The Football Faithful
·19 de diciembre de 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·19 de diciembre de 2024
The Europa Conference League’s league phase concludes this week as the teams battle it out for a place in the knockout rounds.
Since its introduction ahead of the 2021/22 season, UEFA’s newest club competition has been a fascinating watch. The Conference League offers an extended opportunity for more clubs to taste European success, with Roma, West Ham and Olympiacos having all celebrated unforgettable triumphs in the tournament.
But who will take home the trophy this season? Using odds from Melbet, we’ve ranked the five frontrunners to win the 2024/25 Europa Conference League.
Rapid Wien are priced as the fifth favourite as the Austrian outfit look to make an impact in Europe. Currently positioned just outside the top eight with 10 points from five games, a positive result in their final fixture with FC Copenhagen will seal a place in the last 16.
Dion Drena Beljo offers the threat for Robert Klauß’ side. The 6ft 5in forward has scored 12 goals in all competitions since arriving on loan from Augsburg.
Vitoria SC sit second in the league standings heading into the final fixtures. The Portuguese side are unbeaten in five European games this season and claimed an impressive 4-1 win at St Gallen last time out.
Currently sixth in the Primeira Liga, Vitoria are aiming to become the first Portuguese team to win a European trophy since Porto in 2011.
Real Betis are regarded as third-favourites for success in the Europa Conference League despite a poor record in this season’s competition. The Spanish side have taken just seven points from their five games, a run that includes defeats to Legia Warsaw and FK Mladá Boleslav. However, a win at FC Petrocub Hîncești last time out leaves the La Liga side in a playoff place heading into their final fixture.
Betis are under the management of Premier League title-winning manager Manuel Pellegrini, while another familiar face is thriving in the club’s colours this season. Former Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is the side’s top scorer with eight in all competitions.
Can Fiorentina make it third time lucky in the Europa Conference League?
La Viola have agonisingly suffered final defeats in each of the last two seasons, as a late Jarrod Bowen goal for West Ham broke Fiorentina hearts in 2023. A year later, Olympiacos upset the Italian side in the decider to become Greece’s first winner of a European trophy.
Despite losing big names in Nikola Milenkovic and Nicolas Gonzalez in the summer, Fiorentina have started the season in strong form. Raffaele Palladino’s side are fourth in Serie A and have won eight of their last nine league fixtures.
Chelsea are the odds-on favourites for success in this tournament and with good reason. The Blues boast resources to dwarf every other side involved and have spent more than £1 billion on new signings across the last two-and-a-half years.
Such is their strength in depth, Enzo Maresca has fielded a second-string in Europe without compromising on results. Chelsea have won five from five, scoring 21 goals in the process, and will take some stopping. The West Londoners can become the first team to have won each of UEFA’s current competitions, after previous successes in the Champions League and Europa League.