Sevilla vs Manchester United
UEFA Europa League, KO: 20:00 Aug 16, 2020, RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
HAVING dispatched Wolves in the last round, Sevilla again have English opposition to overcome as they attempt to secure a place in the Europa League final.
This is a well-trodden path for the Spanish side – they have won the tournament five times in the last 14 years, including three on the spin from 2014.
As predicted, their 1-0 win over Wolves in the last eight was a tight affair, but Sevilla showed all their European nous to professionally get the job done, although they had keeper Yassine Bounou to thank for saving Raul Jimenez's first-half penalty before Lucas Ocampos struck the late winner.
That extended their unbeaten run to 19 matches and their clean sheet streak to five. After that success in Duisburg, they now travel the short distance to Cologne for another one-off encounter.
United made hard work of seeing off FC Copenhagen to book their place, requiring a 95th-minute Bruno Fernandes penalty to squeeze through.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men looked particularly leggy in that tie and it remains to be seen if they have the stamina needed to go all the way in their pursuit of a second Europa League title in three years.
How do the bookies view it?
United are 8-5 at Betfair for the win and 3-4 to qualify, while a Sevilla success inside 90 minutes pays 21-10 at Betway.
The Spanish side to progress is 11-10 at Betfred, with the draw an 11-5 shot at William Hill.
Betting angles
It may not be pretty, in fact it could well become a war of attrition, but I'm siding with Sevilla to come out on top.
It could well take more than 90 minutes as these two sides give little away – Sevilla have conceded one goal in their last eight matches and have seven clean sheets in 10 Europa League outings this season.
United have kept the opposition blank in eight of 10 in this competition and a cagey start should deliver a half-time draw at evens with bet365.
As pointed out in my quarter-final preview, Sevilla are the corner kings of La Liga, and they didn't disappoint, with 14 to Wolves' zero. Consider the Spaniards to have most corners again at 6-5 with bet365, while the tie to be settled on penalties is worth a small wager at 5-1 with Skybet.
This UEFA Europa League match between Sevilla and Manchester United will be played on Aug 16, 2020 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sevilla vs Manchester United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
