We have reached the penultimate round of the 2021/22 Europa League, and as things stand, it is incredibly hard to split the contenders.
As a new champion will be crowned this season between West Ham, Frankfurt, RB Leipzig, or Rangers
Thursday, May 5th, 2022
West Ham @ Frankfurt – 3PM ET
West Ham United from the English Premier League and Frankfurt from the German Bundesliga will meet in the second leg of this UEFA Europa League Semi Finals matchup. Currently it is Eintracht Frankfurt who holds a 2-1 lead after winning the first leg. Which gives them a big advantage playing this second leg of the tie at home.
West Ham United will have to claim victory in the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League if they want to play in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League. As they currently sit mid-table in the English Premier League with only four match fixtures left in the season. They currently have a record of 15 wins, 13 losses, and 7 draws and with only three games remaining, they are 11 points out of the fourth spot. Making it mathematically impossible to qualify for the Champions League via a top four domestic finish.
Frankfurt is in a similar situation as they are out of the running for a top four finish in the German Bundesliga. As they come into this one with a record of 10 wins, 10 draws, and 12 losses with two games remaining in the domestic league season. They won’t even qualify for European competition at all next season unless they find a way to win the UEFA Europa League. As for the result of this match I am taking West Ham to get the win as I look for them to pull off a stunner on the road in Germany and advance to the finals.
UEL Pick: West Ham (+155)
RB Leipzig @ Rangers – 3PM ET
Rangers from the Scottish Premier League and Red Bull Leipzig from the German Bundesliga will meet in the second leg of this UEFA Europa League Semi Finals matchup. Currently it is Red Bull Leipzig who hold a 1-0 lead after winning the first leg. Which gives them a big advantage playing this second leg of the tie at Rangers.
RB Leipzig is holding an advantage coming into this one. They are having a decent domestic season after firing former manager Jesse Marsch after a slow start to the campaign. They are on the doorstep of qualifying domestically in the German Bundesliga as they currently sit in fifth place, only a single point behind the fourth spot with two match fixtures remaining. They also can win the Europa League if they want to qualify for next year’s Champions League as well.
Rangers have already locked up a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League as they are going to finish in the top two of the Scottish Premier League. With them sitting in second place at the moment it means they would enter before the group stage. However, if they win the Europa League they would automatically qualify for the group stage of the competition. They have a great shot at doing so as they only find themselves trailing by a single goal as they will play this second leg at home. As for the result of this one that is exactly what I expect to happen as I have Rangers getting the win and advancing to the finals.
UEL Pick: Rangers (+250)
If you are looking for more news, information and predictions, head over to our soccer hub page for all the details you need!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
