Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur await their Europa League fate
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on the Europa League knockout round play-offs ahead of the round of 16.
The Premier League duo finished in the top eight of the standings in the opening phase, thereby securing automatic progression to the last-16 of the competition.
There is little to choose between the duo at the top of the outright Europa League betting at Betway and they will fancy their chances of making it to the final.
Read on as we look at the latest outright odds and upcoming knockout round play-off fixtures, before assessing whether the Premier League giants can win the competition this season.
Europa League 2024/25 - Outright odds
- Manchester United - 9/2
- Tottenham Hotspur - 5/1
- Athletic Bilbao - 11/2
- Lazio - 7/1
- Eintracht Frankfurt - 11/1
- Real Sociedad - 11/1
- Real Sociedad - 11/1
- Roma - 14/1
- Ajax - 16/1
- Fenerbahce - 16/1
- Lyon -16/1
- AZ Alkmaar - 20/1
- Olympiacos - 25/1
- Porto - 33/1
- Rangers - 50/1
- FC Twente - 66/1
- FCSB - 80/1
- PAOK - 100/1
- Union Saint-Gilloise - 125/1
- Bodo/Glimt - 150/1
- Ferencvaros - 150/1
- Galatasaray - 150/1
- Midtjylland - 250/1
- Viktoria Plzen - 250/1
- Anderlecht - 500/1
Europa League 2024/25 - Knockout round play-offs - second leg fixtures
Thursday, February 20
- Viktoria Plzen vs Ferencvaros (0-1)
- Bodo/Glimt vs FC Twente (1-2)
- Ajax vs Union Saint-Gilloise (2-0)
- Galatasaray vs AZ Alkmaar (1-4)
- Real Sociedad vs Midtjylland (2-1)
- FCSB vs PAOK (2-1)
- Anderlecht vs Fenerbahce (0-3)
- Roma vs Porto (1-1)
Premier League big guns eyeing European glory
United finished third with 18 points, while Tottenham claimed fourth spot with 17 points from their eight games in the opening stage.
With the first legs of the knockout round play-offs now completed, the two Premier League sides have a slightly clearer idea about their possible last-16 opponents.
They have been placed in the same section of the draw as Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar or Midtjylland, and two of that quartet are well-placed to make progress.
Alkmaar are in the driving seat to reach the last-16 stage after they recorded an emphatic 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in their first meeting.
Sociedad also look a good bet to make it through after a claiming a 2-1 win at Midtjylland. It would be surprising if they failed to complete the job in Spain.
Alkmaar and Sociedad both have the ability to cause problems for the Premier League duo and it would be foolish to underestimate the threat they pose.
United and Tottenham have largely been underwhelming this season, although the Europa League has provided some respite from their domestic difficulties.
They will be desperate to win the Europa League this season as it offers a direct route into the 2025/26 Champions League.
With both teams a long way off the pace in the Premier League, UEFA’s second tier competition offers their only realistic route back to the top level.
However, while the bookmakers rate them as the teams most likely to lift the trophy, several other clubs have a genuine chance of scuppering their hopes.
They include Lazio, who finished top of the table in the league phase. They are going well in Serie A this season and could be the value bet at odds of 7/1 to win the Europa League.
Athletic Bilbao and Eintracht Frankfurt could also be dangerous, while Ajax may also be a handful if they come through their play-off against Union Saint-Gilloise.