Liverpool will certainly be favorites to win the Europa League this season, which is believed to be the last game under ‘supercomputer’ manager Jurgen Klopp. The Reds progressed through the group stage to the round of 16, where the winner of the preliminary round will determine their opponents.
The Europa League remains the only major competition that Klopp never won while in charge of Liverpool. He reached the final in 2016, his first season at Anfield, but lost 3-1 to Sevilla. After that, the Reds became regulars in the Champions League.
Until this season. Bookies favorite Liverpool have been given a 30.6% chance of winning this year’s final in Dublin by sports betting firm OLBG supercomputer. According to OLBG, “The supercomputer uses real information, including league tables and statistics, as well as historical data and standings from European competitions.
“Liverpool have won 306 times out of 1000 matches played, which means they have a 30.6% chance of winning.According to calculations, Manchester United’s biggest rival is none other than Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.In the Bundesliga, the leader’s win rate is 18.8%.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso is set to succeed Klopp at the end of the season following the German’s surprise decision to step down. Alonso’s Leverkusen side are top of the Bundesliga after 21 games and remain unbeaten in all competitions so far in the 2023/24 season.
Liverpool and Leverkusen have a 9.3% chance of meeting in an eventful encounter in the final on May 22, increasing the chances of one manager rejecting the other’s dramatic farewell. Overall, Klopp’s Reds have a 41.4% chance of reaching the final, a 57.1% chance of reaching the semi-finals and a 77% chance of winning the next round and progressing to the quarter-finals.
After Liverpool and Leverkusen, Brighton are considered the most likely team to win the league, but the Seagulls’ success rate is just 7.5%. Next on the list are Benfica, AC Milan and Atalanta, all with just over 6%.
At the same time, the probability of the English club West Ham to reach the final is 12.4%, but the probability of winning Dublin is only 5.8%. Rangers finished second in the 2022 Europa League and have just a 0.5% chance of lifting the trophy.
Liverpool will decide their last 16 opponents on Friday, February 23, after finishing as runners-up in the Europa League group stage and the Champions League group stage play-offs.The second legs will be played on March 7 and 14, with Manchester United playing at home.
The quarter-finals will take place on 11 and 18 April, and the semi-finals will take place on 2 and 9 May. The competition concludes with the final in Dublin on Wednesday 22 May, which will be Klopp’s last game in charge of Liverpool.
