Europa League

It wouldn’t be a Premier League season if it wasn’t for some drama surrounding Carlos Tevez. The Manchester City player handed in a transfer request, after a dismissing reports earlier in the season that he was unhappy at Eastlands. He has reportedly been homesick as his family live back in Argentina, and there are rumours that he wanted to leave the club in the summer, but was convinced to stay by boss Roberto Mancini. Well, either all of his words of confidence that he was happy at the club was a bit of diplomacy on the Argentineans part, or something untoward as happened. The reason Tevez wants away, is apparently because of personal issues he has with certain executives at the club, although who these people are remain a mystery. Now there could be one almighty stalemate at City, with the club insisting that they will not sell him, forcing the 26 year old to stay and fulfil his contract. Tevez, who moved to City from neighbours Manchester United, still have a good three and a half years on his contract, and there has been speculation that he will refuse to play for the club again. Club owner Sheikh Mansour is not willing to give up on the star player yet, wanting him to stay until the summer and help City in their quest for the Premier League title and European glory.

Tevez has been one of the most devastatingly in form players this season in the Premier League, and there would not be a shortage of clubs lining up to take him of Man City’s hands. In a transfer fee, he would certainly command a big sum, and no doubt the major Spanish clubs would be interested. In all likelihood though, if the rumours of his homesickness are true, then he could well head back to Argentina. There is a cloud over whether or not he will play again for Manchester City this season, and their next match is in the Europa League on Thursday against Juventus. City will miss him, as he has carried them all season in the goal scoring department, is their true creative outlet. The former West Ham and Manchester United player could just have upset Manchester City’s hopes for the season. Even if he stays, even if he plays, will it be the same genius that has lit up matches before, or will the transfer saga simply be a negative for the whole of the club. For the club captain to be causing such disruption, it is bound to have a negative impact somewhere down the line, if not simply missing him as the most important player on the team. There is always the evident friction between Tevez and Mancini too, highlighted when Tevez started rowing with the boss after being substituted against Bolton.

Tevez did show up for training on Tuesday with his team mates, but this probably is not too much of an indication as to whether he will play on Thursday or not. Boss Mancini was not at the training as he is in Italy, and so Tevez may not even get on the plane to face Juventus. The two parties are apparently going to meet across the table on Friday, with Mancini probably doing all he can to smooth things over with the Argentinean and trying to convince him to stay. If Tevez goes though, either in the January transfer window, or at the end of the season, where is his likely destination? Naturally topping the list would be Any South American Club which is a great offer at 7/4 from Victor Chandler. With the reports that Tevez is missing his daughters, a move back to the continent does make a lot of sense. Boca Juniors for 8/1 at Paddy Power and Corinthians for 11/1 at Paddy Power lead the South American charge. However, would the temptation of a move to Real Madrid (9/4 at BetFred) or Barcelona (13/2 at Victor Chandler – just imagine trying to defend against Tevez, Iniesta, Xavi, Villa and Messi in the same side) convince him to stay in Europe. Perhaps in a way it would be a little bit closer to home, and he would have genuine chances of major silverware.

What would tempt Tevez to stay in England though? Is there anything? He clearly wouldn’t go back across the divide to Old Trafford from whence he came, but what about Chelsea? He would be the perfect spark of inspiration that would breathe new life into them. BetFred have priced Chelsea at 8/1 to be Tevez’s next club. When would Tevez leave? To Leave During January Transfer Window is 6/4 at Stan James, while Not To Leave During January Transfer Window is 1/2 at Stan James. What of the rest of the season at Manchester City if he really is going to be forced to stay. Will he play again? You can take odds of 4/11 at SkyBet for Tevez to play for Man City again this season, and 2/1 at SkyBet for him not play.

