UEFA Champions League 2009/2010

Tuesday 3rd November

19:45 GMT – Bayern Munich V Bordeaux (Group A)

19:45 GMT – Maccabi Haifa V Juventus (Group A)

19:45 GMT – Besiktas V Wolfsburg (Group B)

19:45 GMT – Manchester United V CSKA Moscow (Group B)

19:45 GMT – AC Milan V Real Madrid (Group C)

19:45 GMT – Marseille V FC Zurich (Group C)

19:45 GMT – APOEL V FC Porto (Group D)

19:45 GMT – Athletico Madrid V Chelsea (Group D)

Wednesday 4^th November

19:45 GMT – Fiorentina V Debrecen (Group E)

19:45 GMT – Lyon V Liverpool (Group E)

19:45 GMT – Rubin Kazan V Barcelona (Group F)

19:45 GMT – Dynamo Kiev V Inter Milan (Group F)

19:45 GMT – Sevilla V Stuttgart (Group G)

19:45 GMT – Unirea Urziceni V Rangers (Group G)

19:45 GMT – Arsenal V AZ Alkmaar (Group H)

19:45 GMT – Standard Liege V Olympiakos (Group H)

Our Bets:

Juventus, FC Porto, Inter Milan & Sevilla ALL to WIN – 6/1 Bet365

Over 2.5 Goals: AC Milan V Real Madrid, Athletico Madrid V Chelsea, Arsenal V AZ Alkmaar, Fiorentina V Debrecen – 5/1 Bet365

Value Bet: Michael Owen FGS – 9/2 SkyBet

With United all but through, Sir Alex could opt to give Michael Owen and well needed run out against a CSKA side destined to concede a few at old Trafford on Tuesday night. So far, Owen has had to settle for scraps, the last 15 or so minutes in games for the majority of games this season but this is a glorious opportunity for Fergie to give Owen his chance. He may have lost a few yards with all injuries but he still has a keen eye for goal and providing he gets the opportunity to start from the off, he will be eager to put in a performance in a bid to put his name into the equation for the crunch clash with Chelsea at the weekend.

Michael Owen LGS – 9/2 SkyBet

Michael Owen to Score a Brace (2 or more) – 7/1 WilliamHill

Arsenal V AZ Alkmaar

Wednesday 4^th November – 19:45 GMT

Arsenal

Group H Position: 1^st

Group H Form: WWD

The Gunners were a mere minute away from going on the verge of qualification from what looks a very generous Group H after AZ Alkmaar scored an injury time equaliser in Holland which leaves Arsenal still top but needing a win over the same opponent on Wednesday to guarantee a berth into the next round. Had Arsenal clung onto their 1-0 advantage in Holland then Arsene Wenger’s side would have qualified there and then. Nevertheless, The Gunners are still in a prominent position and the players will be confident of putting in another match winning performance, one that would be their third in the Group after victories over Standard Liege in Belgium (2-3) & Olympiakos at The Emirates (2-0).

Arsenal are firm favourites to land the spoils in Wednesdays contest at the Emirates and they should do so without too many qualms. However, Arsenal don’t boast an impressive record over Dutch sides, far from it. In seven competitive home fixtures with Dutch opponents, The Gunners have recorded just two victories, with four of those finishing in a share of the spoils. However, they’re facing an AZ side that posses a dire away record in England, losing on their last four visits conceding 12 goals, so their Dutch voodoo should be banished at the expense of an AZ side on the verge of being knocked out of the competition.

This will be just Arsenal’s second home fixture in the Group Stages of the competition this season after they won their first in a 2-0 win over Greek outfit, Olympiakos. Arsenal struggled in front of goal in that game despite crating half-a-dozen clear-cut chances. However, Alkmaar are going through a mini defensive crisis at current, with floods of goals leaking through their defence of late. The same can’t be said for Arsenal who have been scoring goals for fun this season. The Gunners have found the opposing net on 32 occasions already this season, the highest in the Premiership, whilst they’ve scored 14 in their previous four league outings & six in the competition so far.

