Manchester City’s failure to make the same impact in the Champions League as they have at home suggests the Premier League may not be as strong in comparison to other European competitions as some believe, and Roberto Mancini’s team have given themselves a mountain to climb if they are to reach the last 16.

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Not only do City have to be beat group winners and eight-times European Cup finalists Bayern Munich, they also have to hope that Napoli slip up against the so-far pointless Villareal. It’s a tall order, especially as the Sky Blues have already been comfortably beaten by the German side earlier in the competition, and a place in the Europa League would be little consolation for City fans who had high expectations of their team in Europe this year. Bayern, of course, have nothing riding on the tie, but Jupp Heynckes won’t want his team to surrender their unbeaten record in the group without a fight, though he is expected to rest one or two of his first-choice XI. Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez are likely to play some part, however, and all three have the ability to cause the City defence several anxious moments.

Mancini has to go for broke and may decide to start with both Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko up front but Bayern are old hands at grinding out results away from home in this competition and can grab a draw at the Etihad at 13/5. A 1-1 correct score is on offer at 6/1.

Man City v Bayern Munich Betting

City’s neighbours Manchester United also find themselves in the unusual position of needing a result from their final game to make progress in the Champions League. But Sir Alex Ferguson’s men look well up to the task of getting what they need against FC Basel at the St Jacob-Park.

Last week’s Carling Cup defeat by Crystal Palace confirmed that United’s shadow squad isn’t as strong as it once was, but there hasn’t been a lot wrong with the first-choice XI’s recent form in the Premier League. They have rather stumbled through their group in this competition, however, struggling to overcome minnows Otelul Galati and having to come from behind to secure draws against Benfica (twice) and Basel. Their 3-3 draw with the Swiss champions at Old Trafford was more down to complacency than anything else as United were cruising at half time but fell asleep after the break and needed a late Ashley Young goals to rescue a point as full time approached. Young is likely to play off Wayne Rooney as United revert to a more familiar line-up in Basel and, if their defence keeps a tighter rein on Alexander and Fabian Frei, they should get the win at 8/15. A 0-2 correct score can be backed at 11/2.

FC Basel v Man United Betting

Champions League Matches

With a tricky finale coming up against a vastly experienced Bayern Munich, Manchester City will want to wrap up qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League as quickly as possible and that means winning in Naples this week.

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It certainly won’t be easy for Roberto Mancini’s side in the San Paolo, however, as Napoli gave them plenty of problems at the Etihad Stadium when only a late equaliser from full-back Aleksander Kolarov rescued a point for the Sky Blues. Napoli have only won one of their last five games in all competitions but haven’t lost in Europe in front of their own fans since returning from exile in 2008. They’ve also scored in all four games so far and should also be at full strength for the City game, with their front three of Marek Hamsik, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi again likely to ask plenty of questions of the visitors’ defence.

But the Premier League leaders look to be in the mood to sweep all before them at the moment and, after nine straight wins, won’t be short of confidence in Italy. David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Gareth Barry should all return to the starting line-up having been rested against Newcastle at the weekend and City can grab the win they need to ensure qualification at 10/11. An away win by exactly one goal is 13/5.

Napoli v Man City Betting

There are some who would argue that Manchester United aren’t the force they were 12 months ago. Certainly, there are still issues in defence and midfield though Saturday’s fifth consecutive clean sheet at Swansea suggests that previous prophecies of doom and gloom were a little premature. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have also developed a habit down the years of being able to step up a gear when required in the Champions League and can go a long way to guaranteeing their campaign is extended into the New Year by beating old adversaries Benfica at Old Trafford at 1/2.

United have won all five matches since their mauling by arch-rivals City a month ago but have only scored eight goals, hinting at a more cautious approach by the Red Devils. Benfica held them to a draw in the Stadium Of Light on matchday one and have already won in Basle and Galati in the competition so certainly won’t be arriving at Old Trafford with any trepidation. However, this is likely to be a vastly more experienced United side to the one that took the field in Portugal and the hosts should take all three points.

Nani once had a trial with Benfica but wasn’t offered a contract. He is due a goal for United and would like nothing better than to end his barren spell against the Portuguese champions. The 25-year-old winger is 9/5 to be an anytime goalscorer.

Man United v Benfica Betting

Champions League Matches



Wednesday’s Champions League Betting Tips

Arsenal were undoubtedly a shade fortunate to take a point of German champions Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park earlier in their Champions League campaign and, though in far better form now, face no easy task taking all three points against Jurgen Klopp’s team at the Emirates.

