AC Milan

The Carlos Tevez saga keeps dragging on and on, after talks to a move to AC Milan feel through. It has opened the door again now for Inter to come back in to re-open talks with the Argentinean. AC Milan looked almost set to capture Tevez from Man City, but with Milan forward Alex Pato deciding to stay in Italy, there was no room on the books for Tevez. So now Inter president Massimo Moratti has reconsidered a move for Tevez, but nothing, not even discussions are likely to open until after the Milan derby on the weekend. The whole saga has become a very protracted and confusing one, with the main stumbling block of the move to AC Milan down to the fact that the Italians wanted Tevez on a loan to buy sort of deal, which is understandable given the disciplinary track record that the Argentinean has. At the start of last December, AC Milan had actually made a formal offer, but City rejected that offer and now the struggles to offload him seem inherently difficult.

There is likely to not be any Premier League clubs who are going to waste their energies on Tevez, even though, as he proved in his time with Manchester City, that he is a proven match winner. The troubles he brings with him are a huge black mark against clubs coughing up the big transfer fee that his talent deserves. So the 27 year old is football limbo at the moment, having not played since last September. Manchester City boss, who accused Tevez of refusing to come off the bench in a European Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich, expects that Tevez will be gone before the close of the January transfer window. The suitors are not too many for the signature of Tevez so the options on moving him are limited. The supposed homesick Tevez couldn’t even sort out a move back to his native land, so a move to Milan in some form does seem the most likely. With Premier League sides pretty much out of the question, there is the big spending Paris St Germain who may surprise and come up with a late offer, although that is not as likely as a firm Inter bid.

Carlos Tevez Club After January Transfer Window
QPR 5/6, Inter Milan 13/8, AC Milan 5/2, PSG 5/1, Tottenham 11/1 at SkyBet

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What is more atmospheric, more intense than a Rome derby with AC Milan v Inter Milan betting? Well that is what we are faced with this weekend in Serie A, as leaders AC Milan look to put further distance between themselves and their San Siro rivals. AC Milan have been firing along at a rapid pace this season and top the league table, but only on goal difference from Juventus. AC Milan have suffered just two defeats this season and have been in a hungry mood in front of goal. The main source of goals has been Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and if coach Massimiliano Allegri could find a regular and settled strike partner for him, then they would be even stronger. The coach has extended his contract by a couple of years, with AC Milan going well at the top of the league, but they have had their critics. Milan haven’t always been playing the most attractive football or have even been playing particularly well, but they have been winning and that is what champions are made of. AC Milan triumphed home and away over their rivals Inter in last year’s Serie A, and are favourites to stretch out their lead over fifth placed Inter to eleven points with a win.

This is the first of the two meetings this year in the league. With both Italian giants at the front of the Carlos Tevez transfer saga, all that will be pushed aside for AC Milan v Inter Milan betting. Inter boss Claudio Ranieri has led the revival of Inter so very well. They were floundering badly near the bottom of the table after the first couple of months of the new season, winning just two matches out of nine. Since then, Inter have rattled off seven wins in eight matches (with a defeat against Udinese sandwiched in there). But it has been a vast improvement in form, and Inter have plugged the holes on a leaky defence which was plaguing them through the first part of the season. Inter have conceded just three goals in their last eight Serie A matches, but if you think that is good, then you should see the AC Milan defence they are up against. AC Milan have conceded just four goals at home in the league this season, that’s right, just four in each matches. So even though AC Milan haven’t been playing great at times, they know how to keep a clean sheet. There could be a pretty dramatic return to action for Dutch star Wesley Sneijder for Inter, as he hasn’t played since last September. The creative player is of course massively influential for Inter and Claudio Ranieri may be tempted to throw him straight into action in this massive derby match. Inter need to keep their impressive run of form going to try and knock a dent in AC Milan’s lead. Closing them down to three points would be a huge boost of confidence for Ranieri’s men. Diego Milito is the top scorer for Inter this season, with six goals.

AC Milan v Inter Milan Betting
AC Milan to win: 6/5 at VC Bet
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Inter Milan to win: 11/4 at VC Bet

There have been 200 meetings between the two Milan clubs in all competitions, and it is the Rossoneri, AC Milan who hold a slight advantage with 70 wins to Inter’s 69. Would not bother looking too much at a draw, because there hasn’t been one in the last thirteen league meetings between them, which is a pretty long streak. As these are passionate and heated affairs at the San Siro, it may be worth looking at a red card in the match, as there have been eight red cards in the last six matches between them, and for someone to get sent off on Sunday, there is a price of 7/4 at William Hill.

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Arsenal v AC Milan Champions League betting, is pretty much the draw that Arsene Wenger did not want for the round of 16. Arsenal won their group comfortably, but with AC Milan qualifying behind Barcelona in their group, it has left Arsenal with a tough fixture in the first knockout stage. AC Milan are enjoying a good season in Serie A, having lost just twice and are currently on a long nine match unbeaten run in the league. With the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho in the side, they are a very strong unit this season, much more so than the past couple of seasons. They held Barcelona to a draw at the Nou Camp in the Group Stage, and then narrowly lost 3-2 back at the San Siro, matching up against the Spanish giants well. Milan actually make a great outside bet this season for the Champions League and this will be a pretty evenly matched contest against the Gunners. Because AC Milan finished second, they will be starting this tie at home on February 15^th, with the return leg at The Emirates on March 6^th. Arsenal v AC Milan Champions League betting is pretty tight at the moment, and with Arsenal’s improved form in the Premier League, there really shouldn’t be too much to chose between the two sides. Milan will probably play a more patient game than Arsenal, and stroke the ball around well, and it will probably all come down to the battle of Robin van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to decide the spoils in this one.

