The top two in Group J face-off in the final round of games before the knockout stage begins, and any two of three clubs could claim a qualification spot on Thursday. Sevilla have the home advantage against the group leaders Krasnodar and really need to win to ensure they make it through to the next stage of the Europa League. The visitors top the group by three points, but defeat on Thursday coupled by a Standard Liege victory could see the Russians fail to qualify on goal difference.
Sevilla picked up a point from their weekend trip to struggling Valencia, with Pablo Sarabia breaking the deadlock for the visitors in the fifty-fifth minute. Sevilla looked like they were going to claim a victory until Diakhaby scored a deserved equaliser for Valencia in the second minute of stoppage time. Sevilla remain second in La Liga, but the league leaders Barcelona have now opened up a three points gap at the top.
Krasnodar could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to relegation battlers Ufa on Sunday, and had to come from behind to claim their share of the spoils. The hosts dominated the match with 66% of the overall possession and eighteen shots to the visitors four during the ninety minutes, but failed to make it count due to some wasteful finishing in the final third. Ufa took the lead in the fourteenth minute through Thill, but Krasnodar responded well and were back on level terms fewer than ten minutes later via Ignatyev. Frustratingly for the home side they could not see their way to a victory that would have sent them top of the Premier League following Zenit’s defeat.
When Krasnodar played host to Sevilla in October the visitors were in front at the interval thanks to a an unfortunate own goal from Kaboré in the forty-third minute. However, Krasnodar turned the game around in the second half with goals from substitutes Pereyra and Okriashvili wrapping up a 2-1 win for the Russians. A draw might have been the fair result in this tight and tense game, but Krasnodar took their chances and will head into Thursday’s game with plenty of confidence.
Four of Krasnodar’s five Europa League group games have seen both teams score, and the same can be said about three of Sevilla’s five matches as well. Pablo Sarabia has been in fine goal scoring form in the Europa League with seven goals so far for Sevilla, but misses out on Thursday through suspension. Ari is the only player to have scored more than once in Europe for Krasnodar this season and the forward has a back injury that is likely to see him miss the trip to Spain.
I am confident that Sevilla will win and that both teams will score in the process, and have backed the final scoreline to read 2-1. Both teams scored when the pair last locked horns and both teams have scored in three of each clubs last six matches. Sevilla have the home advantage and have won both of their two group games at home, as well as their last eight games in all competitions at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Without Sarabia in their side Sevilla are certainly less likely to win by a big margin and that’s why we’ve gone with a narrow 2-1 win for the hosts.
The top two in Group J face-off in the final round of games before the knockout stage begins, and any two of three clubs could claim a qualification spot on Thursday. Sevilla have the home advantage against the group leaders Krasnodar and really need to win to ensure they make it through to the next stage of the Europa League. The visitors top the group by three points, but defeat on Thursday coupled by a Standard Liege victory could see the Russians fail to qualify on goal difference.
Sevilla picked up a point from their weekend trip to struggling Valencia, with Pablo Sarabia breaking the deadlock for the visitors in the fifty-fifth minute. Sevilla looked like they were going to claim a victory until Diakhaby scored a deserved equaliser for Valencia in the second minute of stoppage time. Sevilla remain second in La Liga, but the league leaders Barcelona have now opened up a three points gap at the top.
Krasnodar could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to relegation battlers Ufa on Sunday, and had to come from behind to claim their share of the spoils. The hosts dominated the match with 66% of the overall possession and eighteen shots to the visitors four during the ninety minutes, but failed to make it count due to some wasteful finishing in the final third. Ufa took the lead in the fourteenth minute through Thill, but Krasnodar responded well and were back on level terms fewer than ten minutes later via Ignatyev. Frustratingly for the home side they could not see their way to a victory that would have sent them top of the Premier League following Zenit’s defeat.
When Krasnodar played host to Sevilla in October the visitors were in front at the interval thanks to a an unfortunate own goal from Kaboré in the forty-third minute. However, Krasnodar turned the game around in the second half with goals from substitutes Pereyra and Okriashvili wrapping up a 2-1 win for the Russians. A draw might have been the fair result in this tight and tense game, but Krasnodar took their chances and will head into Thursday’s game with plenty of confidence.
Four of Krasnodar’s five Europa League group games have seen both teams score, and the same can be said about three of Sevilla’s five matches as well. Pablo Sarabia has been in fine goal scoring form in the Europa League with seven goals so far for Sevilla, but misses out on Thursday through suspension. Ari is the only player to have scored more than once in Europe for Krasnodar this season and the forward has a back injury that is likely to see him miss the trip to Spain.
I am confident that Sevilla will win and that both teams will score in the process, and have backed the final scoreline to read 2-1. Both teams scored when the pair last locked horns and both teams have scored in three of each clubs last six matches. Sevilla have the home advantage and have won both of their two group games at home, as well as their last eight games in all competitions at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Without Sarabia in their side Sevilla are certainly less likely to win by a big margin and that’s why we’ve gone with a narrow 2-1 win for the hosts.