Odds Favor Close Race Between Getafe, Krasnador & Basel in Europa League Group C
- Getafe favored to both win the group (+175) and to advance to knockout stages (-180)
- In just their 12th season of existence, Russia’s FC Krasnodar are rapidly building a European reputation and are in the group stages for the fifth time
- FC Basel will hope to better semifinal run of 2013
While there are a number of round-robin groups in the Europe League this season that possess clear favorites to advance to the knockout stages, Group C is not one of those groups. All four teams are very much in the running to move on. While this quartet might lack the European pedigree of some of their continental colleagues, it should be a tooth-and-nail fight to get into the round of 32.
Europa League Group C Odds
| Team | Odds to Qualify | Odds to Win |
|---|---|---|
| Getafe CF | -180 | +175 |
| FC Krasnodar | -135 | +240 |
| FC Basel | -105 | +275 |
| Trabzonspor | +135 | +450 |
*Odds taken on 09/12/19
Favored to Progress
After narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification with a fifth-place finish in La Liga, Getafe make their return to European soccer after a nine-year absence.
If all-time records are any indication, the Spanish club will be eased back in slowly with a home game against Trabzonspor next Thursday.
The six-time Turkish champions have won just two games out of 13 against Spanish opposition, and have never won in Spain, drawing four and losing three.
With an all-time European home record of seven wins, one draw and two losses, Getafe will look to do some damage to visitors to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
The Outside Bet
A fourth-place finish in last year’s Turkey Super Lig propelled Trabzonspor back into UEFA competition after a four-year absence. After squeezing by Sparta Prague and AEK Athens in the qualifying rounds, they plan on making the most of it.
While their record against Spanish teams is certainly underwhelming, their track record against Italian sides remains their biggest Achilles heel. In the two most recent times the team made it to the Europa League group stage, it went out to first Napoli and then Juventus in the round-of-32. In 16 games all-time against Serie A sides, Trabzonspor have a record of just three wins and five draws, to go alongside eight losses.
In the two most recent times the team made it to the Europa League group stage, it went out to first Napoli and then Juventus in the round-of-32.
However, in those two group stages, the Turkish club had an impressive away record, winning three and drawing two of the six games. The only loss came in a game against Legia Warsaw on the last fixture of the 2014-15 group campaign, with Trabzonspor’s qualification having already been achieved.
While the betting odds may be against them, the fan vote on UEFA’s Europa League Twitter handle indicated that Trabzonspor are the team to beat in Group C.
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— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 30, 2019
An impressive 15-game unbeaten start to the new Super Lig season will also help put wind in Trabzonspor’s sails, although that will be tempered by the rash of injuries the team has endured of late.
Chief amongst those will be the absence of Turkish international Abdulkadir Omur, who underwent knee surgery on Thursday and will be out for months. In addition, the likes of Yusuf Sarı and Caleb Ekuban will also be out for a number of weeks. However, the recent arrival of former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge should give the club a boost.
Don’t Dismiss the Swiss
Europa League semifinalists in 2012-13 and quarterfinalists one year later, the 20-time Swiss champions are no strangers to European competition.
In 110 games played in either the UEFA Cup or Europa League, Basel have an all-time winning percentage of 45.45%, with 50 wins, 24 draws and 36 losses in those contests.
? Leader ↗️#FCBasel1893 #zämmestark #rotblaulive pic.twitter.com/8Rg3ztvmEI
— FC Basel 1893 – (stay at ?) (@FCBasel1893) September 1, 2019
Marcel Koller’s team is undoubtedly the most accomplished squad in Group C based on past performance at this level, having reached the last 16 of the Champions League, most recently in 2016.
The Swiss side is also in good form domestically, having risen to first place in the Swiss League just before the recent international break, with five wins and one draw from six games. As a result, Basel sit one point above Young Boys.
Striker Kemal Ademi has also been in a purple patch to begin the domestic campaign, with five goals in four starts since joining the club in the off-season.
Reliable Russians
The Russian club founded in 2008 certainly made a mark to start this season, eliminating two-time Champions League winners Porto from the qualifying rounds, before succumbing to Olympiacos in the playoffs.
In four Europe League group-stage campaigns, Krasnodar have only once failed to reach the knockout rounds, which was also their first attempt in 2014-15.
? FIXTURES!
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Matchday 6 ✔️#UELdraw | @UKEnterprise— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 30, 2019
Since then they’ve twice made the last 16, with only a late goal by Valencia denying them their very first Europa League quarterfinal spot last year.
In each of those four round-robin campaigns, Krasnodar have managed to record an away win every year, posting a record of four wins, two draws and six losses away from Krasnodar Stadium.
Prediction: 1st Getafe; 2nd FC Basel
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For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