To Qualify: Arsenal 10/11 at Totesport, AC Milan Evens at SkyBet

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Group E
Standings: Chelsea 7pts, Bayer Leverkusen 6pts, Valencia 2pts, Genk 1pt
Thing could be pretty much settled on Tuesday night, at least who gets to guarantee themselves qualification into the knockout stage. Chelsea, with two wins and a draw from their first three matches, hold top spot by one point over Bayer Leverkusen. If Chelsea and Leverkusen were to both secure wins then they would both be in the next round, and the two sides would have to battle it out for top spot over the remaining matches. Chelsea head to Belgium to face Genk, the side who they thumped 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Match Day Three. So there is a strong likelihood that the Blues, who have suffered back to back defeats in the Premier League, will at least get the job done out there, with the Belgians not having managed a goal yet. See our full Genk v Chelsea betting preview here. In Group E’s other match on Tuesday night, we see a crucial clash in Spain of Valencia v Leverkusen. The Spaniards have not really lived up to their billing this season, and really need to beat the Germans in order to keep their qualification hopes alive. Going into Tuesday’s round of matches, Valencia find themselves four points behind Leverkusen, and so a defeat would put them out of the running. The two sides met in Germany on Match Day Three, and the home side ran out 2-1 winners, leaving Valencia’s Champions League hopes hanging by a threat. Valencia could only manage a draw against Genk and Chelsea, and the defeat against Leverkusen really needs to re-addressed, because they will be out if it is not. Valencia have potential, as they are going along nicely in La Liga, holding down fourth spot and holding a pretty mean defence. Leverkusen are down in 8th in the Bundesliga, but with both sides going into the match on the back of domestic wins, it should be another close contest. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a draw there and a win for Chelsea.
Genk 14/1, Draw 5/1, Chelsea ¼ at Bet365
Valencia 4/6, Draw 14/5, Bayer Leverkusen 5/1 at SkyBet

Group F
Standings: Arsenal 7pts, Marseille 6pts, Olympiacos 3pts, Borussia Dortmund 1pt
Well, the Gunners secured a huge win at the Stade Velodrome on Match Day Three, a late Aaron Ramsey goal sneaking them over the line against Marseille. That was huge becuase it means that Arsenal pulled themselves up into top spot, and now they hold a two point advantage over the French side. But that really was only half of the job done as they need to now to consolidate that effort with another win at home. If the Gunners manage that they will be firmly in the driving seat for top spot. A loss for them at home, and Arsenal have failed to beat French opposition at home in the last two attempts, would mean that Marseille would claw back an advantage. So this is the crucial match really in deciding what is going to happen at the top of the group. On the evidence of the first meeting, there really is not too much to chose between the two sides, and it should be a good, competitive match. Will the one man Arsenal show of Robin van Persie steal the limelight for the Gunners? A draw wouldn’t hurt either side really. See our full Arsenal v Marseille betting preview here. In the group’s other match on Tuesday night, we see the rematch of Dortmund v Olympiacos. It was the Greeks who ran out 3-1 winner on Match Day Three when they both met, leaving last season’s Bundesliga winners in pretty bad shape on just one point, which was earned at home against Arsenal. If Arsenal win, a win for either Olympiacos or Dortmund would keep them alive on the heels of Marseille. However, if it is the Greeks who walk away with the three points, it would draw them level on points with a defeated Marseille. So big incentive for the Greeks. Dortmund may be struggling in the Champions League, but are in fourth in the Bundesliga, so you can expect a bit of a fight back from the Germans. Would look for wins for Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
Arsenal 4/6, Draw 3/1, Marseille 5/1 at Bet365
Borussia Dortmund 4/9, Draw 39/10, Olympiacos 15/2 at SkyBet

Group G
Standings: APOEL 5pts, Zenit St Petersburg 4pts, Porto 4pts, Shakhtar Donetsk 2pts
A fascinatingly tight group in the Champions League here. Cypriot side APOEL are one of the surprise packages so far, with no-one giving them much of a chance when the draw was made in this group. But, after beating Zenit and earning themselves impressive away draws against the strong Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto sides, they have put themselves in a great position. If they can beat FC Porto at home now on Tuesday night, backing up their 1-1 draw which they earned in Portugal, then they would be favourites to qualify for the next round. It would certainly deal last season’s Europa League winners Porto a harsh blow. There really has not been a stand out team in this group and someone needs to stand up and take the bull by the horns. The Cypriots can do just that with a win and wouldn’t put it past them. Porto are a pretty decent attacking side, but they have found the Champions League a lot rougher than the Europa League. They opened well with a win over Shakhtar but defeat against Zenit and then the home draw against APOEL has slowed them. But they can still keep themselves well in the hunt with a win, which would pull them two points clear of APOEL. So a big night for the Portuguese. Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit played out a 2-2 draw on Match Day Three in the Ukraine, and now they square off again in Russia. We were expecting a bit more from the Ukrainians Shakhtar, but they haven’t delivered, not yet anyway, sitting at the bottom of the group on two points. They really, really need to pull out a win here or else they could be flailing. Zenit St Petersburg would do themselves a massive favour with a win, regardless of what the outcome of the APOEL v Porto match is. Home advantage for the Russian should count for something, as they beat Porto 3-1 there in their only other home game so far. Would look for a draw in Cyprus and a win in Russia on Tuesday night. Whatever happens, the group is probably going to go down to the wire.
Zenit St Petersburg 10/11, Draw 13/5, Shakhtar Donetsk 7/2 at Bet365
APOEL 7/2, Draw 13/5, Porto 10/11 at Paddy Power

Group H
Standings: AC Milan 7pts, Barcelona 7pts, BATE 1pts, Plzen 1pt
Really the least interesting group in the Champions League in terms of excitement. Both AC Milan and Barcelona can confirm their spots in the next round on Tuesday night with away wins. Milan head out to Belarus, following a 2-0 win over BATE on Match Day three. The Milanese, who had a terrible start to the Serie A season have settled down now, rattling off four straight wins in the domestic league. Having only conceded two goals so far in the Champions League (in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona), Milan look solid enough to stroll through this one. It is an away match, and they are going to qualify, they will just want to keep up their form and hopefully hang on to top spot over Barcelona. So they need a good win just to keep ticking along. Because Barcelona will be expected to get the better of Czech side Plzen on Tuesday night. Barca beat them 2-0 on Match Day Three at the Nou Camp, and it would be an incredible shock if they weren’t to win again. So, nothing too exciting happening here, wins for AC Milan and Barcelona look on the cards.
BATE 21/4, Draw 3/1, AC Milan 8/13 at SportingBet
Plzen 28/1, Draw 9/1, Barcelona 1/7 at Bet365