Arsenal have key players playing on top of their game with Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas & Andrey Arshavin just some of the Arsenal players appearing to be in the form of their life’s at present. Both Van Persie & Fabregas were on the score sheet on Saturday as Arsenal trounced their North London rivals 3-0 at The Emirates, a venue which the Gunners 20 league goals this season whilst conceding a mere 4 in return. That’s the biggest improvement about Arsenal this season, their defence looks the tidiest we’ve ever seen it. On the road is a different story but at home, mainly because they spend most of the time in the oppositions half, Arsenal have been very hard to break down. They kept a clean sheet against Olympiakos in their last home fixture in the competition and another wouldn’t be at all surprising.

AZ Alkmaar

Group H Position: 3rd

Group H Form: LDD

Alkmaar are in a do or die situation. Lose and they allow Arsenal to sail through to the next round and they’ll be left fighting it out with Olympiakos for the remaining qualification position. However, we aren’t too sure that they’ll even stand a chance of battling it out for second as a win for Olympiakos elsewhere would see the Greek side through the next round were AZ not to at least get a point at The Emirates. The Dutch sides fate, the only Dutch side in the competition, could be settled by the end of Wednesday night, a lot earlier then Alkmaar fans would of anticipated.

To be honest, we can’t see Alkmaar getting close to a second place finish so their many priority should be their following games with Olympiakos & Standard Liege as wins over the pair could see them fall back into the Europa League. That’s a very realistic ambition as Liege currently sit bottom of the group, one point below AZ, and at least a third place finish for them would keep them in Europe, albeit in the second tier of European competitions.

Although AZ did notch up a win over the weekend, a narrow 1-0 success away in Gronigen, the confidence of the players will have been rocked by two big defeats by their closest competitors within the space of just a few weeks. They were beaten by FC Twente in mid October, losing 3-2 despite a valiant display, while they were thumped at home by Ajax, 4-2, two defeats which has left AZ languishing in mid-table, 14 points off the top. Compare that to last season when they won the league by 11 points and you can clearly see how far off the boil Alkmaar have come.

The Dutch outfit have been struggling for away form all season back home and they’ve struggled in this competition, also. Ronald Koeman’s side have lost four of seven away fixtures back in domestic action while they were narrowly beaten 1-0 in Greece by Olympiakos. However, funnily enough, the vast majority of their goals this season have come whilst on their travels, scoring 14 of their 21 on the road. With that said, 9 of the 15 they’ve conceded has also come on the road so perhaps an open game of football is expected from AZ as they head to The Emirates for a competitive fixture for the very first time in the clubs history.

Key Player:- Cesc Fabregas

It’s bewildering that Cesc Fabregas often doesn’t get a look in with the Spanish set up but he is arguably one of the greatest footballers on the planet, certainly top 10 or thereabouts in Europe. He has the ability to turn a game completely on it’s head and every that’s positive about Arsenal’s play tends to go through him. He’s extremely comfortable on the ball, a smart thinker, neat little passer, one of the best creative players in the game and, also, has a keen eye for goal. He is having another sublime season for The Gunners and he was on the score sheet on Saturday after a sensational solo effort which seen him skin three players before calmly sliding the ball past the Spurs goalkeeper. He is integral to the Arsenal machine and he would be a player to severely man-mark if we were Ronald Koeman. Thankfully, we are not!

Match Verdict:- Arsenal to WIN

A comfortable home for Arsenal here. If they can brush a-side Tottenham then they shouldn’t come across too many issues against an AZ side who can concede bucket loads of goals at times. The Gunners can’t stop scoring at the moment and the fact that they only need one more win should see them secure their third win of the Champions League campaign, their third in succession if you include their 3-1 win over Celtic in qualifying. Arsenal will be too strong and a big home win for us as AZ won’t play on the back foot.

