Football betting tips: Europa Conference League
1pt Daniel Munoz to be carded at 12/5 (Coral)
1pt Marlon Gomes to be carded at 4/1 (bet365)
0.5pt Munoz and Gomes card double at 14/1 (bet365)
Crystal Palace are evens to beat Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa Conference semi-final first leg.
The Eagles are 4/9 to qualify and generally 11/10 to win the competition making Oliver Glasner’s side the favourites, opponents Shakhtar are 5/1 outsiders.
Palace come into this game three without a win but that doesn’t really tell the full story.
They lost 3-1 at Anfield, a scoreline that flattered Liverpool, drew 0-0 with West Ham and lost 2-1 at Fiorentina in the game before - Palace were 3-0 up on aggregate when they went to Italy for their quarter-final second leg so that defeat in the last round of this competition should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Heading into that game, the Eagles had only lost two of their previous 13 matches. They squandered a two-goal lead at home to Burnley and losing 2-1 at Old Trafford with 10 men.
Barring those exceptions, they’ve been consistently good since the beginning of February.
In this competition, Glasner’s side made an inconsistent start winning two and losing two of their opening four games. They lost at home to AEK Larnaca in their second group match, the visitors went off at 18/1, and lost in Strasbourg at odds-on quotes.
In the eight European games since, Palace have won four (D3 L1). Sure, they are getting the job done but I am not sure their performances on the continent justify their price as favourites. Maybe it’s the Premier League’s reputation preceding them.
Thursday’s opponents have won their last three games and are unbeaten across their last seven (W5). In fact, they have only lost one of their last 23 games in all competitions (W17) and that was in the second leg of this competition where they had a two-goal advantage.
At home (Shakhtar play their home games in Poland in the Conference League), Shakhtar have only lost three games all season and they have won as many games as Palace in this competition (6).
It’s almost enough to get the hosts onside, cards look the better way in though.
Felix Zwayer is the referee and he’s averaged 4.47 cards per game across 32 appearances in all competitions.
In his native Bundesliga, he’s dished out 74Y 2R in 16 appearances, in the Champions League he’s averaged 4.40 cards a game and it’s exactly six a game in the Europa League.
Zwayer’s yet to take charge of a game in this competition this season but in three matches across the previous three seasons he has dished out exactly six cards in each game.
At 12/5, DANIEL MUNOZ’s price TO BE CARDED appeals.
He has picked up seven yellows in 24 Premier League appearances and will have his work cut out as he marshals the hosts' Brazilian attack.
MARLON GOMES is the standout price in the same market for Shakhtar at 4/1, some firms have him TO BE CARDED as short as 11/10.
He has two cards in five appearances in this competition and four domestically.
I’ll also be touting the pair in a CARD DOUBLE.
Odds correct at 12:45 BST (28/04/26)
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