Evaluating This Year’s UEFA Europa League Favorites

Lautaro Martinez during a Chievo v. Inter Milan game in 2018. Photo by Tim Rogers/Shutterstock

This year’s UEFA Europa League is yet another exciting edition of the secondary continental soccer competition on the continent of Europe.

After an unpredictable Round of 32, which saw tournament heavyweights such as Arsenal and Ajax knocked out of the competition, anything could happen in the competition’s upcoming Round of 16,

With this group of teams left in the field, let’s take a look at the top four favorites for this season’s Europa League crown.

Manchester United

The Red Devils might not be the mighty team that they once were, but they still look like one of the best teams in this year’s Europa League contest.

A favorable draw against Austrian side LASK Linz has put them in a good position to reach the semi-finals. Not many teams have the likes of players such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Jesse Lingard in their ranks, even if Man U sometimes plays beneath expectations.

Inter Milan

Inter Milan got a rough draw against Getafe, the team that knocked Ajax out of the competition in the Round of 32, but Antonio Conte’s team has plenty of options to go far and even win the tournament.

Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku form a duo of deadly forwards that are capable of exploding and scoring multiple goals on any given night. The winter loan deal for Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen was a huge boost for the squad, which has its hopes set high.

Getafe

Pepe Bordalas’s Getafe might not have the name recognition of some of the other teams in this competition, but this La Liga side is for real.

Currently in fourth place in Spain’s La Liga, Getafe took care of Ajax in the Round of 32 and now has a massive Round of 16 bout with Inter ahead of them. If any team can stop a front line as talented as Inter’s, it’s Getafe, which has one of the top five defenses in Europe. If defense wins titles, the Azulones might just be heading for Europa League glory.

Sevilla

Rounding out our list of this year’s top Europa League contenders is Sevilla, the most successful club in the history of the competition with five titles.

They have a tough Round of 16 matchup against Roma ahead of them, but Sevilla is a deep side that could be capable of going far and even winning this year’s competition. Julen Lopetegui’s team boasts a strong defense headlined by Diego Carlos, but also can get plenty of goals from players like Luuk de Jong and Lucas Ocampos.

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