburg +110; X: +265 Draw; 2: Marseille +250 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Salzburg +110; Marseille -120
Total +2.5: Over -135; Under +115
Qualification Matchup: Salzburg +500; Marseille -800
Betting Trends and Match Prediction
- Salzburg lost the first leg on the road 2-0
- Salzburg won four games in a row at home in all competitions
- Salzburg is undefeated at home this season
- Marseille is unbeaten in six consecutive encounters overall
- Marseille scored in each but one out of their last six away games
After one stalemate and one loss in the UEFA Europa League, Marseille finally overcame Salzburg on last Thursday, winning 2-0 the first leg of the Semi-Finals which should be a solid advantage ahead of the second leg at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg. The Olympians took just seven shots toward the Red Bulls’ net, but Dimitri Payet’s orchestration was impressive, and with two dishes for Florian Thauvin and Clinton N’Jie, he led his team to the victory.
The Red Bulls took ten shots toward Yohann Pele’s net on last Thursday, having a ball on their feet for 54% of the time, but they couldn’t break the deadlock. In the second 45 minutes, they’ve created a few good scoring opportunities, pushing forward in numbers, but Munas Dabbur’s poor finishing job cost them at least one goal. Salzburg now has a difficult task in the second leg, and if they allow their opponents to score, the Red Bulls will need to bag four times, so the Red Bulls will have to defend well on the home soil. The fans could see a cautious approach, particularly in the first half, but at some point, the hosts will have to attack. The bookies expect a close game, favoring both sides to find the net at -165.
Marseille’s manager Rudi Garcia is still without a goalkeeper Steve Mandanda (torn muscle), but all other players are ready to go, while on the other side, his colleague Marco Rose doesn’t have any injury worries among the squad, so he can field his best eleven.
MY PICK: Marseille AH +0.5 (-120)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Over 3 Goals (+120)
