Champions League

Group A
Standings: Bayern Munich 11pts, Napoli 8pts, Man City 7pts, Villarreal 0pts
Napoli head to Spain to try and ensure they hold on to second spot in the group. They can’t win the group, but their qualification fate is in their own hands. All they need to do is beat Villarreal, who have managed just two goals in their five group matches so far and so the obvious looking outcome of Villarreal v Napoli Champions League betting is going to be a win for the Italians. When the two sides met earlier in the group stage Napoli secured a comfortable 2-0 win, and with Villarreal failing to pick up a point and out of the running completely, it could be another easy night for Napoli. The big problem here for Manchester City, is that they require a favour from the Spaniards, in stopping Napoli from winning. The basic scenario here in the race for second place in Group A, is if Napoli win, they go through with Bayern Munich and City fail at their first attempt in the Champions League to make it through to the last sixteen. So to a large degree the fate of Manchester City is out of their own hands, however there is a glimmer of hope. City need to beat Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night. Failure to do that will send City crashing out with a whimper, regardless of what Napoli do. So it is a win for Manchester City and a failure to win for Napoli which would sent Roberto Mancini’s men through. However, you can fully expect a Napoli win really, because Villarreal have been poor and won’t be interested in their match at all. There are still enough big doubts over whether or not City can beat Bayern Munich, but what could help City is that Bayern may rest players because they have already taken top spot. A draw in both games sounds like a plausible proposition at this point. See our full Man City v Bayern Munich Betting Preview here.
Manchester City 8/13,Draw 16/5, Bayern Munich 9/2 at Bet365
Villarreal 4/1, Draw 11/4, Napoli 8/11 at SkyBet

Group B
Standings: Inter Milan 10pts, Trabzonspor 6pts, Lille 5pts, CSKA Moscow 5pts
It should be a cracking finale in Group B with the second qualification spot up for grabs behind Italians Inter. Although Inter are having a very rough time in Serie A, they have been pretty efficient about their business in the Champions League, recovering from an opening night reverse at the San Siro by Trabzonspor. A run of three wins helped them secure top spot, although they could only manage a draw against Trabzonspor in Turkey on Match Day Five. The Italians round off their campaign against CSKA Moscow, who desperately need a win to keep their chances alive. A draw is not going to be good enough for them to get through, and a win will only help them if the other match in the group on Wednesday night ends in a draw. Have been a bit disappointed with CSKA Moscow’s contribution and while they can be a difficult side to break down, a draw is plausible here because Inter won’t be too concerned about this match as they have already won the group. So there could be an opening for Moscow who have drawn their other two away matches. Don’t see a win happening for them though. Regardless of what happens in the Inter v CSKA Moscow match, if there is a winner in the Lille v Trabzonspor match, then that is who will be joining Inter Milan in the last sixteen. So it is a one match shoot out between those two, who drew 1-1 in Turkey on Match Day Two. A draw on Wednesday night would be good enough for the Turkish side again as they are one point to the good over the French side. That is something to consider for your Champions League betting. Home advantage is usually pretty crucial in times like this, but Lille haven’t won at home in the group stage yet. Trabzonspor have only scored three goals in their five matches so another draw here really is not out of the question. Lille recorded their first win of the campaign on Match Day Five, which should give them confidence. The Turks are a really stubborn side, but can see Lille just sneaking this narrowly.
Lille 8/15, Draw 13/4, Trabzonspor 13/2 at SportingBet
Inter Milan 8/5, Draw 12/5, CSKA Moscow 19/10 at Unibet

Group C
Standings: Benfica 9pts, Manchester United 9pts, FC Basel 8pts, Otelul Galati 2pts
Two very different matches happening here. First of all, Benfica with a win will guarantee themselves top spot in the group, because they have the head to head advantage over Man Utd. Benfica have played some great attacking football in the Champions League, which a lot of other teams could learn a lesson from. Interestingly, they have done better away from home, winning two and drawing one, while drawing both of their home games. They head back to Portugal to face bottom side Otelul Galati who are already eliminated and you have to expect that the attacking power of Benfica will get the desired three points to keep them on top of the pile. In the group’s other match on Wednesday night, we have a cracker. If Manchester United lose away to FC Basel, then the Red Devils will fail for just the third time in their history to make it through to the knockout stage of the Champions League. They go into the match just one point ahead of Basel, but will face the tricky away trip. Basel will no doubt be really up for this, especially after almost beating United at Old Trafford. So the maths are simple, whoever wins out of Basel v Man Utd betting joins Benfica in the next round. United do have a slight advantage in that a draw will be good enough for them, and they will be banking on their Champions League experience to get them through. The Red Devils have kept seven clean sheets out of their last eight away matches in Europe, and as long as that happens, they will be in the next round. If Benfica fail to win and United do, there is still a chance that Sir Alex Ferguson’s crew can still top the group. See our full FC Basel v Man Utd betting preview here.
Basel 6/1, Draw 3/1, Man Utd 8/13 at Bet365
Benfica 1/7, Draw 8/1, Otelul Galati 22/1 at Victor Chandler

