Seeley’s Selections – Thursday’s Europa League

The three remaining British teams in the Europa League are all in action on Thursday night and there’s plenty of value in the markets.

VfL Wolfsburg v Everton (Kick-off 6.00pm TV 3 & ITV4)
Everton make the very tough trip to Germany on Thursday night to take on Wolfsburg in the Europa League. The Germans are currently lying in second place in the Bundesliga after a fantastic run of eight successive wins and this will be a proper test for the Premier League side.

At home, Wolfsburg are unbeaten in all competitions this season and many will will consider the 4/5 available with Boylesports for the home side as bankers in this one. A lot of Boylesports punters have already got well stuck into the Germans who opened up a lot bigger for this match but at current prices not for me.

Before you all go steaming in at the odds-on quotes, remember the two did meet at Goodison Park in September and Roberto Martinez’ men thumped them 4-1 a score-line which flattered the visitors, but this Everton side does have a few key injuries this time around.

This promises to be a good one as Everton also arrive here in some excellent form. Martinez’ side are unbeaten in 10 and at 31/10 with Boylesports, they will attract support as well, especially after Manchester City’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday. In Everton’s recent good run, five of their matches have ended in draws and that’s where I’m heading in this one.

All of their away matches in this competition have ended in stalemates and at 11/4 with Boylesports that has to be backed again, especially when a draw should see both teams qualify to the knock-out stages providing Lille fail to win in Krasnodar.

I can see this being a very cagey affair and there is no need for either side to go all out attack a 1-1 draw would be my idea of a likely score-line at Boylesports’ 6/1. Former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner is a 5/1 chance to open the scoring with Boylesports but the Danish international striker isn’t expected to start. Dutch under-21 international Bas Dost is the man most likely to lead the Wolfsburg attack and is the man to be on in the first goalscorer markets at 9/2.

Seeley’s Selections:
1-1 Draw @ 6/1
Bas Dost First Goalscorer @ 9/2

Celtic v Red Bull Salzburg (Kick-off 8.05pm Setanta Ireland & BT Sport 1)
Celtic host Red Bull Salzburg at Parkhead in what promises to be a Europa League classic on Thursday night.

The two clashed in September in a 2-2 thriller in Austria and goals will certainly be on the menu again in this one. There is no higher scoring team in Europe than Salzburg – they’ve banged in 28 goals in their last 10 matches and they also concede a few as well with those matches averaging 4.3 goals per game.

For all your betting in this on, you have to concentrate on the goal markets. Over 2.5 goals in the game is banker material at Boylesports’ 40/85 but over 3.5 goals is the better way to go at a very generous looking 23/20 and honestly don’t rule out the over 4.5 in the match at 13/5 with Boylesports.

It’s virtually impossible to see Salzburg not scoring and even more harder to see them not conceding, both teams have scored in 11 of their last 12 matches and at 2/5 with Boylesports, it may be short but you’ve got to get involved for your midweek accumulators.

Celtic are also in good goalscoring form and in their four Europa League matches this season, “Both Teams have Scored” in three of them. The Bhoys come into this game in their best form of the season and many will be tempted by the 8/5 on offer with Boylesports for a home victory in this one. They’ve won seven of their last eight matches and now are back on the top of the SPL but this is a very difficult one to call in terms of a winner.

Salzburg are 6/4 to win here with Boylesports and you can also make a case for the Austrians; they have only lost once in their last 10 matches, so this really is a very, very tough one to call. In a game which promises lots of goals, it is well worth a couple of quid on some massive correct score options. I’m having a speculative £1 on a 3-3 draw which in really could happen and at 25/1 is well worth a small play.

Seeley’s Selections:
Both Teams to Score @ 2/5
Celtic 3-3 Red Bull Salzburg @ 25/1

Tottenham Hotspur v Partizan Belgrade (Kick-off 8.05pm ITV 4)
Tottenham are the shortest price on the Europa League coupons this midweek and it’s impossible to look past them at 1/4 with Boylesports for the home clash with Partizan Belgrade.

Tottenham save their best form of this season for this competition and the best way to get financially involved in this one is to back Mauricio Pochettino’s side -1 goal on the Boylesports handicap at 8/11.

Spurs’ last Europa League home match ended in a 5-1 win but in their away trip to Serbia, it ended in a 0-0 draw. However, at The Lane goals are usually assured.
Both teams have scored in all but one European game this season in North London and in a game where the visitors have to win, that looks tempting at Boylesports’ 21/20.
If the short price odds don’t interest you, then stick a small wager on a home 3-1 win at a tasty 9/1.

Seeley’s Selections:
Tottenham -1 @ 8/11
Tottenham to win 3-1 @ 9/1

B Lucky!