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Blues and Reds have it all to do

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Newcastle host a Chelsea side on Sunday who are in unfamiliar territory and looking to get their season back on track after three defeats in four Premier League matches (Newcastle 4/1 to beat Chelsea).

It seems almost impossible to talk of this fixture being pivotal in the Blues season after the start they made to the campaign, but recent results and performances mean that, although they are still top of the table, the chasing pack have closed right in and a runway league success now seems just a pipe dream.

It is true that Carlo Ancelotti has had to deal with the loss of the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry but such an expensively-assembled squad should be able to cope with injuries.

However, they are still capable of tearing teams apart on their day and should be good enough to get a draw at St James’ Park against a Newcastle side who have surprised many people this term.

Chris Hughton has got the Magpies playing as a unit and their 1-0 victory at Arsenal proved that they deserve their place back in the Premier League.

They will have to do without regular centre-backs Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini, both of whom are beginning three-match suspensions, while Joey Barton still has one game of his own ban to serve.

Chelsea have already lost three times away from Stamford Bridge this term but we predict they will come away from the north east with a point on Sunday.

The other Sunday fixture sees Liverpool travel to Tottenham and the same applies to the Reds as to the Blues.

Defeat here and the knives will once again be out for Roy Hodgson, who has overseen a mini-revival in Liverpool’s season after the worst start in their Premier League history.

Four wins and a draw from their last six games has seen the Anfield outfit reach ninth spot and they are only three points behind Spurs and six points off  a Champions League spot.

But Harry Redknapp has got something going at White Hart Lane and there appears to be an air of confidence among the Tottenham players that they can beat anyone at present, and the European victory over Inter Milan will have gone a long way to instilling that belief in the players.

Rafael van der Vaart is a major doubt with an ankle problem while Jermaine Jenas could miss out with a calf injury, but Spurs have plenty of cover and look good in all areas of the pitch.

They also have the ‘Gareth Bale factor’ with opponents up and down the country now aware of just what the Welshman can achieve.

It is all right knowing what to expect – stopping him is another matter.

Joe Cole looks set to return for Liverpool after a hamstring injury but Steven Gerrard is still injured and a home win by at least two goals is forecast for this fixture in north London (Spurs 7/1 to win 2-0).

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Patched up Gunners seek response

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Saturday Premier League match predictions……
There will be an old face awaiting Arsene Wenger at Villa Park on Saturday, in the shape of Robert Pires, but an injury-hit Arsenal (11/10 to win the game) will be in determined mood to end a terrible run, that has seen his side lose four of their last six games in all competitions.

The Gunners are without their inspirational captain Cesc Fabregas, after he was hit with a hamstring injury during the Champions League defeat to Braga in midweek.

They face a tough challenge of their title credentials against an Aston Villa side who are unbeaten on home turf so far this season.

But goals have been hard to come by for Villa and the loss of three-goal midfielder Marc Albrighton will be a big miss, against a Gunners side that still have huge quality in the final third.

Manchester United (1/4 to beat Rovers) can go top of the Premier League if they beat Blackburn and Wayne Rooney is set to play the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford.

With Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand both set to return, Blackburn are likely to sit back against United and look to him them on the break. If United get ahead though, there is only going to be one outcome as Rovers do not score many goals on their travels.

Bolton were very impressive last weekend and ripped Newcastle’s defence to shreds at times. The form of Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies upfront is likely to give a torrid time to a Blackpool defence that has leaked goals on their travels. All the form and statistics around this game suggest a win for Bolton at 4/7, but Blackpool have shown more than once this season they can spring a real surprise – beware!

Roberto Di Matteo needs to turn things around at West Brom….and quickly. They have lost four out of their last five Premier League matches and could now even drop into the relegation places if they lose at Goodison Park and Wigan beat rock-bottom West Ham. Everton (4/7 to win, WBA 9/2, draw 11/4 – Match Betting) have been drawing too many games, seven out of their 14 so far, but you would expect David Moyes’ side to be too strong in this one.

Fulham have won only two of their 14 matches all season, while Birmingham City are coming into the game on the back of a draw with Manchester City and their surprise win over Chelsea last weekend. Alex McLeish’s men are in good form and have lost only one of their last six matches in all competitions, so the form definitely favours the visitors (Birmingham 13/5 to win at Craven Cottage).

West Ham are really struggling, they have won only one Premier League game all season and were very poor in the defeat to Liverpool last time out. The axe could come down on Avram Grant if they lose this six-pointer and although Wigan’s form has been patchy, they are not terrible and Latics (5/2 to take all three points) have looked capable of getting wins in recent weeks.

