Football betting tips: Europa League
1.5pts Ryan Gravenberch to have 2+ total shots at 11/10 (Sky Bet, bet365)
Liverpool are 10/3 favourites to win the Europa League, a competition they return to after a seven-season sabbatical during which time they have won the Premier League and Champions League.
On Thursday, they head to the Austrian capital to face LASK Linz, a side who are 500/1 to win the continent's second tier competition.
Unsurprisingly, the Reds are heavy odds on to win this fixture, despite playing away from home and being expected to field a completely different XI to the one that came from behind to beat Wolves 3-1 at the weekend.
What are the best bets?
RYAN GRAVENBERCH should be handed his full debut alongside Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliot in the middle of the park - the Dutchman operating on the left side of the trio.
The box-to-box midfielder is not renowned for his attacking exploits but, in a lopsided fixture, his price to have 2+ SHOTS provides appeals here.
Gravenberch is considerably longer than Elliot and Endo in this market, despite being expected to play a more advanced role than the latter.
The former Bayern Munich and Ajax man is seasoned on the continent, making 26 appearances. He has only scored once but averaged 0.94 shots per 90.
BuildABet @ 35/1
- Ryan Gravenberch 3+ shots
- Luis Diaz to score anytime
- Branko Jovicic to be shown a card
Luis Diaz’s career at Liverpool has been blighted by injury.
Despite the stop-start nature of his time at Anfield, the winger has still had a hand in 19 goals across 52 appearances, that is a G+A per 90 average of 0.35.
His record in the Champions League and Europa League suggests he thrives on Europe's biggest stage. He has scored 14 goals in 58 starts for the Reds and Porto.
Score prediction: LASK Linz 1-3 Liverpool (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)
Team News
The hosts have four absentees - Tobias Anselm, Yannis Letard, Adil Taoui and Lenny Pintor are all unavailable.
Jurgen Klopp is expected to ring the changes for Liverpool on Thursday evening.
Captain Virgil van Dijk is back available following his two-game suspension and should start in the heart of the Reds defence.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is still nursing a hamstring issue and is unlikely to be risked here so Joe Gomez may fill in at right back.
Predicted line-ups
LASK Linz: Lawal; Luckeneder, Ziereis, Andrade; Flecker, Jovicic, Horvath, Bello; Ljubicic, Zulj, Havel
Liverpool: Kelleher; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch; Doak, Jota, Diaz
Match facts
- This will be LASK Linz 'fifth meeting with an English club. In the 2019/20 Europa League campaign they lost both last 16 legs with Manchester United and drew one game and lost the other in the group stage with Tottenham in 2020/21.
- Liverpool have only lost one of their eight previous matches with Austrian opposition, the Reds have won six and lost the other game.
- The last time Liverpool were in the Europa League they reached the final (2015/16).
- LASK have only lost one of their last 16 matches in all European competitions (W11 D4). At home the Austrian side are unbeaten in eight in Europe.
Odds correct at 1140 BST (20/09/23)
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