Red Devils can make it Hell for Real

Champions League football returns for the deciding legs of the first knockout round & we're liking Tuesday night's games as they look to hold some value for the home sides as Borussia Dortmund host Shakhtar Donetsk & Man United take on Real Madrid at Old Trafford.

Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk

This tie between German champions (for the last two years) Borussia Dortmund & their Ukranian counterparts Shakhtar is sitting balanced at 2-2 but there's good reason to believe that Dortmund will be able to outclass & outpower Shakhtar now back here in the Westfalenstadion.

(Mats Hummels & Neven Subotic provide Dortmund's defensive platform)

Dortmund already hold an advantage with two away goals but that doesn't mean they are likely to sit back as they have some of Europe's most exciting & coveted attacking talent in their fluid front three of Marco Reuss, Mario Gotze & lethal striker Robert Lewandoski. Bayern Munich may be running away with the league this term but Dortmund are still 2nd & they've only lost 4 matches in the league so far, with the aforementioned three players all in double figures for goals & Polish midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski too. Blaszcykowski has really stepped up on the offensive front this season & it looks like he'll contribute to an all-out offensive against Shakhtar who just aren't used to this quality in their national league where they've won 18 of 19 games this season in a cakewalk.

Shakhtar have some fine players themselves with ex-Arsenal forward, the 'Brazilian-Croatian' Eduardo a constant pacey menace up front along with 'Brazilian-Brazilian' Luiz Adriano alongside, they did lose star midfielder Willian (who scored twice vs Chelsea) to the big-spending Russian club Anzhi though. We also like their captain the Croatian Darijo Srna who scored with a free kick in the first leg, he can operate either at right back or further up the pitch & is dependable & dangerous in equal measure. The goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov also looks decent from what we saw of him at the European Championships for Ukraine but overall the side will struggle to match-up against Dortmund. They don't just have to worry about the German side's attacking players but also their strength in central defence where they have two of the best young centre backs in football with Subotic & Hummels, Hummels excelled for Germany in the Euros & is sought after by several of the elite sides in Europe. Shakhtar Donetsk needed to win in their home leg to progress in this one & they could find it tough going as their domestic season has only just started again after the long winter break.

Dortmund have already beaten Real Madrid & Manchester City at home & they are serious teams (even though City haven't got the hang of European football yet!) so to get odds of 8/13 about them winning in 90 minutes here looks a gift. It may be that the bookies reckon they won't go all out if they are drawing 0-0 or 1-1 as that will take them through but manager Jurgen Klopp will not want to see it that finely balanced & we can see a clear win in this one.

Manchester United vs Real Madrid

We've already tipped Man United to go qualify over Real Madrid & we're not about to abandon the English champions-elect now as they look to take their outstanding domestic form into this game & beat Madrid who sit just 3rd in the Spanish league.

(Xabi Alonso & Ronaldo are key players United need to stop for Madrid)

It's not easy to predict the starting lineup for United although it seems almost certain van Persie & Rooney will start plus Welbeck too after his important contribution in the first leg, it would also be good to see Kagawa given the start again after his hat-trick on Saturday, particularly bearing in mind the difficulty he caused in the Real defence first time around with his runs in behind even though he didn't have a great game. Regardless of who starts for United they will be set up with the express intention of stopping former Old Trafford hero Cristiano Ronaldo whilst also trying to create chance themselves & whilst that obviously isn't easy Ferguson is surely the manager most capable of finding a way to stop the Portuguese menace - we wouldn't be surprised to find out that Phil Jones' injury miraculously clears up in time or even that Wayne Rooney gets asked to do a number on Ronaldo!

United's achievements this year, in particularly in the last two to three months have been a team effort, van Persie of course has been excellent but it has been difficult to criticise any player, save for Antonio Valencia, in recent games as everyone has been dependable most of the time with individuals stepping up as needed. It's different approach from that of Madrid who still give the impression of 11 individuals & that's why they sit so far off Barcelona in the league as individuals can't gain the consistency of a true team of players. Real have certainly hit form recently with two wins against Barcelona (who are in their worst run of form in years) in the past week & they are probably capable of a better one-off performance than United but there's no guarantee of that on Tuesday. United have been outstanding for months having not lost a meaningful game since November, winning 14 of 16 league games (drawing away to good sides in Spurs & Swansea) & progressing in the FA Cup - regardless of what's said about English football being in decline, the English league as a whole is no less strong than La Liga after Barcelona are taken out of the equation.

Madrid will certainly be feeling good after those two Barcelona victories but they won't see themselves as the favourites that the bookies do, a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu was a victory for United & now they hold home advantage which is important in domestic games but a bigger advantage in European ones. Of course Real could do it, they've some outstanding players & Mesut Ozil could punish United if they allow him space like they did in the first leg but Madrid have already lost 5 times away in the league so taking United at a huge price of 23/10 to win looks the best option here. It is exceptionally rare to see Man United at that kind of price at home & it's time to start believing that they may be as good as their points total looks, with de Gea stepping up in goal & Evans responding superbly to being given a new long-term contract they have the steel at the back to support the sparkle at the front & can beat Mourinho's slightly flaky 'Galacticos'!

(Nani is a difference maker)

Talking of 'sparkle' we think that United's most 'twinkly-toed' Michael Jackson & Cristiano Ronaldo impersonator Nani may be the best bet for first goalscorer at 14/1, he has struggled with injury & form for most of the season but came off the bench in the first half against Reading last week & took the game by the scruff of the neck just like Ronaldo used to. This could be the game where Nani puts himself to another level, we all know he has the skills & if Ferguson puts him into this game he will relish it - it's a big 'if' so wait until the teams are announced then have a little punt.

Selections:
Borussia Dortmund to beat Shakhtar Donetsk at 8/13 (General)
Manchester United to beat Real Madrid at 23/10 (Bet365)
Nani to score first at 14/1 (Blue Square & 888Sport) - if he's in the starting XI

Champions League - United say bring it on Mourinho

Lovely, a little bit of the best club competition in the world this week as the Champions League returns & we've got previews of Tuesday's two games plus a fancy over two legs for the Real Madrid vs Manchester United tie.

Celtic vs Juventus

Celtic have already done magnificently well to qualify from their group containing European masters Barcelona  & they now take on another heavyweight in Juventus.

(Big man Fraser Forster will be hard to beat in Celtic's goal)

Neil Lennon's men have managed to get fired up for their Champions League games so far (they're by far & away the only big games they face nowadays thanks to Rangers demotion) & they were unbeaten at home in their group including when holding Barcelona to a nil-nil draw & they're unlikely to opt for an expansive approach here. Fraser Forster, their giant young English goalkeeper, has been in top form this season & he'll be protected by a decent defence including the outstanding left back Emilio Izaguirre. That solid base means Celtic are comfortable with teams coming on to them & they'll have to be as Juventus will have a lot of the ball thanks to Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings.