Match Odds:

Arsenal – 1.20 Expekt.com

Draw – 7.00 Bet365

AZ Alkmaar – 17.0 PaddyPower

Lyon Vs Liverpool

Wednesday 4^th November – 19:45 GMT

Liverpool

Group E Position: 3rd

Group E Form: WLL

Liverpool’s Champions League dreams are hanging by the slimmest of threads right now and the Reds’ could actually find themselves out of the running if they were to lose in France. Rafael Benitez’s side have been found wanting in Group E thus far and are currently languishing in third position, six points behind Lyon & three points behind Fiorentina. However, with Fiorentina expected to wrap up all three points in Florence against a pointless and somewhat hapless Debrecen, were Liverpool to not only lose but lose emphatically in France then they would be destined for the exit doors and the critics will certainly be out in their droves.

For now at least, Liverpool still have every chance of qualifying but they do need to win all their remaining fixtures in there group if they wish to bypass what is a tricky looking Group E. Still, there are no excuses for what has been a dire Champions League campaign thus far but Liverpool did suffer a similarly poor start two seasons ago where Liverpool needed to win their remaining three games to qualify and they duly delivered. That is one of the clubs finest traits, when they appear down and out that is when Liverpool are at their most dangerous. Fighting spirit is Liverpool’s middle name but, however, whenever they’ve been backed into a corner they’ve had Steven Gerrard to fall back on. He is a major doubt for the trip to France and there are huge reservations about how the side will fare without arguably their most influential player and club captain on Wednesday. 

The likely absence of Steven Gerrard in the heart of the Liverpool midfield is one they can’t replace right now but their injury woes don’t stop at Gerrard. As many as 11 others players are doubts for the trip to France, six of those being defenders. Glen Johnson is one of the more serious ones and he doesn’t appear to have any chance of playing a part while Fabio Aurelio, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, new signing Alberto Aquilani & even Fernando Torres, are all doubts for Rafael Benitez. In a game where Liverpool must win, they might not even have a strong enough team to keep Lyon at bay let alone win against the country’s finest team in recent history.

Liverpool fans can take heart from Liverpool’s recent record in France which has seen them record three victories in their previous four visits to the country. Two of those came against Marseille in the previous two Champions Leagues so it’s not a completely new surrounding, although, the Reds haven’t played at the home of Lyon before. They will need to fare a whole lot better then in their last away outing in the competition, though, when they suffered a demoralising 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina. Liverpool were awful that night, with their defence at sixes-and-sevens while they couldn’t put a string of passes together to save their lives. The presence of Fernando Torres up front, who should be fit to start up front despite the scares, is a massive boost for Rafael Benitez as the lad can score a goal out of nothing.

Lyon

Group E Position: 1st

Group E Form: WWW

Lyon still boast an immaculate record in the competition thus far after recording victories over Fiorentina (2-0), Debrecen (0-4) & Liverpool (1-2). The latter result over their Match Day opponents on Wednesday is their finest to date and they will seek inspiration from that result as they aim to record an epic double over Liverpool and book their spot in the last sixteen in the process. However, defeat for them would see them fall straight back into the mixer whereas a draw would still leave them in a healthy position, knowing they mustn’t lose either of their following two fixtures to go through.

Lyon have looked very impressive in the competition so far, winning all three of their Group fixtures as well as accumulating a goal tally of 7-1. Liverpool are the only team to have scored against what has been a ship tight Lyon back four in the Champions League, watched eagerly by their young French goalkeeper, Huge Lloris. However, although their defence has been close to impenetrable in this competition, back home others, who lack a lot less quality then Liverpool, have been scoring for fun of late past the young and somewhat inexperienced goalkeeper. They were beaten 0-2 at home by Sochaux just before their 2-1 win at Anfield but they followed that stunning victory over the Reds by receiving a battering at the hands of Nice, a team hovering above the relegation zone, losing in a resounding manner, 4-1.

