Wolfsburg

Tuesday, December 6
Volkswagen Arena
7.45pm Kick Off

One of the most interesting games of Match Day Six on Tuesday night, is one taking place at the home of German Bundesliga Champions, Wolfsburg. Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United head to mainland Europe in a quest to try and finish top of Group B. Ferguson’s Red Devils lost their Match Day five fixture against Besiktas at Old Trafford, which has kept the top of the group open. Manchester United went with a lot of youth against Besiktas, safe in the knowledge that they were a firm favourite to get through to the knockout stages.

Wolfsburg are keen to make waves in their first Champions League appearance, and have the chance to do just that by beating one of Europe’s finest. A win for the Germans would leave both them and Manchester United on 10 points, and Wolfsburg would have the better goal difference, meaning that they would finish top. Top place in the Champions League Group stages, equates to a better seeding draw at home in the next round of the tournament. So while a defeat for Manchester may not be the end of the world for Ferguson, there is another factor which will come into play, and that will be CSKA Moscow.

CSKA Moscow sit in third place in the Group, also on seven points, just like Wolfsburg. All this means that a win for Wolfsburg and a win for CSKA Moscow against bottom side Besiktas, would leave Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow and Manchester United all on 10 points. Fortunately the Red Devils do have a slightly stronger goal difference than Moscow (+2 compared to -1). So, unless United suffer a heavy defeat and the Russians go goal crazy, they should be safe, but cannot take anything for granted. Wolfsburg, although they are sitting down in eighth position as they try and defend their Bundesliga crown, they are scoring at least a couple of goals per game, thanks to their deadly strike force of Edin Dzeko (40 goals in 75 Bundesliga games) and Grafite. Grafite returns to the side after a two match ban, just in time for their big match, but Obefami Martins will be out through injury.

Manchester United moved within two points of Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday, with a thumping 4-0 away win over West Ham. In contrast, Wolfsburg’s form is not that good, having only won 4 matches of their previous 14 games which have been played in all competitions. They were expected to be a very strong unknown force coming into the Champions League, and despite giving Manchester United a good run for their money in United’s 2-1 victory over them at Old Trafford. One thing United will need to watch for is the offside trap. United have been caught offside more than any other team in the Champions League this season. The Manchester United machine continues to roll on, and they will be safely into the knockout stages of the Champions League at the end of Tuesday night.

Wolfsburg to win: 6/4 at SkyBet
Draw: 12/5 at Bet365
Manchester United to win: 2/1 at Expekt

Betting Advice: While this group has the potential for an exciting and close finish, it is unlikely to transpire as Wolfsburg are struggling for a bit of form. But this will be one of their biggest games of the season at home, and they will relish the chance of beating United, for after all, top spot is up for grabs. Their deadly duo strike force will be more of a threat than Wayne Rooney alone, and United’s defence will have to find a way to weather a lot of storms on assumes. United have a habit of doing enough when needed and this could just be one of those occasions. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a Champions League classic.
Over 2.5 goals: Evens at Stan James

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

Wednesday night action of Match Day Two of the Champions League has a couple of mouth watering games to look forward to. The visit of Wolfsburg to Old Trafford is one of the highlights of the evening, and the other is Bayern Munich hosting Juventus. After defeats for Liverpool and Rangers on Tuesday night, Manchester United and Chelsea will be hoping they can emulate Arsenal’s better fortune, as they ran out comfortable 2-0 victors in their game against Olympiakos. Another good night of European actions lies in store, with the wonder of whether some upsets will happen. If anything, the introduction of more national champions, has provided some spirited action so far, with new clubs looking to make an impression on the big stage of European football.

Group A
Bayern Munich v Juventus
Bordeaux v Maccabi Haifa

The two big games of the night involve German teams. Champions League newcomers Wolfsburg are at Old Trafford, while their more illustrious counterparts, Bayern Munich play hosts to Italian giants Juventus. These two have come up against each other twice before in the group stages of the Champions League, with Juventus having the slight edge of the encouters, having won 3 out of the four games, but in close circumstances. Niether side won on the weekend, with the Italians drawing, and the Germans losing. It is likely to be another tight encounter, and the fact that Juventus haven’t lost this season would point to it playing out as a draw, especially with Munich having home advantage. Maccabi Haifa suffered a 3-0 home defeat against Munich on Match Day One, while Juventus were pushed all the way in their own back yard by Bordeaux, the game ending in a 1-1 tie. This points to Bordeaux cruising to a home victory against the Israelis, in what could be an important game for the French side. A win would keep them in touch with the big two in the group, and they should be able to take a lot of confidence from their performance against Juve.

