Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Arsenal
Match Time & Date:
20/09/2018
03:00 PM
Prediction: 2-0
Vorskla Poltava
Arsenal did well to make it to the Europa League semis last season, but Atletico Madrid eventually proved to be a big catch for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger is no longer in charge of the capital club and it remains to be seen if new coach Unai Emery is going to help the Gunners bring glory days back to Emirates Stadium. The Premier League side produce much better displays at home than on the travels and regardless which players will be deployed in the starting line-up, we believe that there is a big value in betting on the Premier League outfit. Vorksla, on the other hand, face an uphill task in their Europa League opener and given the quality of the home team, we predict that the visitors are going to return home empty-handed. The two sides have never met before in European competitions.
Highlighted Player (Granit Xhaka):
Granit Xhaka is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented central midfielders at the moment and he is on the radar of quite a few high-profile sides. Just two seasons at FC Basel proved enough to attract interest from Borussia M’gladbach, who secured his signature in the summer of 2012.
The Switzerland international had a slow start to his career in Germany, causing many pundits to start doubting his credentials, but he eventually turn things around to show he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Xhaka impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances in Bundesliga and European competitions, and he even managed to score a couple of important goals in the process.
Despite his fragile age, the highly regarded footballer has been a key member of the Switzerland national team for quite some time now, scoring 6 goals in his first 40 caps to establish himself as a real leader of the Rossocrociati. The 2014 World Cup, where he scored one goal in four starts, should prove just the first of many major tournaments to come.
Highlighted Team (Vorskla Poltava):
Founded in 1955, Vorskla Poltava are Ukranian team who compete in the Ukrainian Premier League. The Zeleno-Bili (Green-Whites) are not considered one of the best Ukrainian sides and they have always been in Dinamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk’s shadow. Vorskla Poltava have yet to win the national championship, but it has to be noted that they finished third on two occasions (1996/1997, 2017/2018).
Speaking of the Ukrainian Cup, Vorskla Poltava won the competition in 2009, with the team beating star-studded Shakhtar Donetsk in the title game. Vasyl Sachko scored the winner in the 50th minute of the match. Vorskla play their home games at Butovsky Vorskla Stadium, the venue which was opened back in May, 1951.
The capacity of the stadium located in Poltava is 24,795. Vorskla’s largest group of fans is Crew of Golden Eagle. The Ukranian side wear white shirts and white shorts when playing at home, while their away colours are green and white.