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The Gunners have now won their last five matches in the Premier League and captain Robin van Persie is proving an inspirational figure for Arsene Wenger’s young squad. But their performances in Europe have been patchy and, though still undefeated, they were held by Marseille in their last home game in the Champions League and also struggled to get the better of Olympiakos. Dortmund are at least the equal of those sides on their day and arrive in North London in confident mood having shown commendable resilience to sneak a 1-0 win against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena at the weekend. They are on a similar run to Arsenal, having won four of the last five, but do have ground to make up in Group F if they are to reach the knockout stages and nothing less than a victory (11/4) will do at the Emirates.

Arsenal won’t mind playing on the break and are 23/10 to score exactly two goals and Evens to take all three points.

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund Betting

Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas can hardly have imagined he’d be under pressure just three months into his reign at Stamford Bridge but the knives are already out for the Portuguese after the Blues’ third defeat in four Premier League games at home to Liverpool on Sunday. They were also held to a disappointing draw by Group E whipping boys Genk in their last Champions League outing and still have some work to do to ensure qualification for the knockout stages, starting with a visit to the BayArena to face Bayer Leverkusen and another possible renewal with former midfielder Michael Ballack.

Chelsea won the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge but just seem unable to keep a clean sheet at present and the Germans will fancy their chances of springing an upset against the current section leaders. Defeat for Chelsea (23/10) would put their progression at serious risk but Leverkusen are proving difficult to predict this year, though did win 2-0 at Kaiserslautern on Friday night.

Villas-Boas would probably be content with a draw out of this one at 23/10, meaning that the Blues would still have their fate in their own hands at home to Valencia on matchday six. A 1-1 correct score is available at 5/1.

Bayer Leverkusen v Chelsea Betting

Champions League Matches

A lot of water seems to have flowed under the bridge since Chelsea blew away Genk in west London two weeks ago. Andre Villas-Boas’ side have lost both matches in the Premier League since, though did win a Carling Cup tie at Everton in extra-time, and captain John Terry has been at the heart of a racism row. So is the controversy that plagued Carlo Ancelotti’s reign going to de-rail Villas-Boas’ efforts to turn Chelsea back into a major force in English and European football? After back-to-back defeats, they now trail Manchester City by nine points in the Premier League and that’s a gap that, even at this stage of the season, will take some closing.

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They are much better placed in the Champions League, however, having taken seven points from their opening three games in Group E and only conceded one goal so far. Another three points in Belgium will more or less guarantee progress to the knockout stages and that should be achieved with the minimum of fuss, though I wouldn’t be plunging in on the handicap betting at 15/8 which gives Genk a two-goal start. The draw in this particular market makes more appeal at 11/4 as the Chelsea defence will have no doubt been told a few home truths after Saturday’s debacle against Arsenal and you may find the Blues a little less gung-ho than in recent matches. Genk have yet to score in the group stages of the Champions League and Chelsea are 5/6 to keep a clean sheet.

Genk v Chelsea Betting

Aaron Ramsey’s late, late goal at the Stade Velodrome stole a barely deserved win for Arsenal against Marseille a fortnight ago but there is no guarantee that Arsene Wenger’s side will complete the double over Didier Deschamps’ team at the Emirates at 8/13.

The Gunners’ confidence will have given a massive boost by their victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday but that game again showed how reliant they are on skipper Robin van Persie. Wenger has been using the Dutchman sparingly in the Champions League and it could be argued that his team sit at the top of Group F more by accident than design after failing to convince in either the two legs of their play-off or their three games in the section so far. Arsenal, of course, have had injury problems but were very fortunate to get a draw in Dortmund and Olympiakos caused them plenty of problems at the Emirates last month. Marseille look a cut above the Greeks and will want to take something away from north London to keep themselves in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages. They’ve scored 12 goals in their last four away games in the competition but have only ever won once in 10 attempts against Premier League opposition so a draw could be the best option at the Emirates at 14/5.

We’ll refund all losing scorecast, correct score and first/last goalscorer singles on this match if van Persie scores the game’s last goal.

Arsenal v Marseille Betting

Champions League Matches

Manchester City’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stages in their first-ever Champions League campaign received a massive boost with Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp winner against Villareal at the Etihad Stadium a fortnight ago and they’ve not looked back since.

