Sports Blog 16/03/2016: Match Preview – UEFA Europa League Last 16 2nd Legs, Thursday 17th March 2016

With only one English team left in the Champions League, and the Premier League’s co-efficient under-attack, can Tottenham, Liverpool or Manchester United reach the Europa League quarter-finals this Thursday?

Of course, only one of Liverpool or Manchester United can progress to the next round, the former arriving at Old Trafford with a 2-0 advantage this evening at 8.05pm on BT Sport Europe. Liverpool currently find themselves in their best form all season, winning 5 of their last 7, their only misstep, admittedly a biggie, being their League Cup loss to Man City. Yet despite their impressive form, and 2-0 1st leg lead, Liverpool won’t want to jeopardise their only chance of silverware this season. Daniel Sturridge, scorer of the opening goal at Anfield, is at a Super Mega PGM of 29-35, whilst Roberto Firmino, who nabbed the 2nd and will be looking to score in his 4th consecutive match, is at 17-21.



If Liverpool are on the up and up Manchester United remain stuck in a Louis van Gaal-inspired purgatory, taking 2 steps back for every 1 they manage forwards. Solid wins against Arsenal and Watford, the former especially an ostensible chance to see United’s season turnaround, were instead followed by a limp loss to West Brom and a passionless performance against Liverpool in Europe. They also remain without Wayne Rooney, and whilst Marcus Rashford (the hero against both Midtjylland and Arsenal, and at a Super Mega PGM of 20-24) and Antony Martial (at 21-25) are more than able replacements, United failed to create a single chance at Anfield last week.

Yet our Spreadex traders still fancy the home side to eke out a win on Thursday evening, offering a Manchester United/Liverpool Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2 with a Total Goals spread of 2.4-2.6; whether that is enough to see United reach the next round, however, is a different matter entirely.

Like United Tottenham face a tough task when they host Borussia Dortmund at 8.05pm on BT Sport 1. Despite pushing for their first ever Premier League title Spurs were blown away by their German counterparts last week, Dortmund walking into the 2nd leg at White Hart Lane with a tasty 3 goal lead. Granted, Spurs bounced back quickly against Aston Villa last week, a brace from Harry Kane (who heads into Thursday night with a Super Mega PGM of 27-32) seeing the English forward draw level with Jamie Vardy on 19 Premier League goals apiece. Just image how many he would have scored if it hadn’t been for his 6 game drought at the start of the season!



Yet Dortmund, favourite to win the Europa League at an Outright Index spread of 37-39, utterly outclassed Tottenham in the 1st leg, the opener from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (who has a Super Mega PGM of 39-45) and a brace from Marco Reus (who nabbed another goal at the weekend and has a Super Mega PGM of 27-32) leaving their totals at 30 and 18 goals respectively. A comfortable win against Mainz on Sunday now sees Dortmund 5 points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, whilst they will face Hertha Berlin in a DFB-Pokal semi-final towards the end of April.

As far as our Spreadex traders are concerned the German giant will likely have a Europa League quarter-final to look forward to as well, offering a Borussia Dortmund/Tottenham (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.35-0.55 with a Total Goals spread of 2.7-2.9

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