Group D
Standings: Real Madrid 15pts, Ajax 8pts, Lyon 5/1, Dynamo Zagreb 0pts
Real Madrid are the only team in the competition left with a 100% record with five wins from five. It has been a comfortable stroll for Jose Mourinho’s men, who have scored 16 goals and conceded just two. The La Liga leaders have made this all look very simple on their way to winning the group. They round off with an away match against Ajax, who have big plans of their own. The Dutch side need a point to secure their place in the next round as well, as they are three points ahead of third placed Lyon. Even getting a draw off Real Madrid at this stage is looking like a very difficult task ahead for the Dutch side. There is still a chance that they could get through if Lyon fail to win anyway. Lyon, usually a certainty for making it to the knockout stage have really struggled this time around. They head to Croatia to face bottom side Dynamo Zagreb in their final match. When the two met earlier in the group, the French side won 2-0 but even a repeat of that score line won’t be enough for Lyon. Basically, the only way that Lyon are going to get through, is if Ajax lose against Real Madrid, and Lyon somehow overhaul the goal difference of seven which Ajax has over Lyon should the two teams finish level on points. They will be helped if Real Madrid run riot against Ajax. That is the scenario, because Ajax and Lyon drew both of their meetings 0-0. So there will probably be a win for Real and Lyon may sneak a victory, but not by enough to steal second from Ajax.
Ajax 2/1, Draw 12/5, Real Madrid 6/4 at Bet365
Dynamo Zagreb 10/3, Draw 45/17, Lyon 10/11 at Unibet

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Time for another action packed week of Champions League betting, as the group stages are drawing to a near, and teams are clinging to lifelines and hopes of making it into the next round. We only have three confirmed teams in the next round so far, Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid. There is a chance that Manchester United and Manchester City will both be joining them. Here we take a look at the Champions League betting line up for Match Day Five on Tuesday, November 22nd.

Group A
Standings: Bayern Munich 10pts, Man Cit 7pts, Napoli 5pts, Villarreal 0pts
Massively crucial night in Group A for England’s Manchester City. Roberto Mancini’s men head to Napoli to take on the Italians, knowing that a win would see them through to the last sixteen at the first attempt. However, Napoli also have everything to play for, because they know that if they win at home against City, they will take a one point advantage going into the final round of matches and that will be a massive advantage for them. A draw would leave things wide open still, but City would still be hanging by a very narrow lifeline as they have to face Bayern Munich in their final group match. The other match in the group on Tuesday night, is Bayern Munich v Villarreal, which we are expecting will only go one way. Bayern won 2-0 away in Spain on Match Day One and so, with the Germans going along strongly, they are favourites to take this, and it is a win which should see them take top spot in the group. As for the Spaniards, they are down and out with nothing left to play for. Even a third place finish to muscle their way into the Europa League looks highly unlikely at the point in time. They aren’t in great form, and after successive defeats against Manchester City are there for the taking. The real fight in this group is between Manchester City and Napoli for second place. See our full Napoli v Man City betting preview here.
Bayern Munich 1/5, Draw 13/2, Villarreal 19/1 at Bet365
Napoli 3/1, Draw 5/2, Man City 20/19 at SkyBet

Group B
Standings: Inter Milan 9pts, CSKA Moscow 5pts, Trabzonspor 5pts, Lille 2pts
Considering who dismal they are doing in Serie A, Inter Milan are heading the table in Group B by four points. That may or may not say quite a bit about the level of competition in their group, but they are getting the job done there, but it hasn’t been plain sailing. On Match Day One, they suffered a bit of a humiliation when they lost 1-0 at home against Trabzonspor, but have since responded with three wins on the bounce to take them to the top. Now Milan, who are just above the relegation zone in Serie A travel to Turkey to face Trabzonspor again. Should the Turks pull off a home win, and so far they have held both Moscow and Lille to a draw there, they would pull to within one point of Inter Milan and keep their dreams of reaching the knockout stage alive. So there is all to play for in the group, but Inter will be favourites to take three points, after scoring one goal margin wins in both of their road trips so far in the Group. It will be tough night in Turkey  for them, and a draw would keep things very interesting. Should a draw happen out in Turkey, then CSKA Moscow could be the biggest benefactors if they help themselves to a victory over French side Lille. CSKA Moscow are level on points with Trabzonspor but are fancied much more to join Inter in the next round from Group B. Moscow earned themselves a 2-2 draw in Lille on Match Day One, but unfortunately since then, the French really haven’t shown too much of themselves. But, they are still not out of the running, because they would be level on points with Moscow should they score an unlikely away win, and if Inter beat Trabzonspor, that would leave the three teams behind group winners Inter on 5 pts each. A good group to watch, but would expect a draw for Inter and a Moscow win though.
CSKA Moscow 5/4, Draw 12/5, Lille 5/2 at Stan James
Trabzonspor 11/5, Draw 23/10, Inter 7/5 at Bet365

Group C
Standings: Man Utd 8pts, Benfica 9pts, Basel 5pts, Otelul Galati 0pts
The big battle here on Tuesday is at Old Trafford as Manchester United host Portuguese side Benfica. The two of those are topping the group on 8 points each, and after a 1-1 draw between them in Lisbon on Match Day One, the winner of this match will win the group due to a better head to head. Benfica have looked a pretty handy side but they will have to overcome some formidable home form from Manchester United who have only lost once at Old Trafford in their last 34 European ties. Benfica don’t have a great record in England either, so while United never play at their full potential in the group stage of the Champions League, and Benfica will be a threat, the worst that is likely to happen to the Red Devils is another draw. Still, United will be worth backing to squeeze out a win that will take the group. Should either of those two get defeated, it could open the door for FC Basel who are just three points back of them. So the Swiss side will be hoping for a good away win over Romanians Otelul Galati, which will keep them firmly in the race for second spot in the group. Basel beat the Romanians 2-1 at home on Match Day One and with just one defeat in their four matches so far (against Benfica), the Swiss should really take this match. If they fail to win and United v Benfica (see full preview here) ends in a draw, then Basel will be out of the running. So they will be hoping that someone wins at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
Man Utd ½, Draw 10/3, Benfica 13/2 at Bet365
Otelul Galati 15/4, Draw 3/1, Ajax 7/2 at SportingBet

