Juventus

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.

GROUP A
Bayern Munich v Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa v Juventus

Out of a group which contains Juventus and Bayern Munich, you would not be expecting French side Bordeaux to be topping the group at the half way stage. But that is the exact situation, as Laurent Blanc’s side travel to Bayern Munich to try and press home the advantage they have gained for themselves. Undefeated so far, Bordeaux pulled out a momentous 2-1 victory over Bayern on Match day three, which saw them jump ahead of the Germans in Group A. They have managed to open up a two points lead over Juventus, and with Juve being expected to win their game against lowly Maccabi Haifa, the Munich v Bordeaux game is one of the biggest games of the night. Another defeat for the German giants and they would be clinging onto a qualification place with their very fingernails, and would need to pull out a positive result against Juventus down the line. The defeat against Bordeaux would really have hurt Bayern, but after seeing how well Bordeaux performed against Juventus, they need to be seen a quite a threat. Maybe not as much of a threat overall as French counterparts Lyon in the competition, but they look as if they can hold their own. This is a big match for Blanc’s men now, for a win would all but  guarantee them a place in the next round.

Group A
Bordeaux – P3    W2    D1    L0    Pts7
Juventus – P3    W1    D2    L0    Pts5
Bayern – P3    W1    D1    L1    Pts4
Maccabi Haifa – P3    W0    D0    L3    Pts0

Match Prices
Bayern Munich to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Draw: 13/5 at SkyBet
Bordeaux to win: 4/1 at BetFred

Maccabi Haifa to win: 6/1 at SkyBet
Draw: 11/4 at Bet365
Juventus to win: 8/13 at Extrabet

Betting tips:
Bayern to win 2-1: 8/1 at Boylesports
Juventus to win 1-0: 11/2 at 888Sport

TO WIN GROUP A
Bordeaux – 6/4 at Totesport
Juventus – 2/1 at Coral
Bayern Munich – 5/2 at Victor Chandler
Maccabi Haifa – 1500/1 at Bet365

GROUP B
Manchester United v CSKA Moscow
Besiktas v Wolfsburg

This group should pretty much be done and dusted with regards the winners, come the end of Match day four. Even with their injuries, and the new father Wayne Rooney missing from the line-up, this should be another uneventful, Manchester United European performance. Even though they have not at any point looked their explosive and powerful best, they have been the job done on the large part, and even a below par United should have enough in the tank at Old Trafford to beat CSKA. Not that CSKA are a bad side or anything, although they are nowhere near winning their domestic league. CSKA have been outclassed by both Manchester United and Wolfsburg in the Champions League, and a win for the Moscow side would add a little bit of interest into a group, which is likely only to play out one way, with United winning and Germans Wolfsburg finishing second. Wolfsburg travel to bottom side Besiktas, as they look to continue their European adventure. There was always the chance, out of all of the new sides in the Champions League this term, that Wolfsburg were going to prove the biggest threat. Besiktas, who did give Manchester United at tough time, gained their first point of their campaign in Germany, holding the hosts to a 0-0 draw, which was some feat considering the fire power that Wolfsburg have at their disposal. If they want to be real challengers, then this is exactly the type of game which the Germans need to polish off without any fuss. If they fail to win on Tuesday night, then it could seriously impede their chances of progress. A must win.

Group B
Man. United – P3    W3    D0    L0    Pts9
Wolfsburg – P3    W1    D1    L1    Pts4
CSKA Moscow – P3    W1    D0    L2    Pts3
Besiktas – P3    W0    D1    L2    Pts1

Match Prices
Manchester United to win: 4/11 at Bet365
Draw: 4/1 at Boylesports
CSKA Moscow to win: 10/1 at BetFred

Besiktas to win: 7/4 at Paddy Power
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Wolfsburg to win: 8/5 at Bet365

Betting tips:
Manchester United to win 2-0: 11/2 at Ladbrokes
Wolfsburg to win 2-1: 9/1 at Sporting Bet

TO WIN GROUP B
Manchester United – 1/50 at Bet365
Wolfsburg – 25/1 at Paddy Power
CSKA Moscow – 40/1 at Paddy Power
Besiktas – 250/1 at Paddy Power