Juve also have ex-Man United youngster Paul Pogba establishing himself as a player of real talent & potential & he'll provide the battling qualities they'll need here. Juventus however don't have a striker on their books who can strike fear into opposition defences like other top clubs in Europe do, with no one player having scored more than 10 this season & they've recently signed veteran Nicolas Anelka but he's not made an appearance yet & he may not play here.

We expect the Old Lady will come through over two legs but they are pragmatic & would not view a draw as a bad result as they'll have a lot of confidence that they can overpower the SPL side back in Turin, bearing in mind Celtic are very hard to beat at Celtic Park the 11/4 on offer about a draw is too big a price to miss.

Valencia vs Paris Saint-Germain

This has the potential to be an exciting tie with Valencia doing well in their qualifying group & having star striker Robert Soldado scoring freely this season whilst free-spending PSG have assembled a great attacking squad & have started to really leave their mark on their domestic league.

(Lucas Moura is maybe PSG's most exciting talent)

Valencia, like so many other Spanish clubs, remain in a precarious financial situation & they changed managers at the beginning of December with ex-Rafa Benitez assistant Mauricio Pellegrino taking up the head coach reins for the first time in his career. They play some nice attacking football with the option to be quie direct with Robert Soldado an excellent focal point & also play some more intricate stuff through the likes of the Brazilian Jonas & the technically sound Tino Costa. That attacking play can though sometimes come at a cost defensively & they've shipped 35 goals in La Liga so far, twice conceding 5 in a single game this season. Full backs Cissokho & Pereira are better going forwards than at defending whilst there is not a settled first choice keeper at the moment with Alves & Vicente Guaita fighting over the number one shirt.

PSG really are an interesting case, their lack of Champions League experience as a club should limit their potential according to established thinking yet they smashed their way through the group stage & have some incredibly exciting talents at the club (obviously not including David 'stunt signing' Beckham!). Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a fine footballer, & is now more appreciated here in the UK, & is ably supported in attack by Ezequiel Lavezzi who played so well for Napoli along with Edison Cavani last season. The player who most interests us though is the incredibly talented Brazilian youngster Lucas Moura who was bought before the start of the season but loaned straight back to Sao Paulo before joining up with the French club this January. Moura really is a unique talent as you'll see in the video above & this could be the game where he shows why he cost around 45 million euros.

The French league have certainly given PSG every chance of success in this one by scheduling their Ligue 1 game last Friday, just a couple of days after the international friendlies but meaning they've had a lot of time to prepare for this game. PSG are strong favourites to win over two legs so to see odds of 2/1+ for them to win here looks a little on the big side when you consider their big 15 points haul in their qualifying group, put your trust in them to put on a show of attacking brilliance & put this to bed before the return match.

Real Madrid vs Manchester United

This is a monster of a game with the two biggest club sides in the world facing off against each other & some of football's biggest personalities to boot, you'll see plenty of pictures of the Portugese pair of Jose Mourinho & the incomparable Cristiano Ronaldo but this could just be the last we see of them in this season's competition...

(Cristiano Ronaldo would be the greatest in any other era - WHY MESSI??!!!)

In terms of man for man players Madrid would seemingly be able to play United off the park if reputations were all that mattered with the likes of Ronaldo, Ozil, Khedira, Alonso, Benzema, Higuain, Sergio Ramos, Modric & di Maria but it takes more than names & individuals to make a great team & Real are not quite that. There are some serious internal issues at Madrid with apparent divisions between the large Portugese contingent & the Spanish players with reports that Sergio Ramos & popular keeper Ilker Casillas had issued a warning to the club president that players would be looking to leave in the Summer if Mourinho wasn't removed. It's all led to Real being far off the pace in the league & although they can of course come up with ace performances (they should be able to with that list of talent) they have at times looked off the pace & sloppy & were just dreadful at Granada last week when losing 1-0 to a Ronaldo on goal. Madrid are without top keeper Casillas through injury for both games & that's a worry when backup Antonio Adan has only played for them 7 times & is coming up against a United strikeforce that have the highest chance conversion rate in the Premier League.

(Rafael da Silva has been in fine form this season, especially in recent games)

United are all about the team & although they clearly have outstanding individuals they are arguably greater than the sum of their parts & Ferguson continues to prove he's a shrewd tactical manager - maybe something he doesn't get credited for as much as his other skills. The key in this game is to stop Cristiano Ronaldo & don't be surprised to see someone do a man marking job but there's reason to believe he could have troubles anyway as Rafael is turning into a fine player, adding in the defensive skills & decision making to complement his tremendous attacking threat. Gary Neville giving him Sky Sports' man of the match award this Sunday was a nice touch & the ex-United right back will have done so with one eye on giving him added confidence for this game. With van Persie up front the Red Devils always pose a potent threat & Wayne Rooney & the emerging Shinji Kagawa can expose any chinks in the Madrid defence - they definitely exist. At the other end of the pitch Nemanja Vidic is getting back to full fitness & making a big difference in the heart of the defence whilst David de Gea is also improving, his shot stopping skills have never been in doubt & that could be decisive with Ronaldo's shoot on sight policy.

You'll read & hear a lot about Real being a long way off Barcelona in the league & looking very unlikely to catch them so they'll be super pumped for this Champions League game but that's too much of trying to turn a negative into a positive - they're way behind because of their inconsistency & the fact they aren't as good as the sum of their parts. We've noted previously that United are on for an enormous points haul in the league & their play has been underestimated this season, with the 2nd leg of this tie at Old Trafford that's a significant advantage & we genuinely believe they should be odds on to qualify - they aren't so instead take great odds of 6/4 for Ferguson's men to go through to the quarter finals. You likely won't get another chance to back Robin van Persie to score 1st at odds as big as 7/1 all season so take them, he's United's far likeliest scorer as Rooney will drop off the front because his work rate further back is too useful in these big European games.

Selections:
Celtic & Juventus to draw at 11/4 (Stan James)
Paris Saint-Germain to beat Valencia at 11/5 (BetVictor, Stan James & William Hill)
Manchester United to qualify over Real Madrid at 6/4 (Coral)
Robin van Persie to score first at 7/1 (Various)

Real to show City what being Elite in Europe is all about

The Champions League begins again this Tuesday & is undoubtedly the premier club competition in the world, we're taking a look at the glamorous Real Madrid vs Man City tie plus have a pick from the lowest tier of English professional football as we seek the value high & low.