Group D
Standings: Real Madrid 12pts, Ajax 7pts, Lyon 4pts, Dynamo Zagreb 0pts
La Liga leaders Real Madrid are the only side in the tournament with a 100% record left heading into Match Day Five. That is probably indicative of how disinterested most of the big clubs really are in this somewhat meaningless group stage. Anyway, Real Madrid are really worth a bet for the Champions League title here as they are looking like formidable powerhouses. Not only have they racked up 10 goals in their four matches so far, second only to Barcelona’s tally of 13, they have not conceded a single goal so far either (the only team not to be breached so far). They head back into action against Dynamo Zagreb, who they scored a 1-0 victory over on Match Day One in Croatia. Zagreb have been battling along but without any rewards so far, sitting on zero points and having yet to score a single goal. So your Real Madrid v Dynamo Zagreb betting is looking like a bit of a foregone conclusion. In Tuesday’s night’s other Group D match for Champions League betting, we see Lyon host Ajax in what promises to be a great game. Everything is at stake for these two side in the chase to finish second. Ajax are there at the moment, three points ahead of their French counterparts, and the Dutch side know, that with a win, they will be in the next round. As for Lyon, they simply need to win in order to keep their chances alive. It has been somewhat of a struggle for Lyon here, as we are used to seeing them play very efficient and tidy football. They just have not got the finishing power at the moment and are almost on their way out. Should Lyon win, they will be at a huge advantage. They would just ahead of Ajax into second because of the head to head record, and with Ajax having to face Real Madrid in their final group match, Lyon will fancy their chances of reaching the last sixteen. They must win here though, and going to back them to sneak it at home.
Real Madrid 1/12, Draw 11/1, Dynamo Zagreb 28/1 at Bet365
Lyon 11/13m Draw 3/1, Ajax 7/2 at Boylesports

Champions League Outright Odds
Barcelona: 19/10 at Paddy Power
Real Madrid: 4/1 at Totesport
Bayern Munich: 15/2 at Victor Chandler
Man City: 10/1 at BetFred
Man Utd: 10/1 at Bwin
Chelsea: 12/1 at Blue Square

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Group A
Standings: Bayern Munich 7pts, Napoli 5pts, Manchester City 4pts, Villarreal 0pts
After picking up their first ever Champions League win on Match Day three against Villarreal at Eastlands, Manchester City need to fill their boots again by taking all three points in Spain on Wednesday night. Roberto Mancini’s joy was clear to see after Sergio Aguero netted a late winner against Villarreal, which put City back in contention for a qualification spot from the group. City are stuck one point behind Napoli, and regardless of what happens between Bayern and the Italians on Wednesday, City really need those three points. It won’t be a disaster if City fail to win if Napoli fail as well, but it will put a huge amount of pressure on their visit to Italy. The group is likely to come down to Bayern Munich taking top spot and therefore Napoli and City will have to scrap it out for second spot. That is why there is so much importance on City getting a win, because they could take a two point advantage over Napoli on Wednesday. See our full Villarreal v Man City betting preview here. The Italians head to Germany to face Bayern Munich, after holding out for a 1-1 draw in Naples on Match Day Three. Much has been made about Bayern’s remarkable defence this season (having conceded just three in the Bundesliga in 11 matches), but Napoli finally broke them down in the Champions League, and earned themselves a point. Napoli are proving a tough side in the Champions League this season, picking up a point at the City of Manchester Stadium, and then holding Bayern to a draw. Bayern started the group with a bang, picking up 2-0 wins over Villarreal and then totally outclassing Manchester City.  The dropped points in Naples won’t ultimately hurt them too much, as they are still firm favourites to win the group with two home matches still to come. Would expect them to come out with a strong performance at home against Napoli just to stamp some authority back on proceedings in Group A. Munich have some serious firepower, but Napoli are no slouches sitting 5th in Serie A, and is why this is such a tough group for City. Expecting a draw in Villarreal and a win for Bayern.
Bayern Munich 1/3, Draw 9/2, Napoli 21/2 at Bet365
Villarreal 6/1, Draw 16/5, Man City 8/13 at SkyBet

Group B
Inter Milan 6pts, CSKA Moscow 4pts, Trabzonspor 4pts, Lille 2
Things are still pretty wide open at the half way stage in Group B. Inter did themselves a big favour by sneaking a 1-0 away win at Lille on Match Day Three, their second away win of the group. Inter Milan, it should be noted, are just one place above the relegation zone in Serie A, and enduring an awful, awful season. Their Champions League start was upset at the San Siro when Trabzonspor beat them, but the Italians have responded with a brace of wins. Now they can get back to the San Siro and look to consolidate the tough work which they have put in on the road. While Inter are struggling, we really haven’t seen too much from French side Lille in the tournament, ,which belies their standing in the French League, where they have lost just one match all season. You have to think in situations like this, that a decent side like Lille will muster a response at some point, so why not at the San Siro? Inter are a shadow of their former selves and look very vulnerable. Inter have a terrible defense and have won just one of their last five Serie A matches. They are there for the taking and are one of the big candidates for an upset in Wednesday nights’ round of Champions League matches. Can see Lille stealing something out of this match, as they need to in order to keep their qualification hopes alive. As for CSKA Moscow and Trabzonspor they are still well in contention sat on four points each. Moscow laid down a strong market by beating the Turkish side 3-0 on Match Day Three, and they will be favourites to get something out of the second meeting between them, and follow Inter Milan through. The Turks did beat Inter Milan, but their morale crushing defeat against Moscow in their last match, may have shown this is getting too much for them. However, they are at home, where they held Lille to a draw, and they need to get something out of this you feel. The winner of this will definitely gain a big advantage in the drive for second place in the group. So a pretty big encounter and one that would have an even bigger incentive if Inter Milan were to lose. Fancy Lille causing an upset and Trabzonspor holding out for a draw.
Trabzonspor 7/4, Draw 23/10, CSKA Moscow 9/5 at Bet365
Inter Milan 20/19, Draw 27/11, Lille 10/3 at Unibet

