Europa League Betting: Lille v Liverpool

Europa League / Richard Aikman / 10 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Richard Aikman fancies both teams to score - will Gerrard find the back of the net?

"Rudi Garcia’s men, as Ligue 1’s top goalscorers, will almost certainly find a way past Pepe Reina, while a rare attacking approach from Liverpool may well produce a goal flurry at the Lille Métropole."

Rudi Garcia's side boast one of the strongest home records in European football and Rafa's Reds may encounter the second tricky away match of the week, says Richard Aikman

Liverpool know that this tournament represents their only hope of silverware this season and coach Rafa Benitez, who has twice won this trophy, will throw everything at it in order to silence his growing legion of detractors. However, if the Reds think the trip to Lille will be any more straightforward than Monday's disappointing trip to Wigan, which ended in 1-0 defeat, they've got another thing coming.

The French side are lying just four points behind leaders Bordeaux in Ligue 1 and have already shown their pedigree in Europe, overcoming Genoa 3-0, knocking six goals past Genk, firing eight goals past Slavia Prague and eliminating Fenerbahce in the last round.

Rudi Garcia's side [3.05] are unbeaten at home in Europe this campaign, winning five of six matches and drawing the other against Valencia, and have lost just once in 16 European home matches, but Benitez, who openly criticised his side this week for that lack of attacking cohesion, will hope LOSC's recent run of three matches without a win and just one clean sheet in 12 Championnat and Europa League matches, means his chastened charges can expose a soft underbelly.

The absence of Yossi Benayoun (ankle) will deprive the Reds of some much-needed attacking guile, but they do have Fernando Torres back now, in addition to defender Daniel Agger. Lille, meanwhile, are ruing the loss to injury of their star man Gervinho and right-back Mathieu Debuchy.

This match is so evenly balanced that the draw looks the most probably outcome at [3.35] but the best betting opportunity lies in the fact that it's been 20 league and European matches since Lille failed to score (in-running punters might be interested to know that ten of Lille's 17 Europa League goals this term have come between the 76th and 90th minute). Garcia's men, as Ligue 1's top goalscorers, will almost certainly find a way past Pepe Reina, while a rare attacking approach from Liverpool may well produce a goal flurry at the Lille Métropole.

Best Bets: Back over 2.5 goals @ [2.32]; Back both teams to score @ [1.72]