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Manchester City embark on their second season in the Champions League after disappointing last year & going out at the group stage & in their opener they face maybe the toughest fixture in Europe when taking on Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Mancini will almost certainly be sending his side out with the intention of nicking a draw but that could prove some way beyond them if Madrid can pick themselves up after a very poor start to their league season.

(Will Manchester City be able to cope with the skills of Angel Di Maria?)

Mourinho has publicly questioned his players spirit, suggesting they've only really got up for their Spanish Super Cup games with arch rivals Barcelona so far & they slumped to defeat at Sevilla at the weekend. That Sevilla game could prove a bit of a wake up call though & they have players who tend to be able to rise to the occasion & this is the greatest club competition in the world. Real Madrid won all of their home games in the competition last year & only went out in the semis by penalties, Man City meanwhile struggled on their travels & only picked up a win in their group when taking on the woeful Villareal who ended up without a single point. It takes a while to learn how to play in Europe & City are taking their first tentative steps, of course they weren't helped last year with the Carlos Tevez situation & that is at least seemingly behind them plus Sergio Aguero looks to coming back to full fitness offering them outstanding striking options.

Real do have the pedigree though & the weapons to hurt City, if the English side are potentially vulnerable it would be down the flanks & Cristiano Ronaldo will look to get at Zabaleta & Di Maria will be all over Gael Clichy down the right hand side. They'll have Gonzalo Higuain in the middle & he's looked pretty hot so far this season, taking advantage of Benzema's continuing struggles after a poor Euro 2012 for France. As well as being able to do the pretty stuff Madrid aren't afraid to get physical & they could need to here if they are to stop the rampaging Yaya Toure. We just feel that Madrid are a bit of value at odds of 3/4 at home as they'll look to win this whereas Mancini's caution & City's inexperience could mean they don't offer enough going forward to relieve pressure from defence.

Bradford City vs Morecambe

(James Hanson has 4 goals in all competitions this season)

In League Two Bradford City entertain Morecambe at Valley Parade, after six games each Bradford are in 7th place with 10 points whilst Morecambe are a couple of points back & in 13th. The Bantams have had their struggles on the road so far but have a perfect record in front of their own fans having comprehensively beaten Barnet & AFC Wimbledon (7-0 on aggregate) & also gaining a good 1-0 victory over 3rd place Fleetwood Town. Striking trio James Hanson, summer signing Alan Connell & rising star Nahki Wells have already scored seven league goals between them & will be relishing the prospect of facing a Morecambe defence which has conceded nine goals in six league matches. Morecambe have had a thoroughly mixed start so far with two wins, two draws & two defeats. Most recently Morecambe took 4-0 derby hammering from Fleetwood & that was followed by a dire 0-0 draw against Aldershot on Saturday where they failed to register a single shot on target. Bradford strikers can do the business against an average Morecambe side & bag the three points at the reasonable odds of 5/6 with Coral.

Selections:
Real Madrid to beat Manchester City at 3/4 (BetVictor)
Bradford City to beat Morecambe at 5/6 (Coral)

Bayern & West Ham to make most of hometown advantage

On Saturday we get a great send off to the club football season with the Champions League final between two of Europe's finest clubs in England's own Chelsea & Bayern Munich in Bayern's own stadium, in England we get the proclaimed 'richest game in football' with the Championship Playoff final with Blackpool & West Ham fighting it out for a lucrative spot in the Premier League. We've previewed both games, taking a look at the strengths & weaknesses of the teams involved & the likely outcomes.

(Ashley Cole will need to be at his best to deal with Bayern's wingers)

Chelsea and Bayern Munich face up in the Champions League final this Saturday at the Allianz Arena after they saw off Spanish super giants Barcelona & Real Madrid respectively in their semi-finals. But the victories came at a price for them as both sides are missing influential players for the show piece event. Chelsea have a number of notable problems in defence with suspensions to captain John Terry & Branislav Ivanovic and the fact that David Luiz & Gary Cahill have missed the end of season games injured. Both players have declared themselves fit but it will is a problem for Roberto Di Matteo have to start both knowing their lack of match practice. Despite all the plaudits for Chelsea's defensive performances in the competition (especially in the Camp Nou) against Barcelona it will be a different & much harder challenge facing them this time. Barcelona played without any real wingers which allowed the Blues to sit back with two banks of four & suck up all the space in the middle of the park as everything was played in-front of the centre halves whilst Bayern will look to use their dynamic wingers in Franck Ribery & Arjen Robben to exploit the wide areas & get behind Chelsea's backline to provide the balls to prolific striker Mario Gomez. Ashley Cole is an excellent fullback but with Jose Bosingwa likely to start on the right Bayern will know that there is a real weakness to be exposed & clearly have the players to do it.

Another major blow for Chelsea is them missing arguably their player of the season in Ramires. His work rate, no stop running & knack of scoring critical goals can't be matched anymore by his likely replacement Michael Essien who has sadly struggled to capture anything like his best form since a number of long term injuries. Frank Lampard's performance is also dragged up by Ramires doing the running that he can no longer do & it would be no surprise to see the Chelsea great age before our eyes with Bayern's midfield swamping him & Bastian Schweinsteiger is definitely a younger & arguably superior version of Lampard.

In striker Didier Drogba though Chelsea have a player who rises to the big occasion & on his day can simply be unplayable. We know this by looking at his Wembley record where he has scored on every occasion he has played with the latest being goal number eight in the FA Cup victory over Liverpool.

Bayern know it's key to their chances of victory to keep Drogba very quiet but like Chelsea are suffering from a number of selection dilemmas with centre half Holger Badstuber & left back David Alaba both suspended, so manager Jupp Heynkes has the choice of Ukrainian Anatoliy Tymoschuk or ex-Premiership Daniel Van Buyten to play at the back, and decide whether to play Rafinha at right back & switch the imperious Philipp Lahm to left back or play Diego Contento in Alaba's position.

(Bastian Schweinsteiger can put in a five star performance)

With this in mind Bayern's best form of defence is attack & they certain have the players to punish Chelsea. The midfield of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Franck Ribery & ex-Chelsea Arjen Robben looks too strong for Chelsea & they will look to pull the strings & striker Mario Gomez is having an outstanding season having scored 41 goals in 51 appearances & 13 in as many games in this season's Champions League. We really rate Schweinsteiger & he could have a great game in this one without Ramires to stop him, he's as short as 6/1 to be Man of the Match so Sportingbet's offer of 10/1 should be backed.

Chelsea have to win it in Bayern's 'backyard' or face the prospect of having no Champions League football to look forward to next season but sadly we expect Bayern to take advantage of Chelsea's suspensions & defensive weaknesses & enable Heynkes to become the fourth man to win the European Cup with two different clubs & can win in 90 minutes at the general price of 5/6.

