Kyiv’s class to count
David John very much likes the look of Dynamo Kyiv when they face Aalborg in the Europa League on Thursday.
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Dynamo Kyiv look too classy for Aalborg
4pts Dynamo Kyiv to beat Aalborg
Everton will have been boosted by a pleasing return to form over the weekend in the Premier League which sets them up nicely for Thursday’s hop across to northern France on the Eurostar to face Lille.
Reports suggest there will be 8-10,000 Toffees fans making the journey for what looks like being an evenly-matched contest as the visitors attempt to press home their advantage at the top of Group H.
Top scorer Steven Naismith is not in the squad but England midfielder Ross Barkley’s return for a little over an hour in the 3-0 victory at home to Aston Villa does give manager Roberto Martinez an added option against a side that has drawn their first two games in the competition against Krasnodar and Wolfsburg.
It will be interesting to see as well how teenage Lille striker Divock Origi fares against his future Merseyside rivals. The 19-year-old, who had such a fantastic World Cup, was loaned stright back to Lille from Liverpool for a season and three goals in Ligue 1 and another in the Europa League means the Everton back four will have to be on alert.
I am going to give the game a swerve from a betting perspective though, a statement that also applies to Tottenham taking on Asteras Tripoli at White Hart Lane.
The latter currently top Group C with a win and a draw while Spurs still look for that first victory – the Greeks may be a pretty unfamiliar rival but they may not be quite the pushover a 10/1 quote suggests with the hosts at 1/3.
They have already seen off Mainz and Macabi Tel-Aviv in a campaign to reach the group phase that started in July while a draw with Besiktas and a win over Partizan Belgrade represents an excellent early return.
While new boss Maurcio Pochettino and Spurs still gets to grips with one another and their form remains rather patchy, I would not be keen in the least to back them at odds-on and the brave ones among you may even be tempted to take the visitors in the Double Chance market if you fancy a punt on the televised action.
Back Dynamo Kyiv to beat Aalborg!
But I am going to play a much straighter bat myself and row in with Dynamo Kyiv on the road at Aalborg.
Former Spurs striker Sergei Rebrov is at the helm of the former and there have certainly been signs this season that he has them moving in a positive direction since his appointment in May.
They are on a 13-match unbeaten run and have made a perfect start in the Europa League with victories over Rio Ave and Steaua Bucharest.
I get the impression they will bully the Danish champions, who failed in their bid to reach the Champions League and have stuttered somewhat with just one victory in their last five outings and sit only eighth domestically.
It looks a classic case of a smaller team unable to cope on two fronts with a limited squad as Lukas Spalvis, Rasmus Jonsson and Patrick Kristensen are already among a gaggle of injured players.
They did beat Rio Alve by a goal to nil but Kyiv swept that rival aside 3-0 in Portugal and I would fancy it could be a similar sort of outcome as Rebrov keeps up the relentless pace.
Six wins from their last seven away days for Kyiv boosts confidence in the bet further and they should gain the day with some ease at a fraction of odds-on.
Celtic complete the British trio of teams in action as they welcome Romanian side Astra Giurgiu.
Ronny Deila is trying his best to make a horlicks of the Scottish Premiership but he at least earned himself some breathing space at the weekend with a 5-0 rout of Ross County.
Nothing less than a win will do here either in a tight Group D as they face a team yet to win from their two European ventures so far and have just one success from their most recent eight fixtures.
Reports of an unpaid bill for their flight to Scotland and visa issues for two of their best players verges on the shambolic and the Bhoys should do the business.
Thursday Europa League verdicts:
Lille 1 Everton 1
Tottenham 1 Asteras Tripoli 1
Celtic 3 Astra Giurgiu
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