The UEFA Europa League (UEL) is Europe’s second-tier football competition. Featuring both titans and minnows of the game, this tournament offers a wide range of football betting opportunities. In this article, we'll take you through everything you need to know about Europa League betting.
- Presenting an exciting mix of teams, the Europa League features the footballing elite who missed the cut for the Champions League or crashed out in the Group Stages, together with miniscule, relatively unheard-of teams who are getting their first ever taste of European football.
- Although not nearly as prominent as the Champions League, the Europa League is no stranger to shocking upsets and unexpected runs, and with a place in the following season’s Champions League at stake, the tournament is an entertaining spectacle brimming with betting potential.
Table of Contents
- Best Bookies We Recommend for Europa League Betting
- Best Europa League Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
- 2021/22 Europa League Final Odds
- 2021/22 Europa League Betting Tips & Predictions
- Important Dates to Remember for the 2021/22 Europa League
- What Are the Most Popular Europa League Betting Types?
- How Is the Europa League Structured?
- Past Europa League Winners
- Most Successful Europa League Teams
- Europa League Trivia
- Upcoming Sporting Events
- Europa League Betting FAQs
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
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#1
Paddy Power
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#2
 888sport
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#3
 Coral
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+. UK+IRE only. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first bet £10 at odds 1/2 or more. Tote and Pool excluded. Must be placed within 14 days of account reg. £30 credited as 3 x £10 free bets. Not valid with CashOut. Free bet valid for 7 days. Free bet stake not returned. T&Cs Apply. |
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#4
 bwin
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#5
10bet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
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Best Europa League Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
- #01 Paddy Power – Best Promotions
- #02 888sport – Best Customer Support
- #03 Coral – Best Pre-Match Coverage
- #04 bwin – Best Mobile App
- #05 10bet – Best Quick Payments
2021/22 Europa League Final Odds
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| West Ham | 10/1 | Betfred |
| Leicester | 16/1 | Paddy Power |
| Lyon | 16/1 | bet365 |
| Napoli | 20/1 | bet365 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 20/1 | Paddy Power |
| Real Sociedad | 20/1 | SportNation |
| Lazio | 25/1 | Sporting Index |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 30/1 | Unibet |
| Real Betis | 35/1 | Sporting Index |
| Monaco | 40/1 | bet365 |
| Marseille | 66/1 | bet365 |
| PSV | 90/1 | Sporting Index |
| Galatasaray | 100/1 | Sporting Index |
| Olympiakos | 100/1 | Sporting Index |
| Braga | 100/1 | BetVictor |
| Red Star Belgrade | 110/1 | Sporting Index |
| Rangers | 125/1 | Paddy Power |
| Legia Warsaw | 150/1 | Sporting Index |
| Sparta Prague | 200/1 | Sporting Index |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 200/1 | Sporting Index |
| Celtic | 225/1 | Sporting Index |
2021/22 Europa League Betting Tips & Predictions
In recent years, the Europa League has continued to gain popularity as bigger clubs have found themselves taking part as a result of fierce competition in Europe’s top leagues.
Just to name a few, teams such as Manchester United, Roma, Arsenal, Leicester, Benfica, Napoli, Villareal, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham have all recently participated in the group stage of the Europa League.
Once teams arriving third in the Champions League group stage join the Europa League, the chances of a big team clash become higher, and the odds on these matches follow suit.
This year, teams such as Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, Leicester, Napoli, Real Sociedad Lazio and West Ham will have their eyes on the Europa League title, coming into the competition as top contenders to reach the final.
These top teams will be trying to get out of the group stage at the top of their group so as to ensure an unseeded opponent in the first stage of the knockout Rounds.
So, which are the teams, players and clashes to watch?
Battle for 1st Place
The Europa League is made up of 8 groups with 4 teams each. Sometimes, given the calibre of the competing teams, the odds on the favourite to win the group will be quite low, but we all know that, when it comes to football, things are never that simple. Here we will be outlining some of the most competitive groups in the 2021/22 campaign.
Betting Odds to win Group A ➡️ Lyon at 1/1, Rangers at 15/8 from Paddy Power
- Lyon are coming back from a season with no European football. They will be eager to prove themselves again, just as they did in the 19/20 season, when they shocked everyone by knocking out UCL favourites Juventus and Manchester City on their way to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Here, they lost to eventual UCL winners Bayern Munich.
