With Sevilla out of the race, Barcelona became the betting online favorite to win the UEFA Europa League title. Los Azulgranas are currently offering a +155 price. Keep in mind that Spanish teams have owned the UEL titles, as in seven of the last 10.
We don’t doubt they deserve to be the favorites. However, getting to Seville, where the Grand Finale will be played, isn’t easy. In the playoffs, Borussia Dortmund didn’t take Rangers seriously and paid for it dearly. So, don’t rule out some surprises in the Round of 8.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Europa League odds for UEFA Round 8. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Frankfurt vs Barcelona
At first, we all made fun of Barcelona for being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League. There’s no doubt it was the best thing that could have happened to them. Playing with a little less pressure has helped them rebuild a very competitive squad. Even to humiliate Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.
Regarding the UEL, los Azulgranas eliminated Napoli and Galatasaray to get here. Curiously, both series started with a draw at Camp Nou. Then, the Spanish side won, 4-2, in Italy, then, 2-1, in Turkey. Signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was brilliant. as he’s scored in five of Barcelona’s last seven games, including both second legs.
Frankfurt comes next. The German side won Group D with a 3-3-0 record. Then, they faced another Spanish team, Real Betis, in the Round of 16, and finished winning the series, 3-2. Watch out, because they won the game in Spain.
This time, the first leg will be in Frankfurt, meaning a draw isn’t a bad result for Barcelona. Even so, Los Azulgranas dominate the soccer odds thanks to a -120 price, -550 when it comes to qualifying.
West Ham vs Lyon
West Ham is having their best season in the last two decades. Besides remaining in the UEL race, the Hammers are also fighting for an English Premier League top-four finish. Lyon isn’t playing well domestically, sitting tenth in Ligue 1.
That’s one of the reasons the Hammers come in as the online gambling favorites to advance at -125. However, we have no doubt that Lyon (-105) will put up a good fight. After all, winning the UEL is all they’ve left.
Plus, Lyon won Group A with a 5-1-0 record, surprising Porto in the Round of 16. West Ham did something similar, winning Group H with a 4-1-1 record and eliminating Sevilla in the previous round. In other words, expect quite a match.
Braga vs Rangers
We wouldn’t blame you if you aren’t familiar with these two, but trust us, that unfamiliarity won’t last.
Braga is the current Portuguese Cup champion. In the playoffs, they eliminated Sheriff, the team who defeated Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu during the UEFA Champions League Groups. Most recently, they eliminated AS Monaco, who had crushed PSG, 3-0, in Ligue 1.
Rangers is the Scottish Premier League champion. In the playoffs, they pulled off a stunner in taking out Borussia Dortmund. They eliminated the Red Star as well. We’re talking about a very explosive team; scoring six goals against Dortmund and four against the Red Star.
The Scottish side comes in as the favorite to advance at -190, but the first leg is in Portugal. Braga must go all-in.
RB Leipzig vs Atalanta
This is the most even series in the Round of 8. RB Leipzig is offering a +325 price to win the title, second-lowest behind Barcelona. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an underdog to include in your soccer picks, Atalanta could be the answer. They’ve finished in the Italian Serie A top five over the last five seasons and are offering a +600 price.
Both are hereafter elimination from the UEFA Champions League. In the UEL playoffs, Atalanta eliminated Olympiacos, while Leipzig vanquished Real Sociedad. More recently, the Italian side eliminated another team from the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen. Leipzig was supposed to face Spartak Moscow, but the match was canceled due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The first leg will be in Germany. Leipzig is offering a +105 price, while the draw is +265. We point this out because we expect Atalanta to play on the counterattack.