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While the four English entrants in the Champions League pit their wits in their opening fixtures this week, there is the blockbuster Barcelona v AC Milan betting match up which is kind of taking centre stage here and can’t be ignored. These have met before in the Champions League of course, most recently back in the 2005/06 campaign when Barcelona won 1-0 in Milan before holding out for a 0-0 draw in the return fixture. That was in the semi final stage when the likes of Deco, Eto’o and Ronaldinho were in the side for Barca. Andreas Iniesta also played in the match as well. They also met in the 2004/05 campaign too, which saw a win for Milan at the San Siro, before Barcelona got their revenge back at the Nou Camp in the reverse fixture there. There is further history stretching back between these two giants of European football of course (including a win at the Nou Camp for Milan in the 2000/01 group stage), with a total of eleven meetings. You may be a little surprised at the head to head record here as there have been four wins for each and three drawn matches. The last two meetings in Spain have result in a win for Barcelona and a draw, and so AC Milan need to go there and over turn some poor recent history. Barcelona’s home record against AC Milan is not exactly prolific, as they have won two, drawn two and lost one in their five meetings against the Italians. This is something of a massive encounter here between two giants, and both really have a lot to offer. Barcelona of course now have Cesc Fabregas in their midfield, who is hungry for some European success, but Barcelona have lost the services of their new signing of striker Alexis Sanchez who picked up a hamstring problem. Barcelona were relatively quiet in the transfer market over the summer, and that is easy to understand as it is hard to see just where they can actually be improved. That same midfield of Iniesta and Xavi are there pulling the string, and with Lionel Messi being crowed Europe’s very best, they are the still the team to beat. They are the defending Champions, but were slowed by a 2-2 away draw at Real Sociedad on the weekend. That was their second league match of the new season after opening with a 5-0 win over Villareal.

The Serie A season is just one round of matches old, so nothing too much to read into what the Italians may bring. However, they didn’t bolt out of the gates, as they were held at the San Siro by Lazio Roma 2-2. It’s not the start they wanted, and in the Champions League, they really need to pick up their form. They have now not scored in their last three European matches, and their away form in particular was really bad in the tournament. AC Milan won only one of their four away matches in last year’s tournament, so they need to pick up the pace. Having to open against Barcelona in the Nou Camp is not exactly an easy entrance back into the competition. However, an interesting stats for backers of AC Milan, is that they have won all last ten of their previous Match Day One fixtures. But then we can rapidly switch focus back to Barcelona and see that the Catalans have not lost in their last 10 home games in the Champions League now. Only a draw against Real Madrid in the semi final of last year’s competition broke their run of nine consecutive home wins. It really is understating the obvious that they are an ominous side in their own arena. They are the team to beat anywhere they go, and the ease with which they dispatched Manchester United in the final last year, indicates that they are strong favourites to get back there. Real Madrid are starting off as tournament favourites, and again it looks like Real Madrid (who have fired ten goals in their opening two La Liga matches) are going to be their closest challengers.

There is an immense amount of team ties between these two clubs, who are steeped in fantastic history. This is definitely the big match of the opening round, a match which goes beyond pride. Both are still favourite to get through the stage, as BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plzen are unlikely to cause either of the giants many problems in the group. For your Barcelona v AC Milan betting though, we are looking at the European Champions and how they keep the ball is just remarkable still. The bookies certainly only see one result happening, which is translated in the strong odds below. It is hard to argue against that really and so we may as well take a look at Asian Handicap options for some value. A great price of Evens is at VC Bet is available for a Barcelona -1.75 Asian Handicap, but that will require a three goal winning margin. It is early days in the season and so you could tone it down a little for 8/11 Barcelona -1.5 Asian Handicap at Victor Chandler. Either way decent value.

Barcelona v AC Milan Champions League Betting Odds
Barcelona to win: 3/10 at Totesport
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
AC Milan: 12/1 at VC Bet

AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur Betting Tip & Odds: Spurs go into this Champions League match as underdogs, and that is because AC Milan are really firing on all cylinders in the Italian League. Although there was contrasting form between the two sides in the Champions League knockout stage, AC Milan look to be the team with more of an all round balance and composure to them. They have a big goal scoring threat, and their defence looks pretty tight. If Tottenham Hotspur go into this match without Bale and Van der Vaart, it is hard to see them getting enough of the ball to create enough chances to win the match, and you would expect Milan to have most of the ball. A draw, especially a score draw, would be a big result for Tottenham, but AC Milan really have the upper hand at home you would think, and would expect them to nick it. The online bookmakers all seem to think so anyway. Draw/AC Milan Halftime/Fulltime bet for 17/4 at Unibet

AC Milan to win: 3/4 at Totesport
Draw: 14/5 at Unibet
Tottenham Hotspur to win: 4/1 at Bet365

Champions League Match Preview: There is still some doubt as to the strength of the Tottenham Hotspur side which will be traveling to Italy and a visit to the San Siro for the second time in this season’s competition. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is waiting on the fitness of two of his most influential players, namely Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart. Bale lit up the San Siro when Spurs lost in their group stage match against Inter Milan, but the Welsh winger netted a hat trick for the visitors then, and was instrumental in Tottenham’s crucial victory over the Italians back at White hart Lane. They will be missing playmaker Luka Modric though, who is still recovering from surgery. This is the beginning of the second half of Tottenham’s first ever Champions League campaign. They caused some surprise when they beat defending Champions to first spot in Group A, and it was some thrilling attacking play at White Hart Lane which really made Spurs a revelation in the tournament. Boss Harry Redknapp has really gone at the competition with some bravery, and while that back fired on their last trip to Italy, they have consistently shown enough during the group stage to cause AC Milan some threat. However, it is not going to be easy for them.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered only that one defeat in their Group Stage, and managed to top the group by one point, which has given them home advantage in the second leg of this first knockout stage tie against Milan. They will need to keep a very tight ship though at the San Siro, and then really give it a good go back in the safety of White Hart Lane. The thing is, you don’t really see Tottenham Hotspur comfortably holding onto a clean sheet out in Italy, and held only one clean sheet in the group stage at home against Werder Bremen. It was Tottenham’s attacking play which got them through the group stage, and while they are still going strong in the Premier League, holding their own in a scrap with Chelsea for fourth spot, they still haven’t shown that power in front of goal which can really elevate them to the next level. Rafael van der Vaart is Tottenham’s top scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals, and Gareth Bale behind him on 7. They have been the biggest threat, and why their absence could have a huge influence in this match. Tottenham Hotspur may have to chase the game for long periods and show a little more composure than the brave gung-ho tactics they showed when they faced Inter at the San Siro in the group stage. No reason why they can’t hold their own and take away a draw, but this is their sternest test of the competition so far.