Wolves are on a run of four games without a win, while Sunderland are unbeaten in their last four and have drawn four of their last six games on the road. Asamoah Gyan is back for the Black Cats and Steve Bruce is missing key defenders Titus Bramble and Michael Turner. This game screams a draw at 23/10 – a result that would probably suit both teams.

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Celtic wary of Caley threat

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Bet on the SPLSaturday’s SPL match predictions…..
All the news building up to this weekend’s Scottish Premier League games has covered who would officiate the matches given the referees’ strike, but it seems like the Scottish Football Association has managed to save the full card of top-flights games.

If everything does go ahead, there are five matches in the SPL on Saturday and Celtic can go top of the league if they beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Celtic Park. Terry Butcher’s side are the surprise package of the SPL so far this season and go into this daunting trip having won their last three games.

Celtic fell three points behind Rangers after they conceded an injury-time equaliser last weekend against Dundee United, and Neil Lennon cannot underestimate the challenge posed by an Inverness side, who have somehow not lost on their travels in almost a year.

With the knowledge they can put the pressure on their rivals and bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment, Celtic are priced at 2/9 to win and look likely to end Caley’s impressive away record.

It is a case of two teams looking to kick-start their season as rock-bottom Hamilton welcome another struggling side in St Mirren to New Douglas Park.

Their home ground has not been a happy place for Hamilton this season, they have not won in six in front of their home fans, but will be buoyed by the fact St Mirren have only tasted success once on the road and have conceded 15 goals in six games.

The distinct lack of form shown by both teams going into this game suggests it is likely to be a cagey affair, but St Mirren just have the edge and have improved enough in recent weeks to get the win – which is priced at 23/10.

Hibs and St Johnstone are only separated by goal difference in the SPL table and a win for either side could create some valuable breathing space between them and the wrong end of the league. Colin Calderwood has recovered from a poor start to guide Hibs to some impressive wins, but that came to an end when they were beaten 4-2 by Inverness last weekend.

St Johnstone’s win over beleaguered Aberdeen ended a run of four losses in a row, but they are struggling for away form and Hibs (20/21 to win the game) will be too strong for them, even without the suspended duo of Derek Riordan and Paul Hanlon.

Kilmarnock were only narrowly defeated by Rangers last weekend and put on an impressive showing, and they welcome an Aberdeen side that have lost their last five matches. Killie’s loss to the leaders was their first defeat in five games and the form gives the advantage squarely to the home side, so Kilmarnock – 3/4 to win the Rugby Park clash – look like piling more misery of Mark McGhee.

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Ten best football bets this weekend

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There have been some big-price winners in the Premier League in recent times and, with another weekend of football upon us, it is time to look for some more value, starting at Villa Park (draw 23/10).

Arsenal will still be smarting from last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham and the midweek reverse at Braga but Villa have already held both Chelsea and Manchester United at home and will not fear Arsene Wenger’s men, despite a lack of fit strikers at the club.

Bolton have impressed at home, scoring 15 goals already, while Blackpool have hit 10 on their travels and appear determined to attack their way to Premier League safety. Four or more goals in this one (11/8) could be worth a punt.

Manchester United keep finding a way to win and, with Wayne Rooney back in the side, they should be too good for an improved Blackburn side. A win by the popular score of 2-0 looks a tasty price at 11/2, with Rovers very rarely getting a real spanking in the top flight.

Manchester City showed what they can do when it all clicks into place with last week’s 4-1 drubbing of Fulham but Saturday’s opponents, Stoke City, have shown great resilience in recent times, with three consecutive victories seeing them rise to eighth place in the table. Tony Pulis will fancy his side’s chances but the draw at 11/5 looks a real eye-catcher for this fixture.

West Ham United and Wigan are both desperately in need of points from their clash in the East End but, with so much at stake, this must be the draw banker of the weekend (9/4). The Hammers have won only once at home and the Latics only once on their travels, so stalemate should be the order of the day at Upton Park.

Sunderland’s recent form has seen boss Steve Bruce talk about getting into Europe and they will need to win games against the likes of Wolves if they are to achieve this. But the Black Cats do not win many away from the Stadium of Light and this could finally be the weekend when Wolves’ luck changes. Victory over the men from the North East is an inviting 7/5.