Weekly sports betting calendar 13 - 19 December

Date	Sport	Org.	Venue	Event
8-18 Dec		FIFA	UAE	Club WC
11-13 Dec		FA	England	Premier League
11-13 Dec		RFEF	Spain	Primera Division
15-16 Dec		UEFA	Europe	EL - Group stage
17-19 Dec		DFB	Germany	Bundesliga
18-20 Dec		FA	England	Premier League
18-20 Dec		RFEF	Spain	Primera Division
18-19 Dec		FIGC	Italy	Serie A

Steaua Bucharest v Liverpool Europa League Betting Odds & Tip: An odd game this one, as both teams are looking for points to try and secure a place in the next round. Liverpool need just a draw, while Steaua need to gun for a win (and rely on Napoli not winning). So there is importance on this game, but with Liverpool just needing a point, then it’ll be a weakened side that will probably do enough and no more to get what they went for. The only question really is whether Steaua really have the finishing, cutting edge to walk away with maximum points, which would pull them level with the Reds at the top of the group. Probably not, so look for Draw No Bet on Steaua Bucharest for 5/4 at Paddy Power

Liverpool to win: 7/5 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 12/5 at Bet365
Steaua Bucharest to win: 11/5 at Bwin

Liverpool will look to forget about the Premier League for a while, as they head to Bucharest in search of the point that will guarantee them a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League. The Reds blew a lead in the Premier League against Tottenham on the weekend, suffering a last minute winning goal by Spurs. While Liverpool are treading water in the Premier League, they really aren’t causing much excitement in the Europa League though, even though they will get through, probably top of the group. Liverpool, with two wins and two draws in Group K of the Europa League this year, sit three points clear of Thursday night’s opponents, Steaua Bucharest. A win for the Romanians would see them draw level, and probably secure their place in the knockout stages as well. Liverpool can afford to lose this one and get through, and picking up a victory on the road on Thursday will be nothing that is cut and dry for them.

The Reds lost Jamie Carragher on the weekend with a shoulder injury, which probably means that he will miss a couple of months of action. That is an experienced, steady head to lose, especially with the absence of Steven Gerrard as well. The Liverpool captain was injured while on international duty, much to the chagrin of manager Roy Hodgson. Still, they have to battle on and get the job done. When the two sides met at Anfield in the Group, Steaua were particularly sharp on the counter attack and really caused the Liverpool defence a lot of problems. They certainly had their chances to win the match on the night, but they just couldn’t finish well enough, and the 4-1 scoreline really tells a different picture to the even contest that there was on the night. The big difference really, was that the Romanians just ran out of steam as the contest wore on, but for long periods they gave as good as they got. The only other encounter that Liverpool have had with Steaua Bucharest, was back in 2003/04 in the UEFA Cup, when a 1-0 win at Anfield saw them through, after drawing 1-1 out in Romania.

Steaua are going to be no pushovers on their home turf. They have gone unbeaten in their three subsequent matches in the Europa League, after losing at Anfield on match day one. They have the chance to get through to the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup , a feat they achieved not too long ago, back in the 2006/07 season. So there is experience there, and danger signs for Liverpool. Boss Roy Hodgson, may not be willing to risk too much in terms of personnel. He will want to get in and out of Romania as quickly as possible, and avoid any more key injury problems that will hurt them in the league. The Europa League actually does represent a good chance for Liverpool to grab some silverware this year, after receiving the bad news of an away trip to Manchester Untied in the third round of the FA Cup. With the Carling Cup gone and winning the Premier League out of the question, this is a good competition for Liverpool. But, as this is still the group stage, there is still a couple of matches to go until they really get to the business end of this, when Hodgson will have to field a stronger side. Liverpool have a decent enough defence to hold out, and this looks as if it will be the point that they need in order to progress, with little fanfare on the night.

Weekly sports betting calendar 29 Nov - 5 Dec

Date	Sport	Org.	Venue	Event
27-29 Nov		RFEF	Spain	Primera Division
30 Nov-1 Dec		FA	England	League Cup
1-2 Dec		UEFA	Europe	EL - Group stage
4-6 Dec		FA	England	Premier League
3-5 Dec		DFB	Germany	Bundesliga
3-6 Dec		FIGC	Italy	Serie A
4-6 Dec		RFEF	Spain	Primera Division
3-5 Dec		ITF	Belgrade	Davis Cup Finals

Hodgson gets serious as Liverpool start as favourites

Liverpool to win: 10/11 at Totesport
Draw: 5/2 at SkyBet
Napoli to win: 7/2 at SkyBet

