There is great coverage on your Chelsea v Benfica Champions League betting on Wednesday night with online bookmaker Ladbrokes The popular bookie is offering a Money Back Special for your First Goalscorer wagers on the big match at Stamford Bridge. If Chelsea fail to qualify for the semi finals of the Champions League, then Ladbrokes will refund all losing First Goalscorer bets placed on Chelsea v Benfica. That is great coverage, with the tie so finely balanced, and although Chelsea have the lead, the impressive Portuguese do have ninety minutes now to get away goals under their belt. Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres are the favourites at 5/1 in the First Goalscorer market with Ladbrokes, while first leg hero Salomon Kalou is back at 8/1 with the bookie. So great value as always in the First Goalscorer market for your football betting.
Barcelona v Milan – 3rd April 2012
Ladbrokes offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. Click the link here to get your special registration code in order to take advantage of the generous welcome offer which Ladbrokes provide. When registering with the link, when you place your first bet on your new Ladbrokes account, the bookie will match the value of that first stake with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50! A great way to get started for your football betting.
Chelsea v Benfica Champions League Betting Odds
Chelsea to win: 4/6 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 29/10 at Bet Victor
Benfica to win: 5/1 at Bet365
How much more drama can Chelsea endure this season? Well, we all know what happened in their last Champions League match at home. They scored a 4-1 win over Napoli to overturn a 3-1 first leg deficit in an emotionally charged night. So the Blues do start this match as outright favourites at Stamford Bridge, as they aim to make their sixth Champions League semi final in nine years. The Blues do have a strong home record this season in the Champions League, as they have won all four of their matches at Stamford Bridge this season. So there has been four straight wins for the Blues at the moment, and in that run, they have netted 14 goals and have let in just one. So that is a strong record for them as they head into the second leg, already holding a 1-0 advantage gained from the first leg in Portugal.
Only once before have Chelsea lost in their last nine European quarter finals, and that came against Manchester United back in last season’s tournament. A further stat to back up Chelsea making it through to a semi final against either Barcelona or AC Milan, is the fact that they have won all seven knock-out ties when they have taken a first leg away advantage. So clearly the Blues know how to get the job done, and while interim boss Roberto Di Matteo shuffled his back to the trip to Portugal last week, the experience which his elder statesmen can deliver will be invaluable on Wednesday night. That 1-0 win with the away goal is a precious lead, but they still have to be wary of the Benfica threat. Chelsea have a W3 D0 L0 record against Portuguese sides at Stamford Bridge (all against FC Porto).
Benfica held Manchester United to a draw at Old Trafford of course in the group stage of this season’s Champions League of course, but history isn’t weighing on their side. Only twice before in the entire history of the Champions League has a team progressed after losing the first leg of a knock-out tie at home. However, away from home in the Champions League this season, the Portuguese have won two and drawn three of their six matches, so they are clearly no push overs. Their record in England isn’t great though, with just three wins, one draw and in defeats against English opponents, and they have lost all three of their European quarter final ties against teams from England as well. But Jorge Jesus’s Benfica side is not one which looks devoid of confidence, or the ability to attack teams hard. They were a little flat in the first leg, but they have produced some of the most creative and thrilling attacking football in this year’s tournament. The golden carrot of away goals is there for them, they have goals in them, and they need the kind of performance at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea produced there in the last round. Could be a very exciting night.