Chelsea would expect to travel to St James’ Park and beat Newcastle eight times out of 10 but not in their current form. Carlo Ancelotti’s men confirmed their current malaise with a lacklustre performance in midweek in the Champions League and the Magpies should be able to hold the champions to a draw on Sunday (13/5).

Liverpool have been going in the wrong direction in recent weeks after a mini-revival, despite last week’s 3-0 victory over basement boys West Ham. They can expect no favours from an in-form Tottenham side on Sunday and Tottenham to win to nil (11/5) could be worth a punt as the Reds have scored just four goals away from Anfield this term.

The Championship sees top play second with Cardiff travelling to Loftus Road to face QPR. Rangers have been draw specialists in recent times and a stalemate in west London could be worth looking at, with neither club prepared to give ground in the race for the title (draw 23/10).

Finally, Crystal Palace entertain Doncaster and could be good value to get all three points (13/8) as they have won four games at Selhurst Park this season. The Eagles’ away form has been the problem – with seven defeats already – but they are tipped to send Donny back up the M1 empty handed on Saturday evening.

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Mourinho can outwit Barca

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Jose Mourinho returns to the Nou Camp on Monday night (Barcelona 21/20, draw 5/2, Real Madrid 9/4 – Match Betting) to try and spoil the party once again for Barcelona fans, as arguably the two best club teams in the world go head to head in El Classico.

The ‘Special One’ worked as a translator for former Barca boss Sir Bobby Robson, before being promoted to assistant manager under Louis van Gaal.

Since then, Barca fans have been sick of the sight of the Portuguese mastermind with his latest insult to the Nou Camp faithful being the way he helped Inter Milan deny the Catalan club the chance of winning the Champions League in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona are just one point behind league leaders Real Madrid and go into this mouth watering clash on the back a 8-0 demolition of poor old Almeria in La Liga and an impressive 3-0 away performance against Panathinaikos in the Champions League.

You cannot help but match up two of the world’s superstars for this clash, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looking to outdo each other in this massive game.

Messi is in scintillating form for Barca, bagging himself 23 goals in 18 games in all competitions this season. Ronaldo is also enjoying a dazzling season, with 18 goals in 19 games, as his tricks continue to baffle defenders in La Liga and the Champions League.

Obviously this game will not just come down to these two superstars with the likes of David Villa, Gonzalo Higuain, Xabi Alonso and Andres Iniesta all capable of stealing the headlines.

With the game at the Nou Camp, Barca will be favourites but with Real in their current form and Mourinho’s abilities to mastermind the most unlikely of wins, the team from the capital might just nick this one.

In the Serie A, table toppers AC Milan are on the road as they take on Sampdoria on Saturday (Sampdoria 19/10, draw 21/10, AC Milan 5/4 – Match Betting).

Milan sit just three points ahead of Lazio, who are chasing hard, whilst city rivals Inter trail the leaders by nine points.

Sampdoria had a strong start to the season but have dropped points in recent months and currently find themselves in eight place in the league.

They go into this one after a 3-2 win over Serie A strugglers Lecce, but will come up against tough opposition as they face a Milan side that have lost only one of their last eleven games in the league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in fine form for Milan since he joined the Italian side on loan from Barcelona and he could be the star of the show, with the Brazilian tricksters Robinho and Ronaldinho providing the service.

This should be another three away points for AC Milan, as they look to win their first Serie A title since 2004.

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Potters primed for another scalp

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Five potential shocks this weekend……

It has been a season of shocks so far and there are sure to be plenty more in another exciting weekend of football, with Stoke (5/2 to beat Manchester City) looking a decent bet to dent another team’s title hopes.

The Potters have won their last three top-flight games and have an excellent record at the Britannia Stadium, while Manchester City had won just once in five Premier League matches before last Sunday’s 4-1 hammering of Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Tony Pulis’ side have shown that there is more to them than just Rory Delap’s long throws and they are more than capable of beating a City side who have yet to gel as a unit and are there for the taking.

Newcastle have not won in three Premier League matches but have shown their pedigree already this term with a 5-1 hammering of Sunderland and victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Newcastle 19/5 to beat Chelsea).

Chelsea continue to disappoint during this current slump, and have shown themselves to be brittle away from Stamford Bridge.

Birmingham proved that Carlo Anelotti’s can be beaten by the so-called lesser teams and MSK Zilina almost took a point from the Blues in Europe on Tuesday night and the Magpies will fancy their chances in this one, roared on by the vociferous Toon Army.

If you are looking for a potential shock north of the border then Inverness’ trip to Celtic (Caley Thistle 9/1 to win at Parkhead) could be the one to target.

