Seeley’s Selections – Thursday’s Live Europa League

It’s all about goals in every Europa League tie which involves a British club on Thursday and playing all the games to see every team scoring is not a bad betting strategy to start with.

Second legs are always much more high scoring than the first meetings and with so much at stake for some clubs at the weekend domestically, team news could be crucial when having a wager.

Besiktas v Liverpool, Thursday 6pm, Live on TV3 & ITV4
The first game I’m concentrating on is the 6pm kick-off between Besiktas and Liverpool at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium.

Liverpool hold a slender advantage thanks to ‘super-sub’ Mario Balotelli’s late penalty which gives Brendan Rodgers team a 1-0 lead at half-time.

Rodgers side are, in my opinion, currently playing the best football in the Premier League after losing just once in their last 24 matches and they, as they always are, will be a popular selection with BoyleSports clients at 29/20. Liverpool entertain Man City at the weekend in the Premier League on Sunday and despite that clash, I expect Rodgers to go for the win here and field a strong starting XI, but I’m not sure they will get it.

I do expect them to score though and it’s very important for them to as if they do, Besiktas will have to net three times to qualify. This is going to be a very common theme but my NAP in this one is both teams to score at BoyleSports’ 4/5.

The Turks haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches and that unwanted run will continue against Liverpool’s pace on the counter-attack.

Slaven Bilic’s side are no strangers to Premier League opponents in Europe this season having faced Arsenal and Tottenham and they haven’t a home win yet and they won’t get one in this one either.

I like the draw at 23/10 and a 1-1 draw at 5/1 both with BoyleSports and if he starts and can avoid the heavy marking of the defenders, Raheem Sterling can be a Turkish delight for BoyleSports punters with a goal in this one at 6/4.

Seeley’s Selections:
Both Teams To Score – Yes @ 4/5
Draw @ 23/10
Correct Score 1-1 @ 5/1
Raheem Sterling Anytime Goalscorer @ 6/4

Fiorentina v Tottenham, Thursday 6pm, Live on BT Sport 2
It’s another early 6pm kick-off this in the Europa League this time in Florence where Tottenham travel to Italy to take on Fiorentina, one of the best teams in Serie A. This really promises to be a cracker, but we can’t be risking any serious money on this one until we see which team Mauricio Pochettino goes with ahead of the weekend’s Capital One Cup Final with Chelsea.

Many BoyleSports punters will see the 14/5 on offer about Tottenham and fall into the trap but please don’t fall into the trap. It’s very hard to second guess Pochettino’s starting XI for this one, but if as is expected, he rests star trio Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, that really spells trouble for Spurs backers.

The two are level after the first leg 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane but the way the Fiorentina supporters and players celebrated their equaliser, they will feel that they have done enough to qualify and I have to agree with them. The Viola, are one of the most entertaining teams, if not the most entertaining in Serie A and at home they are virtually unbeatable.

Vincenzo Montella’s side haven’t lost at the fortress Artemio Franchi in 2015 and they are now unbeaten in their last 10 matches and at BoyleSports’ offer of evens, that has to be taken.

There are always goals where Fiorentina play and that will continue again on Thursday. Both teams have scored in their last seven matches and also in 13 of the last 16 matches in Tottenham games and that is another decent bet at BoyleSports’ offer of 7/10.

Montella’s men have scored 15 goals in their last five home matches and I expect them to keep the three goal per game average going in this one with a straight forward 3-1 victory at a very tasty 14/1 with BoyleSports.

Seeley’s Selections:
Fiorentina To Win @ Evens
Both Teams To Score – Yes @ 7/10
Correct Score: Fiorentina 3-1 @ 14/1

Inter Milan v Celtic, Thursday 6pm, Live on BT Sport 1 & Setanta Sports 1
Last week’s clash between Celtic and Inter Milan was the match of the Europa League last 32 first leggers and the renewal at the San Siro on Thursday night I expect to be another humdinger.

These two European giants played a 3-3 thriller at Parkhead last week and this time around I can’t see Celtic getting anything from the tie but I can see them scoring.
Celtic are 5/1 with BoyleSports to get the shock and a team that are always popular with the BoyleSports punters should again be avoided like the plague in this one.
The markets to concentrate in this one are goals.

In Celtic’s seven Europa League games this season, a staggering 30 goals have been scored and both teams have scored in six of them and also in Inter’s last three matches, both teams have also scored and at 20/23 with BoyleSports, I like that market a lot here.

Inter have been very disappointing in their domestic season but will be amongst many punters’ Europa League accumulators for this one at BoyleSports’ 4/7. I can’t see anything other than a home win and a very convincing one at that, but instead of taking the short-price on any single bets, I much prefer the more working man price of 7/5 about the Italians winning at both half-time and full-time.

Celtic kept Serie A top goalscorer Mauro Icardi quiet in the first leg but at the San Siro it’s going to be a much more difficult prospect and the Argentinian international looks a great bet at 10/3 to score the opener in this one after he netted a beauty against Cagliari at the weekend.

Seeley’s Selections:
Both Teams To Score – Yes @ 20/23
Inter Milan-Inter Milan (Half-Time/Full-Time) @ 7/5
Mauro Icardi First Goalscorer @ 10/3

Everton v Young Boys, Thursday 8.05pm, Live on Setanta Sports 1 & ITV
The final game of a bumper night of Europa League action is the clash between Everton and Young Boys at Goodison Park kick-off 8.05pm, live on ITV. Last week I got some stick from you lot for picking Young Boys to beat Everton in Switzerland and they were blown away with a 4-1 demolition from Roberto Martinez side, but you know what I don’t expect the swiss to roll over in this one like last week and I fancy a shock result.

This tie is pretty much over as a contest and Martinez men are heavy odds on to make it through to the last 16 and his team selection will be picked with that in mind and with a massive weekend clash with Arsenal at the Emirates.

This will not be the first time that Martinez has rested key players in this competition, he rested his entire first XI earlier in the tournament against Krasnodar and takers of the 7/10 with BoyleSports should do so with great caution.

In the Krasnodar match it back-fired on Martinez with his side going down 1-0 and this Young Boys side, despite last weeks performance are a much better team than the Russians. I can’t bring myself to back the visitors at the stand-out 9/2 with BoyleSports, but I do like the 23/20 on the Young Boys-draw double chance market, which pays us out on a shock away win and a more than likely draw.

The goals theme looks also set to continue in this one with both teams to score another bet I like, yet again at BoyleSports’ 5/6.

Eight of the last 10 Young Boys games have seen both teams scoring and with 17 goals featured in their last three matches you can see why I’m confident again in this one.

Young Boys showed great character to bounce back from last weeks battering to beat Swiss league leaders Basel 4-2 at the weekend Swedish international striker Alexander Gerndt netted a brace in that superb win and at 16/5 to score at anytime in Merseyside, I’m liking that as well.

Seeley’s Selections:
Young Boys-Draw (Double Chance) @ 23/20
Both Teams To Score – Yes @ 5/6
Alexander Gerndt Anytime Goalscorer @ 16/5

B Lucky!