Venues All Important for Sky Blues and Bulls

Spanish Primera Division sides have won eight of the last 13 editions of the UEFA Europa League and, while Celta may come up short in this season’s renewal, it should post a home win over Krasnodar as the last 16 kicks off on Thursday.

Celta, especially away from home, is a second-grade Spanish Primera Division team. Celta is 1-0-7 in its eight Spanish Primera Division road games against sides above it on the ladder, its latest away defeat occurring on Saturday when Barcelona defeated the Sky Blues 5-0 at Camp Nou. Celta had beaten Barcelona 4-3 in October’s reverse Spanish Primera Division and, while the Sky Blues are an inconsistent bunch, they should be shorter than the odds of 1.67Bet €100 to win €16767/100Bet £100 to win £167-149Bet $100 to win $1670.67Bet HK$100 to win HK$167-1.49Bet Rp100 to win Rp1670.6700Bet RM100 to win RM167  that several bookmakers, including SkyBet, Bet365 and Paddy Power, are quoting about them getting the better of Krasnodar in Spain.

Krasnodar’s Russian Premier League away form is worse than Celta’s equivalent in the Spanish Primera Division and the Bulls will line up in Spain without two suspended players, Charles Kabore and Vitali Kaleshin. Krasnodar is fourth on the Russian Premier League ladder but the Bulls are 0-5-2 on their travels in what is a weaker division than the Spanish one. Krasnodar has had six UEFA Europa League road matches and its toughest assignments have resulted in a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce, a 1-2 loss at Nice and a 0-2 reverse at Schalke.

One is going to focus on intranational UEFA Europa League games for the remainder of this week’s preview, starting with Thursday’s match between Gent and Genk in Belgium.

The Belgian First Division A is 29 rounds old and both Gent and Genk are skewing under two and a half goals in their respective games. A league-leading 18 of Gent’s 29 Belgian First Division A matches have gone under two and a half goals, including seven of its 14 home games. Fifteen of Genk’s 29 Belgian First Division matches have gone under two and a half goals, including eight of its 14 away games. Gent and Genk have met twice in the Belgian First Division A this season, with Gent winning its home match 1-0 and Genk taking out the game that it hosted 2-0. Indeed, six of the last seven meetings between Gent and Genk have rewarded punters who wagered on under two and a half goals being scored. Marathonbet stand out with odds of 1.80Bet €100 to win €1804/5Bet £100 to win £180-125Bet $100 to win $1800.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$180-1.25Bet Rp100 to win Rp1800.8000Bet RM100 to win RM180  about another low-scoring affair.

According to one’s Belgian First Division A collateral form analysis, seventh-placed Gent enjoys a 10-1-4 advantage over eighth-placed Genk but the direct head to head favours the latter so one is reluctant to select the former at odds on.

Finally, one is going to discuss Thursday’s UEFA Europa League match between Schalke and Monchengladbach in Germany.

Over two and a half goals is available at odds of 2.00Bet €100 to win €2001/1Bet £100 to win £200+100Bet $100 to win $2001.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$2001.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2001.0000Bet RM100 to win RM200  with many bookmakers, including Bet365 and BetVictor, and this term’s German Bundesliga clashes between Schalke and Monchengladbach have been high scoring, including one last weekend. Monchengladbach beat Schalke 4-2 on Saturday and October’s reverse German Bundesliga fixture ended 4-0 to Schalke – both games ended with full complements of players.

German Bundesliga seasonal statistics do not suggest that bookmakers are spoiling punters with their odds of 2.00Bet €100 to win €2001/1Bet £100 to win £200+100Bet $100 to win $2001.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$2001.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2001.0000Bet RM100 to win RM200  about Schalke and Monchengladbach combining for over two and a half goals but the head-to-head data is strong – the sides have locked horns five times in various tournaments over the last two terms and those matches have featured two goals, three goals, four goals, four goals and six goals.

Tips Summary

Celta Vigo to beat Krasnodar
Thursday 9th March, 20:05 GMT
Odds: 1.67Bet €100 to win €16767/100Bet £100 to win £167-149Bet $100 to win $1670.67Bet HK$100 to win HK$167-1.49Bet Rp100 to win Rp1670.6700Bet RM100 to win RM167

Gent v Genk – Under 2.5 Goals
Thursday 9th March, 20:05 GMT
Odds: 1.80Bet €100 to win €1804/5Bet £100 to win £180-125Bet $100 to win $1800.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$180-1.25Bet Rp100 to win Rp1800.8000Bet RM100 to win RM180

Schalke v Monchengladbach – Over 2.5 Goals
Thursday 9th March, 20:05 GMT
Odds: 2.00Bet €100 to win €2001/1Bet £100 to win £200+100Bet $100 to win $2001.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$2001.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2001.0000Bet RM100 to win RM200