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The Sky Blues travel to El Madrigal on the back of three further wins in domestic football in which they’ve scored 14 times, the highlight of course being the 6-1 victory at Old Trafford. Roberto Mancini’s squad are slowly getting to grips with the demands of the Champions League and will be dangerous opponents for anyone if making it past the group stages. The gods certainly look they are on City’s side ahead of the reverse fixture with Villareal, who will almost be missing two of their key players. Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi caused the City defence real problems at the Etihad but is out for around six months with a knee ligament injury, while veteran midfielder Marcos Senna pulled a hamstring in his side’s 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend. Villareal have yet to take a point from their three Group A games so far and nothing less than a victory against City will do. But this is surely a match in which the visitors have to be backed at 8/13. A Draw/City on the Half Time/Full Time Forecast is 10/3 and, subject to conditions, we will refund all losing correct score, scorecast and first/last goalscorer singles on the match if a goal is scored in the last five minutes.

Villareal v Man City Betting

City’s neighbours Manchester United have bounced back well from their Old Trafford embarrassment and have looked a lot more secure at the back since the return of Nemanja Vidic, though the Serb is suspended against Otul Galati after being sent off in the reverse fixture. Question marks still surround long-time centre-back partner Rio Ferdinand but Sir Alex Ferguson is hardly short of options for that position despite a current injury to Chris Smalling. Johnny Evans is only suspended in domestic football and Phil Jones is proving equally adept at either centre-half or full-back. Michael Carrick could even fill in at a push and United probably won’t need to be at their best to complete the double over the Romanian minnows, who were sunk by two second-half Wayne Rooney penalties two weeks ago.

There was a lot more urgency about United in their victory over Everton at the weekend, though they still had a few anxious moments at the back. Ashley Young will be missing against Galati and Tom Cleverly may not be risked having picked up an injury at Goodison. But this really should be a walk in the park for United if the likes of Nani, Valencia and Hernandez to decide they are in the mood. The hosts are 5/6 to overcome a two-goal start for the Romanians in the alternative handicap betting and four or more in the Total Goals market is 11/10.

Man United v Otelul Galati Betting

Champions League Matches

The Carlos Tevez incident in Munich has rather overshadowed Manchester City’s debut campaign in the Champions League but Roberto Mancini’s team need to rediscover their focus quickly if they aren’t to make an early exit from the competition.

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Upcoming back-to-back games against Villareal are likely to go a long way towards deciding their fate in Group A with both teams desperately in need of points to keep up the pressure on Bayern and Napoli. City have managed only one point from their two games so far but that’s one more than their Primera Liga opponents, who have lost both matches in the section so far by the same 2-0 scoreline. A similar result at the Etihad Stadium in City’s favour is available at 5/1 in the correct score market but it’s unlikely we’ll see Tevez back in the sky blue, trying to make amends. The Argentinian has been on holiday during his suspension and his club are still considering further disciplinary action against their want-away star striker, who is again being linked with a move to Brazil and only just back in training.

This is a game from which City can’t afford to take less than three points and they’ll also have to take something from the return fixture in Spain if they are to progress to the knockout stages. Hopefully, they will have learned enough from their experiences so far to put Villareal to the sword though the 1/3 quote for a City win is unlikely to have punters salivating.

Man City v Villareal Betting

One wouldn’t have thought it would be FC Basel who would expose Manchester United’s obvious defensive frailties this season but the Swiss champions came within seconds of causing an almighty upset at Old Trafford last month and Sir Alex Ferguson may have to remind his players that nothing can be taken in the Champions League nowadays.

Hopefully, only gaining a point from each of their opening Group C fixtures will act as a wake-up call for last season’s beaten finalists, who now face Romanian minnows Otelul Galati twice before renewing hostilities with Basel. Ferguson has been restricted a little by injuries in the competition so far but has also rested a few players you would normally expect to be in the starting line-up. Trailing Benfica and Basel in the group standings, the manager may now feel that he can’t take many more risks so expect a strong United line-up to take to the field at the Arena Nationale.

This is probably the biggest game in Otelul’s history and Dorinel Munteanu’s team will come out with all guns blazing but a fully-functioning United should be in a different league to their hosts and should take the points with the minimum of fuss, though a cricket score is unlikely. United are 11/2 to win 2-0 and 13/2 to win 3-0 on the correct score.

Otelul Galati v Man United Betting

Wednesday’s Tips

Champions League Matches

Chelsea would have been disappointed to concede a late goal against Valencia in the Mestalla last month which spoiled their one hundred per cent record in Group E. But I suspect that coach Andre Villas-Boas will still be happy that his team sit at their top of their section with two games against Champions League novices Genk to come.