Two weeks ago on their trip to Naples, a young Liverpool side was all about frustrating the home club. Liverpool came away with a tiring 0-0 draw in the end, to keep them top of Group K by just two points after three matches played. Now the turnaround is here, and Anfield gets to host Napoli, who are still looking for their first win in the tournament. There are just signs that Liverpool are starting to get their act together, after picking up back to back victories over Blackburn and Bolton in the Premier League. Of course, that’s the kind of opposition against which Liverpool shouldn’t really be measuring themselves, and naturally the match against Chelsea on the weekend will bring about a whole host of new problems for Roy Hodgson. But before that, it is back to business in the Europa League, as it trundles along without a great deal of interest. Group K in particular, is really sucking the life out of the tournament as well, as the four teams still have only managed one win between them. That’s six matches now, five draws (three of them 0-0) and just Liverpool’s opening night beating of Steaua Bucharest registering any interest in the group. That solitary win keeps Liverpool on top and in a strong position to progress through to the last 32. At the moment, Liverpool fans will take that with open arms.

Napoli are a top six Italian side. They are, and how they failed to break down a Liverpool side, which was largely inexperienced and youthful, will have been frustrating. That was the Liverpool game plan in Naples, but hopefully both teams will offer a bit more going forward. Napoli sit two points behind Liverpool, and know that a win would put them in the driving seat to win the group, as the top spot will likely come down to a race between the Italians and the English. Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has decided to field a much stronger team than he did in Italy a fortnight ago, as he starts to throw caution to the wind, risking injury to his more senior players after losing Joe Cole. Cole will be missing for a few weeks through injury, and will miss the match against his previous club Chelsea on the weekend. Also on the sidelines for Liverpool is Dirk Kuyt, Daniel Agger and Sotirios Krygiakos who is doubtful. It won’t be the strongest side that Hodgson fields, as Fernando Torres won’t play a part, and Gerrard will want to be saved as much as possible for the Chelsea match. However, back at Anfield, Liverpool should take the points here. They are still lacking a genuine cutting edge up front however, and that will be the biggest concern.

Anytime Goalscorer Bets

David Ngog: 21/10 at Paddy Power
Steven Gerrard: 21/10 at Unibet
Edinson Cavani: 2/1 at Bet365

Do Liverpool have enough goals in them to win this match? When you look at the goal scoring stats between the two sides, Liverpool have just about scored as many as Napoli have conceded in the league. That all points to the match being pretty close, and Liverpool have won five and lost three against Italian opposition at Anfield in their history. You can generally count on Liverpool to battle their way through home matches in Europe, and it has just been the added stresses of midweek travels to mainland Europe which has slowed their progress. A win will be valuable and will put them on the brink of qualification. Chances are obviously going to be created, it is a matter of having enough quality up front to finish them. The Italians are a strong side, technically sound and like to knock the ball around. Marek Hamsik will be the key creative figure in the middle of the park for Napoli, but would still lean to some kind of coverage for a draw in your betting. A 1-1 score line sounds pretty reasonable when summing up the stats for the Liverpool v Napoli match. If Liverpool are more open, it will of course give more space for Napoli to expose, and the Liverpool defence isn’t the strongest. The Red’s back line will have to watch out for Napoli striker Cavani, who looks in pretty sharp form. Other than that, you look at the two sides and genuinely don’t see a lot of goals in either.

Liverpool v Napoli Betting Tip: Napoli +0.5 Asian Handicap: Evens at Bet365

Probably not too many goals in this one, but Napoli should be good for a draw you would think. Therefore edging them in an Asian Handicap makes sense. If you want to push the boat out, then you would lean towards home advantage, and therefore a winning margin Liverpool by 1 goal: 11/4 at Bet365

Europa League betting is primarily focused around Manchester City and Liverpool at the moment, as the two English sides remain among the front runners to lift the trophy. Having looked at the Champions League group stage status for your football betting, here we turn our attention to the Europa League. The format this year for the tournament is the same as the Champions League, except there is an extra knockout round because there are 64 teams in the group stage compared to the 32 in the Champions League. While the quality of the tournament isn’t regarded as being as high as the Champions League, there is a lot of hard work to be done to reach the final. Liverpool came close last season, reaching the semi finals where they crashed out to Atletico Madrid. English side Fulham went one step further and played their way into the final against all the odds, where they too fell fouls of the Spaniards, led by the inspired Diego Forlan. There are big expectations for Manchester City meanwhile.