(Mark Noble is a Hammer through & through & could bag a goal here)

At Wembley, two sides are looking to bounce back to the big time at the first attempt of asking as West Ham United take on Blackpool. This will be the third time the two side have met this season with the Hammers recording two comfortable victories with the impressive score lines of 4-0 & 1-4 but this high pressure encounter could prove a closer affair with the huge prize on offer.

Both sides finished the season strongly with West Ham picking up 17 points & Blackpool 15 points in their last eight league games before their two semi-final victories over Cardiff City & Birmingham City respectively. West Ham go into the match with the favourites tag & on paper they have the big name players with the spine of the team made up of Robert Green, James Tomkins, Kevin Nolan & Carlton Cole. They kept two clean sheets against Cardiff & have been scoring with regular ease lately with two or more goals in all but one of their last eleven games with duo Carlton Cole & Ricardo Vaz Te striking up a profitable partnership.

(Can the evergreen Kevin Phillips have yet another day in the sun?)

Blackpool under the guidance of the charismatic Ian Holloway won many friends last season with their brand of football in the top league & have a strong team spirit, they carried on playing an attacking & open game upon relegation & it's served them pretty well. Their team has a good blend of experienced campaigners in Ian Evatt, Barry Ferguson & Gary Taylor-Fletcher mixed with highflying youngsters of Matt Phillips & Tom Ince. Also let's not forget that if Blackpool need a goal then they have the perfect option in the evergreen Kevin Phillips (17 goals this season) sat on the bench ready. Stephen Dobbie has made quite an impact for Blackpool since joining on loan from Swansea in March & if the Seasiders are to succeed they might require him to have a stormer.

There's no doubt in our minds that with the money they've spent & the players that they have that West Ham should've got automatic promotion & probably the Championship title this season, it would be a crushing disappointment if they couldn't succeed here & with the good memories they have of their two impressive wins over the opposition so far this year the Hammers should be backed to win the game at a very reasonable price of Evens. West Ham will have the bulk of the support in the stadium with many of the neutrals unlikely to be that neutral & that will help, Blackpool's defence hasn't been good enough on their travels & they are running into West Ham at the wrong time as they look to have stepped up a couple of gears once the prize was in sight. An interesting extra bet can be had by backing Mark Noble to score at anytime at tasty odds of 5/1, he's West Ham's penalty taker & with things likely to get nervy for players & officials a spot kick could be on the cards, 16/1 for him to be first scorer also looks overpriced so back it.

Selections:
Bayern Munich to beat Chelsea in 90 minutes at 5/6 (various)
Bastian Schweinsteiger to be Man of the Match at 10/1 (Sportingbet)
West Ham United to beat Blackpool in 90 minutes at Evens (general)
Mark Noble to score first at 16/1 & at anytime at 5/1 (Ladbrokes)

Chelsea can keep things tight in Nou Camp

(Ramires will need to be at the top of his game for Chelsea to stand a chance at the Nou Camp)

Chelsea came up with a brilliant result back at Stamford Bridge but it took a lot of luck & things will be tougher here in the outstanding Spanish team's back yard. The 1-0 was a particularly good result for Chelsea though as it now means that Barcelona have to tread very carefully because if Chelsea can sneak an away goal it'll mean they need to score three to progress. Roberto Di Matteo is unlikely to commit too many resources going forwards though as he knows that Barca have the players to take apart any team that tries to play expansively as shown to great effect against Manchester United in a couple of finals where Ferguson wasn't humble enough to curb his team's attacking instincts. It looks like hard work & men behind the ball will be the game plan & Ramires will again be key, the tireless Brazilian is now getting the plaudits his season has deserved & he won't allow Barcelona's players a moment of relaxation.

(Cesc Fabregas could be the 'Keymaster' to Chelsea's defensive 'Gatekeepers')

Barcelona have all of the weapons needed to unlock a tight defence though with Iniesta, Fabregas & the incomparable Xavi pulling the strings from midfield, some of Cesc Fabregas's passing & movement was outstanding in the first leg & he arguably should have scored there. It seems that Lionel Messi continues to do the impossible & get even better season after season setting the bar for excellence ever higher but it must be a concern to manager Pep Guardiola that he was nowhere near the top of his game at Stamford Bridge & was quiet as a mouse by his standards in the 2-1 loss to Real at the weekend. It has been an incredibly busy season for Barcelona already with a pre-season tour, progressing through the rounds of every competition & also the World Club Championships again & they really don't have the huge squad that you'd expect to see with their success & it has seemed in recent weeks that all of those games may just be taking a toll. A lot has been written about Chelsea's record since Di Matteo has taken over & it has been vastly improved but many of their wins have come against low grade opposition or out of sorts sides (like the currently horrible Spurs) & as impressive as last week's win was you have to fancy Barcelona here although odds of 2/7 are uninviting. We reckon this could be really tight, John Terry & Ashley Cole were ace last week & Barcelona really didn't get too many shots off against Real on Saturday, with that in mind this could just be a 1-0 win & send things to extra time. The 8/1 available for 1-0 is tempting but we're keener to get on the massive odds offered for a penalty win, Chelsea are available at 66/1 to win on penalties & Barcelona at 40/1, with the prohibitive odds offered on Barca surely this is the way to go with small stakes offering potentially huge payouts.

Selections:
Chelsea to win on penalties at 66/1 (Skybet)
Barcelona to win on penalties at 40/1 (Bluesquare & 888Sport)

European Giants clash in the Allianz Arena

We're back with selections from a couple of great games on Tuesday - it was a nearly weekend for us as Everton took the lead v Liverpool only to throw it away & Crewe & Torquay only getting draws when deserving better in League Two. Add to those results Cappa Bleu finishing like a train in the Grand National when clearly being underestimated & given too much to do by Paul Moloney & it seemed like we were always destined to be nearly men, Chelsea did the business in the FA Cup though thanks to a little refereeing help & things could be on the upturn on the betting front here!

(Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid - could Mario Gomez claim the match ball?)

