Sports Blog 14/04/2016: UEFA Europa League Quarter Final 2nd Leg Preview – Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund, Wednesday 13th April 2016

With the precarious advantage of an away goal following a 1-1 draw in Germany, can Jurgen Klopp overcome his old club when Liverpool host Borussia Dortmund at 8.05pm on BT Sport Europe?

Last Thursday’s 1st leg could have been even better for Liverpool, Divock Orgi’s 36th minute opener giving them the lead at the Signal Iduna Park. Yet that was cancelled out early in the second half, a header from defender Mat Hummels pulling the hosts level. Still, it was a far better performance than Tottenham managed when they visited Dortmund, a game Spurs lost 3-0 on their way to a 5-1 exit from the last 16, and leaves Liverpool with less to do than their German opponents come Thursday evening.



The Reds followed that draw up with an impressive performance against Stoke, a 4-1 victory complete with goals from Alberto Moreno, Daniel Sturridge (heading in the 2nd leg at a Super Mega PGM of 23-28) and a brace from Divock Origi (at 21-25). Whilst that still leaves Liverpool in 8th place, their 1 or 2 games in hand over those sides above them means the Reds still have an outside shot at nabbing a spot in Europe next season.

Not that a home win over Stoke is the same as a Europa League quarter-final 2nd leg against the tournament favourites. A side of Dortmund’s quality can easily overturn Liverpool’s most meagre of advantages, and as they showed against Spurs when they get into the groove they look unbeatable. Their Bundesliga ambitions did take a slight knock at the weekend, a 2-2 draw against Schalke leaving a 7 point gap between them and league leaders Bayern Munich. Yet they still haven’t lost a game since before the winter break and with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in fine form (at a Super Mega PGM of 34-40) Dortmund will still fancy their chances when they travel to Anfield.

So too do our Spreadex traders, offering a Borussia Dortmund/Liverpool (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85.



Elsewhere in the competition Villarreal will be looking to protect their 2-1 advantage when they travel to the Czech Republic, Spreadex offering a Villarreal/Sparta Prague (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.3-0.5. The most successful club in Europa League history, meanwhile, have a nice away goal cushion against their domestic rivals, our traders fancying a Sevilla/Athletic Bilbao Goal Supremacy spread of 0.25-0.45 following the former’s 2-1 win in San Mames last week. Finally, and in the arguably weakest fixture of the round, Shakhtar Donetsk took a 2-1 lead home from Portugal, leading Spreadex to offer a Shakhtar Donetsk/Braga Goal Supremacy spread of 0.55-0.75.

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