UEFA Cup

Solid tipping from Tom here, as Villa got the win 3-1.

A host of Uefa Cup matches form right across Europe tonight but the one attracting my attention does involve an English club and I make Aston Villa a good bet at around the 1.85 to beat Litex Lovech in Bulgaria.

Villa have made a fine to start to the season, picking up where they left off last, and made it through final qualifying in this competition with ease. Hafnarfjordur were swept aside 5-2 on aggregate before Martin O’Neill’s side hade even contested a competitive game and Villa now lie fourth in the Premier League thanks to their win at White Hart Lane on Monday night.

The proximity of that fixture in relation to tonight’s is my only concern but even that shouldn’t stop the forward trio of Luke Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew causing the hosts any number of problems. The home side could only manage third place in the TBI A last season and they have very little European experience to call upon. The Bulgarian national team is flourishing at present but most of the top stars earn their living abroad, including Aston’ Villa’s Stiliyan Petrov, and there is clearly a gulf in class between the two sides.

I think there could be goals tonight, while Villa are always a threat on the break they do tend to concede also, but I expect the visitors to emerge victorious and it is unlikely they’ll play for a draw. A goalless score line on your travels in Europe is never a great result and Villa, and more importantly O’Neill, don’t have that kind of mentality any way.