UEFA Europa League: Round of 16 - Leg 2

Summary

The UEFA Europa League playoffs are back with leg two of the round of sixteen.

One last step before the Quarter Finals draw, everyone is strapped in and ready to give it all for one last opportunity to remain in European competition for the season.

There are multiple matchups this Thursday that will be decided in leg two, and a few ties or one goal leads will need to be settled.

The first week of round sixteen matches provided us with tons of goals, drama, and insight.

Information for these teams and how to play going forward was gained, and the managers willing to study and use this information will be able to advance.

The game plan and depth of rosters will need to be considered in the lead up to this week’s games, and those who are still in a war of a tie will be looking to deploy their best players on this mission.

The finality of losing a European season may seem appealing to some, but all these teams are fighting for their spot in the next round.

Some of the big clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United have heard their fans’ opinions about possibly tanking this competition, as the CL next year is within grasp, domestically.

Stake.com is the best place to bet all your European matches this week, so take a look now!

Match Betting Previews

Arsenal versus Sporting FC - Thursday, March 16th (Agg. 2-2)

Arsenal are finally getting back on track, but did not do the best after their 2-2 draw at Sporting in Portugal last week.

The Gunners are looking for a great rebound at home in London and have all the facilities to carry out the task.

Busy with trying to win the Premier League, Arsenal have to devote effort to this competition as a trophy is just as important to manager Mikel Arteta.

Many might consider the UEL a sort of consolation, but in this squad’s mind, there is blood to be taken.

Bukayo Saka was a non-factor in the last matchup, and he needs to turn up to another level for this matchup versus a very hungry Sporting.

Defensively, Arsenal is prone to letting cheap goals go through and making mistakes on their back end.

Cleaning up and making sure that there is no worthy blunder will be imperative in this matchup and will go a long way into helping them secure the next round with less effort than needed.

Sporting FC is happy after retaining a 2-2 draw on their own grounds in Portugal, a game which could’ve even gone their way in the late stages.

Two good goals and a ton to improve on in this next leg, they will need to be even tougher as they head to the Emirates Stadium.

Paulinho and company have been on decent form as of late, and their European endeavours in the CL prove that they are a worthy opponent.

Betting Prediction - Arsenal to win this match and the over 2.5 on total goals scored.

Royale Union SG versus Union Berlin - Thursday, March 16th (Agg. 3-3)

Royale Union SG and Union Berlin had one of the best leg one ties you will ever see in the Europa League, last Thursday.

3-3 was the score at the final whistle, and Royale Union somehow created three opportunities from practically thin air.

There is going to be an even bigger effort needed this Thursday, albeit at home.

Union Berlin are one of the better teams in the world right now, and they will be hungry to prove themselves and clean this tie up away from home.

Look for the pace to speed up until someone scores a goal, where defence will matter the most.

Betting Prediction - Under 2.5 goals, Berlin to win.