- Rangers on the other hand made it out of last years UEL group in first place, convincingly eliminating Royal Antwerp FC 9-5 on aggregate in the Round of 32. They also finished the Scottish Premiership unbeaten last season, but failed to make it into the Champions League Group Stage after they were knocked out by Malmo FF in the qualification rounds.
Betting Odds to win Group C ➡️ Napoli and Leicester at 6/5 from BetVictor
- Luciano Spalletti, currently at the helm in Naples, will be trying to give the Italian city some new hope of bring home a prestigious trophy. However, with very little transfers completed over the summer, the team could easily be hit hard if certain key players become unavailable due to injury at some point.
- Leicester, on the other hand, have strengthened their squad with the likes of Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand at the back. They can also rely on Iheanacho and new signings, Ademola Lookman and Patson Daka, to come off the bench and threaten any opposition defence, alongside star striker Jamie Vardy.
Lazio may be the favourite for the top spot in this group, but with the likes of Marseille and Galatasaray, the task is surely not as easy as the odds might suggest.
Betting Odds to win Group E ➡️ Lazio at 4/5, Marseille at 11/4 and Galatasaray at 5/1 from 10bet
- Lazio are the only team in this year’s Europa League to have made it out of last year’s Champions League Group Stage, even managing to do so without a loss. With a manager like Maurizio Sarri and additions such as Mattia Zaccagni from Verona, Pedro from Roma, Felipe Anderson from West Ham and Elseid Hysaj from Napoli, they are bound to pose a greater threat in front of goal. The consistency of players such as Ciro Immobile, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto will prove pivotal for the team.
- Marseille have strengthened their side in all aspects over the summer, including goalkeeper, having secured the services of Pau Lopez from Roma on loan. Pol Lirola (Fiorentina), Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli), William Saliba & Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal), Cengiz Under (Roma) and Leonardo Balerdi (Dortmund) have all joined the French side and can bring a mixture of experience and flair to the team as they try to make their way to the next rounds.
- Galatasaray may not seem like worthy challengers for the top spot at face value; however, they have not competed in the Europa League for more than 5 years and have suffered group stage exits in the Champions League in recent history. Therefore, they will be gathering their strengths to give their passionate supporters some positive European results this year.
Betting Odds to win Group G ➡️ Leverkusen at 9/10 and Real Betis at 27/20 from bwin
- Leverkusen will be entrusting Patrik Schick and Moussa Diaby with the goal-scoring duties, while Lukas Hradecky, Finland’s national team goalkeeper, will be trying to keep as many clean sheets as possible. An in-form Florian Wirtz and Julian Baumgartlinger will be trying to supply the front two while controlling the centre of the pitch.
- Real Betis finished last La Liga ahead of last year’s Europa League winners Villareal. With the experience of Claudio Bravo and 40-year-old captain Joaquin, coupled with the talents of Nabil Fekir, William Carvalho and new additions German Pezzella and Hector Bellerin, they come across as a very balanced team and very capable of securing 1st place.
Star Players
- Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jens Petter Hauge and Sam Lammers
The two young loanees from AC Milan and Atalanta respectively have struggled to find a place in the starting line up for the Italian teams; however, they created some eye-catching performances when they were given the chance. It will be interesting what they can produce if they manage to get more consistent playing time at Eintracht. Hauge managed to score 2 of the 4 goals the team registered in their opening 4 Bundesliga matches this season.
- Leicester’s forwards
Jamie Vardy has become a well-known threat for defenders around the world, but opposition defenders have more to worry about. Leicester have brought in two fast-paced, technical forwards in Ademola Lookman and Patson Daka. With assist providers like James Maddison through the centre, Timothy Castagne down the right flank and Ryan Bertrand down the left, the forwards are bound to be busy! Super-sub Iheanacho is surely not one to forget about either.
- Lazio’s Immobile, Anderson, Alberto trio
Ciro Immobile needs no introduction. His link-up play with Luis Alberto over the past years has become more consistent, and the pair have managed to bag many goals between them. The addition of Felipe Anderson on the flanks or through the middle with Luis Alberto will only continue to enhance Lazio’s list of possible scorers on the pitch.