Group A

Manchester City: P3 W2 D1 L0 Pts 7
Lech Poznan: P3 W1 D1 L1 Pts 4
Juventus P3 W0 D3 Pts 3
FC Salzburg: P3 W0 D1 L2 Pts 1

At the start of the group stage, you would have had a hard time separating Manchester City and Juventus in the betting, and seen them drawn together in the same group was a mouth watering affair. It did, in all honesty, add a little predictability to the group, with the two sides expected to stroll through to the knockout stages. Man City have the upper hand at the half way stage, as the Italian giants have really yet to make a move. When they came to Eastlands, the two sides played out a fairly contested 1-1 draw, and after having no real troubles in their other two matches, has seen Roberto Mancini earn a three point cushion at the top of the group for City. Juventus really haven’t stepped up to the mark, and not since drawing their opening match at home 3-3 against Lech Poznan, have they looked as strong as one may have thought. This has seen them drop back down the betting, while the odds on Manchester City winning have shortened. If you are expecting City to go on and win, then now would be the time to get your money down on them, as their odds will only shorten  as the tournament progresses. With Lech Poznan maintaining second place, even after being defeated by Man City on match day three, Juventus at the moment are missing out on a knockout stage place. But don’t be quickly drawn into betting against them qualify. Two of their remaining three matches are at home, including the massive one against Manchester City at the Stadio Olimpico. You would back the experience of Juventus to get through this, but it is not going to be all cut and dry by the looks of it. However, Lech Poznan were beaten comfortably enough by City to suggest that there is hope for Juventus, but if you want to go for the upset, then there is a great price to be hand on Lech Poznan to qualify above them. It should be Manchester City all the way in this group, even if they came away from Italy with a defeat. Mancini’s managerial style should be perfectly suited to this competition, and after their summer spending spree, they do make a solid bet to go all the way.
Group A Winner: Manchester City 4/11 at Coral, Juventus 10/3 at Stan James
Group A To Qualify: Man City 1/41 at Unibet, Juventus  3/10 at Unibet, Lech Poznan 17/10 at Unibet

Group K

Liverpool: P3 W1 D2 L0 Pts5
Napoli: P3 W0 D3 L0 Pts 3
FC Utrecht: P3 W0 D3 L0 Pts 3
Steaua Bucharest: P3 W0 D2 L1 Pts 1

So onto Liverpool, who are playing in the dullest looking group in the group stages of the Europa League. Why dull you ask? Well, out of the six matches played so far, the teams have mustered up just one win between them. That was Liverpool on the opening night, when they rode their luck against a sprightly Steaua Bucharest side who ran out of steam, and the Reds went on to a comfortable 4-1 home win. But the theme for Group K has pretty much been stalemate all the way. All other five matches have ended in draws, with three 0-0 results. Liverpool have been the guilty party in two of those 0-0 draws, as well as Napoli, and the big group clash between the two on match day three ended in that uninspiring score line. At the half way stage of Group K, things really are wide open, with Liverpool enjoying on a two point lead at the top, followed by Napoli and Utrecht, courtesy of their three drawn games a piece. What should influence betting here, is that two of Liverpool’s remaining three group matches are at Anfield, including the return fixture against Napoli, and you would expect them to get through, even if they aren’t playing well. They really haven’t played well all season, in the Premier League or the Europa League, but they are still worth a bet here, as they seem to be muddling their way through competently enough. As for the other team to qualify, that is open, but Napoli would seem to have a little edge, although Utrecht have put in some good, yet stubborn performances.
Group K Winner: Liverpool 2/5 at SkyBet, Napoli 9/2 at Victor Chandler
Group K To Qualify: Liverpool 1/14 at Unibet, Napoli 8/15 at Unibet, Utrecht 2/1 at Unibet, Steaua Bucharest 3/1 at Unibet

Europa League Outright Betting

Manchester City: 5/1 at Paddy Power
Liverpool: 12/1 at Unibet
FC Porto: 16/1 at SportingBet
Juventus: 16/1 at Victor Chandler
Atletico Madrid: 20/1 at Stan James
Sevilla: 20/1 at Bet365

