Rangers will deliver once again in Europe
With Liverpool and Manchester City both hot favourites to go through in the Europa League this evening, you may decide that the three other televised ties are the ones worth tuning in for. Here's what we're backing in those...
PSV Eindhoven v Lille (6pm, ITV4)
The Dutch leaders and French table-toppers collide again and having claimed a 2-2 draw in France, PSV have to be fancied to finish the job in front of their own fans, especially as their Europa League home record reads eight wins and two draws in ten games, with both spoil-sharers coming by scorelines that would see them through in this tie. Lille are yet to win on the road in Europe this season and lost to Montpellier at the weekend, so pile on PSV at [1.92].
Sporting Lisbon v Rangers (6pm, ESPN)
Occasionally, you have to make a call that could leave you looking a bit silly if it falls through, and for us this evening it's backing Rangers to progress to the last 16 despite - as we predicted - drawing at Ibrox. Odds of [3.7] on the Gers going through are rather hefty given that they were 2-0 winners on their last visit to Lisbon in 2008, they've qualified the last two times the sides have met in Europe and, most importantly, that Sporting are winless in five. Disagree? The hosts are [1.73] to triumph.
Stuttgart v Benfica (8.05pm, ITV4)
This is the second successive season in which Stuttgart have made progress in Europe while stinking up the Bundesliga, with the 2006-07 champions in danger of being relegated, and as they last lost at home in Europe in two years, it's not implausible that they will overhaul a 2-1 deficit. Benfica though are on a run of 15 straight victories, with the latest away to neighbours Sporting Lisbon on Monday the sweetest of the lot. It's unclear how keen they will be to extend that when they don't need to win, so back them in the draw no bet market instead at [1.78].
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Published: 24 Feb 2011
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