- Patrik Schick on one end and Lukas Hradecky on the other
Bayer Leverkusen have got two players that managed to make a name for themselves during the EURO 2020 last summer, and who could prove very important assets for the team in this competition. Patrik Schick managed as many goals as Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring 3 goals in the team’s opening 4 Bundesliga matches. On the other side of the pitch, Lukas Hradecky recorded the highest overall average rating for a goalkeeper during the Euros, with the second-highest amount of saves from inside the box per game.
Important Dates to Remember for the 2021/22 Europa League
- 16th September - 9th December 2021: Group stages
- 17-24th February 2022: Knockout round play-offs
- 10-17th March 2022: Round of 16
- 7-14th April 2022: Quarter-finals
- 28th April-5th May 2022: Semi-finals
- 18th May 2022: Final (Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, Seville)
What Are the Most Popular Europa League Betting Types?
Below, we have compiled a list of some of the most popular bet types that you can take advantage of when betting on the Europa League.
Outright Betting
As you would expect from a large tournament like the Europa League, where teams from across the continent take each other on, there are plenty of exciting outright betting markets to choose from. The overall winner of the tournament is by far the popular outright market. The earlier you bet on this one, the greater your potential payout will be thanks to the higher odds.
If you want to go for something a bit safer, the Name the Semi-Finalists market could also be a lucrative option to go for, whilst if you want to bet on each successive round, with the Odds to Qualify market, you can do just that. There is also a market for Outright Group Winners, but the odds on the favourites here are unlikely to be high.
Both Teams to Score
Both teams to score is another reliable betting market in the Europa League. Statistics show that in the last 5 years, 51% of Europa League matches have seen both teams get on the scoresheet. Conversely, only 7% of matches in this same period have finished without a goal.
Accumulator Betting
Unlike the Champions League, where fixtures are spread over a period of days or weeks, in the Europa League all matches in each round take place on the same night. All these games (especially during the Group Stages where there can be up to 32 matches in one day) leave punters spoiled for choice when creating their ideal accumulator bet, and it is no wonder why this type of bet is so popular in the Europa League.
You should also keep in mind that, just like in the UCL, the Europa League has a high home advantage, with home teams having won 47.5% of their matches at home in the last five years. This is greater than all other top European domestic leagues.
Betting on More Goals
In the past few years, the number of goals per match in the Europe League fixtures has started to rise and from a statistical point of view, it’s just behind its big brother, which has a very high goal-per-match ratio.
In fact, during last season, the Europa League was one of the highest-scoring competitions in the top leagues of Europe, second only to the Italian Serie A, with the average of goals per match sitting at just 3 goals scored.
More than 50% of the matches played saw more than 2.5 goals being scored. This number drops to 35% when it comes to having at least 4 goals scored in a match, but rises significantly to 80% for 2 or more goals. For this reason,betting on more goals in the Europa League might prove to be a safer and more reliable option.
How Is the Europa League Structured?
The Europa League is a second-tier pan-European football competition organised by UEFA. The tournament is structured very similarly to the Champions League, except that there are more teams involved and, therefore, there is one extra knockout round. Teams qualify for the group stages of the tournament depending on where they finish in their respective leagues or domestic cup competitions.
The number of teams that are able to qualify for the Europa League depends on each league’s coefficient. In the bigger leagues, for example, the top two or three teams which finish outside of the Champions League qualifying spots will earn a place in the Europa League. In England, the winner of the FA Cup will also earn a spot in the tournament (if they haven’t already qualified via for the UCL or the UEL via the league route).
Group Stage
The Group Stage, which is where the proper competition starts, consists of 48 teams split into 12 groups of 4 teams each. Teams in the same group will play each other twice (once at home and once away). The top two teams from each group will advance to the next round, with the bottom two teams getting eliminated from the tournament.
Round of 32
What is unique to the Europa League is that after the group stages, the 8 Champions League teams that finished third in their respective groups will automatically enter the next round, known as the Round of 32. This adds both drama and excitement to the Europa League, as there are always 1 or 2 big teams which underperform in the UCL and suddenly become the team to avoid in the UEL.
In the Round of 32, teams are split into two pots: the winners of the groups and the 4 best performing 3rd-placed teams from the UCL (seeded), and the runners-up in the groups and the remaining 4 UCL teams (unseeded). The seeded teams are randomly drawn against the unseeded teams, and the two will face each other off in a two-legged knock-out round (home and away).