The two Champions League semi finals look really good affairs & to kick off we see two of the most exciting teams in the world face off in Germany as Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in the Allianz Arena as they seek to progress to the final being held in their own stadium. Both sides can lay claim to having just about the best attacking talent around with Bayern having Ribery, Gomes & Robben all capable of wreaking havoc on opposition defences & Real Madrid being able to pair the incredible Cristiano Ronaldo with the powerful & skillful beasts that are Benzema & Higuain. Both sides have reached this stage with the minimum of fuss really, the one time Bayern were in a bother after trailing 1-0 from the first leg v Basle they came out & stuck 7 past the helpless Swiss side! Bayern's chances of league success have faded but that means they're able to put absolutley everything into this game & showed that by resting a few players at the weekend including captain Philip Lahm, they'll be desperate to get a win here so that they have a lead to take to the Bernabeu, that should mean we see their usual attacking ethos in operation & nobody seems to have found a way of stopping Mario Gomes as of yet. Mourinho is nothing if not pragmatic & he may put out a more defensively minded team than usual, with Germany international Sami Khedira acting as a shield to his defence, that shouldn't take away Madrid's goal threat though as Ronaldo has so much quality he scores in near enough every game regardless of tactics. Even is Real do adopt a more defensive strategy than usual it shouldn't be anything too extreme & we can see goals in this one with 5/6 about over 2.5 being a very juicy price. For an extra bet at what could be a big price take Mario Gomez to bag the first goal of the game at 11/2, or back him at 9/2 with Betfred & take advantage of their offer where they'll double the odds if you back a player & he scores again after opening the scoring & treble it if he knocks in a hatrick.

(Midfielder Ben Marshall has been in the goals in recent weeks with 2 in his last 3 games)

In the Championship, Leicester City host Burnley at the King Power Stadium. Leicester are 9th & Burnley are two places below in 11th so if either side has any ambition of making the play-off places this is a must win fixture. Leicester are in decent form with four wins & two draws in their last eight league matches but they were defeated away at Millwall last weekend, the hostile atomosphere at the New Den means it's always a tough place to go though. However it's the Foxes home form that stands out with 11 victories so far & they are on a current unbeaten run of seven matches, winning five of these matches with the most impressive ones coming against play-off position teams of Birmingham City & Cardiff City. Burnley's league form is mixed but they are unbeaten in their last three with two victories over Doncaster Rovers & Brighton & Hove Albion. Away from home this season Burnley have been defeated ten times out 21 matches & only managed five clean sheets, they've lost four of their last seven away games & we don't expect them to put up too much resistance here. Leicester City can win on their own patch at the best price of 8/11.

Selections:
Over 2.5 goals Bayern Munich v Real Madrid at 5/6 (BetVictor & 32Red)
Mario Gomez to score first at 11/2 (BetVictor & William Hill - or Betfred & their double delight/hatrick heaven offer at 9/2)
Leicester City to beat Burnley at 8/11 (general)

The double on over 2.5 goals & Leicester pays £31.67 to a £10 stake

Rossoneri can frustrate Barcelona

(Zlatan Ibrahimovic - big at 7/2 to score at anytime)

Tonight's Champions League contest at the Nou Camp where Barcelona host AC Milan looks like being an intriguing contest with the tie finely balanced after a goalless encounter when the sides met in Italy although Barca are strong favourites here, which is unsurprising as they're considered Europe's best. Barca have only lost twice all season & both of those games came away in the league so looking for a Milan win here, even at odds of 12/1 could look a thankless task, Allegri will have his team set up primarily to stop Barca & they had success last week when they frustrated the Spanish side & carved out a few chances themselves. Milan could be made to pay for not bringing a lead here but they will be buoyed by the fact that they've already knocked 4 goals in against Barcelona this season, gaining a 2-2 draw here in the group stage before losing 3-2 at the San Siro, they know that a repeat result of that first leg will put them through on away goals. That 2-2 result was achieved without star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic but he'll be here & although unappreciated in England & our 'brilliant pundits' the player is a real winner, winning every league he's played in, every year since 2004, he will relish the opportunity to show Guardiola what a mistake he made in selling him & could be a big price at 7/2 to score at anytime.

(Classy Cesc Fabregas could come into the Barcelona lineup to replace injury doubt Xavi)

The most likely thing to happen in the game is that Milan try to contain Barca for large parts but the home side's incredible quality will shine through & they'll win out, although Xavi is a fitness worry & could be replaced by Fabregas who's returning from a slight back problem. Iniesta, Fabregas & Alexis Sanchez will all try to find a way through but the world's best player Lionel Messi will be the biggest threat as he always inevitably is & it could be an impossible task to stop him if he turns up really on his game. The three times the teams have already played against each other does give Milan hope though, with two draws & a loss by just one goal the value bet here may come in backing the draw at huge odds of 11/2 with 188Bet, as we said Milan have already shown they can score against Barcelona & they won't turn up here totally unfocused & borderline unprofessional as they did against Arsenal when they already held a 4-0 lead. Milan will have no qualms about grinding this one out & sneaking away with an ugly victory on away goals or penalties & although Barcelona are clearly deserving favourites we can't make them 2/7 shots when we know the type of game Milan will come to play.

Selections:
Barcelona v AC Milan to be a draw at 11/2 (188Bet)
Ibrahimovic to score at anytime at 7/2 (188Bet) 

Top strikeforces to detonate on helpless foes

We didn't get much luck woth Tuesday's picks as Hull went down limply against Portsmouth & our other pick Shrewsbury in the lead against Port Vale but having their game abandoned! We're having a look at the best club competition in the world tonight & also a League One match between a club riding high & another right at the bottom, good luck with any bets you have & hopefully these can give you some pointers.

(Franck Ribery can return to haunt his old club Olympique de Marseille)

It looks like there could be an exciting match in place in the Champions League as Marseille host attacking powerhouse Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarter final. Bayern are still in the  chase for domestic honours as they trail Borussia Dortmund by 5 points but Marseille are having a very disappointing season on the home front & are currently in 9th place in Ligue 1, it's been better for them in Europe but this should be the point of their exit from the competition. Bayern have lost twice in Eurrope so far but one was when fielding a very weakened side at the Etihad versus Manchester City & then although they lost 1-0 in Basle, thy comprehensively turned it around with a 7-0 demolition at home a week later. Marseille have got this far after qualifying in 2nd in the same group as Arsenal even though they lost twice at home in that group stage, to Olympiakos & Arsenal, two sides definitely inferior to Bayern. Going through in the last round over two legs against Inter Milan may read well for Marseille but Inter are a mess this year & have just had to replace Claudio Ranieri as manager, if they are to have a hope though they'll need to win here & that could mean they take to atttacking the German side. Everyone knows Bayern's weakness & it comes in defence although their young defenders seem to have shored them up a bit this year with just 18 conceded in the league, there's still a suspicion that they are a bit too naive in Europe though & so they make up for it by having one of themost exciting & potent attacks around. Mario Gomez is the real deal & has 36 goals in 39 games so far this season including 11 in Europe, we know how good Arjen Robben & Franck Ribery can be but Toni Kroos is also emerging as a real star & we think they'l all be looking to get on the scoresheet tonight. Bayern have scored 26 goals in their last 5 games & will come to France looking for the win. Marseille's fist choice keeper is suspended & that is bad news for them but it got worse at the weekend with key defender Diawara seriously injured & likely to be out for the remainder of the year, with these problems in defence the have to look to attack plus Bayern are great going forwards so over 3.5 goals at 11/4 is worth a wager plus Bayern to win at 10/11 is a confident selection.

