UEFA Europa League Odds 2023/24: Liverpool big favourites for glory

The Europa League kicks back into action on Thursday. This is the extra stage that the Champions League doesn’t have - the qualifying round of 32 - so not all of the big guns are in action and there’s still a long way to go until the final in Dublin. Below we’ve assessed the main contenders and their chances of going all the way. 

Liverpool @ 11/5

The favourites for Europa League glory, and rightly so. Liverpool have proved themselves to be an elite Champions League team under Jurgen Klopp so it is disappointing they find themselves in this competition in his final season. They’ve also shown this term that they are one of the finest teams in England and, by extension, the world. 

They are taking on Manchester City and Arsenal for domestic supremacy, while they have the strongest squad left in this competition. Already through to the last 16 having won their group, the Reds only have to win three ties and then the final to lift another European trophy. They are certainly going to take this seriously, and Klopp would love to round off his tenure with European success. 

Bayer Leverkusen @ 9/2

The in-form team in Europe right now. Bayer Leverkusen are writing one of the best stories we have ever seen under Xabi Alonso. Having been threatened with relegation when the Spaniard came in last term, they qualified for this competition after a dramatic upturn in form. Now they are leading the Bundesliga by five points, beat Bayern Munich 3-0 at the weekend, and are yet to lose a game this season. They’ve won six from six in this competition and are in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals as they target the perfect season.

I wouldn’t back against them going all the way in every single competition this term. Hopefully they can avoid Liverpool until the latter stages, but we have two very special teams in this competition this year. It would without a doubt be the perfect final, especially if Liverpool tempt Alonso to be their successor to Klopp. It’s hard to see any side getting the better of Liverpool or Leverkusen in this season’s Europa League.

AC Milan @ 10/1

We must consider AC Milan as worthy contenders, but they are a level below the two favourites, as the odds suggest. Stefano Pioli’s men are eight points off the pace in Serie A. However, they are in good form, having recently beaten Napoli, and are desperate for some European success. 

They still boast the talents of Rafael Leao, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have both stepped up since joining from Chelsea. There’s a lot to like about Milan this season, and they have what it takes to go deep in this competition. Opposition teams won’t particularly fancy a trip to San Siro either, but they will need to get past Rennes to book their place in the last 16.

Roma @ 12/1

If this was Jose Mourinho’s Roma, I’d be backing them to reach the final. That man just adores European football and knows exactly how to win a two-legged tie. He nearly went all the way with the Giallorossi in last year’s competition, only losing the final to Sevilla via a penalty shootout. 

Now Daniele De Rossi is the man in the hotseat and it has been a positive start. He’s won four of his five matches so far, only losing last time out to league leaders Inter Milan. With Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala, they’ve certainly got a talented squad, but they have a tough tie against Feyenoord to come before they can think about going deeper into the competition. They should be targeting a semi-final spot.

Brighton & Hove Albion @ 14/1

Brighton’s first foray into European football is going well. They beat both Marseille and Ajax to top spot in their group, and as a result are straight into the last 16 without any fuss. Those nights at the Amex are likely to be special, and they have a lot of quality, including Evan Ferguson, Kaoru Mitoma and Ansu Fati. 

However, they don’t have any experience in this sort of European knockout football. Their group-stage success was marvellous, and I believe they can get to the last eight, but I’d be surprised if they go further than that. 

West Ham United @ 16/1

Strangely, I’d be more inclined to back West Ham than Brighton. We saw in the Europa Conference League just how smart they were in navigating their way to the final, and now he's under pressure again a European adventure could save David Moyes. Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus are two excellent players, and they might be able to cause a shock or two. Having said that, against the Italian giants, Bayer Leverkusen or Liverpool, you’d expect them to come unstuck. 

Sporting CP @ 22/1

Our selected outside pick for glory here. Sporting CP are involved in a title tussle in Portugal, currently level on points with Benfica at the top of the table. They have a game in hand on their nearest rivals and will be desperate to secure their 20th league title. 

Their success is down to their talented squad, spearheaded by one of the finest strikers in Europe. Viktor Gyokeres has been sensational since joining from Coventry City for £20m in the summer. He has 27 goals and 11 assists in 29 games in all competitions this season, and that form has led Premier League teams to consider whether he is worth spending £100m on. With Ruben Amorim at the helm and a winnable round-of-32 tie against Young Boys to come, I believe Sporting could be the surprise package this year. 22/1 feels like a long price for a team which is going so well both domestically and in Europe. 

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