Europa League Betting – Reds’ Hopes High vs Dortmund

Liverpool (+440) at Borussia Dortmund (-182), Draw (+300)

Emotions will run high today when Jürgen Klopp returns to Signal Iduna Park, but the Liverpool manager will have to put all distractions aside as his Reds battle his former club, Borussia Dortmund, in the Europa League quarterfinals (3:05 PM Eastern).

This meeting is the first of a two-game aggregate goal series which will put one team through to the semis. Of the eight teams remaining, Dortmund are the favorite to lift the cup, listed at 6/4. Liverpool are fourth at 7/1.

Dortmund were already the favorites heading into the Round of 16. Then they obliterated Tottenham (5-1 on aggregate), consolidating their status as the best team remaining in the tournament. Dortmund have now scored eight goals and conceded just one in the knockout phase.

The Germans have been unstoppable at home, winning their last two Europa League games by a combined 5-0 score (3-0 over Tottenham and 2-0 over Porto), and their Europa League performance is just one part of an outstanding season. Dortmund are also second in the Bundesliga (21-4-3, 67 points), just five points back of superpower Bayern Munich. (Indeed, they’re the only team within 20 points of the leaders.)

On the other side is a Liverpool team that now has all its eggs in the Europa League basket. Not only are they a mile off the pace for the EPL title, but they have very little hope of claiming a Champions League spot, sitting ninth in the table, nine points back of fourth-place Man City.

Adding to their domestic strife, the Reds lost the Capital One Cup final to City, making the Europa League their last chance for any hardware this season.

But optimism still exists at Anfield. Liverpool played two of their best games of the year in the Round of 16 against Manchester United, winning 3-1 on aggregate. Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, and Coutinho tallied for the Reds in the series.

Liverpool haven’t won in their past three (drawing 1-1 with Tottenham and losing 3-2 at Southampton in addition to a 1-1 draw with United), but the steback to the Saints is their only loss since Feb. 9 (5-4-1, all competitions).

Reds fans expect Jürgen Klopp’s knowledge of his former team to help Liverpool in this one. His team will defend well, but it would take nearly a perfect game to leave Germany with a good result.  Take the favorite to win a close game.

Pick: Borussia Dortmund (-182). 

(Photo Credit: Dirk Vorderstraße https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.)