(Ched Evans scored the goal in the reverse fixture v Chesterfield & will fancy another)

In League One recent Johnstone's Paint Trophy winners Chesterfield travel to take on 3rd placed Sheffield United at Bramall Lane but it's unlikely to be as happy a day for Chesterfield as their Wembley excursion was. Sheffield United will go back into 2nd place above city rivals Wednesday if they win or draw here & they'll be desperate to get a win over the league's bottom placed club, with home form of 13 wins from 19 games they are pretty formidable opposition for Chesterfield & their two away wins in 19 games. Ched Evans keeps banging the goals in & has 6 in 6 & in their last match United went away to MK Dons & stuck five in the back of the net & they'll be licking their lips about facing Chesterfield who've been conceding an average of two in every away game. Chesterfield's recent form has also been indicative of their league position with one win in 7 although they did scrape 3 draws in a row before succumbing to Huddersfield last week. We strongly suspect that the Johnstone's Paint win won't have done Chesterfield any favours & they may be emotionallly & physically tired, with Sheffield United rested odds of 11/8 for the Blades to win by two or more goals look a steal!

Selections:
Bayern Munich to beat Marseille at 10/11 (Paddy Power & Ladbrokes)
Marseille v Bayern Munich to be over 3.5 goals at 11/4 (William Hill)
Sheffield United to beat Chesterfield with -1 goal handicap at 11/8 (Skybet & Ladbrokes)

Champions League - Crunch time for Chelsea & City

This week sees the final round of Champions League group fixtures with seven knockout places still up for grabs. Usually our English sides have no real troubles in the group phase but this year only Arsenal have qualified (as group winners) for the last 16 so far whilst Chelsea & Man Utd can progress with as little as draws but Man City need a win plus a favourable result in the other Group A fixture to qualify.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea & Valencia battle it out for the second qualification spot to join German side Bayer Leverkusen in the next round. The permutations in this Group E encounter are: whoever prevails progresses with the losing side finishing third (meaning a dreaded Europa League place). A score draw will be enough for Valencia while a goalless result will take Chelsea through unless Leverkusen lose.

(Will Andre Villas-Boas be celebrating progression or potentially collecting his P45?)

It's well documented that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is desperate to win the Champions League & many managers have been axed due to their failure to do so. Therefore this is a massive game for current boss Andre Villas-Boas. Chelsea have been struggling all season defensively & have conceded goals in all bar seven of their 22 matches in all competitions & sides with a lot less attacking ability than Valencia have managed to breach them. So playing for a 0-0 draw isn't really a viable option for AVB so can they score the goals to progress? They have chopped & changed their attacking options but they seem to have settled on the trio of Mata, Drogba & Sturridge with them all scoring in recent games. Overall they have scored 31 goals in 14 league games & 10 in five Champions League games so an average of just over two goals per game.

Visitors Valencia sit 3rd in Liga & come into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Espanyol last weekend. They rested Jonas, Sofiane Feghouli & goal machine Roberto Soldado for the match but the latter came off the bench to score the winner in the 80th minute. Soldado is in fine form as has 14 goals in 20 games so far this season & five in as many matches in Europe. Valencia have only failed to score twice in their 14 Liga & 5 Champions league games & have conceded in over 2/3rds of these games. We expect this game to a nail biter for the all the fans involved but from a betting perspective the 5/6 on offer from bet365 for both teams to score represents a good bet & means if the game enters the final 15 minutes at 1-1 you can sit back relax & enjoy the impending chaos with your money safely banked.

(The real Super Mario (Gomez) can show why he's one of Europe's best)

Our second bet is the easiest that we've had to pick all year with Bayern Munich offering outstanding value to beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium & put the big spenders out of the Champions League in the group stage at their first attempt. The prices for this fixture seem like the preposterous ones on offer at the end of the season when relegation worried teams get shortened up against mid table sides who supposedly have little to play for, unfortunately (no matter what most dreadful pundits & commentators tell you) 'wanting it more than the other team' has little to no effect on results - Barcelona haven't won everything going because of desire, they've won because they're better than the rest.

City might be flying in the league, now that Mancini seems to have understood that attacking is important as well as defending, but they have been less than impressive in this competition with their only wins coming against pointless Villareal. The English side haven't looked to play with the same fluency as in the league & were beaten fair & square in the reverse fixture in Germany, Bayern Munich are already through as winners but still have plenty of motivation to win here, not least financial where a win is worth 800,000 euros. Man City's massive spending & hoovering up of some of the world's top talent has been noticed by the current European elite & Bayern would love nothing more than putting down a marker with a win here & also knocking out a team that could have conceivably won the competition. City will aim to keep this tight at the start but at some point will have to come at Bayern & they have the weapons to counter City especially with just about the best out & out striker around now in Mario Gomez, he has 21 goals in 22 appearances this year & is on offer at 9/4 to score at anytime. Franck Ribery seems to be coming back to form & 21 year old Toni Kroos is really emerging as a top talent, not enough can be said about how good a player Bastian Schweisteiger (injured for this one) is & they are building for the future with the young & talented centre back pairing of Badstuber & Boateng. Clearly Man City have great players & they are rolling over weaker teams & have taken advantage of uncharacteristic poor displays from the couple of top sides they've played in the league so far but they don't deserve to be red hot favourites here. Bayern Munich can be bet at massive odds of 5/1 with William Hill & have to backed from a value perspective alone.

Selections:

Both teams to score in the Chelsea vs Valencia game at 5/6 (bet365)
Bayern Munich to beat Manchester City at 5/1 (William Hill)
Mario Gomez to score at anytime at 9/4 (Stan James) in Bayern Munich v Manchester City game

Arsenal set to dominate Dortmund at the Emirates

Wednesday night sees the Group F encounter between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal currently sit top of the group on 8 points & a victory will qualify them for a last 16 spot whilst Dortmund are in 3rd & 3 points behind 2nd place side Marseille. In game week one the reverse fixture ended 1-1 after a late stunning strike by Ivan Perisic to gave the German side a late point.

After a poor start to the season, the Gunners have won 10 & only lost once (to fierce rivals Spurs) in their last 12 games in all competitions, their home record has been good & has seen them win their last five Premier League games scoring 12 goals & in the Champions League they have drawn 0-0 with Marseille & beat Olympiakos 2-1. Star player Robin Van Persie has been in sparkling form this season & has 15 goals in 17 games in all competitions & comes into the game on the back of a brace away at Norwich.

