Last week we saw the semi final first leg ties played out across the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
The second leg of those six games will now take place this week from Tuesday to Thursday nights, after which we will know the two finalists in each of the three big UEFA club competitions.
With it being a big week of European football action, you can bet that bet365 Sport will be right on it with a number of great bets available on each game, both pre-match and In Play.
In our preview of all six games below, we will take a look at how the first leg went in each game, as well as giving you a preview of the second leg, any pertinent team news or similar for the game and, our tip for how we see the second leg working out and what that means in terms of who will go through to the final.
The action begins tonight and Wednesday evening with the two Champions League semi final second leg ties so that is where we will begin our preview.
Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg Previews
Tuesday 16th May
- Inter Milan (2) v (0) AC Milan
First Leg Review – AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan
Inter Milan took control of the first leg of this tie early in the game and it was a double-blow from which AC Milan struggled to recover, especially with the likes of Rafael Leao and Zlatan Ibrahimovic unable to play due to injury.
Milan started slowly and Inter had already looked very dangerous on the break when they took the lead from a corner, the cross came in and Edin Dzeko got his leg in front of his marker to volley the ball home sensationally from 8 yards.
A few minutes later, Inter were 2-0 up, Mkhitaryan bursting through the middle as the Milan defence parted like the Red and Black sea, allowing the Armenian to fire past Maignan and into the net to hand Inter a 2-0 lead that they never really looked likely to lose for the rest of the game.
Second Leg Preview – Inter (2) v (0) AC Milan (8pm)
Milan will be hoping Rafael Leao will be back for this game but he remains a doubt, while Messias, Krunic and Bennacer are all injured along with Ibrahimovic. Robin Gosens is back for Inter but likely won’t start while Milan Skriniar will miss out for certain due to his lengthy injury layoff.
The first goal in this game, designated as Inter’s home game but also played at the San Siro, will be crucial. Milan must score it to get back into the tie, but if Inter manage to score it then the tie will likely be effectively over.
My feeling is it will be Inter, who have won four of their last five over Milan, including the last three, who will score the first goal which will effectively make the tie safe.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – Inter to win 2-1 (Inter win 4-1 on aggregate) – 8/1
Wednesday 17th May
- Manchester City (1) v (1) Real Madrid
First Leg Review – Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City
An extremely high quality first leg, punctuated by two fantastic goals, ended all-square with Manchester City probably the happier of the two teams given that they were the away team in the first leg.
In a strange quirk, both goals came for the team under pressure at that period of the game. Vinicius Jr’s 20-yard blockbuster putting Real in front just over the half hour mark of the first half which Manchester City had much the better of.
Real improved in the second but rather than extend their lead, they lost it when Kevin de Bruyne powered home his own sweetly struck 20-yard drive low into the bottom corner of the net just as Real looked to have control of the game. We can expect more of this high quality in Wednesday Night’s second leg too.
Second Leg Preview – Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid (8pm)
What a cracking game we have in store on Wednesday night. Both teams will feel they have a great chance to reach the final, but Manchester City do have the advantage of being at home in the second leg and that could prove decisive.
It was hard to separate the two teams last week and with this game in mind, Real rested some star men, while City had to play the majority of their team from Tuesday night in their 3-0 win over Everton. Could that prove decisive here? I’m not so sure.
One thing I do think we will see will be goals at both ends and my gut feeling is that while we won’t see a 4-3 like we had in the home leg of the semifinal last year at the Etihad, we may well see a one goal win for Manchester City once again.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – Man City 2-1 Real Madrid (Man City win 3-2 on agg) – 15/2
Europa League Semi Final 2nd Leg Previews
Thursday 18th May
- Bayer Leverkusen (0) v (1) AS Roma
First Leg Review – AS Roma 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen
This tie always looked likely to be very tight between two teams that looked well-matched on paper and the first leg certainly proved that as despite Leverkusen having much more of the possession, it was Roma who landed the first leg lead heading into the game in Germany.
It was young midfielder Edoardo Bove who handed Roma the lead after he converted a Tammy Abraham shot that was only parried into his direction by Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecky.
Leverkusen had a couple of good chances to score, Wirtz early miss being the best but Frimpong had a chance to level the match later in the game after a mistake by the Roma keeper Rui Patricio, but his goal-bound effort was cleared off the line. There looks to be plenty of football still to play in the second leg of this tie this week.
Second Leg Preview – Bayer Leverkusen (0) v (1) AS Roma (8pm)
The first leg of this tie was very tight with AS Roma just edging things and I think this second leg will be equally as even, with the German side likely dominating possession and Roma being dangerous on the counter attack.
I would not be too surprised to see Roma bring back Paolo Dybala for the second leg, with the Argentinean more proficient in a counter-attacking role and I think his inclusion in the team would be a big help to AS Roma.
