The Europa League had something of an 'after the Lord Mayor's show' feel about it on Friday lunchtime in Monaco as a marathon 48 teams were drawn into twelve groups (yes twelve!) for Europe's second string European club competition. This came a day after the Champions League draw was made and whilst the likes of Spurs will be travelling to the San Siro to face holders Inter Milan this season, the team they narrowly beat to a fourth place finish last term, Man City can look forward to trips to Salzburg and Lech Poznan. This doesn't paint the full picture however as the world's richest club have also been drawn against Italian football's most decorated team, in the shape of Juventus. Despite Juventus's impressive CV, it is City who have been installed as the bookmakers favourites to win the group, with William Hill going odds on 10/11 that Man City progress to the knockout stages as Group A winners.
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Man City's Italian manager Roberto Mancini will know plenty about Juventus, second favourites to win Group A with William Hill at 5/4. The bookmakers make these two the favourites to progress and also have the pair in the top three of the betting to win the competition outright. Austrian side FC Red Bull Salzburg are next in the betting to win the group but unfancied at 12/1 whilst Lech Poznan of Poland will be looking to avoid 'whipping boy' status as the 25/1 group underdogs. Salzburg qualified for the Europa League courtesy of winning the Austrian Bundesliga last season and take their consolation place here following defeat to Israeli outfit Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Champions League play-offs. The Austrians even have a bit of pedigree in this competition having finished runners up in the 1994 UEFA Cup. You have to dig a little deeper to find any solid European pedigree about Polish champions Lech Poznan, who bowed out of the Champions League in third round qualifying and should pose little threat to the rest of the group here.
Liverpool were the only other British club involved in Friday's draw, after embarrassing defeats to the likes of Aston Villa and Celtic on Thursday meant they would not take any more participation in European football this season. Roy Hodgson's Liverpool side only narrowly avoided that same indignity themselves after a couple of late goals bailed them out of trouble in Turkey and now face a very winnable looking Group K in the Europa League. The Reds have been installed as 10/11 favourites in the betting to win Group K by bookmaker WilliamHill, ahead of Napoli, Steau Bucherest and FC Utrecht. Napoli finsihed 6th in Serie A last season and will always be seen as a tough place to go and get a result. Hills make them second favourites to win the group at 2/1 whilst European football regulars Steaua are 11/2. FC Utrecht make up the quartet and are considered the 8/1 underdogs, despite their 4-0 second leg thrashing of Celtic in the Europa League play-offs.
Manchester City and Liverpool head the betting for the outright Europa League winner, with City shading things with William Hill at odds of 5/1 compared to the 9/1 about Liverpool. Juventus are next best in the betting at 11/1 whilst other teams such as Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Villareal and Porto are all well fancied. Add to the fact that as things get interesting in this marathon competiton, the third place losers from the Champions League group stages also take their place in Europa League in the new year. There is much, much football to be played but what Manchester City do have in their favour is that they have a huge squad, to help them cope with the rigours of European travel and Premier League football every other week. City are worthwhile favourites at this stage and should have enough to win Group A, whilst Liverpool's smallish squad in comparison might just find one team too good later on in the competition. Both teams are odds on to qualify from their respective groups but William Hill seem happy to lay the pair to win their groups as the bookmaker goes best price the pair.
To Win Group A Odds
10/11 Manchester City*
5/4 Juventus
12/1 Salzburg
25/1 Lech Poznan
To Win Group K Odds
10/11 Liverpool*
2/1 Napoli
11/2 Steau Bucharest
8/1 FC Utrecht
5/1 Manchester City
9/1 Liverpool
11/1 Juventus
12/1 Sevilla
14/1 Atletico Madrid
16/1 Porto
16/1 Villareal
20/1 Bayer Leverkusen
20/1 Borussia Dortmund
20/1 Zenit St Petersburg
25/1 CSKA Moscow
25/1 Napoli
25/1 Stuttgart
25/1 Sampdoria
30/1 BAR
* denotes best industry price, odds supplied by Williamhill.com, plus many more markets and live betting in-running throughout all live Europa League matches this season.
Posted: Friday, 27th August 2010
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: europa league, manchester city, liverpool, william hill,
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