The thing is though, that AC Milan are a much better side than Inter Milan are, and it will be a much tougher test for Spurs at the San Siro. They will find AC Milan a much tougher prospect to break down, a much tougher prospect to get the ball back from. Being the away side, Tottenham Hotspur have to use the ball wisely when they get it. AC Milan are sitting top of Serie A by three points over Napoli. Inter Milan are currently sat back in third place in the league, a massive eight points behind their San Siro co-habitants. Milan have been in solid form all season, and hit back after a couple of league draws on the weekend, with a 4-0 drubbing of Parma. What AC Milan have is a massive three pronged goal scoring threat. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is leading the way for the club with 13 goals to his name, while Robinho and Pato have both weighed in with 9 goals a piece. Unfortunately for the Italians, they will miss their class midfielder Andreas Pirlo, as the playmaker has picked up a knee injury in training. He will miss both fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League as he recovers. That is a pretty big blow for AC Milan, as he is the string puller, the influential player in the middle of the park through which, most of Milan’s play goes through.

Milan finished second in their Champions League group, behind Real Madrid, and they have been knocked out in the first knockout stage in three of the last four seasons by English opponents. AC Milan haven’t  been past this round since 2007, when they won the tournament. But this is a much stronger AC Milan than what has shown up in the tournament in the past couple of seasons. AC Milan are the ones with all of the pedigree and experience in European competition, having won the European Cup (in all formats) seven times in their history. This is the first time that Spurs have been in the mix at Europe’s elite competition. AC Milan have a fair record against English opposition at the San Siro in European competition, winning 7, drawing 4 and losing just 2, so Spurs are not likely to be in for an easy evening. You would expect AC Milan to control large portions of the game, and while they probably can’t quite match the pace of Spurs at full tilt, they have some great control in their game. If they dictate the pace at a slower tempo, then Tottenham Hotspur could find it hard to get into the game, and AC Milan will feel that they have to come away from the San Siro with a clean sheet at the very least. A narrow home win for the Rossonieri is not out of the question here. AC Milan’s defence is better than what Tottenham Hotspur can offer to be honest.

Head to Head
The two sides have met before in Europe, beating AC Milan at home in the first leg of the 1971/72 UEFA Cup semi final, and going through after holding the Italians to a draw out in Milan. Incidentally, the Milan keeper then was Fabio Cudicini, father of Carlo Cudicini, the reserve keeper at Tottenham Hotspur now. There are contrasting form in the goal scoring department in this seasons’ Champions League, with Spurs qualifying as top scorers, and AC Milan qualifying as the team with the lowest amount of goals.

Last 6 Champions League Results

AC Milan 2010/11 Champions League Form: P6 W3 D2 L1 GF18 GA11 Pts 11
Tottenham Hotspur 2010/11 Champions League Form: P6 W2 D2 L2 GF7 GA7

AC Milan are 22/1 at Totesport to win the Champions League
Tottenham Hotspur are 25/1 at William Hill to win the Champions League

Group E

Bayern Munich P5 W4 D0 L1 Pts 12
Roma P5 W3 D0 l2 Pts 9
FC Basel P5 W2 D0 L3 Pts 6
CFR Cluj P5 W1 D0 L4 Pts 3

Bayern Munich v Basel

Just the game that Bayern needs to wrap up Group E without too many worries. A home match against a side they have ready beaten. Bayern have no worries really about losing top spot because even if the unthinkable happened and they lost, Roma would need to win by a big margin in order to overturn the goal difference between the two sides, which stands at eight in favour of the German side. Roma are not going to overturn that. You would expect the strong German side, even though they aren’t playing quite to their full potential at the moment, to push on and take another three points. Basel have performed decently enough in the Champions League this season, and will want to cling on to third place, which would see them in the Europa League. They would only need a point to do that, and while they haven’t been overwhelmed by any of the higher opposition in the group this year, the Swiss side should come up short on their trip to Germany. Bayern have two wins from two there, and they will probably make it three from three in order to secure top spot in the group. Home win.
Tip: Bayern Munich 4/5 at BetFred
Others: Draw 3/1 at William Hill, Basel 19/5 at Totesport

Cluj v Roma

This group was always going to see Roma and Bayern Munich progress, although Claudio Ranieri’s Roma have made much harder work of things than their German counterparts. They have lost two matches in the group so far, have a -1 goal difference and got thumped by Basel at home. However, Roma showed a bit of bottle in beating Bayern Munich in a great 3-2 match in the Italian capital, and now they only need a point to ensure that they finish second. More than likely they won’t even need that if Bayern Munich beat Basel as expected. However, this has been a fascinating group, with both Cluj and Basel  making a real nuisance of themselves, and pushing the top two sides hard. There have been plenty of goals in this group, and all but three of the matches have been won by just a one goal margin. Including Bayern beating Cluj 3-2, Roma beating Basel 3-2, Bayern beating Basel 2-1. Anyway, the bottom line is that Cluj could well put up a fight against Roma, but they aren’t going to score enough to take over Basel for third place on goal difference. Basel will probably lose to Bayern but not by a lot, and Cluj needs to make up six goals on the Swiss side and beat Roma in the process. Not going to happen. It’s been a great group, but would expect Roma to do enough with a draw just to make sure there are no scares, and knowing that they aren’t going to catch Bayern.
Tip: Draw 13/5 at William Hill
Others: Roma 8/11 at Bet365, Cluj 9/2 at Boylesports

Group F

Chelsea P5 W3 D0 L0 Pts 15
Marseille P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Spartak Moscow P5 W 2 D0 L3 Pts 6
Zilina P5 W0 D0 L5 Pts 0

Marseille v Chelsea

It didn’t look as if Marseille really had enough to get through this group at one stage, but they have responded well. They take on a Chelsea side which are looking to become the first English side in the history of the tournament to win six group matches from groups. The Blues are not in good form though. Will Didier Drogba’s return to former club be spoiled? Read our full match betting preview here:

