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Tough tests for home nations

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Much of tomorrow’s focus will be on England’s clash with Italy, but there is an entire programme of international fixtures to look forward to, including an intriguing test for Northern Ireland, who are 13/8 to beat Finland.

Michael O’Neill’s men head into the home clash at Windsor Park in torrid form, having lost their last five international matches.

Finland, meanwhile, have lost just twice on their last five outings and were surprise winners against Turkey less than three months ago.

It is surprising, then, that the Scandinavian outfit are also locked on odds of 13/8 to win the game, as they appear have the edge in form.

Northern Ireland are placed 101 in the latest FIFA World Rankings, with Finland, who will look towards Rubin Kazan hitman Alexei Eremenko for goals, sitting at a more respectable 72.

The draw is available at 9/4, but a price of 13/8 on a Finland win is too good to ignore.

Elsewhere, Scotland welcome Australia to Easter Road on Wedneday evening for an encounter that has the potential to go either way.

The Scots’ recent form has been inconsistent, although there was nothing uncertain about the manner in which the USA went about dismantling Craig Levein’s men in their last match three months ago.

Australia are without a win since February, with their last two matches against Oman and Japan finishing all square.

It’s unsurprising, then, that so little separates the two teams in the match betting, though Scotland are the slight favourites at 6/4, ahead of Australia at 7/4.

But given the Socceroos’ knack for stalemates in recent months, the draw market at 23/10 is probably the real value option here.

With both teams likely to feature players who will have their own upcoming domestic commitments weighing on their shoulders, it’s unlikely that either set of players will have the drive to take this contest by the scruff of the neck.

Wales are another of our home nations who will play on home soil on Wednesday evening as they welcome the often unpredictable Bosnia-Herzegovina outfit to Parc y Scarlets.

The Welsh are without a win in two following disappointing home defeats to Costa Rica and Mexico, where they failed to score on either occasion, while their Eastern European opponents have also found it tough in recent months, crashing to defeat in each of their last five matches, albeit against strong opposition.

The trip to Wales for Bosnia-Herzegovina is followed by European Qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Latvia, and Safet Susic’s men will undoubtedly be eyeing a hat-trick of wins.

Chris Coleman’s Welsh Dragons will be aiming to extinguish that dream at the first hurdle, but with both teams priced at 13/8, the former Fulham boss, preparing for his first qualification campaign as national coach, will be anticipating a close contest.

The price of 9/4 on a draw again offers good value for money, but both teams have incentives to win this one, and home advantage under a coach who is keen to impress may just be enough to see Wales home.

The last of our home nations, Republic of Ireland, will be aiming to dispel memories of an arduous Euro 2012 campaign when they head east to face Serbia, who themselves will be keen to prove a point after failing to qualify for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Serbia are the strong 5/6 favourites for this game, with a confidence-low Ireland priced at 10/3 to salvage some pride at the end of a tough summer campaign.

The draw at 5/2 offers would be a reasonable pick depending on conditions, but it’s tough to see past a comfortable victory for Serbia in this one, with a 2-0 scorecast at 13/2 offering particularly good value.

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Foxes to take down Gulls

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There will once again be plenty of expectation on Leicester City this term and it will be interesting to see how they get on when they get their campaign underway with a trip to Plainmoor to face Torquay United in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday (Torquay 3/1, draw 11/4, Leicester 5/6 Match Betting).

Over the past couple of seasons plenty of money has been spent at the King Power Stadium to sign the likes of Paul Konchesky and Jermaine Beckford, to name just a few players lured away from the Premier League.

Manager Nigel Pearson does have a very strong squad at his disposal and the introduction of Ritchie De Laet and Zak Whitbread to the defence this summer will make life difficult for Torquay, who will have to be at their best to catch the Foxes off guard.

There is bound to be some upsets on Tuesday night in the first round of the competition but it looks highly unlikely one will come at Plainmoor, with Leicester looking set to be too strong for the League Two outfit.

Cardiff City are another side who have splashed the cash recently and their latest recruitment of Craig Bellamy from Liverpool shows their intent ahead of their cup clash with Northampton Town at Sixfields Stadium (Northampton 10/3, draw 13/5, Cardiff 4/5 Match Betting).