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The Belgians showed plenty of enterprise in their last game against Bayer Leverkusen, with Marwin Ogunjimi looking particularly lively. But they still lost 2-0 and, taking the Germans as a reliable form guide, are going to struggle to do much better against Chelsea who eased past Leverkusen in their first match. As in their goalless opening encounter, Genk appear to lack a cutting edge. If they adopt an attacking policy at Stamford Bridge, the Blues will surely pick them off as the likes of Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge and Nicolas Anelka all have pace to burn and rarely need a second sight of goal.

Chelsea rarely disappoint at home in the Champions League but are impossible to back at 1/8. However, with a more open game that usual likely a 3-1 correct score could be interesting at 14/1.

Chelsea v Genk Betting

Arsenal rode their luck to take a point from Borussia Dortmund in the Signal Iduna Park on match day one and were again slightly fortunate to beat Olympiacos at the Emirates. But the Gunners remain unbeaten so far in Group F and that should give them some confidence for looks a tough trip to the Stade Velodrome to face Marseille.

Like Arsenal, Marseille have struggled in domestic football so far this season but have come alive in the Champions League and the way Didier Deschamps’ men picked off a decent Dortmund side last month is a stark warning that Arsene Wenger’s side could be in for a long night on the Mediterranean coast.

At least some of Arsenal’s missing men are starting to filter back to the first team, but it’s going to take a few games for the likes of Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny to attain full match fitness. Jordan Ayew is suspended for the home side but brother Andre, who scored the opener against Dortmund, will be available and his pace may cause the Arsenal back-line a few problems. The Gunners have had a habit of grinding out results in the competition in recent years, however, and can force a draw at 9/4. Arsenal/Draw in the Half Time/Full Time Forecast is 12/1.

Marseille v Arsenal Betting

Champions League Betting

Valencia lost their unbeaten Primera Division record at Sevilla at the weekend but could still be a decent bet to put an early dent in Chelsea’s Champions League hopes at the Mestalla this week.

Unai Emery’s team are 2/1 to take all three points and that looks excellent value considering they’ve won two out of three home games in the league this season and twice led Barcelona before being forced to settle for a draw. Los Che have a terrific European record in front of their own fans and they’ll be anxious to prove a point to former star Juan Mata, who left the Mestalla for Stamford Bridge in the summer. Despite continually having to sell off their prize assets to balance the books, there are still some excellent technical players at Valencia including midfielders David Albelda and Daniel Parejo. Roberto Soldado is a real threat in attack as well and Chelsea will have to be on their toes to keep out the former Real Madrid striker, who has already scored five times this season.

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Andre Villas-Boas may be tempted to shuffle his pack again in Spain after his side were again forced to play more than half a game with only 10 men following Fernando Torres’ dismissal against Swansea. Torres is free to play in Europe and will be keen to make amends for his faux pas in his homeland, while Didier Drogba scored on his return to action following concussion. The Blues will have to be disciplined on the road if they are to achieve anything in the Champions League this season, however, and this will be a good guide to their potential - it’s a test they may not pass. If there are more than four goals in this game, we will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, scorecast and correct score singles on the match.

Valencia v Chelsea

Arsenal’s home form is likely to be key to their progress in the Champions League this season. The Gunners struggle to win away from the Emirates Stadium and were given the runaround by Borussia Dortmund in Germany a couple of weeks ago, though the Bundesliga champions needed a very late goal to cancel out Robin van Persie’s opener. Arsene Wenger would have been delighted with that point and it gives them a platform to build on in their bid to qualify for the knockout stages. Victory over Olympiacos this week is still paramount, however, and Arsenal will be hoping skipper van Persie, who scored twice against Bolton at the weekend, carries on his rich scoring vein. Theo Walcott was forced off late on in that game but should be fit to face the Greeks and Aaron Ramsey will continue to fill in for Jack Wilshere, who goes under the surgeon’s knife this week in an attempt to solve a long-standing ankle problem.

Olympiacos are definitely second division when it comes to the Champions League and lost their opening Group F game against Marseille. The 1-0 scoreline would have been a lot more convincing had Marseille taken their chances and Arsenal’s forwards should get plenty of shooting practice. The Gunners have a habit of routing poor opposition at home so correct score odds of 14/1 for 4-0 and 33/1 for 5-0 could be very interesting. Arsenal to win and van Persie to score is Evens on the wincast.