Zilina v Spartak Moscow

Well, everything is done and dusted in this match. Spartak will be in the Europa League with a third place finish, no matter what happens on Wednesday night in this group. They looked favourites to go through to the knockout stage with Chelsea at one point, but they blew their lines in a 3-0 home defeat by Marseille, the team which they needed to beat to secure second place. Their chances went out of the window with that somewhat unexpected result, as Spartak have shown that they are a solid and well organised side. So all that is left to do is to enjoy a trip to Slovakia to face the bottom side club, and just relax in a match which really has no importance whatsoever. Zilina have had a rough ride in their Champions League debut, thumped 4-1 by Chelsea, 3-0 by Spartak and them 7-0 at home by Marseille, they have been out of their depth. If the full Spartak side show up in Slovakia then it will be a win for the Russians at a canter.
Tip: Spartak Moscow 7/5 at Bet365
Others: Zilina 9/4 at SkyBet, Draw 12/5 at Totesport

Group G

Real Madrid P5 W 4 D1 L0 Pts 13
AC Milan P5 W2 D2 L1 Pts 8
Ajax P5 W1 D1 L3 Pts 4
Auxerre P5 W1 D0 L4 Pts 3

Real Madrid v Auxerre

This group had the promise of showing a lot more interest than what it has petered out to. Auxerre really woke themselves up with a win over Ajax, but then blew everything with a home defeat by AC Milan. The French side aren’t great really, and their enthusiasm didn’t carry them far enough. There is a slim chance that they could sneak third place in the group for a place in the Europa League, but for that to happen they would have to beat the unbeaten Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho has Real Madrid going well in the Champions League, as expected, as his only hiccup was a 2-2 draw away at AC Milan. Cristiano Ronaldo is firing on all cylinders at the moment and even though Madrid got embarrassed by Barcelona in El Clasico recently by Barcelona, they are good enough to win this match without hitting top gear. Mourinho is too efficient to let chances slide like this, even if this match has no real baring on the outcome of the group. Auxerre are not good enough to get wheat they want from a trip to Madrid. Real Madrid won 1-0 in Auxerre, but you can probably expect a few more goals on the score sheet than that. Auxerre don’t carry enough threat, so a home win here.
Tip: Real Madrid 1/2 at 888Sport
Others: Draw 15/4 at Bwin, Auxerre 7/1 at BetFred

AC Milan v Ajax

This would have been a fantastic match in prospect if they were battling it out on Match Day Six for second place. However, the big threat that was supposed to come from European giants Ajax simply never emerged. Their inability to beat either AC Milan and Real Madrid has really hurt them, and has rightly left them back in third place. Technically they could be caught by Auxerre, if the French side pull off a incredibly result away to Real Madrid, and Ajax beat AC Milan by a couple of clear goals. It’s unlikely to play out that way, both top seeds losing on the same night in the same group? No. Ajax were hammered by Real Madrid in their last match at home, running out to a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo and co. AC Milan aren’t quite on the same level as Real Madrid, but they are still good enough to secure a home win. A win for AC Milan really would do nothing, as they can’t be caught for second place, and they can’t catch Real Madrid for top spot, no matter what happens. This could just peter out in a drawn match really, with Ajax showing a bit of fight late on and Milan not really all that interested in the match. The two sides drew 1-1 when they met in Amsterdam early in the tournament.
Tip: Draw Evens at Boylesports
Others: Draw 13/5 at Totesport, Ajax 3/1 at Coral

Group H

Shakhtar Donetsk P5 W4 D0 L1 Pts 12
Arsenal P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Braga P5 W3 D0 L2 Pts 9
Partizan Belgrade P5 W0 D0 L5 Pts 0

Arsenal v Partizan Belgrade

The Gunners may just have blown their chance to win the group, suffering two away defeats in a row, first to Shakhtar and then to Braga. That has left them trailing in second place, and needing a huge favour from Braga if they are going to steal away top spot. A win for Arsenal and a loss for Shakhtar would put Arsenal top on goal difference. This match needs to be won first, as second place in the group is not even secure yet. So how will the Gunners respond? Read our full match betting preview here for tips

Shakhtar Donetsk v Braga

The most interesting match of the night on Wednesday. You have to assume an Arsenal win will come in the other match against bottom side Partizan who have not picked up a single point yet, so that leaves this one in a very interesting situation. Shakhtar Donetsk will only need a point to secure top spot in the group if Arsenal win. That will be just reward for some excellent performances, including the vital win over the Gunners. However, Braga are in an interesting situation themselves as they have a lot to play for. The Portuguese side pulled of a late, but great win over Arsenal on Match Day five, drawing themselves level with Arsenal on nine points. So a win for Braga would be enough so send them through if Arsenal fail to beat Partizan. If both Arsenal and Braga win, then those two, plus Shakhtar Donetsk would all end up on twelve points. All the head to head records would be identical incidentally, so it would be a free for all on goal difference. Arsenal hold the trump card there, so Braga would need to beat Shakhtar by five goals to be safe in that situation. This is the only group where the two places have not been secured. Is there a surprise on the cards?
Tip: Shakhtar 8/11 at Stan James
Others: Draw 14/5 at Totesport, 9/2 at Boylesports

Paddy Power are running a great enhanced odds offer for tonight’s Champions League Match Day Five fixtures. The popular bookmaker is offering a Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan winning bet for enhanced odds of 9/1, which makes an interesting proposition. The banker the bunch should be the Chelsea fixture, who are at home to Zilina as the Blues need only one point to book top spot in the group. Can they overcome their troubles to progress? Arsenal are in Portugal to take on Braga, a side which they beat 6-0 on the opening day of the Champions League, so there is no reason not to expect another good win for the Gunners. AC Milan are still fighting for a qualification spot, and they need to overcome the challenge of Auxerre to strengthen their position and keep Ajax off their tails. AC Milan beat the French side 2-0 in their opening group fixture. More of the same to come? If you think so, then taking the enhanced odds of 9/1 for Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan all to win tonight, really is a good offer. It is good value as it represents better odds than you would pick up individually for the matches.

Paddy Power run a fantastic betting website, and is one of the most popular destination for sports betting promotions just like this one. If you are not an account holder with Paddy Power yet, there is still time to get yourself set up with them before tonight’s matches. Just head to Paddy Power, open your account, make a deposit and you are set. When you place your first bet on a new account, the online bookmaker will match the value of that first stake, up to £50 as a free bet. The perfect time to take advantage of the Champions League betting that Paddy Power has available.