The introduction of Heidar Helguson up front alongside Bellamy would be a potent combination which should cause the Cobblers all sorts of problems on Tuesday night.

Northampton boss Aidy Boothroyd may be able to get his side battling for promotion from League Two at the end of the season but they look set for a very early exit from the Capital One Cup.

Derby County are preparing to host Scunthorpe United at Pride Park on Tuesday, with the Irons more than capable of causing an upset if the Rams are not on their guard (Derby 8/11, draw 11/4, Scunthorpe 7/2 Match Betting).

Having come through a disappointing campaign in the Championship last term, manager Nigel Clough has lost defender Jason Shackell this summer and has been limited on the quality of players he can bring to the East Midlands outfit.

Scunthorpe have brought in American striker Mike Grella this summer and the former Leeds United forward has the ability to cause the Derby defence problems.

There is no reason why Scunthorpe can’t cause an upset here and they might just be able to get one over on Derby at Pride Park.

Championship promotion contenders Birmingham City are another team that have high expectations on their shoulders this season and they host Barnet in what should be another good game to prepare for the start of the league campaign (Birmingham 2/5, draw 7/2, Barnet Match Betting).

With a new manager, Lee Clark, at the helm in his biggest job to date, he will be looking to get a winning momentum going at St Andrews and they should have no problem in seeing off League Two Barnet to book their place in the second round of the Capital One Cup.

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Four things we learnt

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While many of us are suffering from post-Olympic Games depression, there is light at the end of the tunnel with plenty more sporting action to come. You might have missed what has been happening outside the London 2012 bubble so it’s time to catch up and prepare for what is to come. We take a look at what we can take from this weekend’s non-Olympic sport.

1. Chelsea someway off title challenge

Chelsea have regained their tag as the Premier League’s big spenders this summer following the arrivals of Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar. As such the Blues have been branded as potential dark horse for a title challenge, with Roberto Di Matteo tipped to repeat his trick of leading the team to glory after success in the Champions League and FA Cup.

However, based on Sunday’s Community Shield, Di Matteo has a big job on if he is to secure Chelsea a third Premier League crown. Manchester City looked a class above the Blues and a lack of strength in depth across the backline is an issue Di Matteo needs to address quickly if they are to avoid another sixth-placed finish. For now it looks as though it will be a transitional season for the 9/2 shots for the title and City, at 5/4, look to be the team to beat this season.

2. No time for KP antics for England

Is any one man bigger than the team? If you are asking Kevin Pietersen he would probably say yes. The talented batsman seems to have well and truly got on the ECB’s bad side for his antics during the last Test against South Africa and has been made to pay. His exclusion from the squad for the last Test is a real statement from the selectors that they aren’t prepared to put up with a player who isn’t a team player.

With the series and their status as number one Test team on the line in the last match at Lord’s, the decision to drop Pietersen is a big one. South Africa look to have the bit between their teeth and England could find themselves up against it, especially if Jonny Bairstow’s poor form in the Test arena continues. England are 9/10 to win the last Test, with the Proteas 3/4.

3. McIlroy finding form at right time

It might seem strange to say Rory McIlroy is hitting form at the right time given there are no more majors left to play for. However, if you are hoping Europe do the business at the Ryder Cup again then Sunday’s fantastic US PGA Championship success was a welcome boost. The Europeans are 5/4 to win the Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club and will need McIlroy to be on top of his game if they are to repeat the success of Celtic Manor.

The Northern Irishman suffered an alarming slump in form earlier this year but showed how good he could be by lifting the US PGA Championship, his second Major title. With the Americans having enjoyed a good comeback year on the major front, McIlroy will be key to Jose Maria Olazabal’s team.

4. Djokovic rediscovers winning formula

After a difficult couple of months for Novak Djokovic he got a much needed win under his belt at the Toronto Masters. The world number two might not have an Olympic medal to show for his efforts at London 2012 but if he can retain his US Open title at the end of the month the tennis fraternity won’t care.

