Who will win the Europa League?

Unknown

	Braga	19:00	Liverpool
	PSV	19:00	Rangers
	Leverkusen	19:00	Villarreal
	CSKA Moskva	19:00	Porto
	Twente	21:05	Zenit
	Ajax	21:05	Spartak Moskva
	Dynamo Kyiv	21:05	Man. City
	Benfica	21:05	PSG

Lots of good teams in it this year. I can't see Man City winning it somehow and they represent poor value in a betting sense imo of course.

Man City 7/2 Porto 5/1 Liverpool 11/2 Zenit St Petersburg 8/1 Bayer Leverkusen 12/1 CSKA Moscow 12/1 Villarreal 12/1 Benfica 14/1 Ajax 20/1 PSV Eindhoven 20/1 Dynamo Kiev 22/1 Twente 25/1 PSG 25/1 Spartak Moscow 33/1 Rangers 40/1 Braga 50/1

FILIPSEBO

Rangers FTW!!!

SALT1R3

Don't want to sound like a spoil-sport but does anyone actually care who does tbh? Even the teams left at this stage won't be too concerned if they get knocked out or win it, the priority is always to get into the Champions' League for them. Even if a team like Liverpool won it this year; if they finish outside the top four (which it seems very likely they will), it will still be considered a poor season for them even though they won a major European trophy - it just isn't rated now...

Salad_Face

I care... A very much underrated tournament, but it can produce some great match ups rather the same old teams playing each other in the knockout stages of the champions league. The majority of teams play to full strength so to question whether they are bothered by it or not is redundant.

My punt would be on Benfica.

SALT1R3

In Response to Re: Who will win the Europa League?:

I care... A very much underrated tournament, but it can produce some great match ups rather the same old teams playing each other in the knockout stages of the champions league. The majority of teams play to full strength so to question whether they are bothered by it or not is redundant. My punt would be on Benfica.
Posted by Salad_Face

Yeah when I Benfica played Everton last year I though they were outstanding and a big tip to win, but it wasn't to be for them and Athletico played well in the end to win it all. I watch the matches, I just sense with them that the players & coaches hearts are'nt truely in it.

Out of those that are left, I'll go with Villareal.

FILIPSEBO

In Response to Re: Who will win the Europa League?:

Don't want to sound like a spoil-sport but does anyone actually care who does tbh? Even the teams left at this stage won't be too concerned if they get knocked out or win it, the priority is always to get into the Champions' League for them. Even if a team like Liverpool won it this year; if they finish outside the top four (which it seems very likely they will), it will still be considered a poor season for them even though they won a major European trophy - it just isn't rated now...
Posted by SALT1R3

Not all teams are blessed with a history of regularly winning European trophies. For teams from the smaller nations the Europa League is a massive thing. I never thought i'd see us play in a Euro final in my lifetime but i did in 2008 and even though we lost, what an experience it was.

Baldrik

Champions' League has made the Europa League into the Carling Cup of Europe unfortunately. As a Liverpool fan, I would obviously like us to win it, but I can't admit to being too bothered if we don't. UEFA Cup used to be harder to win than the European Cup some years because the up and coming teams were in it. Now it is disregarded by the bigger teams because its generally the also rans and the teams that aren't good enough for the CL (scandalous that they get parachuted in btw) who get into the competition. Being in the Europa League is a constant reminder of failure the season before.

The_Don90

Id like to thing Rangers but i dont think we have the strenth in depth.

I think people saying this is a diddy competition are wrong. Teams like Rangers, Dimamo Kiev, Braga, Benfica, CSKA, Zenit infact about 80% of teams there are very unlikley to have a deep run in the champions league without a stroke of luck.

Therefore to these teams is huge, Obv to Liverpool and Man City its diddy, but thats because those guys get £35M a year before theyve sold a pie or a ticket. In these other nations we have to grind to get good players and earn money.

No offence sky, but youve destroyed football.

SALT1R3

In Response to Re: Who will win the Europa League?:

Id like to thing Rangers but i dont think we have the strenth in depth. I think people saying this is a diddy competition are wrong. Teams like Rangers, Dimamo Kiev, Braga, Benfica, CSKA, Zenit infact about 80% of teams there are very unlikley to have a deep run in the champions league without a stroke of luck. Therefore to these teams is huge, Obv to Liverpool and Man City its diddy, but thats because those guys get £35M a year before theyve sold a pie or a ticket. In these other nations we have to grind to get good players and earn money. No offence sky, but youve destroyed football.
Posted by The_Don90

I think that statements a tad harsh mate, yes the huge influx of money sky put into football to start it all off has had a lot of negative effects over the years, but I'd say the standard of football has gone up immensely in part due to it and as a product today its far more appealing than what it was back in the 80's and before imo.