UEFA Champions League: Partizan Belgrade V Arsenal

Champions League Tips

 

Partizan Belgrade V Arsenal


Tuesday, 28th September – 19:45 GMT
UEFA Champions League: Group H

 

A trip to Serbia is one thing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could do without right now, with his ranks depleted through injuries and the confidence inside the Arsenal camp well and truly knocked following their 3-2 humbling by newly promoted West Brom at the weekend. But there’s a job to be done here in Belgrade against a team which has dominated domestically in recent years and stunned many with their successful progression through to the competition proper, where they beat Belgian powerhouses Anderlecht on penalties.

I announced my love for a little Brazilian by the name of Cleo a couple of weeks ago, with the Partizan striker having scored 13 goals already this season, with 8 of those coming in the early qualifying rounds of this competition. Of course, it goes without saying that the opponents he was faced with in the earlier rounds are like nothing they will face from here on out, but they were far from disgraced in their Group H opener away to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donestk, and with Arsenal currently rocking and without a number of high profile personnel, they’ll be targeting this meeting in particular as one where they could perhaps spring a surprise and really make a name for themselves on the continental scene.

 

Arsenal, well, they began their European campaign like an express train. Portuguese league runners-up Braga were their opponents on Match Day 1 but they were no match whatsoever for the might of Arsenal, who were on top of their game a fortnight ago when tearing a usually well organised and disciplined Braga defence to pieces when winning 6-0 at The Emirates. The man at the centre of all this destruction was Spanish schemer Cesc Fabregas, a player with the ability to create an open out of nothing and the talent to turn any match on its head. But, though, Fabregas is out with an injury and won’t make the trip to Belgrade. A huge blow for Arsenal supporters, as in their only game without him, since Fabregas rejoined the Arsenal first-team following an injury in the summer, the Gunners have struggled, embarrassingly losing at home to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend on home soil.

On Saturday, as Arsenal lost their first game at The Emirates since losing 3-0 to Chelsea last November, the Gunners were deprived of any creative qualities in the middle of the park. It was apparent from start to finish that if Arsenal don’t have a player playing in the central position with the ability to distribute to all areas of the field, to keep the likes of Rosicky, Nasri and Arshavin busy, then the team simply shuts down.

However, one player capable of carrying Arsenal’s mantle is French starlet Samir Nasri, a player with those deft touches, nimble footwork and superb vision to open up defences similar to Fabregas. Nasri was the only Arsenal player involved at the weekend who came away from The Emirates with any form of credit, scoring the two goals which did at least make the scoreline more respectable.

 

If Arsenal were playing any other team than FK Partizan Belgrade then I would be tempted to stick a few pennies on the hosts, as Arsenal seem clueless without their talismanic midfielder and are so fragile and vulnerable at the back that some sustained pressure would almost certainly result in the Arsenal defence caving in, as it did at the weekend. Manuel Almunia, at fault for most of everything that went array on Saturday, is out with an elbow injury so a keeper even more inconsistent, one who does leave supporters with an uneasy feeling in their stomachs, will be drafted in, Lukasz Fabianski.

My advice to the home side would be to pull a Sam Allardyce. Pepper the Arsenal goalmouth with long, high balls and simply watch the Polish keeper squirm. I’ve done some brief research and found that Partizan have a number of players surpassing 6ft in height, so horrific news if you’re an Arsenal fan but music to the ears for those of you tempted, like myself, with some bets favouring the Serbian champs. However, I haven’t been able to watch enough of the Belgrade outfit to be confident siding with the hosts in this one, so I may well have to let this one pass for now.

However, my preference goes the way of a bet on Samir Nasri. Nifty with his footwork, agile, fantastic athleticism and a precise finish. Nasri is a player the Serb’s won’t have come across all too often and unless they’ve done some thorough research in how to quell the threat of Nasri – the TWINKLETOE GUNNER – then we’re all over the Frenchman to score at any point in proceedings at generous odds – A player bang in form following four goals in his last two competitive games (Two in each).

 

Matt’s Selections:

Samir Nasri Anytime Scorer – 3.40 PaddyPower
Samir Nasri First Goalscorer – 9.00 Ladbrokes

 

Partizan Belgrade Possible Punts:

Partizan Belgrade to Score 1 Goal or More – 1.44 PaddyPower
Partizan Belgrade to score 2 Goals or More – 3.30 PaddyPower
Team to Score First – 3.00 BetFred
Cleo Anytime Scorer – 4.30 WilliamHill
Cleo First Goalscorer – 10.00 WilliamHill