The Serb destroyed the field in Canada and at 15/8 looks a good bet to win the Western & Southern Open this week, even with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro in the field.

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Minnows eye League Cup upsets

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Football League newboys Fleetwood are among three sides who hope to cause an upset in the Capital One Cup first round on Monday evening and following a weekend of shocks in the competition, the scope is there for further surprises.

Fleetwood’s first ever League Cup tie could not be much bigger, with two-time European champions Nottingham Forest the visitors to Highbury Stadium (Match Betting – Fleetwood 5/2, draw 13/5, Forest 4/5).

Boss Micky Mellon has been busy over the summer, bringing in 11 players in an attempt to establish the club in League Two. The likes of Youl Mawene, David Ball, Conor McLaughlin and Jon Parkin could all make their debut on Monday evening.

Forest, who staved off the threat of relegation from the Championship last term, have also been busy in the transfer market following their take-over by Kuwaiti businessman Fawaz Al Hasawi.

Adlene Guedioura, Danny Collins, Greg Halford, Dan Harding, Simon Gillett and Daniel Ayala have all been snapped up by Sean O’Driscoll, who replaced Steve Cotterill soon after the takeover.

With so many new faces on show it is tricky for the punter to pick a winner, though Forest’s Championship status means they are 4/5 favourites. However, Fleetwood have crucial momentum following their promotion and this could be the stage to announce their arrival as a league club in style. A 2-1 Fleetwood win is priced at a tempting 12/1.

Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham were in the same division last season, but Wednesday’s dramatic last day promotion to the Championship in May means they now occupy the position of giants in this fixture (Match Betting – Oldham 13/5 draw 5/2, Sheff Wed Evs).

That promotion was the culmination of a sharp rise in form under boss Dave Jones, who took over at the start of March and did not lose a match for the rest of the campaign, the club eventually finishing second behind champions Charlton.

Like Fleetwood, that momentum, which has seen them win 11 and draw three since losing to Chesterfield on February 18, means they should be confident, even with Oldham’s home advantage.

However, Latics fans will point to a 2-1 pre-season friendly win over champions Manchester City as cause for optimism and you have to wonder whether Wednesday’s minds will be focused on the cup, when a good start back in the Championship is so important.

For that reason, a narrow 1-0 Oldham win is worth considering and priced at a tantalising 15/2.

Huddersfield and Preston are two other sides who were both in League One last season (Match Betting – Preston 15/8, draw 12/5, Huddersfield 11/8), but the Terriers grabbed the final promotion spot following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley in May.

It wasn’t too long ago that Preston were a Championship side pushing for promotion to the top flight, but a turbulent few seasons both on and off the pitch saw them go through four managers in five years, drop into League One and finish in a lowly 15th last season.

Manager Graham Westley, who replaced Phil Brown in February, has attempted to revamp the squad over the summer, bringing in 13 new players. This ‘new-look’ Preston may have enough to cause a surprise, given Town will be without several key players due to international call-ups.

One of those players is prolific striker Jordan Rhodes, who scored 40 goals last season and has been linked with a summer move to Premier League.

However, the jury is still out on Westley and Preston and the far more settled Huddersfield squad should have enough to progress in this one. A 2-0 Town win is priced at 10/1.

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Hearts set for derby honours

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The Scottish Premier League throws up its first big clash of the season on Sunday, as Edinburgh giants Hibernian and Hearts get set to battle for the bragging rights of the capital at Easter Road (Hibernian 9/4, draw 9/4, Hearts 5/4 – Match Betting).

Hearts got their campaign off to a strong start last weekend as they breezed past St Johnstone at Tynecastle with a 2-0 victory.

A goal from John Sutton from the penalty spot and a late finish from highly rated attacker David Templeton was enough to give the Jambos the three points in an accomplished performance from manager John McGlynn’s men.

Templeton (9/1 – First Goalscorer) managed to win the penalty in the first half before scoring a goal of his own in the second and justified why plenty of clubs in the Championship south of the border have been linked with the 23-year-old.

With Glasgow Rangers dropping out of the SPL, Hearts certainly have a great chance to establish themselves as the second best side in the Scottish top flight behind the undoubted winners of the competition this term – Celtic.