Consistency is an issue for Lyon it would seem and as typical as Lyon are, they go and win at the weekend away at Saint-Etienne, although, Etienne are a team addicted to defeats at the moment. However, although the win will have boosted the morale of the camp ahead of the arrival of Liverpool, will it be a bad omen seeing as they lost their previous league fixture before they beat Liverpool two weeks ago? We wouldn’t be at all surprised as Lyon have hardly been emphatic in front of goal of late. They did win 1-0 at the weekend but they have only scored two in their last three league outings so perhaps their forwards are becoming a tad complacent.

Nevertheless, Lyon still find themselves in a commanding position and rightfully so after some very impressive displays early on. However, they are a side that does have complacency issues and the fact that a win would be enough to see them through could play on their minds. What’s more, Lyon never seem to perform on the big stage against the big teams and, although they have purchased some serious quality over the summer; Gomis, Lisandro Lopez amongst others, they are still a team lacking in chemistry and consistency.

Key Player:- Fernando Torres

When Liverpool were in a similar sticky situation two seasons ago, Fernando Torres stepped up to the mark with a fine solo effort in Marseille, in France, to get the Liverpool boll rolling and he single handily revived Liverpool’s Champions League bid that season. With the absence of Steven Gerrard likely, Fernando Torres will be relied upon to be the driving force in what will be a limited Liverpool striking department. Despite niggles and knocks throughout the season, the Spanish maestro still has ten league goals to his name and he did score for the Reds’ at the weekend in Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat at Fulham. A bad game from Torres is bad news for Liverpool as the only way Liverpool can win this game is through the Spanish international.

Match Verdict:- Liverpool to WIN

I’m defying the form book here and their long list of possible absentee’s by plunging my cash on an away win for the travelling Liverpool. Time and time again Liverpool defy adversity and come through sticky situations laughing. Lyon aren’t an easy opponent by any means but they are far from formidable, either. They are beatable, even at home, and if Torres can produce a classy display then who knows what Rafael Benitez’s side could produce on the night. Liverpool have been in this position on so many occasions where victory is the only solution to their problems and we can’t oppose a side who generally has the rub of the green when times are rough.

Match Odds:

Lyon – 2.50 SkyBet

Draw – 3.40 StanJames

Liverpool – 3.10 Coral

Manchester United V CSKA Moscow

Tuesday 3^rd November – 19:45 GMT

Manchester United

Group B Position: 1st

Group B Form: WWW

Life is looking just peachy right now for the Red Devils in the Champions League as they require just one more victory to book their place in the next round of the competition. Manchester United are one of four sides that can still boast a 100% record in the group stages after wins over all of their Group B opponents; Besiktas (0-1), Wolfsburg (2-1) and CSKA Moscow (0-1). All were by the slimmest of margins but Sir Alex Ferguson won’t care less as he aims to maintain his teams glorious run in the competition thus far by beating CSKA Moscow on Tuesday and, in the process, secure a spot in the last sixteen of the greatest club competition on the planet.

United haven’t set the world alight with their performances so far but they’ve certainly been clinical in the game defining moments. If we’re being brutally honest, United have been well below par and have struggled to create chances in all of their Group B encounters thus far. They looked unsettled away at Besiktas, which isn’t too surprising considering the surroundings, they were on the rocks somewhat at home to Wolfsburg while they looked relatively dormant away against CSKA in Russia. However, on all three occasions United won and when you take into consideration that their opponents are a poor travelling CSKA side then you don’t fear that United will have too many troubles carving out chances at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

The Reds’ have won by a one goal margin in each of the three outings thus far but we honestly feel this will be a walk in the park for United and the three points somewhat of a formality. They’re unbeaten at home in 22 games in the Champions League and their phenomenal run at Old Trafford shouldn’t come to an end tomorrow night. Nemanja Vidic will return to fortify the United defence after missing Saturday’s 2-0 win over Blackburn through suspension, while both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were in the goals on Saturday in United’s 2-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers. The players may still be hurting after their bitter defeat to Liverpool just over a week ago but the players responded in the best possible manner on Saturday and we expect them to continue their recovery with a comfortable victory over the Russian pretenders.