(RVP, Wenger's main man)

Visitors Dortmund are 2nd in the Bundesliga currently & had a cracking 1-0 away victory over current leaders Bayern Munich over the weekend. But their away from this season has been mixed in the league with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws & 2 defeats. And in the Champions league they have suffered two heavy defeats, 3-1 against Olympiakos & 3-0 in France vs Marseille. The away day blues can continue for the German side as Arsenal, with form player Robin Van Persie, will prove too strong for them at a best price of evens with Bet365.

Celtic take on Dunfermline north of the border in the SPL, Celtic still some 10 points behind rivals Rangers have been playing much better of late and come into the game on an 8 match unbeaten run in all competitions. Wednesday's opponents The Pars from Fife lie third from bottom in the league and rock bottom of the form league table.

Neil Lennon is likely to stick with the same XI that overcame Inverness Caley Thistle on the weekend and Jim McIntyre's injury woes continue as the likes of Steven Bell, Craig Easton and Austin McCann are unavailable for Dunfermline, they are boosted by the news that midfielder Gary Mason has served his suspension and can be included in tomorrow's squad. In recent history Celtic have a very good record against Dunfermline, last time out they were the 4-2 victors. The best price for a Celtic triumph at Parkhead is a slim 1/5 (Stan James). We think there is value in some of the other markets though, both teams' form and recent goal scoring records suggest there will be goals - and very much in the Glasgow giants favour. We suggest backing Celtic -1 on the handicap at 1/2.

Selections:
Arsenal to beat Dortmund at evens (Bet365)
Celtic -1 to beat Dunfermline at 1/2 (various)
A double on our two selections pays a healthy 2/1

FC Porto to show they're European Hotshots

Wednesday sees the end of the first half of the fixtures for the Champions League group stage & there's also a fixture in the Championship. We were looking like having a treble up on Tuesday night with CSKA Moscow & Ipswich Town successful but Leeds United conceded to Coventry City very late on to ruin that, for Wednesday we're going for just the two selections & feel confident of getting the double in the bank.

 (FC Porto's Hulk - Apoel Nicosia won't like him when he's angry)

FC Porto are one of the better sides in the Champions League currently & they should be backed to take care of the Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia. Porto went unbeaten in the league in 2010-11 & won the Europa League, they lost great striker Falcao to Atletico Madrid for 40 million Euros but retained nearly all of their other players including the Brazilian Hulk & have invested in having an overall stronger squad. Apoel Nicosia have started phenomenally well in this competition with a home win against Zenit St Petersburg & drawing away to Shakhtar Donetsk. Shakhtar dominated that game & Apoel will do well to hold out against the attacking flair of this Porto side, Porto need to win this to put them in a good position to qualify & they won't want to take any chances here, back them to win at Evens with a -1 goal handicap, Apoel's fairytale start can have a very unhappy ending.

In the Championship Sven-Goran Erikksson's Leicester City side take on Watford at home in a match they must see as the sort of game they should win comfortably if they are to live up to their tag as pre-season favourites. Leicester have spent heavily & have undoubtedly improved in a defensive capability, after a slow start they hadn't conceded in 4 games before losing away to Birmingham on Sunday. Leicester have however looked weaker going forwards with only two players with more than a single goal, Darius Vassell & David Nugent, they looked to be changing that a little with the impressive 4-0 win against Derby & if Erikksson can instil confidence in the team they are very dangerous. Watford have been pretty poor this season with just two league wins at Reading & home to Millwall, they've scored just twice in their last 5 games with forwards Iwelumo & Deeney having failed to score in 8 & 10 games respectively. After years of flirting with relegation this could be the year when they go down if they don't start to improve quickly. Overall this lloks too good an opportunity for Leicester to pass up, with defender & captain Matt Mills missing through suspension they may want to take a more attacking style & that should see them win this one at odds of 8/13.

Selections:
FC Porto to beat Apoel Nicosia with a -1 goal handicap at Evens (several)
Leicester City to beat Watford at 8/13

Tractor Boys to keep on Rolling Rolling Rolling!

There's a full fixture list throughout this midweek following the lull last week for the international qualifiers & we're starting out looking at Tuesday night's games for the best bets available with a couple of Championship games & an overpriced home team in the Champions League.

(Hey you guys! Jimmy Bullard can help Ipswich gain victory against Portsmouth)

At Portman Road you have Ipswich Town up against managerless Portsmouth. The Tractor boys have endured an inconsistent start to the season with heavy defeats to Southampton & Peterborough but seem to have found form recently with three wins & two draws in their last five league matches. Their front six of Edwards, Bowyer, Andrews, Bullard, Chopra & Scotland all have Premier League experience & now seem to be gelling into a formidable attacking unit with Chopra & Andrews sharing nine league goals between them. Portsmouth loss their manager Steve Cotterill last week but managed a 2-0 victory against an average Barnsley side in the late weekend kick off. It was their third league victory of the season but all have come at Fratton Park & on their travels they have three defeats in their last three matches against Leeds, Hull & West Ham. Ipswich have the stronger line-up with plenty of attacking players in good current form & can continue their rise up the Championship table with a home victory against Portsmouth at 10/11.

Further North we see Leeds United entertain Coventry City at Elland Road. Leeds easily won 3-0 against Yorkshire rivals Doncaster on Friday night with Ross McCormack scoring an excellent overhead effort. After a difficult first season where McCormack only found the net twice, he has been on fire this season with nine goals in ten league appearances. Then adding the returning Luciano Becchio into the mix, Leeds have a potent strike force which will cause plenty of problems to any Championship defence. Visitors Coventry have struggled on the road this season with four defeats against Barnsley, Ipswich, Crystal Palace & Birmingham in their five matches & have conceded nine goals. They don't score many goals either with only eight all season & just two on the road. Five of these goals have been scored by young striker Lukas Jutkiewicz & he continued his impressive record with the only goal of the game against strugglers Nottingham Forest at the weekend but the victory came at a cost after losing keeper Joe Murphy in a collision with Ishmael Miller. Leeds have won their last two matches & boast a home record of four wins from five, we can't see anything other than a comfortable home victory at a best price of 4/6. You can't ignore Ross McCormack's current form so back him to open the scoring at 4/1 & he can be backed at 11/10 to score at anytime.