GROUP C
AC Milan v Real Madrid
Marseille v FC Zurich

Unquestionably the game of Match day four takes place on Tuesday night in Milan. Struggling for league form to contend against city rivals Inter at the top of Serie A, AC Milan pulled out their best performance of the Champions League this year, to beat Madrid 3-2 on Match day three. This was one of the classic Champions League fixtures, in clearly one of the most exciting groups. Striker Raul scored his 66th European goal as he opened the scoring, but two goals in four minutes saw Milan take the lead in the second half. After a Madrid equaliser from Drenthe, it was an 88th minute winner from Pato which sealed the dramatic win for the Rossoneri. Real Madrid apparently know how to put on a show, having scored 10 goals in their first three fixtures, with 5-3 and 3-0 wins, followed up by the five goals thriller against Milan. Both sides are sat on 6 points in the group , but Milan definitely have the edge going forward with Raul, Benzema, Kaka, Ronaldo, Van Nistlerooy and Alonso to name but a few. The result in the corresponding Match day three fixture was somewhat of a surprise, and it has kept the group alive. With Ronaldinho and Fillipo Inzaghi leading the forward line, another win back in the San Siro for AC Milan, who have agreed a deal to bring David Beckham back on loan in January, would really set the cat amongst the pigeons. It could allow third placed Marseille to draw level on points with Milan. Marseille entertain the gutsy Champions League debutants FC Zurich. Remember that it was the Zurich men who pulled off one the Champions League upsets, as they beat AC Milan 1-0 in Italy. The minnows triumphed with an impetuous back-heeled goal from Finnish player Hannu Tihinen. The Zurich defence did resist an onslaught, but they definitely had their moments going forward, just as they did when they pulled two goals back from 3-0 down against Real Madrid. Didier Deschamps will be hoping that his Marseille side, who are down in seventh in the French league, will be seeing this as a real opportunity to mix it with their illustrious group rivals above them. The maths are simple, if there is a winner and loser in AC Milan v Real Madrid match, then a win for Marseille will put them in a good position to some extent, as they will still have the opportunity to take points of both of those teams with the remaining fixtures. It is a big night in Group C.

Group C
Milan – P3    W2    D0    L1    Pts6
Real Madrid – P3    W2    D0    L1    Pts6
Marseille – P3    W1    D0    L2    Pts3
Zürich – P3    W1    D0    L2    Pts3

Match Prices
AC Milan to win: 28/17 at Expekt
Draw: 23/10 at Coral
Real Madrid to win: 7/4 at BetFred

Marseille to win: 3/10 at Bet365
Draw: 9/2 at SkyBet
FC Zurich to win: 12/1 at SkyBet

Betting tips:
Quatro Bet – Real Madrid to win or draw with two or fewer goals scored in the match: 13/8 at Ladbrokes
Over 3.5 goals: 6/4 at Stan James

TO WIN GROUP C
Real Madrid – Evens at William Hill
AC Milan – 11/10 at Totesport
Marseille – 14/1 at Paddy Power
FC Zurich – 200/1 at Paddy Power

GROUP D
APOEL v Porto
Atlético Madrid v Chelsea

Chelsea look to be strides ahead in Group D, and can confirm their progress through the next round with a victory over Atlético Madrid. It is fair to say that the Madrid side have been struggling, as they are in a something of a relegation battle at the foot of the Spanish league. Quique Sánchez Flores has since arrived to coach the team after their 4-0 thumping delivered at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea on Match day three. With Didier Drogba back for Chelsea, there could be another cruise-control game for the Blues, but they will be possibly be facing a new look team, with refreshed tactics from the new coach. There is a long way to go for the Madrid side, but they do have Diego Forlan who can do some damage. But with only one point and no goals scored in the campaign so far, it will require a massive collective effort to overcome Chelsea. The arrival of the fresh coach could be just that spark they need and why not do it against one of the best in Europe. Porto are sitting comfortably in second place in Group D, with two wins from three games. They are three points behind leaders Chelsea, against whom they conceded defeat like so many teams do, at Stamford Bridge. Cypriots APOEL have shown more stubbornness than any flair capable enough of beating anyone else in the group, but there have been some upsets in this Champions League campaign which will give them hope. This could be their night. APOEL battled well when Chelsea visited, but Porto will head into the match knowing that a win will book them a place in the next round of the competition. That should be incentive enough to just go there and get the job done, but  they will be wary of any threat posed by APOEL. Not in great form at the moment, Porto only managed to beat APOEL 2-1 at home, having to stage a comeback after conceding an early own goal. The Porto fight back was led by the incredible Hulk who scored both of Porto‘s goals. It could be a tight night in Cyprus.

