Betting: Back Sevilla to make short work of toothless Leicester
If someone emerged from 18 months in a cave to see Leicester City 17th in the Premier League, they probably wouldn’t bat an eye.
The news that the Foxes won the league last year, and are now in the Champions League knock-out stages would probably leave them wondering how long they’d been in there.
Just don’t tell them about Brexit or Trump.
Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester travel to Sevilla tonight with the odds stacked against them.
They haven’t won in eight in all competitions, and haven’t even scored in the league since the end of last year.
Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat to 10-man Millwall may have been with a weakened side, but it hardly gives confidence going into Wednesday's game.
Sevilla, on the other hand, are flying high in the La Liga title race, and are the closest threat to breaking up the Real Madrid and Barcelona duopoly.
Having beaten Real last month, they sit just three points off the top in third, with Jorge Sampaoli aiming to become the first Sevilla boss to finish in the top two since 1957 – and the first to win the Spanish league since 1946.
The Rojiblancos aren’t short of success in Europe, however.
The Andalusian club have won the Europa League five times in the last 11 years, including the past three seasons in a row.
Champions League progression means they can’t defend the trophy this year, but Sampaoli won’t mind if it means they go far in this competition.
As sad as it may seem, up against a Leicester side struggling so badly, they shouldn’t have too much trouble this week.
The Foxes made short work of Group G, but it was a relatively weak one.
The 5-0 hammering handed to them by Porto in the dead-rubber final match shows the gulf in class between Leicester and Europe’s elite – and the difficulties they’re going to face tomorrow.
Research from SmartBets shows the Foxes are only creating 5.33 chances per game in the Champions League, and with such a lack of attacking threat I can’t see them worrying their opponents too much.
Back Sevilla to win to nil at 5/8 with 188BET.
Pointers
Sevilla to win to nil – 5/8 (188BET)