The Bhoys have won just one of their last three SPL game and could only manage a 1-1 draw with Dundee United last time out.

Meanwhile, Caley go into the game with three straight top-flight victories, including two away from home, and they will be full of confidence of causing an upset, having won five times on their travels already this season.

Nottingham Forest are currently in the play-off zone while Leicester struggle for consistency in mid-table, but Sven Goran Eriksson’s men (21/10 to beat Forest) are tipped to shock the former European champions this weekend.

The Foxes have been solid at home this term while Forest are not the same outfit away from the City Ground and Leicester could overturn their east Midlands rivals in a low-scoring affair at the Walkers Stadium.

Crystal Palace may be languishing in the Championship relegation zone but do not rule out a victory over a Doncaster side just one place outside the play-off picture (Palace 13/8 to beat Doncaster).

The Londoners have won as many games at home as Doncaster and the hosts are tipped to beat a Rovers side who have already lost four times away from the Keepmoat this season.

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Drogba out to fill his boots

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Five players for your Fantasy Football side…

Premier League leaders Chelsea make the trip to St James’ Park on Sunday to take on mid-table Newcastle and star Blues striker Didier Drogba can fill his boots in the north east (Drogba 18/5 – Enhanced First Goalscorer).

The Magpies will be without both of their regular centre-halves – Fabricio Collocini and Mike Williamson – which means Sol Campbell is likely to make his first league start since his free transfer from Arsenal in the summer.

Drogba has had his injury problems this season but has still plundered six top-flight goals and he will surely merit inclusion in any respectable fantasy side this weekend (Chelsea 6/5 – To Keep A Clean Sheet).

Fulham and Birmingham meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday, with neither side hitting their straps in front of goal so far this season.

The Cottagers have managed just nine so far on home soil, while the Blues have bagged one less on their travels so go for either goalkeeper – Ben Foster or Mark Schwarzer – as there is every chance of a low-scoring affair which raises the prospect of clean sheets (8/1 – 0-0 Correct Score).

Everton are still enduring a slow start with their goals largely coming from midfield, but a home game against on-the-slide West Brom means Australian international Tim Cahill can continue his run after bagging seven to date, including three in his last four (Everton 4/7, draw 11/4, WBA 9/2 – 90 Minutes Betting).

Carlos Tevez currently tops the Premier League goal-scoring charts despite a recent thigh injury, although he sat out Argentina’s friendly against Brazil in Doha in a bid to regain full fitness.

The former West Ham and Manchester United crowd favourite comes up against Stoke’s massive back four on Saturday, but he has the ability to make mugs of them, especially if boss Roberto Mancini decides to unleash the pace of Adam Johnson and David Silva in tandem and not fight fire with fire (Tevez 13/2 – To Score 2 or More).

Peter Crouch could complete a three-pronged attack alongside Drogba and Tevez, despite the fact he has struggled for Premier League goals this term.
But Crouch is too good a player to stay quiet for long and can benefit from Jermain Defoe’s return to fitness.

Crouch and Spurs entertain the beanpole’s former club Liverpool at White Hart Lane and the feel-good factor generated by the north Londoners qualifying for the Champions League round of 16, can continue on Sunday.

The Reds mauled a poor West Ham side last weekend but Spurs’ midfield should overpower a Steven Gerrard-less engine room and there will be chances-a-plenty for the home side (Spurs to win 3-1 – 16/1).

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Championship top two collide

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It’s first v second in the Championship this weekend (QPR 11/10, Draw 23/10, Cardiff 23/10 – Match Betting) and in-form QPR look set to steal a march on their closest challengers, with Cardiff appearing to have hit a slump at a crucial time.

Neil Warnock’s men are currently two points clear at the top and remain unbeaten in the league, although they face their toughest test yet on Saturday.

The R’s (13/10 Championship Outright) have the best defensive record in the league, having conceded just eight goals all season, letting only three in at Loftus Road, so could have the measure off Cardiff’s attacking threat.

The Bluebirds have also held top spot for periods this season but have won just one of their last four matches – which was a 4-2 success at struggling Scunthorpe – and have their work cut out to end their frustrating run this weekend.

At the other end of the table, Millwall look likely to heap more pressure on Darren Ferguson as the Lions seek a second successive away win at Preston.

North End are currently rooted to the bottom and six points from safety and the home fans will be demanding a victory when the Lions visit on Saturday.

After a bright start, Millwall (7/4) have struggled in recent weeks but their 1-0 win at Middlesbrough last weekend will have lifted confidence for another trip north.