Online betting prices for Napoli v Liverpool Europa League match on Thursday, October 21st, highlights the problems which the Anfield club is having on the pitch at the moment. Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool are outsiders in the match, as they head to Italy in search of some silver lining in their season. After beating Bucharest in their opening fixture, Liverpool played out a very dour 0-0 draw against Utrecht, a match in which the Reds again lacked any creativity and quality up front. Still, with other results going the way they did, it has left Liverpool at the top of Group K in the Europa League, and now the Napoli v Liverpool match really takes on huge importance. The Italians sit two points behind Liverpool, so if the Reds can pull off an unexpected away win, they will five points clear of their main rivals for top spot in the group. Napoli won’t roll over that easily of course, as with a win, they can claim top spot in the group for themselves. Hodgson of course, is no stranger to Italian opponents, having coached at Inter Milan for a while. There he met Napoli a total of six times, and doesn’t have too bad a record against them really. Hodgson, as a manager, has won three, drawn two and lost one against Napoli. On his last visit to the Stadia San Paolo, he came away with a draw, which in all circumstances, wouldn’t be a bad result for the Reds. But after being outworked and outclassed in the Merseyside derby on Sunday, where they lost 2-0 to Everton, Liverpool have big problems with form and confidence at the moment.

Napoli v Liverpool Europa League Betting Odds

Napoli to win: 5/4 at Boylesports
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Liverpool to win: 5/2 at Stan James

Again striker Fernando Torres couldn’t make an impact in the match, largely down to him getting no service from a very uninspiring midfield. He was starved of service and when he did get a chance at the end of the match, he couldn’t take it. Still, with Liverpool’s financial issues settled following a takeover, Liverpool have to look for some light at the end of the tunnel. It is easy to say that Hodgson would put out a changed side, but the truth is, that unlike Man Utd and Arsenal, Liverpool do not have any strength or quality in depth. They will need all of the strength they can in Italy, because they have a pretty poor European record against Italian clubs. In 21 encounters against Italian sides, Liverpool have picked up just seven wins (being hit with ten defeats) and in Italy, Liverpool have only won two matches out of seven attempts. Liverpool lost in the semi final stage of the competition last year, and they will find the going tough against Napoli on Thursday. Napoli v Liverpool betting odds rightly signifies how well the Italian side are doing at the moment. While they have only picked up two draws in the Europa League group so far, they are sitting fourth in Serie A, having lost only one match this season. Edinson Cavani is the main threat for the Italians in the goal scoring department, as he has hit six league goals in seven matches. His speed and sharpness really could do damage to a shaky looking Liverpool back line.

Liverpool are still without Dirk Kuyt, but there is positive news that he should be back in action within a month or so. They really have to suffer through the form of Fernando Torres until the January transfer window comes along and they try to bolster the forward line, and the midfield. Hodgson’s picking up of pieces in the summer, like Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic really hasn’t paid off yet. With signing Christian Poulson’s preference to play his football sideways rather than football, and the likes of Maxi, Lucas and Babel all looking out of their depth, other than captain Steven Gerrard Liverpool are lacking a punch, lacking a bite that needs to be there. The Reds are averaging less than a goal per game in the Premier League, and travelling to Italy to try and outscore a good, form team looks like a big ask. Perhaps too big an ask. In all fairness a defeat wouldn’t really hurt to much, as you would still back Liverpool to get out of the group, as they will get more chances. Another defeat though, would only serve to knock the confidence of the Anfield crew a little more, and heap more pressure upon on the under fire Roy Hodgson.