Champions League Winner Betting Odds

Barcelona: 13/4 at Unibet
Chelsea: 9/2 at Paddy Power
Real Madrid: 9/2 at Ladbrokes
Man Utd: 11/1 at Stan James
Arsenal: 12/1 at Ladbrokes
Inter Milan: 13/1 at Unibet
Bayern Munich: 16/1 at Totesport
AC Milan: 30/1 at Unibet
Tottenham: 40/1 at Boylesports

With the Group Stages of the Champions League betting hitting the halfway mark, we present a football betting guide for your perusal. Things are largely going as expected in the Champions League betting for this season, and at least that should make your bets a little more secure. As far as the British teams are concerned, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all look to be in comfortable positions to progress, while Spurs and Rangers still have a little bit of work to do. Below is a betting guide along with best UEFA Champions League Odds for the individual groups and top scorers for the 2010/11 Champions League. Don’t forget the Champions League Predictor Game which runs through the match days of this year’s tournament at online bookmaker SportingBet. There is £10,000 up for grabs every match day. There has been a lot of cash paid out already, but no single match day jackpot. All you need to do to get in on the action, is place a qualifying £10 bet on any Sportsbook market and you will gain a free Champions League Predictor entry. Predict the outcome of all 16 matches correctly on any given match day, and you will win the cash prize, guaranteed. You can also earn yourself a free £50 bet when you sign up for an account with the popular online bookmaker.

Group A

Inter Milan P3 W2 D1 L0 Pts 7
Tottenham Hotspur P3 W1 D1 L1 Pts 4
Werder Bremen P3 W0 D2 L1 Pts 2
FC Twente P3 D2 L1 Pts 2

The Italians are in firm control of this group after their thrilling 4-3 victory over Spurs at the San Siro on match day three. However, there is a feeling that this group isn’t quite done and dusted yet. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was incredibly brave sending out an attacking line up in Italy, which backfired a bit, but there should be enough encouragement there to take on Inter back at White Hart Lane. That really will be the crucial fixture in this. Spurs now have two home matches to book themselves qualification, so it is all in their own hands, and you cannot ask for more than that at this stage. Spurs will really need to win against Inter to be comfortable, and then facing Werder Bremen who are in terrible form at home, Spurs still have a great chance of making the knockout round. You have to fancy them above the bottom two sides on strength and form.
Group A Winner: Inter 4/11 at Coral, Spurs 9/2 at SkyBet
Group A To Qualify: Inter 1/33 at SkyBet, Spurs 4/9 at Totesport, Werder Bremen 5/2 at Bwin, Twente 16/1 at SkyBet

Group B

Lyon P3 W3 D0 L0 Pts 9
Schalke P3 W2 D0 L1 Pts 6
Benfica P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3
Hapoel Tel Aviv P3 W0 D0 L3 Pts 0

The Champions League stalwarts Lyon have really taken a firm grip on Group B. After reaching the semi finals of the competition last season, they are off to a flyer again and look to be a threat again this year. With Michel Bastos banging in three goals in three matches, and their defence holding pretty tight, Lyon will be a hard side to beat. Their opening day win over Schalke was a big one, and although the German side are not in great form in the domestic league, they look a sure bet to join Lyon in the next round. Lyon and Schalke won’t meet again until Match day 6, and qualification could all be settled before then. It could be a group winner decider though, so keep an eye on Schalke’s form up to that final clash, and they will need to win that home match to pinch first place. Back Lyon well here and they will make a huge nuisance of themselves in the knockout rounds again. Neither Benfica or Hapoel are going to come close as they have looked largely outclassed.
Group B Winner: Lyon 1/2 at Coral, Schalke 11/4 at BetFred
Group B To Qualify: Lyon 1/25 at SkyBet, Schalke 4/9 at Coral, Benfica 2/1 at Paddy Power, Hapoel 100/1 at Bwin

Group C

Man Utd P3 W2 D1 L0 Pts 7
Rangers P3 W1 D2 L0 Pts 5
Valencia P3 W1 D1 L1 Pts 4
Bursaspor P3 W0 D0 L3 Pts 0

One of the more intriguing groups. Manchester United haven’t put in a good performance at all yet in their three matches, and Alex Ferguson, with his team selections, seems to have taken it a bit lightly. With the Rooney saga now over after the disgruntled striker had a change of heart and signed a 5 year contract at Old Trafford, once he gets back into form United should get stronger. The fact that they are top of the group without playing well says a lot about their experience in this. Rangers are the surprise package so far, holding both United and Valencia to draws. That’s big kudos to the Scottish champions, and have put themselves in with a great chance of progressing. Their next match will be crucial. It is away in Spain and Rangers really need to get something out of that to keep up their challenge. Showed some good mettle this year in the competition, as Valencia and Man Utd were earmarked as the strong teams in Group C. You would still back United to win the group now that they have the cushion. With Valencia having to come to Old Trafford, there doesn’t look a game left which they could lose.
Group C Winners: Man Utd 1/4 at Bet365, Valencia 11/2 at Unibet, Rangers 18/1 at ExtraBet
Group C To Qualify: Man Utd 1/25 at Coral, Valencia 1/3 at SkyBet, Rangers 3/1 at Bwin

Group D

Barcelona P3 W2 D1 Pts 7
FC Copenhagen P3 W2 D0 L1 Pts 6
Rubin Kazan P3 W0 D1 L2 Pts 2
Panathinaikos P3 W0 D1 L2 Pts 1

Barcelona again haven’t had things all their own  way in the group, but they are still in control and cruising into the knockout stages of the competition, as to be expected. Their only slip up came in an away fixture against Rubin Kazan where they played out a draw. Not a disaster, not when you have Messi on fire. The big surprise package of the Champions League so far this season has been FC Copenhagen, who lost top spot to Barcelona on Match day three, when the Catalans beat them 2-0 at the Nou Camp. While Kazan would have made a great tip at the start of the competition to quality, the Danes have taken a much firmer grip of things. Even if Copenhagen lose the return fixture against Barcelona, Rubin Kazan with a win, would still be behind them in the table, so Copenhagen are in a strong position. However, what may hurt them, is that they have to go to Russia and if Kazan win that, it’ll blow things wide open. There is a serious race for second place in this group to finish behind Barcelona, as Kazan go to the Nou Camp on match day six. The standings may look a little lop sided at the moment, but Kazan are not out of this just yet.
Group D Winners: Barcelona 1/19 at Bwin, Copenhagen 18/1 at ExtraBet
Group D To Qualify: Barcelona 1/250 at Bet365, Copenhagen 4/7 at Totesport, Rubin Kazan 9/4 at SkyBet