Swansea face Portsmouth on Friday night, knowing that a win will move them level on points with Cardiff – for at least 24 hours – and Brendan Rodgers’ men look too strong for the visitors.

A last-gasp equaliser at Doncaster last week maintained a run of just one defeat in 10 league matches and they should be too good for a Pompey squad struggling for numbers at present.

Burnley will welcome a return to home comforts on Saturday and expect the Clarets to put a dent in Derby’s promotion bid.

The Rams, currently fourth, look to be punching above their weight at the moment and they will struggle against a Burnley side who have lost just once at home this term and will be desperate to make up for poor form on the road.

Two former Premier League teams meet at the Riverside, with both Middlesbrough and Hull struggling at the wrong end of the table.

The difference is though that Hull (21/10) appear to be getting their act together, with two wins and a draw in their last three games, while Boro are struggling for any consistency.

With the home fans getting more anxious at the Teessiders bottom-three position, the Tigers will fancy their chances of extending their unbeaten run to four.

Sunday sees the latest East Anglia derby, as Norwich and Ipswich go head-to-head at Carrow Road (Norwich 11/10, Draw 23/10, Ipswich 23/10 – Match Betting).

The Canaries hold local bragging rights at the moment, sitting eighth in the table compared to 13th-placed Town, and they are expected to get the better of their rivals this weekend.

City’s home form is nothing special, but Ipswich look to be on the slide after a decent start to the season – losing their last three games.

Scunthorpe cannot buy a win at home and have lost six of their nine matches at Glanford Park this season, to leave them fifth from bottom. Coventry, fresh from a win over Burnley last weekend, are likely to pile more misery on the Iron on Saturday.

Barnsley entertain Watford on Saturday and with both teams sat in mid-table and with patchy form behind them  – don’t be surprised to see a stalemate at Oakwell.

Bristol City’s ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ performances pretty much some up the division and they face another inconsistent team this weekend, when Sheffield United arrive at Ashton Gate – anyone’s guess as to how that will end up!

Leeds’ away record has been impressive, with just two defeats in nine matches away from Elland Road and they will fancy their chances of victory (Leeds 5/2) at Reading, who are also stuck in the mid-table quagmire.

Crystal Palace may still in the bottom three, but they have shown signs of improvement – two wins in the last three and almost won at Sheffield United last week. The Eagles (6/4) look good for a win over Doncaster, who are a different side on their travels compared to at home.

There is a Midlands derby at the Walkers Stadium on Monday night, when Leicester could spring an upset with victory over Nottingham Forest.

Although Forest are 11 places ahead of the Foxes, Sven’s men are resurgent and have not lost at home in the league since the former England manager took charge in mid-October.

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Champions League selections…

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If Tottenham can secure a victory over Werder Bremen at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night the north Londoners will guarantee their spot in the knock-out stages of the Champions League (check out Champions League outright and match markets on totesport.com).

There is still everything to play for in Group A, with all four teams still in with a mathematical chance of qualifying for the next round.  However, Bremen have managed to score just three times in their four fixtures to date, conceding nine in the process, and two of their three strikes came in their opening game – a 2-2 draw with Spurs on September 14.

The German outfit are enduring a difficult campaign, they’ve managed just one win on the road in the Bundesliga and have conceded an astonishing 21 goals in just seven games.  Spurs are priced at 4/9 to win the fixture outright, but considering Bremen’s obvious defensive frailties it might be worth considering Spurs to be winning at half-time/full-time, which pays out at evens.

Gareth Bale has been in fine form in Europe and his pace caused havoc amongst the Inter Milan defenders in their last two Champions League fixtures. The Wales international has managed to score three times in his last two appearances and is a very inviting 9/4 to score at anytime on Wednesday night.

When Rangers made the trip to Old Trafford in mid-September the contest was dubbed the ‘Battle of Britain’ but the two sides could only manage to play out a fairly dire goalless draw.  Manchester United travel to Ibrox on Wednesday needing just a point to ensure their progression to the knock-out stages, but boss Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to rest key defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and neither will play any part on Wednesday.

However, striker Wayne Rooney is expected to make his first start in over a month and fans may be treated to a few goals in this encounter after a disappointing stalemate in the reverse of this fixture.  Rangers have managed to find the target 34 times in just 14 SPL games to date, while United have averaged two goals a game in the Premier League so far.  With United resting some key players and Rooney back in action there is a decent chance this game could provide a better spectacle than the meeting between these two at Old Trafford, especially as Rangers need to take something from the game to keep their European dream alive, and over 2.5 goals pays out at 11/10, under 2.5 goals is priced at 4/6.