Napoli v Liverpool Betting Tips

Napoli/Napoli Halftime/Fulltime Odds: 29/10 at Bwin

Napoli to win by 1 Goal: 3/1 at SkyBet
Napoli to win by 2 Goals: 6/1 at Extrabet

Anytime Goalscorer
Fernando Torres: 13/8 at Coral
Edinson Cavani: 2/1 at Boylesports
Ezequiel Lavezzi: 9/4 at ExtraBet
David Ngog: 12/5 at Paddy Power
Steven Gerrard: 5/2 at Bet365

Online betting tips and odds for Manchester City v Lech Poznan, Europa League, Thursday October 21st. Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City will look to take a firm group of Group A in the Europa League, with a win over leaders Lech Poznan. While this is the first time that the two clubs have met in Europe, Man City are currently on a run of four drawn matches against Polish opposition. That stretches back a long way of course, but it is an interesting football betting stat for Man City v Lech Poznan to take notice of. After holding Italian giants Juventus to 1-1 draw in their last Europa League match, City have set themselves up perfectly to take charge of the group, for a win will put them in a strong position, three points clear of Thursday’s opposition, and depending on how Juventus do against Salzburg, City could gain a huge advantage. This feels like it could be the important turning point in the group, and a big chance for City to impress. The blues picked up a vital away win over Blackpool in the Premier League on the weekend, which elevated them into second place. That was a huge confidence booster and now City will look to capitalise on the one win and the one draw which they have picked up in the Europa League so far. In Europa League betting, Man City are down as the outright favourites to win the tournament, and can currently be taken for a price of 5/1 at 888Sport. That actually represents a pretty strong bet, as while Man City don’t yet seem to have the overwhelming fire power that they should have, boss Mancini adopts to the right cautious attitude which will probably serve well in Europe.

Man City v Lech Poznan Europa League Betting Odds

Man City to win: 5/19 at Unibet
Draw: 11/2 at Blue Square
Lech Poznan: 12/1 at Bet365

Lech Poznan also held Juventus to a draw, in a gripping 3-3 tie in Italy. They backed that up with a 2-0 home win over Salzburg, which has left them level on points. This group was supposed to be all about City and Juventus, but Poznan are really mixing things up very well in there. The only time that Lech Poznan have played in England before, was back in 1984/85 when they faced Liverpool at Anfield in a 4-0, in the European Cup. After bagging a hat trick against Juventus, Lech’s Artjoms Rednevs is the competition’s top scorer, so the City defence will have to keep a sharp eye on him. For your Man City v Lech Poznan betting, you really need to be backing the home team. You have to believe that City have what it takes to edge towards top spot in the group. They are on an eight match unbeaten run at the City of Manchester Stadium in European matches, and overall, haven’t lost in Europe for five matches. That signifies the growing strength of City as a force on both the domestic and European fronts. Can they break their drawing streak against Polish sides? There is a battling grit and determination about Poznan, highlighted perfectly in the away draw at Juve. City start this match as favourites though and with Carlos Tevez in the form that he is, anything less than a City win will be unexpected. If you want to err on the side of caution, then you will be best served looking at draw options, as history does point to that. The other thing which will back a draw, is City’s less than prolific goal scoring record. They are tight enough at the back not to be outscored at home though.

Manchester City v Lech Poznan Betting Tips

The online bookmakers have the Man City v Lech Poznan betting as leaning towards a big, comfortable win for the home side. It is a little hard to see it being that prolific really, so would lean towards City edging it by only a goal or two. Here are some of the best betting tips for your football betting.

Draw/Man City Halftime/Fulltime Bet: 7/2 at Boylesports

Lech Poznan +1.75 Asian Handicap 23/20 at Bodog

Man City to win by 1 Goal: 3/1 at SkyBet
Man City to win by 2 Goals: 3/1 at Bet365

Anytime Goalscorer Odds
Carlos Tevez : 3/4 at Unibet
Emmanuel Adebayor: Evens at SkyBet
David Silva: 7/4 at Bet365
Artjoms Rudnevs: 5/1 at William Hill

Man City v Juventus Europa League Betting

Thursday, September 29
City of Manchester Stadium
20.05 GMT

Man City to win: 4/5 at Totesport
Draw: 11/4 at Boylesports
Juventus to win: 4/1 at SkyBet

Undoubtedly, the biggest match of the Europa League this week, is the encounter at Eastlands of Man City v Juventus. These are two of the tournament favourites going head to head in what should be a great match. Manchester City beat Premier League leaders Chelsea on the weekend, and more of what they produced on Saturday is required for Roberto Mancini’s men. Man City are a cautious team. Roberto Mancini is a cautious manager, in what is a typically Italian way. They showed this to good effect against Chelsea, to which they conceded a lot of possession, did not chance their arm going forward very much, but what they did set out to do, they did very well. That was to stifle the opponents. City closed all the space down between the Chelsea midfield and attack, so very often the London side had nowhere to go. You look at City’s midfield with Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry in there as holding midfielders, it took a lot of the excitement out of the game, but it got the job done. City are not as flamboyant as Chelsea, not as domineering going forward as Man Utd, and certainly not as technically gifted as Arsenal. But on the evidence of last weekend’s showing, they are finally developing their own identity, and that is one of safety first and hit the opponents on the break.