Betting Tip:
Juventus to win: 3/1 at ExtraBet
Bordeaux (-2) Asian Handicap: 3/2 at Bet365

To Win Group A
Juventus: 5/2 at Coral
Bayern Munich: 5/6 at Bet365
Bordeaux: 9/2 at Paddy Power
Maccabi Haifa: 150/1 at Sportingbet

Group B
Man. United v Wolfsburg
CSKA Moscow v Besitkas

It is back to Old Trafford for United, after coming unscathed through a difficult opening fixture away in Turkey. They won that 1-0 thanks to a Paul Scholes strike, but had to battle through an intense fixture. Wolfsburg are the first European visitors to Manchester this season, and this should be a great encounter. None of the teams in the group have come up against another in the Champions League, and so there are elements of the unknown. While United have Rooney, Wolfsburg have an enviable strike force themselves, in Grafite, Dzeko and Martins, and they could prove a real handful for the United backline. No doubt Reds boss Alex Ferguson will have done his homework though and will be expecting his troops not to suffer any ignominy at home. Moscow will be hoping that home advantage will pay off against Besitkas, and with both sides losing their Match Day One fixtures, both should be hungry for a win which will keep them in touch of a qualifying place, irrespective of what happens between the two group favourites at OT, because two defeats from two could spell early Champions League disaster. This may not help pick a winner, but Besiktas haven’t scored a single goal in five competitive games now, and CSKA Moscow lost in the league 2-0 on the weekend. Besiktas also lost all three away matches when they last appeared in the Champions League (remember an 8-0 thrashing by Liverpool?)

Betting Tip:
Manchester to win 2/1: 8/1 at Victor Chandler
Moscow to draw: 11/4 at Coral
 
To win Group B
Manchester United: 3/10 at Coral
Wolfsburg: 7/2 at Blue Square
CSKA Moscow: 28/1 at ExtraBet
Besiktas: 50/1 at ExtraBet

Group C
Real Madrid v Marseille
AC Milan v Zürich

We’re still awaiting the big clash between Real Madrid and AC Milan, but French side Marseille should prove interesting opponents for the Galacticos. Marseille had a great run of away form broken on the weekend, when their lost 3-2. Previous to that, they had gone 11 away games unbeaten, and that was their first league defeat of the season. Madrid will be without Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but still they have more than enough cover in their squad. They will be looking to maintain a 100% record in all competitions this season, and their 3-0 win on the weekend sees them keeping pace at the top of La Liga with Barcelona. Both are five wins from five games. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way in scoring, with 5 goals for his new team, and Karim Benzema bagged himself a brace on the weekend in their league victory. FC Zurich caused quite a stir when they started mounting something of a comeback against Real on Match Day one, the Spaniards running out 4-2 winners in Switzerland. Marseille sit third in the league, and coach Didier Deschamps has said Real’s form doesn’t concern him. Has he seen their squad sheet? One betting streak to perhaps follow, is that Mamadou Niang has scored every away game for Marseille so far this season. It is AC Milan’s turn to face the spirited Zurich, who will be enjoying something of a big away night at the San Siro. They’ll likely be pplaying for pride, but doing so in one of the most famous arena’s in world football.

Betting Tips:
Real Madrid v Marseille: Over 3.5 goals Evens at Stan James
AC Milan to win by 2 goals: 3/1 at SkyBet

To Win Group C
Real Madrid: 2/5 at BetFred
AC Milan: 9/4 at SkyBet
Marseille: 25/1 at ExtraBet
FC Zurich: 300/1 at PaddyPower

Group D
APOEL v Chelsea
FC Porto v Atlético

With Britain’s less than great showing on Tuesday night’s action of Match Day two, Chelsea will be looking to give their fans back home a cheer with a win against Cypriots APOEL. The blues struggled away from home last season, and this will be something of a test of their character after they lost their 100% start to the season on Saturday, crashing 3-1 at Wigan. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will naturally not be happy about that, and he will need his experience to get Chelsea home from Cyprus safe with maximum points. They will most likely do so, with the minimum of fuss. FC Porto, who lost 1-0 at Chelsea, but put up a good battle at times without ever looking too impressive, should be able to see their way past the visiting Spaniards. Atletico are in a woeful early season slump, third from bottom and without a win in La Liga. On Match Day One they were held to a goal-less draw by APOEL at home.