Group E

Bayern Munich P3 W3 D0 L0 Pts 9
Basel P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3
Cluj P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3
Roma P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3

Well, this group as far as the winner goes, is pretty much done and dusted. Win three wins out of three, and the other three teams all taking points away from each other, last year’s losing finalists are having things pretty easy in Group E. As to who will join them in the knockout phase, well that is not so cut and dry at the moment, as there has been another surprise team in the Champions League this year. That has been Claudio Ranieri’s Roma, who were pencilled in as a major threat this year. However, their home collapse on match day three against Basel has left them rooted to the bottom of the group at the halfway stage. Do they have enough to get through now? They have to face Bayern at home still, and Cluj, but their next match is now a massive one. They have to go to Switzerland and hope for a big result. For a team which is going to strong in Serie A, you still have to have a good hard long look at them to qualify. If however you are looking for an upset, there are some decent odds on Basel.
Group E Winner: Bayern Munich 1/10 at Totesport
Group E To Qualify: Bayern Munich 1/33 at Coral, Roma 3/4 at Unibet, Basel 5/2 at 888Sport, Cluj 6/1 at SportingBet

Group F

Chelsea P3 W3 D0 L0 Pts 9
Spartak Moscow P3 W2 L1 Pts 6
Marseille P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3
Zilina P3 W0 D0 L3 Pts 0

Premier League Champions Chelsea are pretty much in the next round of the competition. Their solid, steady and unspectacular win in Moscow saw to that. It was a professional job well done, and that is all that can really be said about their progress so far. They now have two home matches out of the remaining three, and that makes them bankers for the group. There is an interesting race for second, largely because Marseille have been incredibly below par. A lot more was expected from them, but they only picked up their first win in a 1-0 home triumph over Zilina on Match day 3. That was also their first goal in the group stage this season. However, if Chelsea beat Spartak on Match day four, while Marseille again beat Zilina, that would put the French and Russians on level points. Then it will be all to play for in Russia when Marseille visit. Spartak have looked the better side out of the duo though, and make a more sound bet, especially with the crucial match being in their own back yard.
Group F Winner: Chelsea 1/20 at BetFred, Spartak Moscow 18/1 at SkyBet
Group F To Qualify: Chelsea 1/100 at BetFred, Spartak Moscow 8/15 at SportingBet, Marseille 17/10 at Bwin

Group G

Real Madrid P3 W3 D0 L0 Pts 9
AC Milan P3 W1 D1 L1 Pts 4
Ajax P3 W1 D1 L1 Pts 4
Auxerre P3 W0 D0 L3 Pts 0

One of the more exciting groups, although Real Madrid’s match day three victory over AC Milan sort of sorted out the issue of who is going to finish top. Under Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid have made steady progress, not conceding a goal yet. They were given a tough time in Auxerre on match day two, but came through 1-0 in typical Mourinho style. You can take Madrid as group winners right now, so the interest in this group is in the runner’s up spot. Will it be AC Milan or Ajax? As the two sides drew in Holland on match day two, this issue probably won’t be settled until match day five when they meet again, this time at the San Siro. You would expect Ajax to have a bit of an advantage in points come that point, and AC Milan will be playing catch up. That’s because in the next round of fixtures, Milan face Madrid again, while Ajax face Auxerre. You would fancy another Madrid win, so if Ajax pick up even a point against Auxerre, they will hold the cards in their hand. Their last fixture is against Madrid though, so there is still an arduous task of picking either side out of a seemingly parity laden situation. To be honest, Ajax look a little more adventurous, and could be a great punt at the price below to qualify.
Group G Winner: Real Madrid 1/8 at Totesport, AC Milan 23/2 at UniBet
Group G To Qualify: Madrid 1/150 at BetFred, AC Milan 6/17 at Unibet, Ajax 5/2 at Bet365

Group H

Arsenal P3 W3 D0 L0 Pts 9
Shakhtar Donestk P3 W2 D0 L1 Pts 6
Braga P3 W1 D0 L2 Pts 3
Partizan P3 W0 D0 L3 Pts 0

This is taking the path which was it was fully expected to really. Arsenal are head and shoulders above the rest, and the dominant force in the group. Their 5-1 thrashing of second placed Shakhtar Donetsk pretty much put a seal on that, and that was against the Ukrainians who were in pretty decent form. So, Arsenal will be expected to take the group title, especially if they come through their trip to the Ukraine on match day four unscathed. It should be plain sailing for them then. Donetsk was always going to look the second strongest side in the group, and neither Braga nor Partizan have looked anywhere good enough really. Expect an Arsenal – Donetsk 1-2 finish to the group. It should be a formality.
Group H winner: Arsenal 1/6 at SkyBet, Donetsk 7/1 at ExtraBet
Group H To Qualify: Arsenal 1/100 at Coral, Donetsk 2/9 at Boylesports, Braga 9/2 at Paddy Power

Group E

Roma v Basel

Roma to win: 11/17 at Unibet
Draw: 29/10 at Boylesports
Basel to win: 11/2 at Ladbrokes

Ex Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri will look for his side to get the upper hand in the group with a good home win over FC Basel. The two sides were thrown together in the Europa League last season, with both teams winning their respective home ties. The Italians won 2-1 at home, but it wasn’t enough to progress on aggregate, trailing 2-0 from the first leg. After losing their first Champions League match against Bayern Munich this season, Roma got their challenge back on track on match day two with a home win over Cluj, and not a very convincing one at that. Basel meanwhile have yet to pick up a point in this year’s competition, so they have a lot at stake from the bottom of the group. Roma, along with Bayern Munich were expected to progress from this group, but Roma haven’t quite made the impact they were expected to as yet. They should triumph over Basel at home though, and will be worth backing. They have to be confident, as they are leading Serie A at the moment, with five wins from seven matches and are looking strong there. They just need to translate it to Europe and settle down a bit. They should qualify, and with Club expected to lose to Bayern, Roma could be sitting a lot more comfortably at the end of match day three.
Tip: Roma to win

