HomeGalera BlogSports Betting NewsA Look at the 2022-23 Europa League

A Look at the 2022-23 Europa League

The Europa League is the second most prestigious European football tournament after the Champions League. Following its formation in 1971, it was known as the UEFA Cup up until 2011, when it was rebranded as the Europa League. The competition is played in the same way as the Champions League, with group stages followed by knockout rounds. After the group stage is completed, the winners and runners up of the groups are joined by the teams that placed third in their group in the Champions League. This is what makes the competition more difficult to predict, as any of the teams who fall into the competition from the Champions League may instantly become favourites to win the Europa League.

What makes this competition so exciting to watch is the sheer number of different teams who play in the league. Teams in the Champions League, such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Inter, Liverpool, Manchester City, and so on, all play each other quite frequently. They compete each year and may meet the other teams once every two or three years. By contrast, the Europa League is full of surprises. There may be teams who have never played against their opponents before and this can make it more difficult for the top teams to try and anticipate what kind of game plan the lower ranked teams will employ.

Europa League Winner Predictions

There are many teams that play in the Europa League, so it may be easier to make a prediction based on which teams play in the competition the most frequently. This is not taking into account the fact that top teams from the Champions League may join the Europa League after the group stage.

Top Spanish Teams

Sevilla

Sevilla are the most successful team in the Europa League, winning a total of 6 titles between 2006 and 2016. Being a team that regularly places in the top six, Sevilla are expected to feature in most European competitions and especially the Europa League. Sevilla have never lost a final in the competition despite facing some fierce opposition including Middlesbrough FC, Espanyol, Benfica, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Liverpool and Inter Milan.

Villarreal

This Spanish team won their first and only title in 2021, when they beat Manchester United in the finals. Despite having won just one Europa League title, Villarreal are favourites to win any future Europa League competitions that participate in due to their manager, Unai Emery. Emery is the most successful manager in Europa League history, having won the title 3 times in a row with Sevilla, and adding his fourth title in 2021 with Villarreal.

Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad are a Spanish team that regularly place in the fourth, fifth or sixth position in La Liga. They are an up and coming team that have been praised for their style of play, and even though they are a lower ranking team, they have a lot of potential. Real Sociedad have not won the Europa League, but as Spanish teams seem to have a special relationship with this competition, they may be serious title contenders for their first piece of European glory in the upcoming seasons.

Top Italian Teams

Napoli

Napoli have won the competition before, when it was still the UEFA Cup. They won the 1989 edition of the Europa League with their key player Diego Maradon. The team has played in the Champions League more than it has in the Europa League in recent years, though they have occasionally joined the Europa League after failing to advance past the group stage in the Champions League. When Napoli play in the Europa League, they are definitely a team to watch out for.

Lazio

This Italian team from Rome has never won any European trophies, a rarity for an Italian football club. They have featured in recent editions of the Europa League and play some great football, putting the biggest teams to the test when they play with their main squad.

Top English Teams

Leicester City

Leicester City is a team that really came to prominence in 2016 when they won the Premier League. Though they secured Champions League football for the following season, a number of their key players were bought by rivals and Leicester did not have the funds to rebuild their team. In recent years, Leicester have featured in the Europa League a number of times, and they are a dangerous side for any team to face. They have had problems with consistency and have yet to win a Europa League title, but when they play the football that suits them, they are very difficult to beat.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham is another team that has played in both Champions League and Europa League competitions. The closest they came to European glory was in the Champions League, when they lost in the finals to Liverpool in 2019. When they play in the Europa League then they are a team to watch, as they bring a high level of physicality and speed to their games.

Arsenal

Arsenal have found themselves playing in the Europa League in recent years. Despite being a top four team for a long time, the competition in the Premier League has increased and as a result, Arsenal have found themselves playing in the second tier of European football more often than not. They have a strong squad depth and provided they can maintain their form, Arsenal are definitely title contenders for the Europa League.