Once again, after Champions League qualification rounds come those in Europa League.
And once again, I do think that from a bettor’s point of view this is the easier tournament to be on, because the games are more predictable.
In a return match today, Teteks from Macedonia will meet the Latvian champion Ventspils. Unexpectedly the first game in Latvia ended 0:0.
What you need to know about Teteks? They are a team from Macedonia, and they qualify for the very first time in their history in European tournaments.
The team has been in a great shape since 2009 when they were in the 2nd Macedonia league, and were promoted in league 1 for year 2010. Winning the Macedonian cup gave them a chance to play in Europa League.
Ventspils has a rich history compared to their opponent. They have been in the European tournaments since 1999 and have been eliminated only twice in the first qualification rounds back in 2002 and 2005 against HJK 0:1 1:2 and against Linfield 1:2 1:0 (eliminated with goal away). Since then they have been able to pass at least one opponent in the qualification rounds.
Last five games for Ventspils in the tournaments weren’t so great, but the teams were quite hard as well:
Heerenveen 5-0 Ventspils
Ventspils 0-1 H Berlin
Sp Lisbon 1-1 Ventspils
Ventspils 1-2 Sp Lisbon
Ventspils 0-0 Heerenvee
Three losses and two draw games. Compared to these opponents Teteks should be an “easy” team as much as this is possible.
What to expect from this game?
Since the first game ended 0:0 I expect both teams to go for the early goal here. Teteks will try to do their best in front of the home crowd and try to advance in the next round. Meanwhile Ventspils will try to do the same, and the odds are in their favor, since they have tradition in such tournaments.
The Betting Verdict?
Backing Ventspils to win @ 2.28 (Betfair.com): As I said Teteks fist appearance in the Europa League was quite underestimated and they were able to tie the game at 0:0. However Ventspils have learned their lesson and will come strong tonight, determined to win this one and advance in the next stage. The odds seem a bit high, but the risk is moderate and the reward is worth it.