Group C
Standings: Benfica 7pts, Man Utd 5pts, Basel 4 pts, Otelul Galati 0pts
Well, this group is a bit more open than many would have predicted, as we see Manchester United trailing top spot by two points. We are only at the half way stage of course, and with United being pretty much a banker to beat Otelul Galati at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, they should be on eight points, and well on their way to a qualification place. But they have had their struggles, only managing a point against Benfica, and then needing a late equaliser to rescue a draw at home against Basel after being 2-0 up. The two penalties scored by Wayne Rooney in Romania on Match Day Three gave them their first win in the group. The Romanians are likely to be out of the running after Wednesday, but there could still be a good three way fight for the top. See our full Manchester United v Otelul Galati betting preview here. So there is big importance on the Benfica v Basel match on Wednesday. It was the Portuguese side who won out 2-0 on their trip to Switzerland on Match Day Three, and if Benfica repeat that result, it would keep them two points ahead of Manchester United, which could be crucial at the end of the day. It would mean that they would only need to hold out for a draw when they meet Man Utd next, in order to win the group. If Basel, who gave United such a hard time in the second half at Old Trafford win, it would both them and Benfica on seven points, pretty much handing top spot to United. So interesting connotations afoot in Group C. We can pretty much be certain of win for the Red Devils, and would go for Benfica to get the better of Basel again, especially on home turf this time around. They look the better of the two sides.
Man Utd 1/10, Draw 9/1, Otelul Galati 34/1 at Bet365
Benfica 1/3, Draw 9/2, Basel 12/1 at SkyBet

Group D
Standings: Real Madrid 9pts, Ajax 4pts, Lyon 4pts, Dynamo Zagreb 0pts
Well, Real Madrid (the only side in the competition with a 100% record after three matches) are just cruising through their matches, having netted eight goals in their three matches and not conceding any. It has been a very strong starts, one of the best in the Champions League, and their 4-0 demolition of Lyon on Match Day Three showed what a handful they are going to be. The two sides meet again in France on Wednesday night, and a win for Real Madrid would guarantee them top spot in the group if Ajax fail to beat Zagreb. Anyway, we are going to see Real Madrid in the knockout stages of course. They look one of the meanest and most ruthless sides in the tournament so far. Don’t see them slipping up in France on Wednesday. Lyon of course are a very established Champions League side, and having a solid season in their domestic league, but living with Madrid is a different matter entirely. We haven’t quite seen Lyon as strong of a force as you normally associate them with being. A draw against Ajax and that heavy defeat against Madrid sees them in a bit of fight. If they lose here and Ajax win on Wednesday, the French side will have some big catching up to do. Ajax face Dynamo Zagreb for the second time on Wednesday, after having won 2-0 out in Croatia on Match Day Three. That was a much needed win for the Dutch side, who had previously earned a draw against Lyon and then suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid. With Lyon likely losing again this week, Ajax have a chance to give themselves a bit of a cushion over the French side in the race for second place. Yes, Ajax will still have to face Madrid again, so the crunch match will come on Match Day Five when Lyon face Ajax. Still, there is big incentive for Ajax to at least get their noses in front, which would mean that if they can then take at least a point off Lyon when they meet, they would likely be going through. So big match for Ajax.
Lyon 21/4, Draw 3/1, Real Madrid 4/6 at Bet365
Ajax 8/15, Draw 10/3, Dynamo Zagreb 7/1 at SportingBet

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Chelsea head off to Belgium on Tuesday night with qualification in top spot in their Champions League firmly in their sight. New Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas (or AVB as he has become known to the media) has had a rough week, with back to back Premier League defeats against QPR and Arsenal. Those defeats came under very different circumstances, but Villas Boas is not ready to give up on his attacking style of play yet. After hammering Genk 5-0 at Stamford Bridge a couple of weeks ago, Chelsea can take another big stride forward in their group with another big win. There is little doubt that Chelsea will be in the next round, but all eyes will be on their performance, as their defensive frailties have really been highlighted. Online bookmaker BetFred are running a great Champions League betting promotion for the Genk v Chelsea match.

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Genk v Chelsea Champions League Betting Odds at BetFred
Genk 11/1, Draw 5/1, Chelsea 1/4

See our full Genk v Chelsea Champions League Betting Preview here

You may recall Manchester United conceding three goals at home in the Champions League against FC Basel earlier in the competition. Well, United are back at home for the first time since then in this year’s tournament, and with their defence taking a battering against Manchester City recently, online bookmaker BetFred have rolled out a Manchester United v Otelul Galati Champions League betting promotion. United are trailing Portuguese side Benfica in Group C by a point, but this home match should be something of a banker for them. United won out in Bucharest a couple of weeks ago against Otelul Galati, but they were given a hard time and needed two penalty kicks from Wayne Rooney in the second half to snatch the win. It’s no secret that United don’t really try very hard, or exert themselves much in the group stage of the Champions League, and you can get lost stake refunds on some of the match markets with BetFred if you do your betting there. If the visiting Otelul Galati scored two goals or more on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, then BetFred will refund any losing stakes placed pre match on First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast markets for the match. It’s coverage for your betting, should the unexpected happen, and lets you take advantage of markets like First Goalscorer, where Rooney is 9/4 favourite with some insurance. Highly rated online bookmaker BetFred offer a free £50 bet as a sign up bonus for new customers. The bookie will match the value of your first bet on a new account, up to the value of £50 as a free bet.