CSKA Moscow

Group B Position: 3^rd

Group B Form: LWL

CSKA haven’t been given much hope of securing any sort of result at Old Trafford and we would actually stick our neck on the line and say they don’t have a chance in hell of beating United at their famous venue, whilst the draw still looks very unlikely. However, they know full well that with United sailing away into the distance, they now face what looks to be a two-way tussle for the second remaining qualifying position. The Russian’s simply cannot afford to arrive back home with nothing to show for their efforts but what plan of action will they take? Will they go out all guns blazing aiming to rattle United from the off or will they sit back and absorb the United pressure for the full 90 minutes?

If CSKA’s display against United in Russia was anything to go by then we’re confident that they will set up in a defensive manner, putting every man behind the ball and then looking to hit United on the counter. However, that would be suicidal as allowing United to just pepper your goal is a recipe for disaster, just ask Blackburn. United bombarded the Blackburn goal on Saturday and they eventually got their break through. Surely the new CSKA coach will have observed this game from a far and will seek out inspiration elsewhere on how his side will overhaul the mighty Red’s on their home turf.

It’s been a dreadful year for CSKA back in their domestic league and with their Champions League campaign not looking too healthy, either, Juande Ramos, the former Tottenham manager, was sacked from his managerial post just a week before this crunch clash with Manchester United. Slutski is the man brought in to reverse CSKA’s fortunes but he has inherited a CSKA side with a terrible away record in this competition, with the team from Moscow having won just once in 13 away outings the Group stages of the competition. They will take heart from their victory over Aston Villa in last season UEFA Cup but back then they had the services of a classy Brazilian striker in Vagner Love. He is now on loan with Brazilian side, Palmeiras, and has been their all season and this absence of class and creativity has been sorely missed at the club.

Key Player:- Wayne Rooney

Rooney is fast becoming a cult hero at the club and it’s not hard to see why. When teams stick every man behind the ball, Wayne Rooney is often the player that produces a piece magic out of nothing to break the deadlock. United may need to call on another inspirational performance from their talismanic striker as we expect CSKA to line up in a very defensive manner. There won’t be a lot of room for manoeuvre but this is often where Rooney produces his best. He will need to use his vision, strength and more importantly, his outstanding play-making ability to take this game by the scruff of the neck and possibly single handily guide United into the last sixteen with a win.

Match Verdict:- Manchester United to WIN

Anything less would be a massive shock. CSKA rarely troubled the United goal when the pair met in Moscow two weeks ago so it’s unlikely that they’ll fare any better at fortress Old Trafford. United need to set a blistering pace to the game and get an early goal before CSKA settle. However, even if United do struggle to find an opener within the first 20 minutes or so, we still feel the United pressure around the CSKA goalmouth will pay dividends at some point. The away side will be at their most dangerous on the counter so the United defence will need to be wary of the speed the Russian side will break at. Still, United should win and win well. If they do snatch an early goal then this really could be a battering as CSKA don’t look to have anything special up top whilst they did concede three in their opening away trip in the group when they travelled to Germany to face Wolfsburg, losing 3-1.

Match Odds:

Manchester United – 1.33 Bet365

Draw – 5.0 PaddyPower

CSKA Moscow – 12.0 Coral

Atletico Madrid V Chelsea

Tuesday 3^rd November – 19:45 GMT

Chelsea

Group D Position: 1st

Group D Form: WWW

Chelsea are pretty much home and hosed in Group D and only need a draw in Spain to secure their rightful place in the draw for the last sixteen. They are the second English side in the competition to boast a 100% record in the Group stage thus far after wins over FC Porto (1-0), APEOL (0-1) and Athletico Madrid (4-0). Their most recent success came against the team they will be facing on Tuesday night in Athletico Madrid, a side who have accumulated just a single point in Group D after a torrid few outings. Chelsea showed more than enough when they inflicted a 4-0 defeat on the Spanish outfit back at Stamford Bridge to suggest that the Blues will get the point they need to wrap up qualification from the group but will feel they have it within them to goal the whole nine yards and beat Athletico in the Spanish capital and stretch their winning run to four games.

