The long Europa League phase is underway as 36 teams battle it out for 16 places available in the knockout stage and there has been plenty to talk about with highlights including 10-man Tottenham beating Qarabag 3-0.
Rangers got off to a winning start by claiming a 2-0 success in Sweden against Malmo, but there was more frustration for Manchester United as they were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Twente.
Tottenham played almost the whole game against Qarabag with 10 men following Radu Dragusin’s early red card and manager Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with the character they showed in winning 3-0.
However, they lived on their wits, never looking comfortable in defence against their Azerbaijani opponents and often switching off to make basic mistakes in possession in key areas.
They allowed Qarabag 14 attempts on goal, including a penalty and will have to learn their lessons as they would have surely been punished by stronger opponents and appear to represent poor value as competition favourites.
Tip – Avoid – Tottenham to Win League Stage @ 4.00 with 1XBet
One of the most eye-catching results of the week was Ajax’s 4-0 victory over Besiktas, who had gone to Amsterdam defending a run of five unbeaten matches but were not allowed a shot on target.
Ajax’s recent seasons have been a far cry from the dominance their fans expect in the Eredivisie, but they have got their act together in this competition, after battling their way through three qualification rounds.
Francesco Fariloi’s team will have to improve results on the road, but two of their away games are against Qarabag and Rigas, both of whom are 500/1 for outright glory, so they have put themselves in an excellent position to claim one of the eight automatic knockout places and can maybe build on that.
Tip – Ajax Top Eight Finish in League Stage @ 2.37 with 1XBet
Each Europa team now has to play eight rather than six games in an effort to try and qualify for the knockout stage and the early signs are that it could be a good thing from an entertainment perspective.
Ten points from six games were usually regarded as what was required to gain a top-two place in a four-team group but that could lead to away teams particularly looking to park the bus and take what they could.
Initial indications suggest teams are going to be more adventurous in their away games and feel they have more ‘free shots’ on the road.
Just three of the 18 away teams failed to score this week, including Qarabag, who missed a host of chances at Tottenham including a penalty, so expect plenty of goals.
Tip – Goal Overs in Matchday Two – Odds Yet to be Announced