Arsenal v Olympiacos

Champions League Matches

On being asked if he was concerned by the dropped points after his side had been held to a draw by Napoli in their Champions League opener at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini replied that he wasn’t as his team would win their next game in Munich.

Brave words, or foolish optimism? Mancini has, of course, terrific firepower at his disposal and Saturday’s defeat of Everton coupled with Manchester United’s draw at Stoke put them level on points again with their great rivals at the top of the Premier League. But that draw with Napoli a couple of weeks ago emphasised that the Sky Blues still have a deal to learn about competing against Europe’s elite. For all their attacking prowess, they still struggle to break down organised defences and continue to look vulnerable when they lose possession. Compare that to the experience of this week’s opposition Bayern Munich.

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Four times European Cup winners and eight-time finalists, they know exactly what’s required in games like this and you can guarantee they will have specific plans already in place to combat whichever of his expensive strikers Mancini decides to go with. Since losing their Bundesliga opener against Borussia Moenchengladbach, Jupp Heynkes’ side have won nine successive games. They’ve scored 26 times in that run without conceding a single goal which just about sums up the enormity of City’s task in the Allianz Arena and Manchester United found just how difficult it is to score against goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in Germany last season. Bayern look the ones to be on at 19/20 and are 9/5 to keep a 10th successive clean sheet.

Bayern Munich v Man City

Manchester United should face a much more straightforward task against FC Basel at Old Trafford, though the equation is complicated by the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson could be without up to eight of his first-team squad. Wayne Rooney almost definitely won’t be involved as he missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Stoke with a hamstring problem. Javier Hernandez is also a doubt, which could mean rare starts for Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov with Danny Welbeck only just back in full training.

Despite their problems, however, it’s almost inconceivable that United won’t have far too much for early Group C pace-setters Basel. While United were being held by Benfica in Portugal, the Swiss champions were beating Otelul Galati but needed a late penalty from veteran striker Alexander Frei to take all three points against the Romanian minnows. They will need to improve massively on that performance to get anywhere even an under-strength United at Old Trafford and Fergie’s team are 7/5 to overcome a two-goal deficit on the handicap. United to win and in-form Nani to score anytime on the wincast looks tempting at 17/10.

Man United v Basle

Champions League Matches

Arsenal’s sticky start to the new season was given some relief when they edged past Udinese to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League but the new-look Gunners face a stiff start to their campaign against Borussia Dortmund.

The Signal Iduna Park is already a sell-out for Die Borussens’ clash with the Gunners and the Bundesliga champions’ fans are expecting to make a big impression now their team is back among Europe’s elite. It’s been eight years since Champions League football last graced the former Westfalenstadion and Jurgen Klopp’s team has little experience of the world’s foremost club competition. Paraguay forward Lucas Barrios and Polish defender Lukasz Piszczek both ply their trade at Dortmund but otherwise Klopp’s squad is made up largely of home-based players. Given that they proved better than Bayern Munich over the length of last season suggests they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in Group F, however, and it would be no surprise if they were to prove Arsenal’s main barrier to winning the section.

For Per Mertesacker, a trip back to Germany is a Champions League baptism of fire for the Gunners. The former Werder Bremen defender will be thrown in at the deep end following an injury to Thomas Vermaelen. Arsene Wenger will need a few weeks to teach his new players the Arsenal way of playing and Borussia Dortmund could be a decent bet at 21/20 to make life tough early on for the Premier League side.

Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal Betting

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Fellow Londoners Chelsea also face German opposition first up but Andre Villas-Boas’ team should have fewer problems against Bayer Leverkusen. Big-money summer signings Oriol Romeu, Juan Mata and Raul Mereiles have been including in the Blues’ Champions League squad and, and Petr Cech is back in training. Didier Drogba still isn’t available for consideration, however, and Michael Essien is a long-term absentee but otherwise Villas-Boas will have a full-strength compliment to choose from for the visit of Robin Dutt’s side, who finished second in the Bundesliga last season.

One familiar face in the Leverkusen line-up will be veteran former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, who is back for a second spell at the BayArena having played 63 times for the Werkself in the late Nineties. Ballack is one of a number of German internationals in the Leverkusen ranks, with captain Simon Rolfes and goalkeeper Rene Adler still regulars in the international set-up. But overall, the Bundesliga appear to lack the class required to go far in Champions League and a Chelsea/Chelsea outcome in the Half Time/Full Time Forecast looks a decent bet at 11/10.

Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen Betting

Champions League Matches