Europa League betting marks a change in name and format for what was previously known as the UEFA Cup. The re-branding is an attempt to breathe life into what was becoming a very poor cousin to the Champions League, and much of the changes in format are an attempt to mirror the more successful counterpart. However, the format is still highly complex and the changes are guaranteed to improve its image, but Europa League betting still offers plenty of opportunity to bet on top quality soccer. Big Names Enter Europa League Playoff Stage
After three rounds of Europea League qualification the competition enters the playoff stage, the final hurdle for teams aiming for the all important Group Stages. At this stage some big names of European soccer enter the fray including Roma, PSV, Villarreal, Aston Villa, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Valencia and Benfica.
All in all there are 38 fixtures involving the winners of the 35 ties from the third round of qualification, plus 15 losing teams from the third round of Champions League qualification, domestic cup winners from assocaitions ranked 1-17, the third-placed league sides from the associations ranked 7 to 9, the fourth-placed team from the associations ranked 4 to 6 and the fifth-placed teams from the associations ranked 1 to 3.
2009/10 Europa League Betting. Competition Format:
First Qualifying Round (July 2-9)
Second Qualifying Round (July 16-23)
Third Qualifying Round (July 30-August 8)
Playoffs (August 20-27)
Group Stage (September 17-December 17)
Round of 32 (February 18-25)
Round of 16 (March 11-18)
Quarter-finals (April 1-8)
Semi-finals (April 22-29)
Final (Hamburg, Germany - May 12)
|