Schalke 04 host a resurgent Lyon in Group B and both teams are well placed to progress to the knock-out stages.  Lyon top the group with nine points, Schalke are second with seven points and Benfica remain in contention to make it through to the next round with six points.  A win for Lyon would guarantee their spot in the knock-out stages but the trip to Germany will be tough, with Spanish legend Raul now plying his trade for the Bundesliga side.

The former Real Madrid striker helped himself to his first hat-trick for his new employers in their 4-0 demolition of Werder Bremen at the weekend and he can be backed at 11/8 to score anytime against Lyon.  However, Lyon have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes of late and came back from a goal down to seal a 3-1 victory at Lens on Sunday, with qualification within their reach the French side could well emerge from this tie victorious and Lyon are priced at a very attractive 11/5 to win the contest outright.

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Chelsea looking for home comforts

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Depending on who you listen to, Chelsea are in  crisis, manager Carlo Ancelotti is about to walk out and the Stamford Bridge walls are crumbling around Roman Abramovich – OK maybe the last bit is exaggerated, but all is not well in west London.

However, the Blues are 1/7 favourites in the match betting to see off MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Tuesday and the stats back up such short odds.

Ancelotti’s men have won four out of four in Group F to guarantee progression while they are all but assured of top spot as they lie six points clear of both Spartak Moscow and Marseille, with two games to go.

Zilina, by contrast, have a 100 per cent losing record and have managed just one goal in those four defeats, while they are coming into the match on the back of a record 7-0 home drubbing against Marseille in the last round of matches.

The one goal the Slovakian outfit have scored did come against Chelsea but not before the English champions had surged into a 4-0 lead, with Nicolas Anelka scoring twice.

Chelsea might already have booked their progress but after losing three of their last four domestic matches, scoring just one goal, they will be looking to make a point in front of their own fans and guarantee top spot before making a tricky trip to Marseille.

The Blues have now gone 22 games unbeaten in the group stages of the competition, winning 16 with six draws, while they have amassed 40 goals and conceded only seven.

Chelsea have the power to put this game to bed by half-time as they did in Slovakia (2/5 in the Half-Time/Full-Time market) while Anelka (9/4 first goalscorer), who has scored five times already in the competition, could set them on their way.

The other game in the group sees the two sides battling for qualification along with Chelsea go head to head at the Luzhniki Stadium as Spartak Moscow entertain Marseille.

The French outfit of course smashed seven past Zilina last time out and have a decent record in Russia, having lost just two of six games, but they were beaten 1-0 at home by Spartak (6/4 in the match betting) on matchday one and have lost seven of the last 10 Champions League away matches, and the home side should just have the edge.

Arsenal’s 100 per cent start to the campaign, in which they scored 14 goals, came undone at Shakhtar Donetsk last time out but having smashed six past Braga at the Emirates on matchday one, they look good value at 5/6 to seal their progression.

The other game in Group H sees Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Serbia and with qualification, and even top spot, to play for the Ukrainian outfit (4/6 to win) should be fully motivated to secure the points against winless Partizan Belgrade.

Real Madrid are on fire this season and remain unbeaten under Jose Mourinho in all competitions, albeit through an injury-time equaliser against AC Milan at the San Siro last time out.

In truth, los Merengues should have wrapped up the game inside the first half, while Filippo Inzaghi’s equaliser was offside, and with the potent frontline they possess, Real (5/4 in the match betting) should secure top spot with a win in Amsterdam.

All three sides below Real still have a chance of qualifying and Auxerre look good value at 12/5 to make home advantage count against a Milan side that has not won either away match to date and may just adopt a defensive strategy to try and avoid being beaten.

Roma have the greater need when they entertain Bayern Munich on Tuesday night as they are from certain of making the knockout stages, whereas the Germans have booked their place with plenty to spare after winning their first four games.

The Giallorossi (5/6 favourites in the match betting) will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat earlier in the campaign and have won nine of their last 11 home games in UEFA competition, while Bayern might prefer to focus on domestic matters after a disappointing start to their Bundesliga campaign.

Something has to give in Tuesday’s other fixture as FC Basel have lost both home matches, while CFR Cluj have been beaten twice on their travels and given the fact that Cluj won the reverse fixture 2-1 earlier in the campaign, there may be some value in taking the 9/2 on offer.

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