Round of 16
Winners from the Round of 32 will proceed to the Round of 16, where another draw will take place. This time around there are no seedings, and teams are randomly chosen to face each other. In this round, teams from the same group or national association may face each other.
Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final
The final draw will be for the Quarter-Finals, where the 8 teams remaining will randomly be picked and placed against each other. The semi-final matches will also be drawn on the same night, so teams winning their quarter-final will find out who they could be facing in the semis.
The knockout round will then continue until there are only 2 remaining teams, who will face each other in the Final for the title of Europa League winners.
History of the Tournament
The Europa League made its debut back in 1971 when it was called the UEFA Cup. Since its inaugural season, the format of the tournament has remained relatively the same, with only minor changes being made on occasion. One of the most significant changes to the competition, however, came in the 2014/15 season, when it was ruled that the winner of the Europa League would automatically qualify for the Champions League.
This added a new urgency to win the tournament, especially for the top teams, who found themselves in the Europa League and struggled in their respective leagues. The UEFA Cup rebranded in the 2009/10 season to become the Europa League as we know it today. In total, the competition has been won by 28 different clubs, with Sevilla being the most successful having won the title on six occasions.
Past Europa League Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Villareal |
| 2019/20 | Sevilla |
| 2018/19 | Chelsea |
| 2017/18 | Atletico Madrid |
| 2016/17 | Manchester United |
| 2015/16 | Sevilla |
| 2014/15 | Sevilla |
| 2013/14 | Sevilla |
| 2012/13 | Chelsea |
| 2011/12 | Atletico Madrid |
| 2010/11 | Porto |
| 2009/10 | Atletico Madrid |
Most Successful Europa League Teams
| Club | Winners | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Sevilla | 6 | 0 |
| Inter Milan | 3 | 2 |
| Liverpool | 3 | 1 |
| Juventus | 3 | 1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 3 | 0 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | 2 | 2 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 1 |
| Feyenoord | 2 | 0 |
| IFK Goteborg | 2 | 0 |
| Real Madrid | 2 | 0 |
| Parma | 2 | 0 |
| Porto | 2 | 0 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 0 |
Europa League Trivia
- Sevilla have won the Europa League on six occasions, having never lost a final.
- Benfica and Marseille hold the record for most UEL final appearances without winning the tournament, each losing the final on three occasions.
- The first ever Europa League final was hosted by Wolves in 1972, when they faced Tottenham in the first leg. Tottenham won the final 3-2 on aggregate.
- Radamel Falcao holds the record for most goals in a single Europa League season, having accumulated 17 goals for Porto in the 2010/11 edition of the competition.
- The record for most consecutive appearances in the Europa League is held by Club Brugge, who obtained 20 appearances between the 1996/97 and the 2015/2016 seasons.
- Inter are the team with the most matches played in the Europa League, followed by Sporting CP. Inter’s Beppe Bergomi is the player with the most appearances in the tournament (96).
- Prize money in the Europa League stands at around £20m, which is significantly lower than the Champions league, where winners are awarded over £70m (and that is excluding money that comes from TV rights).
Upcoming Sporting Events
Europa League Betting FAQs
⚽ Where can I watch the Europa League?
UK viewers can enjoy Europa League matches live on BT Sport.
🔵 When is the final of the Europa League?
The 2021/22 Europa League final will take place on Wednesday 18th May, 2022.
🔐 Where is the 2022 Europa League Final being held?
The 2021/22 Europa League Final will take place at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville, Spain.
✋ How many teams take part in the Europa League?
48 teams take part in the Europa League group stages. This is narrowed down to 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, and then 1 eventual winner.
💡 How many teams are left in the Europa League?
As it stands, there are all qualified teams are currently left in the competition.
⚽ At what point do the eliminated Champions League teams come into the Europa League?
The 3rd-placed Champions League teams join the Europa League for the Round of 32 knockout round.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Europe’s second-tier football competition may not be as popular with neutral supporters as the Champions League, but make no mistake, the Europa league has its own share of triumphs and turmoil.
As a greater number of teams are starting to face up against and challenge the traditional giants in the domestic leagues, more and more top clubs are ending up in the Europa League. The competition is a great spectacle, one which presents countless exciting betting opportunities, and which should definitely not be overlooked.
David is a sports fanatic with a particular interest in stats and figures. When not writing about sports, you would probably find him playing or watching football, researching stats or sharing the latest news with anyone willing to listen.
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