Betting Tip:
Chelsea to win 1-0: 6/1 at Bet365
FC Porto to win: Evens at Totesport

To Win Group D
Chelsea: 1/4 at Stan James
Atletico Madrid: 6/1 at SkyBet
Porto: 11/1 at ExtraBet
APOEL: 66/1 at SportingBet

This one is possibly the most interesting fixture in the group. Wolfsburg were surprise winners of the Bundesliga, and everyone has been keen to see exactly what kind of force they could bring to the Champions League. Their 3-1 home win over CSKA Moscow will have made the rest of the group sit up and take notice, including Reds boss, Alex Ferguson. This game has all the potential surrounding it, to turn out to be a real cup tie atmosphere. It could be a game full of attacking promise, and United striker Wayne Rooney makes his 50th appearance for the Red Devils in the Champions League.

The Bundesliga is renowned for being one of the most ruthless, yet most passionate leagues across Europe. That is something which drives the domestic German game on, and makes for a very popular spectacle across the nation. The big crowds which Old Trafford draws in, are the kind of numbers which German teams play in front of week in, week out, so shouldn’t be something that phases Wolfsburg. Germany has a long history of producing good European teams who are always ready for a good battle, come the European fixtures. They are always a threat in the Champions league, and although being the away side in this Match Day Two fixture, Wolfsburg will probably relish the atmosphere.

In Grafite and Džeko, they possibly have one of the most lethal, most potent strike forces not only in Germany, but in Europe. They are reportedly, THAT good. Their figures of having scored 71 goals between the two of them throughout the entirety of last season, is something which clearly speaks for itself. They have scored 6 times between them in their 7 matches this season, and it was Grafite who bagged a hat trick in their debut victory over Moscow. With that kind of strike power, you could pretty much travel anywhere and cause a threat. This is something that Ferguson will have to prime the United defence for. Wolfsburg also have Obafemi Martins waiting in the wings to join the attack.

There is of course much talk about the fact that United are in a post Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez period, but their form in the domestic league hasn’t shown any sign of suffering. They moved to the top of the Premier League and show no sign of letting up. This is what Manchester United do, even despite losing top quality players, they simply roll relentlessly on, and a lot of times, bring the very best out of what may be deemed as average looking players. With Wayne Rooney leading the front line, they should have plenty of goals in them, and old stalwarts like Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs keep popping up with those all important goals. The Reds have netted 16 times in their last five domestic matches, scoring the bulk of their goals in the second half.

But will United as a unit, have the defensive capabilities to cope with two of Europe’s hottest strikers? United had to work extremely hard in their opening 1-0 away win against Besiktas, and Wolfsburg could pose a big threat if they can get their noses in front. United sometimes take a while to get going, and hitting them early may be the German side’s best form of defence. However, despite their surprise title last year, Wolfsburg have won just four and lost three of this years opening fixtures of the Bundesliga. But this is the Champions League, in one of the biggest arena’s in Europe, and should be a new challenge which they will be relishing. The visitors will be used to the crowd, will be used to the big game scenario, and have two red hot strikers waiting to shoot them to victory.

Manchester United to win: 7/19 at Coral
Draw: 4/1 at SkyBet
Wolfsburg to win: 10/1 at Ladbrokes

Betting Advice: There is rarely anyone more prepared for big matches than United boss Alex Ferguson, and you always have to fancy United at home. However, this looks like a classic, and has the feeling that both teams will be going for the jugular, and there should be goals. With Brazilian Grafite leading the line, if the United defence doesn’t stand tall, and if back up keeper Ben Foster continues to be inconsistent, then it could be the writing on the wall for them. But never count out United down and out at Old Trafford. Could be the game of the night.  Man Utd to win 2-1 is 8/1 at Victor Chandler.