Manchester United v Otelul Galati Champions League Betting Odds at BetFred
Man Utd 1/10, Draw 9/1, Otelul Galati 25/1

See our Full Man Utd v Otelul Galati betting preview here

It should be a pretty easy night for Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday night, as they look to turn over Romanian side Otelul Galati again. United picked up their first win of this season’s Champions League with a 2-0 victory in Romania on Match Day Three, and the Red Devils are firm favourites to double up on that result. It took two penalty kicks from Wayne Rooney in the second half though to break down the Romanians in Bucharest. It has been a very understated Champions League campaign against by Manchester United, who were held to a draw away at Benfica, and then needed a late equaliser at Old Trafford to secure a point against Basel. But no matter, just as they did last season when they barely raised an effort in the group stage of the competition, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will get through in the end. A home fixture against the group outsiders should offer up another three points for United, who will be sure enough challenging for top spot in the group come the end of the matches. They are trailing Portuguese side Benfica by one point at the moment. It was that 3-3 draw home draw against Basel which was really the biggest surprise of the group so far, and showed some frailties at the back for the Red Devils. Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson likes to chop and change his personnel for the Champions League, generally putting out less inspiring sides than you will see in the Premier League. Manchester United responded well last weekend with an away win at Everton, following their humiliation at the hands of their rivals Manchester City. But we see the clear difference here of United’s experience in this competition, so much so, we see them sit back so much through the group stages and essentially just do enough to book passage through to the next round. That is what they will do here, and while they haven’t looked very impressive, a win could send them to the top of the group if Benfica fail to beat Basel. So they make it through without trying really, and with two of their remaining three matches at Old Trafford, they’ll be in the knockout stage.

Olelul Galati, Romanian debutants in the competition, have only managed one goal in the tournament so far, an away consolation against Basel in their first match. It is highly unlikely that they will hit Old Trafford and suddenly win their first game, it is unlikely to happen. Manchester United, even putting gout a weaker side, have a great record at Old Trafford in the Champions League. The Red Devils have now lost just one match in the last 33 played at home in the Champions League. That run stretches all the way back to 2005, but they did come so close to losing against Basel earlier in the tournament. United have played Romanian opposition just once before, Dynamo Bucharest back in the 2004/05 Champions League, winning both the home and away fixtures. Otelul had never faced a team from England before (until their first match against United), so this will be their first journey to English soil. Doesn’t much tougher really. Throughout their history, the Romanians have played just 11 away matches in Europe, scoring two wins, two draws and seven losses. So Otelul Galati are unlikely to get anything out of this venture, so it will be worth looking at winning margins for your Manchester United v Otelul Galati Champions League betting. It should be United’s big banker match, and a win would set them up nicely for a run at securing top spot in Group C. Don’t expect too many drama’s at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. We could talk about the scenarios of United falling behind Benfica if they don’t win and the Portuguese do, but it is highly unlikely that we are going to be faced with that situation.

Manchester United v Otelul Galati Champions League Betting Odds
Man Utd to win: 1/10 at Totesport
Draw: 9/1 at Bet365
Otelul Galati to win: 28/1 at SportingBet

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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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Group A
Standings: Bayern Munich 6pts, Napoli 4pts, Man City 1pt, Villarreal 0pts
Huge night for Manchester City in their debut Champions League season. It is Match Day three and they are still looking for their first win. Man City need to take all three points off struggling Spaniards Villarreal if they are going to keep pace for a qualification spot. Mancini’s men are three points adrift of second placed Napoli already and can’t afford to drop any more points. See our full Man City v Villarreal preview here. The other big match is just as important in Group A on Tuesday night, as Napoli host group leader Bayern Munich. Bayern are looking very strong at the moment, with two wins from two and are on a very strong run of form at the moment, conceding just one goal in the Bundesliga this season and none in the Champions League. They have an impressive defence, which Napoli need to try and break down. The Italians have to take advantage of the match in Naples in the quest for three points, and while they are sitting third in Serie A, lost on the weekend at home, which would have dented their confidence. However, they are a strong attacking team and this should be a great match. However, with the might of the Bayern defence, which held out for a 4-0 win on the weekend against Hertha Berlin, the Germans have to be favourites to take a win. A win for Bayern Munich would really put top spot out of the question for Man City, but would help them reel in Napoli for second place. A draw in Napoli v Bayern Munch betting would not be a bad thing for Manchester City’s chances at all. Big, big night in Group A
Man City 3/10, Draw 17/4, Villarreal 10/1 at Bet365
Napoli 14/5, Draw 12/5, Bayern Munich Evens at Bet365

Group B
Standings: Tabzonspor 4pts, Inter Milan 3pts, Lille 2 Pts, CSKA Moscow 1 pt
Interesting happenings in Group B of the Champions league, where Inter Milan look as if they are going to have a battle on their hands. After opening with a home loss against Turkish side Trabzonspor at the San Siro, they scraped through a 3-2 win at CSKA Moscow on Match Day Two. Now they head to France to face Lille for a big three points which would ease a bit of pressure. Inter Milan are struggling at the moment, struggling badly. In Serie A, they have won just one match all season, sitting fourth from the bottom of the league with just four points in the bag. They lost again on the weekend against Catania to further compound their problems. Their defence is just in a bit of tatters are the moment. So this is a good opportunity for Lille, who are in good form and probably make the safer bet. Lille are fourth in the French League, having lost just one match, and beat Auxerre away 3-1 on the weekend. However, with two draws from their opening Champions League fixtures, they need a win, and they will be targeting Inter. This is a big game with Milan just one point ahead of Lille. In the other match, Trabzonspor head to CSKA Moscow in a top v bottom match up. After beating Inter on Match Day One, the Turks could only follow up with a 1-1 home draw with Lille. CSKA Moscow also drew with Lille and then narrowly lost out to Inter at home on Match Day Two. There is not much to choose between all four teams in this group at the moment, whatever happens on Tuesday, the standings are likely to be very close. It really is all to play for in Group B, which is taking on a really interesting shape. A draw in Moscow and a win for Lille look probable.
CSKA Moscow 4/7, Draw 11/4, Tabzonspor 4/1 at SkyBet
Lille 11/8, Draw 11/5, Inter 13/8 at Totesport

