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