We wouldn’t say Chelsea struggled in their first two outings against FC Porto & APEOL, winning both by a narrow 1 goal margin, but they weren’t at their glistening best. However, that was mainly down to the fact that their opponents decided to opt for defensive tactics and duly stuck every player behind the ball in attempt to thwart Chelsea on the offensive. That won’t be the case though in Madrid as the home side need all three points and they must attack at every given opportunity if they want to keep their slim hopes of qualifying alive.

Chelsea enjoyed the freedom they received when Athletico came to Stamford Bridge on Match Day 3 and they should enjoy plenty more when in Spain. Carlo Ancelotti will be up against a team that will leave gaping gaps at the back when they stride forward and we feel Chelsea could have a field day at the Vicente Calderon. Ancelotti has the utility to expose what has been a vulnerable Athletico back line this season with Didier Drogba & Nicolas forming a lethal partnership up top for the Blues. To bolster his inventory, Frank Lampard is back in the goals, he scored Chelsea’s third against Madrid, whilst Deco, a player who will know Spanish football all to well, was on the score sheet over the weekend and in midweek when Chelsea smashed Bolton 4-0 for the second time in four days.

The only small dent in our Chelsea confidence is that they did struggle on the road in last seasons competition. Their only away win in the 2008/2009 Champions League was a 3-1 success at Anfield in the Quarter-Final. They failed to win any of their away group games that year and their away form heading into this clash isn’t the best, either. They have previously lost to both Wigan Athletic & Aston Villa in the league but maybe their away voodoo has been banished with the 4-0 defeat of Bolton Wanderers at the weekend. We think so as the performance certainly backed up the emphatic scoreline.

Atletico Madrid

Group D Position: 4th

Group D Form: DLL

Athletico Madrid are a club in crisis at the moment and if you think their position in the Group is a concern that you should take a look at their domestic form. Athletico find themselves rooted to the bottom of the group with just a single point from three games. APEOL are level on points with them but Madrid’s 4-0 mauling at the hands of Chelsea on match Day 3 sees them languishing at the bottom. However, they aren’t far off matching that feat back in the Spanish La Liga. Madrid have won just one of nine games back in the league and are currently found squirming in 18^th position, a relegation spot, and are just three points off the bottom.

Abel Resino was the man in charge for Athletico’s dreadful start to the calender year and the man solely responsible it would seem as after Madrid’s 4-0 humbling at Stamford Bridge, Abel Resino was given his marching orders. Quique Sanchez Flores is the man left with the duty of guiding Athletico not only back into league safety but also into qualifying contention in Group D of the Champions League. However, his first game at the helm of the club didn’t go well as Madrid were sent crashing to their fourth defeat of the season via a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.

The mood within the Madrid camp must be at a serious lull as the side simply can’t buy a win right now. However, Madrid are unbeaten at home this season, albeit having only won once at the Vicente Calderon stadium. It appears draws are becoming quite fashionable for Athletico as not only have they drawn three out of four back home in the league but they also succumbed to a surprising 0-0 draw at home to APEOL on Match Day 1 in the Group. That fixtures should have brought about three easy points and it’s because of that poor showing that Athletico are in the state they’re in at present.

