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College Europa FC from Gibraltar takes on Swedish side AIK Solna in the Europa League second qualifying round, second leg. Europa FC was close to claiming a huge result in the first leg, protecting a 0-0 score until the last minutes, but lost 0-1 late on.
Europa’s performance in Sweden was really impressive – not only did they lose by just 1 goal (scored in the 89th minute), but they actually played well and the result was deserving. College Europa also claimed a fantastic result in the first qualifying leg, defeating Armenian side Pyunik 3-2 aggregate (2-0 at home, 1-2 away). The hosts finished second last year in Gibraltar, 11 points behind Lincoln Red Imps, but 20 points ahead of the third place. They are hands down one of the top 2 teams on the Island and have a decent squad composed mainly of Spanish players, some with experience in the Spanish second division or even in La Liga.
AIK was very close to be shamed by Europa in Sweden, but eventually got a late victory and the team will now be confident ahead of the second leg. It was surprising that AIK had such a tough time, especially since they are in the middle of the domestic season (5th place) and are in good form, riding a run of 11 matches without a loss – including a 1-1 home draw against Malmo over the weekend. But AIK did sometimes struggle a bit to score goals and win games recently, so it wasn`t that shocking for Europa’s crowded defense to give them a fight.
Place your bet on College Europa v AIK with the best Europa League odds at 1xBet!
Team news: AIK will miss Nikolic, Isak, Eliasson and Etuhu. The hosts should field a similar lineup to the one that played so well in Sweden.
Teams from Gibraltar are making a fantastic impression this year in Europe. Aside from Europa’s win over Pyunik and their great performance in Sweden, we also saw Lincoln Red Imps beating Celtic 1-0, before a respectable 0-3 defeat in Glasgow. What`s more, these good results have been more or less deserving, not just flukes. Sure, AIK deserved to win the first leg, but it`s not like they should have won it 5-0. Europa was competitive and with a bit of luck could have got the draw.
I don`t see AIK winning big here. Playing in Gibraltar is not easy, the weather and atmosphere can be uncomfortable for most European teams, especially from the Nordic areas.
Europa played some very good defense in the first leg and will surely do it again at home. They can make life difficult for opponents and AIK is not some kind of super team that can easily break down a crowded defense. It`s actually a bit the opposite, AIK isn`t a high scoring team and they are often involved in low scoring matches. The visitors also have the result from the first leg, so there is no reason for them to force the issue.
On the other hand, it would be a surprise if Europa manages to bang in a goal against such superior opposition, especially as AIK defends very well. In these circumstances, a bet on goals not to happen makes sense.
If AIK gets a 1-0 or 2-0 lead, it`s safe to expect them to take their foot of the gas and wait out the final whistle – as they have more important games coming up in Allsvenskan and they might also be tired after such a difficult game against Malmo a few days ago. My tip is under 3 goals to be scored. Prediction: Europa FC – AIK Solna 0-1.
Pick: under 3 goals
Odds: 1.62 @ 1xBet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 4.96
Event date: 21 July