Group C
Standings: Basel 4pts, Benfica 4pts, Man Utd 2pts, Otelul Galati 1pt
English interest here with Manchester United in the running. United head to Romania to face Otelul Galati for their Match Day Three fixture. United have yet to get a win under their belt, snatching draws in both of their opening fixtures against Benfica and Basel. United will still qualify as the Romanians don’t look strong enough to cause an upset here. See our full Otelul Galati v Man Utd betting preview here. So the other match for Tuesday in Group C see group leaders FC Basel host second placed Benfica. Interesting match up here with top spot in the group at stake. If these two draw and United win, then all three would be on five points at the half way stage. Swiss side Basel have been doing alright, opening with a 2-1 home win over Otelul Galati before having United on the ropes at Old Trafford. The Swiss fought their way back from 2-0 down at United, only to see Ashley Young snatch a 90th minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw. Benfica also took a point off United and followed that up with an away win over Otelul Galati, to leave htem on even standing with Basel. Basel certainly know where the goal is, as they are the highest scorers in their domestic league. However, would consider an away win, because Benfica look as if they can grow into this tournament and scored a good 4-1 home win in the Portuguese leage on the weekend. There are plenty of goals in Benfica as well, but you have to consider them as a bit more accomplished than Basel. United will certainly have their eye on this one.
Basel 12/5, Draw 12/5, Benfica 11/10 at Boylesports
Otelul Galati 14/1, Draw 6/1, Man Utd 2/11 at Bet365

Group D
Standings: Real Madrid 6pts, Lyon 4pts, Ajax 1pt, Dinamo Zagreb 0pts
We get the big fixture we have been waiting for in this group on Match Day Three as Lyon host Real Madrid. Madrid have opened with two wins from two, winning 1-0 in Zagreb before thumping Ajax 3-0 at home. Madrid are going along well again this season, not unsurprisingly, but are still tracking behind Barcelona in La Liga. Madrid are as prolific as ever, with Higuain and Ronaldo weighing in heavily with the goals. There is great history between these two in the Champions League, with the French side not unaccustomed to upsetting their illustrious counterparts. Lyon are going well in the French League, level on points at the top of the league and holding a pretty tight defence. With Lyon two points behind Madrid already, they really need a good win to keep things interesting here, as they can’t allow the Spaniards to get five points clear of them at the half way stage. Doing that at the Bernabeu though is not going to be an easy task though, so Madrid will be favourites to take the win. Both sides will qualify from this group anyway, so it is a matter of bragging rights for top spot. Dinamo Zagreb v Ajax should be an opportunity for the Dutch side to get a win under their belt. They come into the Champions League with a great European history behind them, but truthfully that is where their success is going to stay. They are a good attacking side, but they are not good enough to compete strongly here for a qualification spot. They battled to a 0-0 draw at home against Lyon, before rolling over against Real Madrid. The Croatians have not offered much either, trying to stay organised and tight but not offering too much up front. A draw seems likely here, but an opportunity for either side to give themselves false hope of qualifying.
Dinamo Zagreb 9/5, Draw 9/4, Ajax 8/5 at Victor Chandler
Real Madrid ¼, Draw 5/1, Lyon 10/1 at Bet365

Group E
Standings: Chelsea 4pts, Bayer Leverkusen 3pts, Valencia 2pts, Genk 1pt
Chelsea occupy top spot in the group and it will, most likely stay that way at the end of Match Day Three on Wednesday night. The Blues have a 24 unbeaten match record in the group stage of the Champions League at home, and you can’t see Belgian side Genk breaking that. Chelsea are starting to click under Villas Boas and owner Roman Abramovich will be as hungry as ever for Champions League success. Chelsea have made life a little bit harder for themselves than necessary so far in Group E, but still have the advantage, are getting stronger and should win this at a canter. See our full Chelsea v Genk betting preview here. The other match here pits Valenciia against Leverkusen in Germany. There is a big three points on offer for both of these sides and a win for the home side could really put some daylight between the top and bottom two. A win for the Spaniards, or a draw however would keep things pretty interesting in the race for second spot. Valencia have drawn both of their Champions League matches so far, a disappointing 0-0 away at Genk and then a lucky escape at home against Chelsea. Leverkusen opened with a defeat at Stamford Bridge, but then scored a 2-0 home victory over Kent ,and they look as they may just have a little more to offer than the Spaniards, and should make use of home advantage here. Neither side are in tip top form at the moment, and they will be in a race for second place behind Chelsea. So whoever can take points off the other in their two meetings should ultimately have the edge.
Chelsea  1/8, Draw 7/1 Genk 25/1 at Bet365
Bayer Leverkusen 7/5, Draw 9/4, Valencia 2/1 at Victor Chandler