When you have Carlos Tevez in your side to lead the line, then you are always in with a chance. All he needed was that one chance to break down Chelsea, and it was game over. But the truth is that City need to create more, be more creative from the midfield if they are really going to push for honours on some front this season. David Silva, who was the link up between midfield and attack was pretty much non existent the entire match, and needs to get involved a lot more. There was nothing coming down the flanks either for City, and if they have to rely on Tevez solely for the entire season, then City aren’t going to get far. It will likely be a similar set up against Juventus from Mancini, who will know that the Italians will probably be playing much the same way as themselves. The Italians like the slower tempo game, and that looks as if it is what suits City too. Points are more important than performances of course on the night, and if Tevez can rescue City again by a single goal, all of the huff and puff from the rest of the team will have counted for something. However, with all the attacking talent they have brought in, there is just a compelling need to see Manchester City be brave, attack, and follow in the footsteps of their red neighbours. They are still missing Italian striker Mario Balotelli, who is not expected back until December, and who would have been relishing this match. City are now up to fourth in the Premier League, and hopefully there is more to come from them.

Naturally it will be a lot easier when they get back to full strength, as they are having a tough time with injuries at the moment. There is every chance that Eastlands will see a good victory from their players in the Europa League here, because Juventus really haven’t found any stride in their season just yet. They have picked up just two wins in their opening five Serie A games, but in those two victories they have hit four goals in each match. There was also a 3-3 draw in their second fixture of the season as well, which suggest that they are both dangerous and fragile at the same time. The Italian giants didn’t exactly get their Europa League campaign off to a flyer as they were held to a slightly embarrassing draw at home by Lech Poznan in the first match. It will be time for them to bounce back from that, and interestingly, the only time they have met Man City before in Europe, they lost in England to the Blues, but went on to win the UEFA cup as it was then. Are there good omens for Juventus? That was back in the mid seventies though, but history has an odd way of repeating itself. Juventus have done OK against English opposition in Europe, but nothing to really write home about. The Italians have won 15 matches, drawn 8 and lost 15 against English opposition, but this next stat is the one which should influence your betting. Juventus have only won twice in England in 18 attempts, and are currently without a win in nine trips to England. City win, anyone?

As for City, apart from that encounter with Juventus before, the only other Italian opposition they have faced is AC Milan, also in the seventies, which City incidentally won at home, and drew away. The signs really are good for your football betting in backing a City win here. It looks a decent call when you look at the stats and form. There’s unlikely to be many goals, but another 1-0 victory for City, would put them nicely in control in their group, and would back up the hard, concerted effort they put in to beat Salzburg away in the opening round of fixtures. This match really would be worthy of a repeat later in the tournament to be honest, as they are seen as two of the strongest teams in the Europa League this year. Let’s look at some betting markets and tips for this match. Juventus are the higher scoring team of the two, but will probably be a little more reserved away from home, therefore a Draw/Man City Half Time/Full Time bet for 18/5 at Bwin looks like a nice price. Over in the Asian Handicap markets for this match, it looks as if the bookies are expecting a solid City win, and a decent price of 13/10 for City -1 Asian Handicap at Bet365 looks reasonable. A one goal margin for City will fetch you a decent 11/4 price at Bet365, which is mightily tempting also. Plenty of options here, and while Juventus are a strong side, the safer option on your betting should be to go with the home side with coverage of a draw if you like.

