The reigning champions of the English Premier League travel to Spain to play Sevilla in the 1st leg of the Champions League knock-out stages. This is the first time these two sides will meet and the first time Leicester are participating in this competition. Sevilla have reached the Champions League knock-out stages in three of their four appearances, but they have never qualified for the quarter-finals. Sevilla made history in last season’s Europa League when they became the first team to win the competition three times in a row.
Sevilla enters this match full of confidence. They are having an extraordinary season in the Spanish La Liga where they currently sit in 3rd place, just 2 points behind Barcelona. Sevilla are an impressive side, with a strong mentality and quality players. They remain the only team to have beaten Real Madrid this term in La Liga and they are looking to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history. Sampaoli’s coaching methods are paying off and the team is organized and focused on the way their manager is asking them to play.
Despite finishing 1st in the group stage, Leicester are underdogs for this double-leg. Things aren’t going well for them domestically. They face a difficult end to the season, fighting relegation, and currently sitting in 17th place, just one point clear of Hull City. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup by League One side Millwall. With no goals scored in any of their previous six matches in all competitions, Leicester have one of the worst attacks in the Premier League, with just 24 goals scored in 25 rounds. They have won just twice on the road all season. The pressure is mounting on Claudio Ranieri as rumours persist that he will be sacked before the end of the season. Therefore the Champions League remains Leicester’s salvation. However, given their bad form, chances of returning home with a positive result from the 1st leg are very low.
This is reflected in the fact that bookies are offering huge odds for an away victory (at 10 with green listed bookmaker Bet365). We expect Sevilla to dominate the match, impose their attacking style and to win the match. They should take advantage of Leicester’s poor form and put themselves in a very strong position to qualify to go into the second leg.
Best picks for the match:
Sevilla to win with -1.25 AH (Asian Handicap) at 1.88 with Unibet
Sevilla to win Half-Time/Full-Time at 2.1 with PaddyPower
Sevilla to score over 2.5 goals in the match at 2.8 with Betfair
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