Europa League Final: Winner Tip

It should be a compelling final in Bucharest but the better team, and the one with key experience is Atletico Madrid. I’m happy to side with Diego Simeone’s side at a best price of 6/4 with Boylesports. They have won 16 of their 18 European matches this season and lifted this trophy as recently as 2010.

Current Madrid players Luis Perea, Alvaro Dominguez, Antonio Lopez, Paulo Assuncao and Eduardo Salvio all played in that victorious side but it’s another man who could make all the difference on Wednesday.

This time last year Radamel Falcao won the Europa League with Porto, scoring 18 goals (including qualifers) in that campaign. That was an all-time single season record for European competitions and the Colombian can now become the first player to win this trophy in successive years with two different clubs. He has 10 more goals in this tournament for his new club.

If that wasn’t enough, his fellow-striker Adrian has 11 goals in the Europa League in 2011-12 including strikes in each of the last three outings.

Madrid come into the final off a seven match unbeaten run and may simply have too much firepower for a plucky Bilbao side. Marcelo Bielsa’s underdogs have had some wonderful moments, most notably beating Manchester United, but they may just run out of steam here. They have also reached the final of the Copa del Ray and the fixture burden is immense on a club of that size.

I can’t see either team keeping a clean sheet, but Atletico may just edge what hopefully will be a bit of a thriller.