I can see Leverkusen scoring at home but they also do concede goals and in a tight game that could be decisive as I can see Roma striking a second half goal to pip the Germans on aggregate here by securing a draw on the night.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – Bayer Lev 1-1 AS Roma (Roma win 2-1 on agg) – 6/1
- Sevilla (1) v (1) Juventus
First Leg Review – Juventus 1-1 Sevilla
Juventus will count themselves extremely fortunate to come into this game with the tie level after a first leg that was dominated by the six-time winners of this tournament. Sevilla went in front through En-Neysri’s goal in the first half and they had a number of other chances to add to that tally.
En-Neysri and Ocampo were the two players to miss those chances and it proved crucial as in a game that Sevilla had dominated, Juventus landed a fortunate leveller in the seventh minute of injury time.
Paul Pogba, now ruled out of the second leg with an injury, did well to turn the ball back across goal with an agile header allowing Grillo to run and head home at the far post to give the Italian side parity heading into what will be a very difficult second leg in Seville.
Second Leg Preview – Sevilla (1) v (1) Juventus (8pm)
Sevilla have never not won the Europa League when they have reached the latter stage of this tournament and after their fine display in Turin, they will feel they have a great chance here, albeit without Ocampos who picked up an injury in the first leg that keeps him out of the second.
In contrast, Juventus will be seeking a much better display than they put up in Turin but in this competition this season, they have been excellent on the road, winning two and drawing one of their three games in the knockout phase.
However, as I said against Manchester United in the quarterfinals, there is something about Sevilla in this competition that seems to make them almost unbeatable and I am backing them to land a convincing win to reach their seventh Europa League final.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – Sevilla 3-1 Juventus (Sevilla win 4-2 on agg) – 22/1
Europa Conference League Semi Final 2nd Leg Previews
Thursday 18th May
- AZ Alkmaar (1) v (2) West Ham
First Leg Review – West Ham 2-1 AZ Alkmaar
West Ham came from a goal down to secure a 2-1 win over Alkmaar in the first leg, but it took a fgift of a penalty from the visitors to get the Hammers back into this game. Alkmaar played well in the first half and deservedly went in front when Reijnders shot from 20 yards found the bottom corner.
For 60 minutes, West Ham looked lethargic and off the pace, but a gift appeared in the shape of former Brighton keeper Matt Ryan whose clumsy challenge on Jarrod Bowen handed the home side a penalty, which Said Benrahma converted expertly into the bottom corner.
Tails up after the equaliser, West Ham were a changed side and just a couple of minutes later, they took the lead when Aguerd’s header was blocked on the line by Sugiyama, only for Antonio to prod the loose ball home. A feisty second leg in the Netherlands looks very likely this week.
- Second Leg Preview – AZ Alkmaar (1) v (2) West Ham (8pm)
After a strong showing in the first half last week, AZ Alkmaar will feel they are very much in this tie and they may well fancy their chances after a big win at the weekend in the Eredivisie, while West Ham were losing to Brentford.
However, away from home in the Conference League this season, West Ham have been excellent in marked contrast to their Premier League form and it is going to take a huge effort from AZ Alkmaar to overcome a team that have been in great form in this competition.
The first leg was close and I expect this game to be a close one too and while I expect AZ to push West Ham hard here, I think the Hammers will do enough to claim a draw and with it a spot in the final.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – AZ Alkmaar 1-1 West Ham (West Ham win 2-1 on agg) – 11/2
- FC Basel (2) v (1) Fiorentina
First Leg Review – Fiorentina 1-2 FC Basel
A fine counter-attacking display by FC Basel in the second half of their game with Fiorentina, saw the Swiss side earn an unexpected victory over the Italians to set up an exciting second leg at St Jakob’s Park this week.
Former Basel striker Cabral gave Fiorentina a first half lead in this game, but La Vecchiola were undone by a fantastic run and finish from Diouf who brought Basel level after the Swiss side had looked very dangerous on the counter.
Worse was to come for the home fans as Amdouni then put FC Basel in front injury time which means that the Italian favourites will have to rely on their excellent away form in this competition once again if they are to reach the final.
- Second Leg Preview – FC Basel (2) v (1) Fiorentina (8pm)
FC Basel may have landed a win away last week, but they were thrashed 6-1 at the weekend and they face a Fiorentina side that have won their last four away games in this competition 4-1 (twice), 3-0 and 4-0.
That should sound warning bells for the Swiss team who did exceptionally well last week to secure the win, with their first goal in particular being an outstanding individual effort. They are going to need an equally impressive performance tonight.
The problem is, Fiorentina are a team that seem to be much more suited to playing away from home and the quality the Italian team has means I can’t back against them here. Take Fiorentina to land a comeback win.
Score Prediction (aggregate) – FC Basel 1-3 Fiorentina (Fiorentina win 4-3 on agg) – 12/1