This isn’t the time for players to hide, though. There is no getting away from the fact that Madrid simply have to win their remaining three games in the group to stand a fighting chance of progressing into the last sixteen. However, to do that they will need to reach a feat they have only reached once this season and that’s win on home soil. It’s a strange run of home results for Madrid as they do posses some extremely talented individuals who have warmed to the home crowd since their time at the club. Sergio Aguero, Simao, Maxi Rodriguez & Diego Forlan, a player who won the golden boot last season, are just some of the big names players at the club that aren’t playing at their capacity level. Nevertheless, despite their poor showing this season, the fact that they do boast such world-class players means they still remain a dangerous outfit and they will come good at some point. They have plenty of potential match winners but it’s getting them to perform on the big stage that Abel Resino found so difficult. Maybe Sanchez Flores can unlock the secret recipe to success as the club can do so much better.

Key Player:- Diego Forlan

The former United & Uruguayan forward has been prolific since joining the club back in 2007, scoring 50 goals in just 73 appearances for the club. He notched up the Spanish Golden Boot award (La Liga Pichici) as well as the European Golden Boot award after scoring 32 goals in 33 appearances in last seasons La Liga. That was the second time he had won the European Golden Boot Award after his sublime spell at Villarreal, another Spanish club, so it’s apparent that Forlan plays his best football in Spain, unlike his rather poor showing in a Manchester United shirt. Diego Forlan has scored just three league goals this season but two of those did come at home and in his last two appearances at the Vicente Calderon. He has yet to score in the competition, though, so he will be eager to not only kick his goal tally into life but also Athletico’s Champions League ambitions.

Match Verdict:- Chelsea to WIN

This could be a potential banana skin for both us & Chelsea as Madrid certainly have the potential to give even the best of sides in Europe a run for their money. However, they have never been renowned for their superb defending and when you consider that they have no choice but to play on the front foot in a bid to secure all three points, Chelsea should enjoy themselves whenever they are around the Athletico penalty area. We mustn’t forget that Chelsea obliterated them at Stamford Bridge just two weeks ago so you’re asking a lot of Madrid to resolve their apparent defensive issues since that embarrassment. Nevertheless, we still think Madrid will cause Chelsea a few problems and can easily envisage them scoring. However, on the same token, we can’t see Madrid keeping Chelsea at bay, either, and we feel Chelsea have more in the tank to outscore Athletico and book their place in the next round with their 100% record still in tact.

Match Odds:

Atletico Madrid – 4.30 PaddyPower

Draw – 3.60 Bet365

Chelsea – 1.91 SkyBet

Tuesday 20^th October

19:45 GMT – Debrecen V Fiorentina (Group E) 

19:45 GMT – Liverpool V Lyon (Group E)

19:45 GMT – Barcelona V Rubin Kazan (Group F)  

19:45 GMT –Inter Milan V Dynamo Kiev (Group F)

19:45 GMT – Rangers V Unirea Urziceni (Group G) 

19:45 GMT – VFB Stuttgart V Sevilla (Group G) 

19:45 GMT – AZ Alkmaar V Arsenal (Group H) 

19:45 GMT – Olympiakos V Standard Liege (Group H)

Wednesday 21^st October

17:30 GMT – CSKA Moscow V Manchester United (Group B) 

19:45 GMT – VFL Wolfsburg V Besiktas (Group B) 

19:45 GMT – Bordeaux V Bayern Munich (Group A) 

19:45 GMT – Juventus V Maccabi Haifa (Group A)

19:45 GMT – Real Madrid V AC Milan (Group C) 

19:45 GMT – FC Zurich V Marseille (Group C)

19:45 GMT – FC Porto V APEOL (Group D) 

19:45 GMT – Chelsea V Athletico Madrid (Group D)

Our Bets:

Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Rangers & Chelsea to WIN – 11/4 Bet365

Over 2.5 Goals Accumulator – Debrecen V Fiorentina, Chelsea V Ath Madrid, Real Madrid V AC Milan & Wolfsburg V Besiktas – 13/2 SkyBet

Anytime Goalscorer Double – Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) & Grafite (Wolfsburg) – 11/4 Coral

Value Bet: Rangers to Score 3+ Goals – 7/2 SkyBet