Leicester New Favourites for Europa Conference League After Spurs Crash Out
Since Tottenham Hotspur entered the Europa Conference League back in August, they have been favourites to win the competition with every bookmaker. Qualifying from the group stage was supposed to be a walk in the park, but they made very hard work of it, and then due to player availability, they had to cancel their final match of the round.
That left them outside of the top two, which is what was required to make it through to the next stage. UEFA have decided that the cancelled game will not be replayed, instead Tottenham will have to forfeit the points, as they were the ones to cancel the game.
That has left Spurs in third place in the standings, crashing out of the competition they were supposed to win. Coming in at the next stage is Leicester City, a team that have dropped down after finishing third in their Europa League group. They have taken the place of Tottenham as favourites for the competition, so we still have an English club at the head of the market, though not the same one.
Can Leicester Win the Europa Conference League?
There will certainly be many who think Leicester can win this competition, and it will be an easier task than what they faced in the Europa League.
This is the first time the Europa Conference League has taken place, so whoever wins the competition will be known as the inaugural winners of the competition. That has led to a lot of interest in the competition, including watching games and betting on them. There are many bookmakers who offer sports free bets to new customers, including for football, so those wanting to get involved with the Europa Conference League can use these to their advantage.
The winner of the competition will get a spot in the Europa League next season, and given the troubles that Leicester are having domestically this season, that may be their best route into Europe. Leicester are 9th in the Premier League currently, which is not a disaster, but they do have to leapfrog over big teams such as Tottenham and Manchester United if they want to get in the Europa League via their Premier League position.
When you look at some of the names that are in the Europa Conference League, this certainly seems to be the easiest option for them. There is also the chance to win a trophy andhit the latest sports headlines by being the first winner of the competition.
Leicester will take on Randers in the playoff draw, which they need to win to reach the proper knockout phase. That is a game they should win, meaning they move on to the final rounds of the competition. Games are over two legs, Leicester may need a little bit of luck, but they certainly have the quality to go far, a run that could result in a trophy going into their cabinet.