Europa League Semi Final Tips & Predictions
We're so close to the 2024 Europa League final and with that in mind, there are a small number of teams who have the trophy in their sights but are three games away from glory against tough competition. Each team has gone through a lot to get to this point and whoever goes on to win the competition will do so on merit. As it stands, two teams can win the treble by winning the Europa League, they are Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen - the two teams could face off in the final which could make the final of this years competition one of the biggest in history, especially if Leverkusen can go into the game unbeaten in all competitions.
Europa League 1st Leg Bet Builders
The Europa League semi-finals are rapidly approaching and all four remaining sides will be hoping to give themselves a crucial first-leg advantage in the hopes of reaching the final in Dublin.
A duo of tantalising ties are in store on Thursday, with Daniele De Rossi’s Roma hosting Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen - who are still unbeaten in all competitions - while Liverpool’s conquerors Atalanta travel to the Stade Velodrome to face Marseille.
We have a bet builder for each of the first legs below.
Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen
- Draw
- Both Teams to Score
- Florian Wirtz to score anytime
Place bet at @ 13/1
Bayer Leverkusen clinched their first ever Bundesliga title in emphatic fashion in a 5-0 thumping of Werder Bremen in mid-April and could be on course to combine their league triumph with a European trophy, while they might yet win a treble as they are also in the final of the DFB Pokal.
Xabi Alonso’s men are looking to reach their first European final since 2002 but face a tricky final hurdle in the form of Roma, who were runners-up in this competition last season.
The Giallorossi overcame fellow Serie A rivals AC Milan in the quarter-finals, while they have won five of their last six games at the Stadio Olimpico. That run includes impressive victories over Brighton and the Rossoneri in the Europa League as well as Lazio in the league derby.
However they were beaten 3-1 by Bologna in their most recent home fixture and that setback could impact their chances of becoming the first side this season to defeat the German champions.
Bayer’s success, though, may have taken its toll as they have drawn each of their last three games since clinching the title, which includes a 1-1 stalemate in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final at West Ham.
Having needed last-gasp equalisers to salvage something in each of those draws, Bayer are finding ways not to lose and another draw is well worth considering in Rome. With each of the pair’s last three games seeing both sides find the net, a similar story could also play out on Thursday.
One man that could be an option in the goalscorer market is Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. The 20-year-old has 36 goal contributions in all competitions this season, which includes scoring three times in the Europa League so far, and he will likely be one of the main attacking threats for the visitors once again on Thursday.
Marseille vs Atalanta
- Over 2.5 Goals
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score anytime
Place Bet @ 37/20
Both Marseille and Atalanta are in impressive goalscoring form and so an entertaining, goal-laden encounter could be in store when the two sides meet in France.
Jean-Louis Gasset’s Marseille side are unbeaten in four games across all competitions and each of the last three fixtures have seen winners in the “over 2.5 goals” market, with the Olympians netting exactly two in each.
Their opponents on Thursday in the first leg have also looked strong going forward, scoring eight goals in their last three games, while there have been at least three goals in five of their last seven games, a run which includes their emphatic 3-0 win at Liverpool in the last round.
With two potent sides in action, plenty of chances are expected at the Stade Velodrome and Marseille striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be one to benefit, having shown his liking for this competition across his whole career.
No man has scored more goals in the Europa League than the 34-year-old in the history of the tournament (34), while he is also the leading goalscorer in this year’s edition with 10 and he looks a strong play to score at anytime.
What will the 2024 Europa League Semi-Finals look like?
We are still at the quarter-final stage of the competition at the time of writing. However, we know the draw for the rest of the competition at this stage with side one featuring Liverpool, Atalanta, Benfica and Marseille and side two featuring AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United and last years finalists Roma.
That means that the semi-finals will look something like this:
- Liverpool/Atalanta Vs Benfica/Marseille
- AC Milan/Roma Vs Bayer Leverkusen/West Ham
Instantly, eyes go to the potential clash of AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen but both sides face tough competition in the quarter-finals, so it is possible that we don't see that fixture.
If the favourites were to progress from each game, the semi-finals would be
- Liverpool Vs Marseille
- AC Milan Vs Bayer Leverkusen
Of course, football betting odds, can be deceiving with a lot of favourites dropping out at every stage of the competition. For example, in the first knockout round of this years competition, 3/8 fixtures were won by the underdogs as Qarabag, Freiburg and Sparta Prague all overcome the odds to be victorious.
