Portuguese fans will arrive in Dublin on mass on Wednesday for the 2011 Europa League Final between FC Porto and Sporting Braga at the Aviva Stadium. The recently crowned Portuguese champions Porto are the odds on favourites to add the 2011 Europa League to their honours list against a Braga side who have also enjoyed a fantastic season. Bookmaker Bet365 make Porto their 4/9 odds on favourites to win the match in ninety minutes and as short as 2/9 to lift the trophy. Braga are a 13/2 chance to win the match and 10/3 come away from Dublin the winners, whilst the draw can be backed at 10/3 also.
It could be a case of the irresitable force meets the immovable object at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday night, with the free flowing Porto side taking on a Braga team who have ground out results to reach the final. After missing out on Champions League football this season, Porto have run away with the Portuguese Primeira Liga title, going through the season undefeated and winning 27 of their thirty matches. In fact, Porto finished a whopping 48 points ahead of Wednesday's opponents and beat them home and away to boot.
Braga have finished fourth in the domestic league under the guidance of former Porto striker Domingos Paciencia, who manages the team for the last time in Dublin. The 42 year old scored over one hundred goals for Porto during two spells at the club but it's Porto's forward line that will undoubtedly be giving him sleepless nights this week. The South American duo of Hulk and Falcao have been tearing up the Portuguese league this season, scoring nigh on forty times between them in the league. Colombian Falcao has broken records with his 16 goals in the Europa League this season, including a hat-trick in both the quarter-final and semi final. It's no surprise that this pair are 7/2 joint favourites to score first in the goalscorer betting for Wednesday, whilst you can get 20/1 with Bet 365 about Falcao to score three or more goals in the game.
Despite their dominance, Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas will be well aware of the threat Braga can pose in a one off match on neutral ground. Braga have only won three matches away from home domestically this season, but they have put paid to the European dreams of Celtic and Sevilla in the Champions League and also upset the odds beating Portuguese rivals Benfica over two legs in the semi-final. Domingos Paciencia's side also beat Arsenal in the group stages of the Champions League before finishing third and moving over to the Europa.
If Porto can score first then it's likely that they can expose Braga on the counter-attack, so with this in mind backing Porto at -2 on the handicap might be the way to go at odds of 10/3. Goals are predicted, although European finals can sometimes become stalemate affairs, Porto's attacking instincts may be just too strong for Braga.
Porto v Braga Tips
Tip #1: Porto -2 on the handicap @ odds of 10/3 with Bet365.
Tip #2: Falcao to score three or more goals @ odds of 20/1 with Bet365.
Match Betting
4/9 Porto
10/3 Draw
13/2 Braga
To Lift Trophy
2/9 Porto
10/3 Braga
Correct Score Odds
11/2 Porto 1-0
11/2 Porto 2-0
7/1 Porto 2-1
10/1 Draw 0-0
7/1 Draw 1-1
18/1 Draw 2-2
16/1 Braga 1-0
33/1 Braga 2-0
20/1 Braga 2-1
First Goalscorer Odds
7/2 Hulk
7/2 Falcao
6/1 Varela
8/1 Cristian Rodriguez
8/1 da Silver Walta
8/1 James Rodriguez
9/1 Paulo Cesar
10/1 Meyong
10/1 Belluschi
10/1 Fredy Guarin
11/1 Mariano Gonzalez
Odds supplied by Bet365.com, plus over 100 other markets on this match, including live betting in-running.
Posted: Monday, 16th May 2011
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: europa league, 2011 europa league final, fc porto, sporting braga, bet365,
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