Europa League: Bayer Beware the Belgians

Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Saint-Gilloise

Europa League action comes to the BayArena on Thursday with an intriguing clash between the Bundesliga’s Bayer Leverkusen and Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise. 

It’s no surprise that the Europa League 2023 betting odds make Leverkusen hot favourites to get through to the semi-finals at a price of 1.39 while Union Saint-Gilloise are set at 2.88 to upset the odds. In terms of a trophy win the Bundesliga side are at SBOTOP odds of 8.60 to emerge as champions while Union are rank outsiders at 23.00. 

Bayer made it through to the last eight of the competition thanks to a comfortable 4-0 aggregate win over Ferencvarosi while USG stunned Bundesliga side Union Berlin 6-3. And this weekend Die Werkself beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 to climb into the German top flight top six, while USG come into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw away to Gent.  

Talking Points

Young Leverkusen stars on the charge

Since his appointment as head coach of Die Werkself in October, Xabi Alonso has been given the time to mould his team and recent signs are that he has made a lot of progress, the victory over Eintracht displacing the Eagles in the Bundesliga top six. Bayer finished third last term and they are back in with a chance of making the top four this season, which would be some achievement, with a relatively young set of players.

They may be short on experience but Die Werkself’s stars have already attracted attention from a host of top European clubs. 19-year-old attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz burst onto the scene last term and he is performing consistently well again, making two assists against Eintracht, while 23-year-old France winger Moussa Diaby is hitting his best form in his fourth season at the club. And the latest star to hit the headlines is flying right back Jeremie Frimpong who, at 20 years of age, has pace to burn and fantastic ball control, skills that scouts at Manchester United have noted.

With total respect for these two teams, this tie is arguably on the softer side of the draw, with Manchester United, Sevilla and Juventus on the other side, and Leverkusen will be determined to take advantage. 

USG have lost the element of surprise

The Belgian club’s 6-3 aggregate victory over the Bundesliga title chasers Union Berlin was the most spectacular of this season’s Europa League 2023 results so far, both in terms of shock value and in entertainment. But the surprise element was more to do with the relative profiles of the Bundesliga and the Belgian League, and the recent resurgence of USG.      

Head coach Karel Geraerts is overseeing an exciting time at the club, promoted to the Belgian top flight only two years ago, then qualifying for the Champions League and set to qualify for Europe’s flagship competition again next term.

Led by 29-year-old midfield ace Teddy Teuma, with combative Ivory Coast midfielder Jean Thierry Lazare alongside him, USG will try to stop the supply to Die Werkself’s flair players. And when they win possession they will attempt to reach 22-year-old Nigerian striker Victor Boniface quickly. At 6ft 4in, he is a real handful, strong in the air and with five goals in this competition, he is a real threat.

History

These two teams come from different worlds but they both have fierce ambition in their domestic leagues and in Europe. Bayer Leverkusen are five times Bundesliga runners up, UEFA Cup winners in 1988 and Champions League runners up in 2002.

USG have been champions of Belgium 11 times, but not since the Second World War and the resurgence has come since the takeover of the club by Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom.    

These teams have never encountered each other before but in terms of recent form, they are both on song. Bayer are unbeaten in eight and with a four match winning streak at home while USG are unbeaten in seven and are certainly no pushover, riding high in second place in the Belgian Ligue 1.   

Betting Tip

At odds of 1.53 to win the hosts should head to Belgium with a lead but they will take nothing for granted. After their convincing victory over Union Berlin the visitors will be confident at a price of 4.74 to win of 3.88 to draw, with the Double Chance USG or Draw at 2.24.  

A correct score line of 2-0 is priced at 6.76 while a 2-1 result is a little shorter at 6.37, and that would leave the tie beautifully balanced.  

 

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