McGlynn will have been pleased with the win over Saints but it will be a completely different challenge when they take on their old rivals on Sunday.

Hibernian had an opening day of the season to forget, as they were thumped 3-0 on the road at Dundee United last Sunday.

Manager Pat Fenlon will have had plenty to work on in training over the last week but he certainly won’t have to get his squad geared up for this Edinburgh derby which should produce a superb atmosphere at Easter Road.

Leigh Griffiths (13/2 – First Goalscorer) up front for Hibs will be a player the Hearts defence will have to keep their eye on and although he did not open his goalscoring account against Dundee United, he will be a threat on Sunday.

Hibs will be boosted with the news that Alan Maybury  and Gary Deegan could make their debuts for the club in the fiery atmosphere of the derby, which will certainly be a baptism of fire for the Irish pair.

Danny Galbraith is set to miss the game, as the winger still needs time to get back up to full match fitness having gone under the knife to rectify a groin injury.

As for Hearts (25/1 – SPL Outright) they will still be without Jamie Hamill, who is recovering from a knee injury, but do welcome back the suspended Danny Grainger who missed the win over St Johnstone but should feature this weekend.

The fact this is a derby will make it a closer affair than it should be and it’s hard to judge at this early stage of the season how this one will pan out.

But based on their contrasting opening days of the season, and with the likes of Sutton and Templeton in their ranks, it looks like the Maroon half of Edinburgh will be cheering at the final whistle.

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Di Matteo under pressure to deliver

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Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo will be eager to pick up his first trophy of the new season when the Blues face Manchester City (5/4 to win) in the Community Shield at Villa Park on Sunday.

The Italian manager has endured a poor summer warm-up with the Blues and will want to show owner Roman Abromavich that he was right to back the Italian and silence any doubters.

Usually pre-season form is not studied with too much scrutiny, but defeats to the MLS All Stars, AC Milan and Brighton have put unwanted pressure on Di Matteo.

The FA Cup holders can be backed at 10/1 to claim a slim 1-0 victory against City and it would be a score line that Di Matteo would welcome.

Both teams have a lot to play for, but with only one new signing likely to be amongst the 22 players to walk out in the August sunshine the form suggests City will be the team with the upper-hand.

The Stamford Bridge club are likely to give Eden Hazard his first taste of competitive football in the UK, and the £32million Belgian playmaker can be backed at 8/1 to be the first on the score sheet. New Brazilian recruit Oscar will be unavailable due to Olympic duty.

John Terry and Gary Cahill are likely to line-up as the centre-half pairing and City boss Roberto Mancini will be keen to see if his strike force can penetrate the Engand duo.

The 47-year-old manager is under a self-imposed pressure to deliver.

In the build up to the clash between the league and cup champions, the Italian – who oversaw City’s first league title in 44 years – has lamented the club’s lack of transfer activity and heaped praise on their title rivals.

The Eastlands club will see Hazard in action against them, a player they wanted, while they appear to have lost out on the chance to sign Arsenal’s Robin van Persie to rivals Manchester United.

However, Carlos Tevez – 33/1 to score a hat-trick – and Sergio Aguero – 5/1 to score first – will be form a formidable forward pairing.

Despite saying that United are favourites for the forthcoming Premier League, Mancini will be determined to lay down a marker – and then let the mind games begin.

City are 11/1 to pick up a 2-0 victory and that looks like a decent bet considering Chelsea’s pre-season stutters.

Mario Balotelli, who featured in the Euro 2012 final, will most probably start on the bench but the enigmatic 21-year-old – who Paris Saint-Germain are keen on signing – is 13/8 to score at any time. With his tendency to net in big games, that could be a shrewd wager.

Samir Nasri, who scored the last time the two clubs met – a 2-1 victory to City in the Premier League – is 3/1 to grab a goal.

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Juve to win in tough circumstances

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Serie A champions Juventus and Coppa Italia winners Napoli go head-to-head in the Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing on Saturday, but the curtain-raiser looks set to be overshadowed by Antonio Conte’s 10-month ban for match-fixing (Juventus evens, draw 21/10, Napoli 12/5 after 90 Minutes).