Utrecht v Liverpool Europa League Betting

Thursday, September 30th
Stadion Galganwaard
18:00 GMT

Liverpool to win: 6/5 at BetFred
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Utrecht to win: 13/5 at Bwin

Well, a win for Liverpool at the moment does not seem like a very certain thing, but this should be a match in which the Kop fans back home could be celebrating. Having to turn out for a Thursday Europa League match against Utrecht, clearly doesn’t have the glamour of a big match against Europe’s elite in the Champions League, but that is what boss Roy Hodgson has in front of him and he has to find a way to make it work. Liverpool ran out 4-1 winners in their opening Europa League match against Steaua Bucharest, in a scoreline which flattered the reds a little bit. The Romanians ran out of steam a little bit after giving Liverpool a lot of problems with their speedy attacks and inventive play. Again Liverpool looked a bit flat in midfield, but they did hold themselves together to pull of a solid victory nonetheless. Utrecht aren’t the toughest opposition for the Reds, who have enjoyed a great history in European competition, and is their way back to glory in a tough, tough year? They are strong favourites to win this match, and it will be interesting to see whether Hodgson shuffles the pack again, and saves some of his a-list for the Premier League, where the Reds are struggling. Do they go all out for glory in the Europa League, or continue to play it slow and steady in the protracted tournament?

The Reds fans really could do with some cheer, after staging a protest on the weekend against the club owners who they want out. Again Liverpool were guilty of not having enough quality to see out a game, as Sunderland rolled into Anfield and held the Reds to a 2-2 draw. That now makes six points from six matches for Liverpool in the League, and they are still hovering near the drop zone this early in the season. Naturally, they will get better, and Hodgson needs some time to do just that, and this feels like a match finally where a bit of pressure is off them. They will be expected to win, even if they are a bit below strength. Liverpool should be feared in Europe, such is their status, but their current squad isn’t living up to past glories. However, their encouraging first Europa League victory against Steaua should give them confidence enough to build a comfortable victory in Utrecht. Liverpool really need Fernando Torres to play as much as he can in order to get to match sharpness, as he still cuts a very frustrated figure out on the pitch. He hasn’t looked the same since being rushed back for the World Cup where he underperformed and it looks like Liverpool are not paying the price.

Supposedly Man City are lining up a massive January bid for Torres, which may be surprising, but Torres’s fitness isn’t the entire story of his lack lustre performances. He just hasn’t been getting any kind of quality service from midfield. Take Gerrard out of that midfield line-up, and it still doesn’t look strong enough, or creative enough to get the Reds back where they belong, in the Big Four of English football. Hopefully Liverpool will relax a bit and enjoy this match, and get back to the basics of what Hodgson wants from them. The quicker they learn his ways, the better off Liverpool will be. So, on to their opponents from the Netherlands, Utrecht. Dutch sides are always a little tricky to play, because they have that combination of good football with some tough tackling. They are totally beatable though, having lost four of their seven domestic matches this season, and lingering in the bottom half of the Dutch league. They have only scored one goal away from home this season, but when they have won at home, they have scored three goals in each of their matches. That’s unlikely to happen against Liverpool though, unless the Reds have a bad night at the office, but should be tighter than that.

There is every chance that this will be a pretty tight game, but Liverpool should be able to control the lions share of it. Whether they get victory by one or two goals, that’ll be down to the side which the Reds put out. This is a real chance for Liverpool to not be fearful and to go and play up to some of their potential, and fight for the club. The only real good thing about Liverpool’s season is that rivals Everton are even worse off than them right at the bottom of the league, but that will be scant satisfaction if they don’t start stringing results together. It should be a good workout for Hodgson, but nothing which he shouldn’t be able to overcome. But wasn’t that said when Northampton went to Anfield in the Carling Cup? Anyway, Liverpool at -0.50 Asian handicap for 21/20 looks a safe bet and is best value at Victor Chandler, which makes for a decent Liverpool bet away from home. For striker Fernando Torres to find his feet again, Stan James have him priced at Evens as an Anytime Goalscorer, while the much maligned David Ngog is 7/4 at Bet365 in the same market. Of course, Steven Gerrard should relish this kind of opposition, and he is 12/5 at Bet365 to find the back of the net. For Utrecht, the awesomely name Ricky van Wolfswinkel is favourite to get on the score sheet, priced 12/5 at Paddy Power. Expect Liverpool to edge a win to put them in a good position in their group. If you want security, do a Draw No Bet option on them.