Final Previews | Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League
Six clubs face a date with destiny over the next few weeks as the finals of the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League are staged.
Sevilla and Roma kick things off in the Europa League final on May 31 in a game that will likely appeal to tactical purists everywhere.
The Europa Conference League is next on the agenda on June 7, with Fiorentina and West Ham United going head-to-head in an attractive-looking match-up.
The trio of finals will be completed when Manchester City and Inter Milan bid to be crowned kings of Europe in the Champions League. Here is our preview of the three games.
Sevilla vs Roma – Europa League
A quick look at the bookmakers’ odds to win the Europa League highlights how difficult it is to predict a winner between Sevilla and Roma.
The best football betting sites rate both teams as 7/4 shots to win in 90 minutes, while the draw is priced at 2/1. Extra time and penalties look nailed on.
With a place in next season’s Champions League on the line, this competition provides a handy route to the top table for these two sides.
Sevilla’s record of six Europa League successes makes them a team to be feared, as do their victories over Manchester United and Juventus in the last two rounds.
However, Roma have been in a typically belligerent mood in this competition under manager Jose Mourinho and will be extremely tough to beat.
The Serie A side produced a defensive masterclass against Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-final and are fancied to see off Sevilla’s challenge.
Fiorentina vs West Ham United - Europa Conference League
Despite initial misgivings by many people connected to football, UEFA’s decision to launch the Europa Conference League has been a big success.
The inaugural final saw Roma overcome Feyenoord and both teams have subsequently gone on to make their mark in this season’s Europa League.
This year’s final is an attractive contest on paper, with Serie A side Fiorentina set to face Premier League outfit West Ham United.
Fiorentina were pushed hard by Basel in the semi-finals before Antonin Barak’s late goal in extra time sealed a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory.
West Ham beat AZ Alkmaar home and away in their last four ties and are the narrow favorites with the bookmakers to lift the trophy.
However, David Moyes’ side have been underwhelming in the English top flight and Fiorentina could be the value bet to win the Europa Conference League.
Manchester City vs Inter Milan - Champions League
Manchester City will never have a better chance of winning the Champions League having been paired with Inter Milan in the final.
Pep Guardiola’s side breezed through the group stage, before easing past RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the first two knockout rounds.
However, it was their semi-final performance against 14-time European champions Real Madrid that truly demonstrated their title credentials.
Man City produced an excellent performance to draw in Madrid before blowing away Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a power-packed display at the Etihad Stadium.
While Inter have done well to reach this stage of the competition, it would be fair to say they have had a fairly favorable pathway to the final.
The Premier League side are on course to win the treble this season and they look a good bet to complete the job by defeating Inter on June 10.
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