Europa League – Final: Athletico Madrid vs Fulham

Prediction: Fulham to win

Odds: 3.25 at Expekt.com

Ciao all Expekt-friends!

First and foremost it is a magnificent achievement by Roy Hodgson to take a small team like Fulham to the final of the Europa League.

Roy is not only an accomplished manager who has vast international experience, he has the ability the get the best out of all his players albeit a small squad. He is big on team spirit and this is evident in their progress in this competition.

Apart from football, he is knowledgeable about many diverse subjects such as world history and music. Inter Milan people still are very fond of him despite Roy being in charge during a difficult phase in their history.

I think very highly of Roy and I rank him as one of the best five coaches in world football. He has managed a Fulham team that has deservedly beaten great teams such as Juventus and Wolfsburg on its way to the final.

Athletico Madrid on the other hand has more experienced players that have played in big European matches. Players such as Forlan and Aguero should not be underestimated in the game but Athletico have had the easier path into the final.

Athletico Madrid is the strong favourite as they have better players on paper but take nothing away from Fulham. They are well organized and their players are playing in the biggest game of their careers whilst some of the Athletico players will have an eye on the upcoming World Cup. The game will be very tight though.

Glenn Strömberg, Expekt.com