In the Champions League we see the Russian league runners up CSKA Moscow host the Turkish league runners up Trabzonspor in a game that can really get the Russian side's European campaign up & running. Trabzonspor lead the group thanks to a shock win away to Inter Milan in the opening week & drawing at home to Lille in week two, CSKA also managed to draw with Lille but away from home & they suffered a 3-2 defeat at home to a spirited Inter side. The Russian sides are notoriously difficult to beat at home & CSKA will have targeted this as a must win game, they've conceded 5 times in the competition so far but really have an excellent defence with Ignashevich playing with the Berezutski twins & having the outstanding goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev between the sticks. Up front for CSKA Vagner Love is always dangerous & former Manchester United player Zoran Tosic has established himself in the side offering flair & assists, Trabzonspor don't have the players to match with former Spurs player Didier Zokora in midfield plus wing back Marek Cech signed from West Brom. It loks as though the layers have overreacted based on a couple of  performances & have overpriced CSKA Moscow who we would expect to be 1/2 for this, instead you can take 4/6 with Boylesports for what should be a comfortable CSKA Moscow win.

Selections:
Ipswich to beat Portsmouth at 10/11 (several)
Leeds to beat Coventry at 4/6 (several)
Ross McCormack first goalscorer at 4/1 (general) & anytime goalscorer at 10/11 with Betfred
CSKA Moscow to beat Trabzonspor at 4/6 with Boylesports

Superior Quality to show through in Midweek Matches

The weekend's football saw a slightly less manic weekend than last week & it was particularly subdued down in the Championship with just 15 goals in 11 games on Saturday & Sunday & plenty of draws, there will be a few teams hoping to impress their fans a bit more in the midweek games  we've picked out a couple of sides from the Championship & one in Europe that look superior to their opposition without that superiority being reflected in the available odds.

(Derby's top goalkeeper Frank Fielding returns & can keep Barnsley's strikers at bay)

Tuesday sees a full round of Championship fixtures including Derby County entertaining Barnsley at Pride Park. The Rams have made an impressive start to the season currently sitting pretty in 3rd spot & making a mockery of their 23 point handicap mark (as highlighted in our first ever post http://likebuyingmoney.blogspot.com/2011/06/201112-early-football-handicap.html). They have won six of their eight league matches including away at arch rival Notts Forest 2-1 despite having goalkeeper Frank Fielding sent off within the first 5 minutes. Visitors Barnsley are sat 2 points above the relegation zone and have drawn their last four league games but are struggling to score goals with only 6 goals registered so far. We believe Derby will have too much firepower in the form of Steve Davies & Craig Bryson & will outscore Barnsley at a reasonable price of evens.

Also in the Championship, 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth take on Darren Ferguson's Peterborough United at home, the clash pitting 14th place against 11th & is the first time these will have met in 9 years. The Posh visit Fratton Park having won one of their last five, in comparison Pompey have lost just once at home this season and their only defeats at home or on their travels have been by the odd goal (against West Ham, Hull and Brighton). Steve Cotterill's men are hard to break down and have conceded a measly two goals in 4 matches whereas Peterborough have only managed to find the net 3 times away from London Road, two of which came in a draw with Millwall, they have really been missing last year's top scorer Craig Mackail-Smith who's started well at Brighton. We think that the Hampshire based side will win this (available at 11/10), for those more adventurous Portsmouth can be backed to win to nil at 3/1 with Paddy Power.

In the Champions League on Wednesday, Shakhtar Donetsk welcome APOEL Nicosia to the Donblass Arena. Both sides are unsurprisingly top of their respective domestic leagues and in Champions League week one we saw 9 man Shakhtar beaten 2-1 in Porto after taking a early lead whilst APOEL recorded a 2-1 home victory against 10 man Zenit St Petersburg. Shakhtar's European success in recent years is based on their formidable home record; achieving four straight home wins in last season's competition before a quarter final defeat to eventual winners Barcelona (ending a 15-match unbeaten home record with 11 victories). There was little shame for Shakhtar in losing to last year's unbeaten in their league Portugese champions Porto & if they can maintain that sort of quality they can push for a knockout round place. Therefore with the game taking place on home soil & with their Champions League experience we expect Shakhtar to be a 'home banker' for any midweek accumulators at a best price of 4/9.

Selections:

Derby to beat Barnsley at evens (Victor Chandler)
Portsmouth to win at 11/10 (general) & to win to nil (vs Peterborough United) at 3/1 (Paddy Power)
Shakhtar Donetsk to beat APOEL Nicosia at 4/9 (Betfred & Victor Chandler)

Shrimps & Bees & Devils oh my!

The football season is seems to be really hitting its stride now with the leagues beginning to take shape & contenders starting to emerge, at the top level we see the start of the Champions League group stages & in the lower leagues the 8th round of matches in a full midweek programme. There are some decent bets to be had & we've looked at all the competitions & various markets to identify the best value punts.

The Champions League proper gets underway this week & Manchester United face Portuguese league runners up Benfica away in Lisbon for what should be their toughest game of a pretty easy group. United have started the season in blisteringly good form & are by all measures superior to Benfica however they are likely to change their team around a little as they need to give players game time & have to think about their key domestic matchup with Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday. United only conceded one goal in the group stage last year & Benfica lack the attacking potency to breach their defence here however United may not go all out for the win, therefore the safest option is to back Man United to win in the draw no bet market at 2/5. This bet offers decent odds at very minimal risk as only a Benfica win can beat us, with the draw returning our stake & a sizeable bet is strongly advised.

In League One, Brentford, under the management of Uwe Rosler face Colchester at Griffin Park. The Bees have won five of their last six games in all competitions; which sees them riding high in 4th place and only two points off joint league leaders Sheffield Utd & Charlton. Whilst Colchester have drawn their last two games, including a home draw on Saturday against bottom of the table Leyton Orient and have only recorded one victory in their last six in all competitions. We fully expect Brentford to confirm both teams recent form at a very generous price of 11/10.

(Morecambe's in form striker Danny Carlton)

Down in League Two, table toppers Morecambe travel to Moss Road to play Macclesfield Town. Morecambe destroyed promotion favourites Crawley Town 6-0 at the weekend & are unbeaten in their last six league games. This includes winning their last three away games, scoring seven in the process & just conceding the solitary goal. Macclesfield have lost their last two games, 7-0 on aggregate & have only won one of their last six home games in all competitions. Morecambe are in great form & full of confidence, they will take some stopping so make the most of the 6/4 available. Danny Carlton scored 3 against Crawley, has 6 in all competitions & there's nothing quite like an in form striker (as Wayne Rooney will attest) he can be backed at 6/1 to open the scoring.

Selections:
Manchester United to beat Benfica in the draw no bet market at 2/5 (general)
Brentford to beat Colchester at 11/10 (Victor Chandler)
Morecambe to beat Macclesfield at 7/5 (general) & Danny Carlton to score first at 6/1 (Bet365 & Ladbrokes)

A treble on the above teams returns odds of around 11/2 for a potential big win.