Manchester United V Galatasaray – Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Betting Selection: Tom Cleverley to Score @ 5/1 with 888Sport
Side Bet: Both Teams to Score @ EVENS with Ladbrokes
Having progressed to two finals since their third European Cup triumph back in 2007/08, it came as a major shock when Manchester United failed to even make it out of their group in last season’s tournament. Their lousy form at home, of all places, proved their downfall as the Red Devils exited Europe’s premier club competition with a whimper, finishing third behind Benfica and FC Basel. According to United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, there will be no mistake this time around.
Indeed, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has assured supporters that there will be no shock upsets at his side’s expense in Europe this season. Comments that were clearly aimed at last season’s disappointing showing which saw the Red Devils miss out on a place in the Champions League knockouts for the first time since 2005, after failing to muster more points than FC Basel and Benfica in a tame-looking Group C – their only victories were earned against then-Romanian-champions Otelul Galati, who finished pointless at the bottom of the section.
In an interview with the club’s official website (www.manutd.com), the 70-year-old had this to say ahead of his club’s 17th consecutive Champions League campaign: “We’ve lost two finals to Barcelona and won the other two finals in the last decade or so, but we want to do better. Certainly we’ll do better than last year – no question about that.”
The above comments would explain the omission of several important first-team figures from Saturday’s XI in the 4-0 Premier League victory at home to Wigan. Goalkeeper David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa and Robin Van Persie all started that match on the bench, with only Robin Van Persie – United’s leading marksmen for this season with four goals in two starts – making his way off the bench and into the fray. Ferguson was clearly signalling his intent ahead of the Group H opener with Galatasaray, who are embarking on their first Champions League for five years, and we are led to believe that all five aforementioned players will return to the fold for Wednesday.
As unappealing as they are (at odds of around 1/3 to win), Man Utd should be registering maximum points here without too much of a fuss. Turkish teams have not fared well in recent editions of this competition, while this one in particular are still to register a win in a Champions League match on English soil, losing on four of their previous seven visits. However, the Red Devils are still missing several key components, none more so than forward Wayne Rooney, but also versatile defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. Plus their opponents merit plenty of respect.
So what of the opposition? Well, Galatasaray are the reigning Turkish champions and, with the new domestic season now four matches old, Fatih Terim’s side already sit atop of the standings having won three out of four (W3 D1), warming up for their Old Trafford examination by putting four past Antalyaspor at the weekend without reply. And in their previous away encounter, Gala put three past Besiktas in a 3-3 draw – coincidentally, Besiktas are the last visiting side to have inflicted defeat on Sir Alex’s men at Old Trafford in the Champions League, doing so back in November 2009.
There will also be some familiar faces in the Galatasaray XI. Players, even, who were once serious rivals of United during their spells in the Premier League, with Emmanuel Eboue once with Arsenal and Albert Riera having plied his trade with Liverpool once upon a time. Swedish striker Johan Elmander too, although to a lesser extent having previously played for Bolton. There is also plenty of continental and international experience in the form of Felipe Melo, Hamit Altintop and Brazilian defender Cris, in amongst numerous Turkish internationals.
So the visitors are certainly no mugs, and could therefore make a mockery of their 11/1 odds to claim a surprise win in Manchester. That said, a maiden CL victory on English terrain is highly unlikely, although the draw isn’t completely out of the question, while I can quite easily envisage them breaching a United defence that has looked very unconvincing at times already this season, one which before thrashing Wigan 4-0 at the weekend had conceded twice in successive matches, first at home to Fulham before doing the exact same away at newly-promoted Southampton.
This Galatasaray team will have as much about them as those which had troubled United’s beleaguered rearguard before hammering sorry Wigan. Thus I feel odds of EVENS, with Ladbrokes, on Both Teams Scoring are pretty fair. Especially if the hosts defend as poorly as they did at home in last season’s group phase, in which Benfica and Basel plundered five goals between them at the Theatre of Dreams.
Cleverley does it for United
A punt at more appetising odds, however, has to be midfielder Tom Cleverley netting his maiden club goal for the hosts. Touted as the next Cesc Fabregas by England manager Roy Hodgson, the dynamic United midfielder has been urged to add more goals to his game if he’s to consolidate his position in the starting XI for both club and country. I shall be banking on him doing just that at Old Trafford.
At 23 years of age, Cleverley still has much to learn, although he is gaining a better understanding of when to make those ghost-like runs into the opposition box from deep, and really should have bagged a couple whilst on recent international duty. However if he keeps getting into similar scoring positions, his first goal – whether that be for his club or at international level – will surely be just around the corner provided he shows a little more composure. Hopefully his first for club comes first. It is certainly due!
Cleverley can be backed at sumptuous odds of 5/1 with 888Sport to net at any time on Wednesday, in a game which should produce a few goals.
