We’re now in the final week of the official club football season across
most of Europe and though there are a few countries around the world which operate on a slightly different season schedule, the vast majority will now be on their summer break. The final two games this week are always the biggest for European clubs and that is no surprise as we have the Europa League Final on Wednesday followed by the Champions League Final on Saturday night.
In both games we have all-English Premier League finals with Arsenal v Chelsea kicking things off in the Europa League on Wednesday followed by Liverpool taking on Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League Final in Madrid on Saturday. So while we are assured of two English team names going onto the top two trophies in Europe this season, who those names are remain, as yet unknown.
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If you fancy having a bet on either or both of the two massive finals taking place this week across Europe, then head on over to bet365 Sport. There are a wide range of markets available right now for both of the games and of course, you will have an equally diverse range of bets to select from when the games start thanks to the site’s fabulous In Play betting service. Sign up today with the latest bet365 Sport New Customer Promotion if you are not yet a member to get a few added bonuses when you start betting with the site.
In this article we are going to preview both the big finals this week and give you our tips on how we see both matches going and we will get that underway right now by taking a look at the game set to take place on Wednesday evening in Azerbaijan.
Europa League Final
- Arsenal v Chelsea
- Date – Wednesday 29th May
- Venue – Olympic Stadium, Baku
- Kick Off – 8pm
- Referee – Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
In the matches between the two teams this season in the Premier League, it has been honours even between the two with Chelsea winning 3-2 on home soil way back in August and then in January, Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners at the Emirates. So there’s little between the teams on that score.
Both teams had very similar and easy progress through the group stages, winning their groups with 16 out of 18 points available and while Chelsea had the easier of things in the first two rounds of games in the knockout stage, it was Arsenal who were the more impressive as the tournament went on and they upped their game against some quality opponents in Napoli and Valencia.
Both teams will have players missing from their squad. Arsenal will have Ramsey, Bellerin and Holding out through injured, while Mkhitaryan will not travel due to the political situation between his country of Armenia and Azerbaijan, where the final is (ridiculously) being held. Chelsea though have some injury worries of their own with Loftus Cheek, Hudson Odoi and likely N’Golo Kante all set to miss the game hurt.
Both managers have some decisions to make and with Arsenal that is who will line up in midfield and it seems to be a choice between Ozil or Iwobi for the attacking midfield role behind the front two. For Chelsea, Barkley will likely deputise for Kante if he does not make it, while Giroud and Higuain are vying for the lone strikers role and Pedro or Willian are in contention to play a wider attacking role.
Our predictions for each of the starting XI’s are outlined below.
Arsenal Team – 5-3-2
- Gk – Bernd Leno
- DMr – Ainsley Maitland-Niles
- DMl – Sead Kolasinac
- Dc – Stathis Papasthatopoulos
- Dc – Shkodran Mustafi
- Dc – Laurent Koscielny
- DMc – Lucas Torreira
- DMc – Matteo Guendouzi
- AMc – Mesut Ozil
- Ac – Alexander Lacazette
- Ac – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Chelsea Team – 4-3-3
- Gk – Kepa Arrizabalaga
- Dr – Cesar Azpilicueta
- Dl – Marcos Alonso
- Dc – Antonio Rudiger
- Dc – David Luiz
- DMc – Jorginho
- Mc – Mateo Kovacic
- Mc – Ross Barkley
- AMr – Willian
- AMl – Eden Hazard
- Ac – Gonzalo Higuain
Europa League Final Tip
Although I think I just about favour Chelsea for the win in this game, I don’t think the Blues will achieve that win in normal time, so my first tip is to back the draw at 12/5 with bet365 as the full time result. I can see both teams scoring and I do feel there will be goals in this game so I think a 2-2 draw at 11/1 is a solid option too.
As for the winner, Chelsea are 8/11 to lift the trophy and I just think their better balance all round the team and a stronger defence, will just be enough to see them home.
Champions League Final
- Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
- Date – Saturday 1st June
- Venue – Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid
- Kick Off – 8pm
- Referee – Damir Skormina (Slovenia)
Both these teams have had incredible journey’s to the final and at one point in the group stage it looked unlikely either would even reach the knockout phase. Liverpool lost all three of their away games in the Group Stage and only a 1-0 home win over Napoli on the last night of action took them through ahead of the Italians. Spurs, equally, needed to better Inter’s result on the last night away to Barcelona and earned a 1-1 draw while the Italians could only lose to bottom club in the group PSV.
The drama continued in the knockout phase. Both teams knocked out German sides in the opening Round of 16, Spurs defeating Dortmund and Liverpool bettering Bayern Munich before in the quarterfinals, Liverpool easily saw off FC Porto while Spurs got past Manchester City in the most dramatic of fashions on away goals.
If that was dramatic then the semifinals were off the charts. Spurs coming back from 2-0 down to Ajax on the night, after losing the first leg 1-0 in England, to score three second half goals, including a 96th minute leveller to complete a Lucas Moura hattrick to send Spurs through on away goals.
At Anfield, Liverpool trailed Barcelona 3-0 from the first leg in the Nou Camp but in an incredible night at Anfield, defeated the Spanish champions 4-0 to win 4-3 and claim a place in the final for the second year in a row.
The Reds have bossed the encounters with Spurs this season, winning both games 2-1 in the Premier League, but Spurs will have Harry Kane back from injury, however the Reds should also have Roberto Firmino back in the team and hopefully, Mo Salah will play a much longer part in the game this year after being fouled out of last year’s final by Sergio Ramos.
Liverpool Team – 4-3-3
- Gk – Alisson Becker
- Dr – Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Dl – Andy Robertson
- Dc – Virgil Van Dijk
- Dc – Joel Matip
- Mc – Jordan Henderson
- Mc – Gini Wijnaldum
- Mc – James Milner
- AMl – Mohammed Salah
- AMr – Sadio Mane
- Ac – Roberto Firmino
Tottenham Team – 4-3-3
- Gk – Hugo Lloris
- Dr – Kieran Trippier
- Dl – Danny Rose
- Dc – Jan Vertonghen
- Dc – Toby Alderweireld
- DMc – Moussa Sissoko
- Mc – Christian Eriksen
- Mc – Dele Alli
- AMl – Heong Min-Son
- AMr – Lucas Moura
- Ac – Harry Kane
Champions League Final Tip
Tottenham will know they were just seconds from a draw at Anfield when the last two teams met before an unfortunate own goal handed the Reds the win and they have beaten Manchester City en-route to the final which will give them real confidence heading into the game. Liverpool though have been in superb form of late and after a long break, they will be refreshed and ready for this game. I can see both sides scoring a goal but I just feel after the season they have had, Liverpool will be the team celebrating the win.
You can back the Reds to win at 19/20 while a 3-1 win for Liverpool is a 14/1 shot in the Correct Score market.