Group D
Chelsea – P3    W3    D0    L0    Pts9
Porto- P3    W2    D0    L1    Pts6
APOEL – P3    W0    D1    L2    Pts1
Atlético – P3    W0    D1    L2    Pts1

Match Prices
Atlético Madrid to win: 10/3 at Paddy Power
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Chelsea to win: 10/11 at BetFred

APOEL to win: 9/2 at Sporting Bet
Draw: 11/4 at Coral
Porto to win: 7/10 at Blue Square

Betting tips:
Both Players to Score Bet – Forlan and Drogba: 15/2 at SkyBet
APOEL Draw No Bet: 3/1 at SportingBet

TO WIN GROUP D
Chelsea – 1/12 at Victor Chandler
Porto – 6/1 at Paddy Power
Atletico Madrid – 100/1 at Paddy Power
APOEL – 500/1 at Paddy Power

GROUP A
Bordeaux v Bayern Munich
Juventus v Maccabi Haifa

Juventus have yet to win a game in Group A, and Wedensday’s fixture should give them the best opportunity to do so. Two draws is not the way to go about stamping your authority on a group, and they were lucky to come away with a 1-1 win in their opening game against the French side Bordeaux. Group A is proving to be a much tighter group than one would probably have put their money on before it started. Juventus should beat bottom side Maccabi Haifa, but it will still all need a turn around in form, as Juve haven’t won in four domestic league matches. This match could be the springboard which they need to put some spark back into their season, and elevate themselves towards the top of Group A, with Bordeaux and Bayern Munich squaring off. Bayern and Bordeaux are level at the top on four points each and there is not much to choose between the two sides. The French side will be keen to press home that all important home advantage in this crucial match. The scales appear to be evenly balanced, but when it comes down to it, Bayern Munich should just have the edge. Bordeaux on a two match slump with defeats, but Bayern do have some injury concerns, notably with absent wingers Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben. There is a long way to go in the group, and come the end of the halfway stage, there should be all to play for.

Match Prices
Bordeaux to win: 17/10 at BetFred
Draw: 5/2 at Totesport
Bayern Munich to win: 7/4 at Ladbrokes

Juventus to win: 2/9 at Coral
Draw: 11/2 at Bet365
Maccabi Haifa to win: 14/1 at SportingBet

Betting tips:
Bayern to win 2-1: 10/1 at Boylesports
Juventus to win 1-0: 13/2 at Bet365

TO WIN GROUP A
Bayern Munich – 10/11 at BetFred
Juventus – 2/1 at Paddy Power
Bordeaux – 7/2 at Bet365
Maccabi Haifa – 500/1 at Stan James

GROUP B
CSKA Moscow v Manchester United
Wolfsburg v Besiktas

Man United travel off to the somewhat inhospitable domain of Russia to take on CSKA on their artificial pitch. Wayne Rooney, nor Ryan Giggs have travelled with the squad due to injury, and that could leave the Reds a little light up front. United can always find goals though when they need them, and they have the advantage that they do not ever really need to score too many, because they run a tight ship at the back. This is an interesting game on the fake grass with its extra bounce and speed. It could suit United’s flowing passing game if they get that going, but they will have to deal with some pressure as CSKA will be trying to keep up their challenge to make it out of the group stage. Wolfsburg, currently in second place in the Group, take on winless Besiktas, in a game they should win. A victory would put them on six points, the number which United have at the top of group, and so whatever happens in Russia will have a big influence on the outcome of the group. Wolfsburg are blessed with an awesome strike force, and ran United close on Match Day Two at Old Trafford. They’ll be welcoming the sanctuary of home turf as they look to get their Champions League quest back on track.