Group F
Standings: Marseille 6pts, Arsenal 4pts, Borussia Dortmund 1pt, Olympiacos 0pts
More British interest here this week, with Arsenal in the hunt for a place in the kncokout stage. The Gunners earned themselves a 1-1 draw out in Dortmund to start their campaign, which wasn’t too bad a result, and then backed it up with a 2-1 home win over Greek side Olympiakos. The Gunners are not as good as they have been though, and were lucky to get past the Greeks unscathed. So their match at Marseille is going to be a massive one for them. Marseille are in great form at the moment and top Group F with two wins from two. If the French make it three from three, they will open up a five point gap over the Gunners at the half way stage. See our full Marseille v Arsenal betting preview here. Olympiacos v Borussia Dortmund is likely to ultimately end up as been the battle to avoid the wooden spoon in the group. Favouritism would have to be given to the Germans, but they were outclassed by Marseille in a 3-0 defeat on Match Day Two. That followed a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at home, in which they had to come from behind to rescue a point. Olympiacos have lost both of their opening matches against Marseille and Arsenal, and you would expect them to be finishing bottom. There is a big incentive though and importance on this match, because if Arsenal lose, Dortmund could pull level with the Gunners if they win, so there is a window of opportunity. Although it looks probable that Marseille and Arsenal will go through, the impetus is on Dortmund to try and claw their way back into things. This will be their best opportunity to do so, so far.
Marseille 7/5, Draw 23/10, Arsenal 2/1 at Paddy Power
Olympiacos 12/5, Draw 9/2, Borussia Dortmund Evens at SportingBet

Group G
Standings: APOEL 4pts, Zenit St Petersburg 3pts, Porto 3pts, Shakhtar Donetsk 1pt
Probably the least focused on group in the Champions League this season, because you haven’t really got a highly recognised team in there. Such is the case of the group being pretty even so far, and no-body really looking a favourite. Group leaders APOEL from Cyprus head to Portugal this week to face FC Porto. APOEL have secured one win and a draw from their opening two matches, beating Zenit and the securing a decent 1-1 away draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Even a point would at Porto would keep them ticking along nicely, but the home side should raise the pressure a bit. Porto, last season’s Europa League winners under Andre Villas Boas, beat Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening fixture, before crashing heavily out in Russia against Zenit, going down 3-1. On home soil you would expect Porto, who are a pretty decent team to prevail against the Cypriots, but the visitors look as if they can make life difficult enough to grab a draw on a good night. A win for APOEL though would be huge, putting four points between themselves and Porto. Shakhtar Donetsk v Zenit St Petersburg is an interesting clash, with Shakhtar looking a bit weaker than many would have though, only picking up a point so far. They are bottom of the group at the moment and need a response to get themselves back into the thick of thing. Ukranians Zent are on  three points and could really leave Shakhtar floundering with a win over them. Zenit lost away in Cyprus though, before redeeming themselves at home against Porto. There should not be too much between these two, and picking a winner from this group at the moment is a tough call. Do expect to see Porto coming on strong in their Match Day three fixture, and a draw is looking likely between the other two.
FC Porto 1/3, Draw 4/1, APOEL 17/2 at Bet365
Shakhtar Donetsk 11/10, Draw 23/10, Zenit St Petersburg 5/2 at Boylesports

Group H
Standings: Barcelona 4pts, AC Milan 4pts, BATE 1pt, Plzen 1pt
All that this group is going to come down to, is who finishes top between Barcelona and AC Milan. Both teams are on four points, thanks to their Match Day One draw at Nou Camp. Both followed up that 2-2 parity with a win on Match Day Two. Barcelona are back at home and welcome Plzen from the Czech Republic. Plzen drew 1-1 with BATE in their first match, before losing 2-0 at the San Siro against AC Milan. Barcelona will be expected to keep on winning, and keep on racking up the goals (seven already in two games), and the decider will come later in the group when they meet AC Milan again. Should not be ably problems for Barcelona against the Czechs. Same thing for AC Milan really, who are also at home, as they face BATE Borisov from Belarus. Following that 1-1 draw with Plzen, BATE were thumped 5-0 at home by Barcelona in their second match. That Match Day One draw against Barcelona was perhaps the most surprising result of the group so far, because Milan have started their domestic season poorly, and need a lot of building there with just two wins in the season. However, they held on for a point at the Nou Camp and then backed it up with a home win over Plzen. Now it will be their turn to try and rack up a few goals against BATE, and they shouldn’t have too many problems at home in picking up all three points. Both Plzen and BATE both shot themselves in the foot when they drew 1-1 on Match Day One, that was the biggest opportunity for one of them to pick up three points. They too will have to wait until they meet again, because a win for either elsewhere, doesn’t look likely.
AC Milan 1/6, Draw 6/1, BATE 18/1 at Bet365
Barcelona 1/16, Draw 9/1, Plzen 25/1 at SkyBet

Champions League Outright Winner Odds: Barcelona 15/8, Real Madrid 4.1, Man Utd 7/1, Bayern Munich 8/1, Chelsea 11/1, Man City 14/1, AC Milan 25/1, Inter Milan 28/1, Arsenal 33/1 at Bet365

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Wednesday 19th October 2011

European Champions League

Chelsea v Genk

Chelsea are hitting form at just the right time after a less than impressive beginning to the season, they’ll be looking to continue it against Genk in the Champions League.

Andre Villas-Boas is starting to stamp his authority on Chelsea after arriving in the summer. The shape looks a lot better than before, players who were out of form have been given a new lease of life and it’s resulting in improved performances and results on the park. Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Everton in the Premier League was further proof that the Blue’s are heading in the right direction. Despite losing to Manchester United last months, Chelsea find themselves in the top three and just a three points off Man City at the top of the table. What will be especially pleasing for the manager as well as the support, is that they look more threatening and are scoring a lot more goals now compared to both the start of the season, and the end of last season. 12 goals in their last three league games is good by anyone’s standards, and the goals are coming from all over the pitch as well.

