Europa League Hidden Diamonds

The mainstream English media often deride the Europa League and it’s hard not to see it as a ‘second-class’ competition compared to the Champions League but it can provide a rich and diverse footballing experience.

Thursday night viewers have been introduced to the likes of Zulte Waregem, Sheriff Tiraspol and Chornomorets Odesa, teams the casual observer might never have heard of.

The same applies to the footballers. The Europa League is an opportunity for the lesser lights to strut their stuff and when taking on the uninitiated bookmaker, money can be made.

Shots Per 90 Minutes (excluding qualifying rounds)

We have repeated the same exercise that led us to Gerard Delofeu’s goal scoring potential by focusing on players who take a high number of shots per 90min.

Jermain Defoe and Olcan Adin are the joint-leading scorers in the Europa League but there are several other players who can find the net sooner rather than later.

Michu has already shown his class in the Premier League so there is nothing new to add with him but the likes of Cheick Diabate, Thorgan Hazard and Soudani all have the potential to become regular goalscorers.

Bordeaux striker Cheick Diabate is already making waves in Ligue 1 with seven goals and although his appearances in Europe have been limited he carries a significant goal threat. Against Eintracht Frankfurt he mustered 6 attempts on goal, 5 of them coming from inside the box. A repeat performance should see him score against Maccabi Tel Aviv at 11/4 (Bet365).

With 9 goals in the Belgium Pro League, Thorgan Hazard is outscoring older brother Eden, albeit at a lower level. The attacking midfielder is on loan from Chelsea so it shouldn’t be long before he makes an impact in the Premier League. The lesser known Hazard is 21/10 (Bet365) to find the net against Rubin Kazan.

Hilal El Arbi Soudani is perhaps the most obscure of the trio but the Dinamo Zagreb striker has 8 goals in 14 appearances this season and is a regular for his national side, scoring 9 goals in 17 matches for Algeria.

The 26-year-old is 3/1 (Bet365) to score anytime against Ludogorets Razgrad, evidence there are rich pickings for the intrepid punter willing to spend time studying the Europa League.