Match Prices
CSKA Moscow to win: 11/4 at BetFred
Draw: 23/10 at Bet365
Manchester United to win: 6/5 at SkyBet

Wolfsburg to win: 2/5 at Expekt
Draw: 15/4 at Bet365
Besiktas to win: 9/1 at SkyBet

Betting Tips:
Manchester United to win 1-0: 13/2 at 888Sport
Wolfsburg to win 3-0: 9/1 at SkyBet

TO WIN GROUP B
Manchester United – 1/6 at Bet365
Wolfsburg – 7/1 at ExtraBet
CSKA Moscow – 18/1 at ExtraBet
Besiktas – 150/1 at Paddy Power

GROUP C
FC Zurich v Marseille
Real Madrid v AC Milan
The one stand out fixture of Match Day three is the Madrid v Milan clash. This actually should have been a much bigger deal, but AC Milan are in no kind of form to match Madrid. The Italians are struggling to keep tabs with the top teams in the domestic league, and their Match Day Two result will have sent shockwaves through their supporters. At home to minnows FC Zurich, they were beaten 1-0 in the San Siro, in the biggest surprise of the competition so far. That could prove a valuable lost two points for them, especially now that they have to try and take down high flying Real Madrid to keep their Champions League hopes alive. AC Milan are level on three points with Zurich now, and if they lose to Madrid and Zurich pull out a home victory over Marseille, then this Group could get even more interesting. Zurich have been the eptiome of an underdog, playing with some much determination and passion, that they have gotten their fair rewards. On Match Day One, they entertained Real Madrid in a 4-2 loss, fighting back from a 3-0 deficit at one point. Marseille will be a little disappointed they are without a win, for they did more than enough to beat Milan on Match Day one, but fell to a 2-1 defeat. The subsequent 3-0 thrashing by Real Madrid did not help any, and they will be wary of what Zurich have achieved so far. While taking that into consideration, this could be the turning point where they get their first three points. Real Madrid have not been facing any problems, having scored 8 times in their two Champions League games. They are one point behind Barcelona at the top of the Spanish League, and with the array of talent they can field, they should have more than enough in the tank against a poor AC Milan side. It is the first time for Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, to face up to his old club after his summer transfer.

Match Prices
FC Zurich to win: 37/13 at Expekt
Draw: 5/2 at Totesport
Marseille to win: Evens at Blue Square

Real Madrid to win: 9/20 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
AC Milan to win: 7/1 at Stan James

Betting Tip
Zurich Draw No Bet: 33/20 at SportingBet
Real Madrid to win 2-0: 7/1 at SkyBet

TO WIN GROUP C
Real Madrid – 1/7 at Coral
AC Milan – 7/1 at ExtraBet
Marseille – 40/1 at SportingBet
FC Zurich – 100/1 at Paddy Power

GROUP D
Chelsea v Atletico Madrid
FC Porto v APOEL

Yes Chelsea have suffered two away defeats in the Premier League and yes they will be without Droga up front, as he endures the last of his three match European ban on the sidelines. Still, the Stamford Bridge side should have enough confidence to get past Atletico without too much bother. Chelsea did beat Porto on Match Day One without breaking into too much of a sweat, but without looking particular settled. Much could be the same of their away in against APOEL, when they slackened off after taking the lead. Under manager Carlo Ancelotti, that is not something which should be expected. What can be expected is that Chelsea should be a tight, cohesive unit, and that any kinks in defending set pieces will have been drilled out of them since the weekend. Altetico are looking a poor side, and have only won one domestic league game so far, and are without a win from their two Champions League matches. It is hard to see it coming at Stamford Bridge. Porto should be favourites to take second place in the Group, and that can strengthen that position with a win against the Cypriots. If both they and Chelsea win, that will open up a clear division in the group between the top and bottom two. Come the end of Wednesday night’s matches, it is hard to see anything other than that happening.

Match Prices
Chelsea to win: 7/19 at Coral
Draw: 4/1 at SkyBet
Atletico Madrid to win: 10/1 at SkyBet

FC Porto to win: 1/4 at Totesport
Draw: 11/2 at Ladbrokes
APOEL to win: 15/1 at ExtraBet

Betting tip:
Chelsea to win 2-0: 11/2 at BetFred
FC Porto to win 1-0: 6/1 at Bet365

TO WIN GROUP D
Chelsea: 1/7 at Bet365
Porto: 13/2 at ExtraBet
Atletico Madrid: 25/1 at Paddy Power
APOEL: 200/1 at Paddy Power