FC Basel v Arsenal Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 6th December
So Arsenal have blown their lines in the Champions League group stage it would seem as they are going to need a miracle to finish in top spot. They are level on points with PSG but the French have the advantage over them because of the extra away goal that they scored against the Gunners in the draws between them in the group. So PSG will secure top with a win over Ludogorets while Arsenal need to hope for the best in that they produce a better result than their French counterparts do. Arsenal head out to Switzerland to take on FC Basel and they will be going off as favourites having beaten them comfortably in the earlier meeting back at the Emirates. There may be nothing they can do about going through as group winners, but at least they can try and finish the group stage with a bang.
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FC Basel v Arsenal Betting Tips
This is a great looking game because it isn’t just about Arsenal’s ambitions of winning the group. The other side to this is that Basel need to come out and get a result and hope that it is better than Ludogorets get on the night, because that would send Basel through to the Europa League. So they have something to play for and so far at home in the group the Swiss side have drawn with Ludogorets and lost against PSG. They haven’t posted a win anywhere yet then but they have home form against English club. Basel have taken a victory in won each of their last three home games in the Champions League against English Club, their most recent against Liverpool in October 2014. They have only suffered two defeats in their last eight UEFA Champions League home games at St Jakob Park (W3 D3) and those defeats have come against giants Real Madrid and PSG. So they are a good home side and Marc Janko is up at a price of 2/1 in the anytime goalscorer market. Basel’s record against English rivals is W6 D8 L11 (W5 D3 L4 at home).
So Arsenal have to better whatever PSG do on the night to get top spot. One thing going in their favour is that they have form going against Swiss opposition as they have triumphed in each of their last five against Swiss sides with a total of ten goals scored and just the one conceded. That run of games of course includes their 2-0 win over Basel back in September in North London. The Gunners are secured a place in the next round, and this will be the 14th time in a row that they have gotten out of the group stage in the competition. However, if they only get through in second place, then they are going to potentially get a tough draw in the round of 16 and the Gunners have gone out in the last 16 in each of the last six campaigns. Arsenal have banked a victory in each of their last two final games of a group stage campaign. Both teams to score at Bet365 is this one is an 8/13 shot and that would be based on Basel having to produce a result. This is the 8th time in the last 9 seasons that Arsenal’s last group game has been out on the road.
It was all the way back in the 2005/06 Champions League season than Arsenal managed to get through a campaign without suffering defeat. So that’s something else they could achieve here. Arsenal have Alexis Sanchez at 3/2 and Olivier Giroud at 5/4 in the Bet365 Anytime Goalscorer market for this match up. It was Sanchez and Theo Walcott who scored the goals in their victory over Basel at the Emirates in September. Arsenal have actually lost half of their last six away games in the UEFA Europa League and that is a decline after they have lost only two of their previous eleven. So there is that outside shot that he could still finish top of the group and in their five previous wins against Swiss sides, Arsenal have conceded just the one goal. Arsenal to win to nil is a price of 10/3 in this one and they have scored in each of their last nine away games in the competition. None of their last 40 away games have ended in a 0-0 draw incidentally.
FC Basel v Arsenal Betting Odds
Arsenal 5/4, Draw 5/2, Basel 2/1
FC Basel v Arsenal Predictions
This could be a good open game with both of them having something to play for. Arsenal are likely going to have too much in the tank for Basel to hold out against them. Arsenal have been a little dodgy on the road in Europe recently, but are good enough to take a win in this one. They may be stretched by a good home side though so it is worth looking for a both teams to score wager. An Arsenal win over 2.5 goals looks probable.
