Europa League Outright Tip

The Europa League returns next week and now is the perfect time to pick a winner, not least because it’s the first stage where we know all the sides involved!

The decision to include 3rd placed teams from the Champions League group stages is controversial and one of them, Atletico Madrid, have wound up as clear favourites at 7/2 with most firms.

They are indeed a formidable opponent for Europe’s second tier competition but they are opposable at that price. They won only 1 of their 6 Champions League games in autumn, drawing to minnows Qarabag twice.

Simeone’s defence is wonderful still, but they only rank T7 for goals scored in La Liga.

So who are our credible alternatives? The bookies make Arsenal 2nd favourites but they’ve won just 3 away games all season in the Premier League.

Borussia Dortmund are also fancied but as well as having had a poor Champions League campaign they face a tough task just to finish top four in the Bundesliga. 8th placed Monchengladbach are just 3 points back.

A better option are a side who are top of their domestic league and looking like a class act. Napoli lead Serie A after 7 straight league victories yet remain an enticing best price 11/1 with Skybet to achieve Europa glory.

This is big news in Italy because the Naples club haven’t won the title since Maradona’s famous days back in 1990. Nobody other than Juventus has won Serie A since 2011.

It will admittedly be tough to combine a title challenge and a European bid but this is what we have come to expect of top sides, and that is what Napoli undeniably now are.

If they can overcome a tricky last-32 tie with Leipzig then they can realistically hope for an easier opponent after that as there aren’t that many sides you can see beating Napoli in truth. But wait till then and the price will be gone.