19th Sep 2013 | Football
Europa league Tips: Zulte Waregem v Wigan
Prices don’t reflect the fact a team who just missed out on the Champions League are hosting a struggling Championship side.
Wigan embark on their European fairy tale in Belgium but the FA Cup winners could find life difficult.
Zulte-Waregem won’t be a familiar name to many British punters but they finished second in Belgium’s top division last season, ahead of the likes of Anderlecht and Club Brugge.
This evening we have a team that finished second in the Pro League versus a team that finished 18th in the Premier League. That is a significant gulf in class even accounting for the difference in quality between the leagues.
Zulte-Waregem’s team is packed full of talented young Belgians, with Thorgan Hazard their star player with five goals already this season. Wigan on the other hand are struggling to adapt to life in the Championship.
The Latics are adjusting to a new manager whilst three of their best players, Antolín Alcaraz, Arouna Kone and James McCarthy have followed Roberto Martinez to Everton.
The bare facts are we have a Championship side taking on a team that just missed out on the Champions League. Throw in home advantage and Zulte-Waregem should be odds-on not 13/10 (Bet365).
Odds correct at time of publishing: 10:47 19th Sep, 2013 but subject to change
