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Europa League draw: Chelsea and Arsenal tipped to win, latest odds on Rangers and Celtic
THE EUROPA LEAGUE draw will take place this afternoon, so who are the leading candidates to win the competition ahead of the group stage?
The Europa League draw gets underway in Monaco this afternoon, with 48 clubs anxiously waiting to learn their fate ahead of this year’s group stage.
Chelsea and Arsenal are two of the favourites to triumph prior to the ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum, while Sevilla, Lazio and AC Milan are also in the hat.
Both Celtic and Rangers have qualified for the 2018/19 tournament but Burnley’s European adventure is already over after the Clarets lost to Olympiakos in the final play-off round.
With the draw set to get underway at midday (1pm CET), punters will be eager for some hints on who to back before the finalised groups dramatically alter the odds.
Bookmakers Betfair have run the rule over every team competing in this year’s competition, and it is the Premier League contingent who stand-out.
Chelsea, who won the Premier League as recently as 2016/17, triumphed in the Champions League back in 2011/12 and snapped up the Europa League the following season, are 6/1 favourites this time around.
New manager Maurizio Sarri has some rebuilding to do after a dismal 2017/18 campaign under Antonio Conte, but the Blues are backed to go far.
Arsenal are also in Pot 1 for the draw, with the Gunners ready for another crack at the competition after losing to eventual winner Atletico Madrid in the semi-final last year.
Scottish title-winners Celtic missed out on Champions League football following their final qualifying round loss to AEK Athens and will be drawn from Pot 2.
Meanwhile, Rangers are in Pot 4 and set for a tough group after Steven Gerrard’s side secured their spot with a 2-1 aggregate victory over FC Ufa.
The former Liverpool captain has only been at the club since May but is undefeated in 12 matches across all competitions.
Elsewhere, 2017/18 finalists Marseille are 20/1 outsiders to lift the trophy alongside the likes of Bundesliga duo RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.