Genk have done well to qualify for the Champions League but their participation in Europe’s Premier competition looks as though it’s taking a toll on their domestic form. Despite finishing a close second in the league last season, they find themselves in mid-table after 10 games, winning just three of them. It’s not a surprise as teams who do not compete in European competition regularly often suffer as a result of their success in a previous season. The challenge is not just how you compete against Europe’s best, but how you manage a smaller a squad to challenge on all front’s. Another loss, this time way to Lokeren on Saturday means they have lost their last three games in all competitions and without a win in their last four.

Chelsea have four points from their first two matches but it really should have been six as they had so many chances in Valencia last matchday. A late penalty punished them and prevented them from having a 100% record going into their second home game of the campaign. The opening matchday saw them eventually breakdown Bayer Leverkusen after a stubborn first hald display from the German’s.

Genk are off the mark in their second season competing in the Champions League group stages. A draw with Valencia on matchday one was followed by a 2-0 loss to Leverkusen in Germany. Their first experience was back in 2002 when they amassed four points with four draws so they are capable of holding their own. This season’s performances are also testament to how hard they can be to breakdown as Leverkusen only settled the match in the dying moments.

As much as Genk may be difficult to get through, they face their stiffest test of their campaign when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. It will not be a surprise if they adopt a defensive approach seeing as many teams often do that when travelling to a better quality of opposition, especially in Europe. With that in mind they may fail to pose much of a threat going forward so the 8/11 available with Stan James for Chelsea to win without conceding is definitely of interest. Another bet which may be worth considering is for Chelsea’s Fernando Torres to score at anytime during the contest. Torres is serving a domestic ban after being sent off against Swansea so it’s likely he’ll get the nod to keep his fitness up. He’s a best priced 5/6 with Boylesports.

My Selections: Chelsea to win keeping a clean sheet at a best priced 8/11 (Stan James)

Fernando Torres to score anytime at a best priced 5/6 (Boylesports)

Thursday 20th October 2011

Europa League

Rennes v Celtic

Having dropped more points in the league Celtic return to European action in search of their first win in the competition when travelling to France to take on Rennes.

Rennes have started the season steadily enough sitting in seventh position at the time of writing. Two defeats from their opening nine matches is evidence of how hard they are to beat which is further emphasised by the fact they lost just four times at home last season and after their opening four games at the Route De Lorient they have yet to taste defeat – winning one and drawing the other three. After finishing sixth, it was the first time in three years that they qualified for a European competition so a lot of the players are testing new waters. Their opening two group matches have been close fought encounters with Udinese and Atletico Madrid. As it is, they have gained just one point from a possible six but there are signs of encouragment for the French team heading into the round three match against Celtic.

Celtic have let readers of this column down twice in consecutive weeks with their lacklustre displays in the league. Only three late goals prevented them from losing their fourth game of the season on Saturday but the signs are there that all is not well at Parkhead. Their form in Europe has been patchy to say the least as they got through the backdoor initially after losing to Sion in the qualifiers only for the Swiss side to be thrown out as they fielded inelegible players. A loss to Atletico Madrid was followed by a draw with an understrength Udinese side last time. Celtic do have to overcome a horrific away record in Europe if they are to get anything out of Thursday’s match. A win in Moscow against Dinamo in 2009 was their only win in 31 European away games.

Rennes have won just once if their last six games in all competitions before hosting Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday evening so their form is not great either. Yann M’Vila
will once again be a big player for them as the French internationalist will look to dictate play from deep in the midfield. Fresh from helping his country qualify for Euro 2012, M’Vila is Rennes most impressive player and looks destined for bigger things in the future.

Whichever way you look at it when it comes to previewing this match, you cannot ignore Celtic’s deplorable away record in Europe. From my experience, bookmakers can often do this however, and the prices on Celtic’s opposition are often generous because of the history the Glasgow club have in European competition. I think that is the case once again as the price on a home win is 8/11 which looks too big to ignore, especially with how frail Celtic are at the back and the lack of confidence amongst the players as well as the supporters.

Having seen a lot of Celtic in recent weeks both at home and abroad, there is only one bet I could suggest and it’s another loss for Neil Lennon’s men on the road in Europe.

My Selections: Stade Rennes to beat Celtic

Best odds: 8/11 available with William Hill

Speaking at a charity event in London this week, Jose Mourinho has re-iterated his intention to return to management in the Premier League to complete, as the self-styled ‘Special One’ described it, ‘unfinished business’.

The charismatic Portuguese coach left Chelsea in 2007 after a hugely successful spell at Stamford Bridge before winning the Serie A title and Champions League with Inter Milan last season. He is contracted for another three years at Real Madrid and will be determined to leave a lasting legacy at the Bernabeu before he leaves but has again hinted that he is planning a return to England sooner rather than later. "I miss England and my next job will be in England," he told The Sun recently. "There is unfinished business and I think England wants me back, no? It was the most enjoyable time of my career."

Mourinho is currently preparing his team to face Tottenham in the Champions’ League quarter-finals, for which the Spanish side are a best 5/1 with Victor Chandler behind Primera Liga rivals Barcelona (a general 6/5). Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be fit to face the London club after a recent injury scare and Mourinho is confident his team will progress to the last four, though acknowledges that Harry Redknapp has done a wonderful job at White Hart Lane this season considering Spurs had to get through a qualifying round before even making the group stages.  "Any team is difficult and any team is a motivation for us." he told reporters, "Tottenham are a good team: they beat Inter, they beat Milan, they have ambitions, they have a very good team and a good manager."

Mourinho‘s self-confessed love affair with the English game is sure to have alerted several Premier League clubs, with Chelsea and Manchester United leading the way. Skybet are offering 7/2 against the Blues or the Red Devils securing his signature should he end up back in England, with Manchester City 4/1 with the same firm. Victor Chandler have him at 10/1 to join Liverpool and 20/1 to end up at Arsenal.