Bayern Munich v CFR Cluj

Bayern Munich to win: 2/7 at Boylesports
Draw: 5/1 at Unibet
CFR Cluj to win: 23/2 at Unibet

Last year’s finalists have gotten off to a good start in the Champions League this year. They started as group favourites and that looks as if that is they way it is going to be. What started the ball rolling was beating Roma 2-0 in the opening fixture, a big result as that is their main challengers for the top spot. Another win here against Cluj, should see Bayern take full control of this group and get one foot in the knockout stages. They have looked comfortable, even though they have had an incredibly slow start to their domestic league, winning just three of eight there and floundering around mid table. They have the quality and one of the top bosses in Europe to guide them, and this shouldn’t be a problem for them. Cluj have played out two 2-1 scorelines in the Champions League so far. They beat Basel by that scoreline and lost against Roma. They are actually giving a decent account of themselves and look to work hard. However, an intimidating trip to Germany is probably going to be too overwhelming for them. Why not look for a 2-1 correct score again for Cluj in your football betting? These things happen! Bayern have won six straight home Champions League matches. There’s the big stat for your betting.
Tip: Bayern to win

Group F

Spartak Moscow v Chelsea

See our full match betting preview here

Chelsea to win: 6/5 at SkyBet
Draw: 12/5 at BetFred
Spartak Moscow to win: 11/4 at Victor Chandler

Marseille v Zilina

Marseille to win: 3/10 at SkyBet
Draw: 9/2 at Unibet
Zilina to win: 14/1 at Victor Chandler

The chase is on to catch Chelsea, and Marseille are the ones expected to mount the biggest challenge. However, things haven’t gone that way and the French side remain without a point after their first two matches. Didier Deschamps needs something quickly, and they will be grateful for this home fixture against Zilina, who are also without a point. With Chelsea and Moscow on six points, there is a lot of work to be done by Marseille and they have to win this and hope Chelsea beat the Russians. That would keep their hopes alive, and they will need a huge improvement over their performance against Chelsea. There the French side looked a little out of their depth against the English champions, but they are doing OK in the French league, sitting around the top four. They are a good side, but it looks as if they just need more of a cutting edge up front. After being beaten heavily by Chelsea and Moscow, Zilina may not offer much resistance to Marseille, although they will be targeting the French side as the best possible source of points. Unlikely to happen away from home, so will look for maximum points for Marseille in the football betting for this one.
Tip: Marseille to win

Group G

Ajax v Auxerre

Ajax to win: 7/10 at Totesport
Draw: 14/5 at Bwin
Auxerre to win: 5/1 at SkyBet

Huge amount at stake in this one. Both sides really need to get their campaign going, with the only point between them being one which Ajax picked up in a draw against Milan. It wasn’t a particularly good draw for either of these two sides, being put up against Real Madrid and Milan, but Ajax are a club with a great European history and they are looking to get back their glory days. They will go for this one, and they are a high scoring club in the Dutch league, hitting 24 goals in nine games. They have just the one in the Champions League though, after being beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid and then holding Milan to a 1-1 draw. This match should allow them to cut lose a little bit, and with Auxerre hanging around just above the relegation zone in the French league, having just won one match out of nine, Ajax will go as favourites without a doubt. Auxerre haven’t hit a goal in their two Champions League matches so far, and they are rooted to the bottom of the group. They have to perform here now, as they pretty much have nothing left to lose. It’s a tough trip to the Netherlands, but their Champions League lifeline is hanging by a thread. You should see a more battling performance from them, but you have to bank on the firepower of Ajax edging this one.
Tip: Ajax to win

Real Madrid v Milan

Real Madrid to win: 8/13 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Bwin
AC Milan to win: 5/1 at SkyBet

This is the big match of Match Day Three of the 2010/11 Champions League. Football betting will be prominent in the favour of Real Madrid on this one. Not only are they the home team, and have the steady hand of Jose Mourinho at the helm, you have to fancy them having a bit more scoring power than AC Milan. Real Madrid are already looking like a typical Mourinho side. What does that mean? It means that they are so much tighter at the back than they have been in recent times, and that is because Mourinho knows what it takes to win, and that is building from defence. They have struck a good balance though, averaging over two goals per game in La Liga this season, and are topping the league there ahead of Barcelona. They have actually hit ten goals in their last two league matches, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugain in blistering form for the club. They are well worth backing for anytime goalscorer bets, and with Di Maria and Ozil in the middle of the park, Real Madrid look to have stepped up another level. Madrid have lost their last three home matches against Italian teams in Europe though. But, Mourinho makes a huge difference and it should all be too much for AC Milan really, who are doing well themselves in Serie A, occupying second place. They will look to recent history for confidence, as when the two sides met in the group stage in 2009/10, Milan won their first ever match at Madrid, with Pato scoring a late winner in a pulsating match. Pato is top scorer against for Milan this year, hitting four in the league, and they have boosted their offensive corps with Ibrahimovic and Robinho. They carry more threat than they did last year, and should raise their game here, and could be worth looking at a draw.
Tip: Draw

Group H

Braga v Partizan

Braga to win: 17/20 at BetFred
Draw: 13/5 at Unibet
Partizan Belgrade to win: 15/4 at Paddy Power

Another match which involves teams looking for their first points. Both sides have found the going tough in group H against Arsenal and Shakhtar. Partizan were expected to put up a little more of a fight, with a reputation as being a brave side, but Arsenal’s late away show against them really has put the Belgrade side out of the picture, along with Braga. Both sides have a lot of catching up to do, and three points here would prove highly valuable in the race for survival more than anything. Braga’s defence hasn’t stood up very well at all at this level of competition, conceding nine in their two matches. Partizan have been a little better and you would look at them as viable winners of this match. However, home advantage is with Braga and you would really expect this to peter out to a draw, handing a huge advantage to the two strongest teams in the group.
Tip: Draw

Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk

Arsenal to win: 3/4 at Unibet
Draw: 14/5 at Totesport
Shakhtar Donetsk to win: 9/2 at Ladbrokes

See our full match betting preview here