The Juventus coach was banned today for failing to report match-fixing while in charge of Siena during the 2010-2011 campaign.

Conte had a plea bargain deal rejected by the Italian federation earlier this month, a proposal which would have seen him serve a three-month suspension and pay a large fine.

Grosseto and Lecce have both been excluded from the second tier this season, while Conte’s assistant, Angelo Alessio, has been banned for eight months.

It is another stain on the Italian game and Juve will have to put the matter to one side quickly if they want to begin the new campaign with a bang (13/2 – Juventus to win 2-0).

Massimo Carrera will replace Conte on an interim basis and he inherits a side which swept all before them on their way to the Serie A title last term.

Going through a season unbeaten is almost unheard of, but is a feat Juve achieved. That record alone is remarkable. However, it is the goals against column which stands out the most.

Marshalled by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Juve conceded just 20 goals in 38 games. Opposing strikers were sick of the sight of the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci by the end of the season.

Juventus did not have things all their own way – 15 draws suggests a lack of a ruthless side at times. They were also, of course, beaten in the final game of the season by tomorrow’s opponents.

Napoli won their first major trophy in 22 years and denied Juventus the double by beating the Turin giants 2-0 in the Italian Cup final in May.

Edinson Cavani inspired the surprise victory that day and he will feature for Napoli this weekend, despite mounting speculation over a move to England.

He will be key to their hopes in China (13/2 – Napoli to win 1-0), particularly in the absence of Ezequiel Lavezzi, who made the switch to big-spending Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer.

Napoli missed out on a return to the Champions League last term. They have added to their squad in a bid to improve on their fifth-place finish. Valon Behrami and Goran Pandev are among those to make the switch to Naples. However, Napoli will struggle to match the achievements of recent years.

Conversely, Juventus look stronger than last season, despite the controversy surrounding their manager. The signings of Martin Caceres and Lucio will make them even more difficult to beat, while exciting youngsters Paul Pogba and Kwadwo Asamoah give them added flair.

Juventus will be keen to show they are united in the face of the latest scandal, while gunning for revenge for May’s cup heartache.

Napoli are always a dangerous outfit, but expect Juventus to dig deep and win the first silverware of the season (11/5 Half-time/Full-time – Juventus/Juventus).

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PSG to ‘buy’ Ligue 1 title

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France’s Le Championnat gets underway on Friday night with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) strong favourites to lift the title after their summer spending free. They look set to make a real splash in the European game but is ‘buying the title’ a good thing for football? (PSG 4/11 Ligue 1 Outright).

Despite being a relativity well-known club throughout Europe, PSG have only won the French top-flight title on two occasions and the last time they lifted the trophy was back in 1994. But that looks set to change as the Parisians have become the latests club to benefit from huge foreign investment.

The money pumped into the club by the Qatar Investment Authority means that they will now be on a different level financially to the rest of the Ligue 1 clubs and, while money does not always guarantee success, it would be a surprise if they were not crowned champions of France in May 2013.

Players of the calibre of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva had already arrived from AC Milan before news broke that the capital outfit had outbid Manchester United to land Brazil international midfielder Lucas Moura for 45m euros. In terms of prestige and history, PSG cannot hold a candle to the Red Devils and it proves the point that, in football, money always talks.

History has shown that clubs can effectively spend their way to success and Blackburn Rovers proved the theory when lifting the Premier League trophy back in 1995 on the back of Jack Walker’s millions. The inevitable fall from grace occurred when the plug was pulled on the cash-flow and they are now a ‘yo-yo club’ with another spell in the second tier of English football about to begin.

The latest example in England is obviously Manchester City who, prior to the recent Middle East investment, would not have entertained the thought of beating United to the title. But they are able to attract the top stars to the Etihad Stadium the way that Roman Abramovich’s money has done at Chelsea, and there seems no reason to suggest that the recent trend will end any time soon.

The finances involved do annoy many people looking in from the outside and the way in which the Olympic athletics have performed so well for a fraction of the rewards that a top footballer receives has added fuel to the argument that they are grossly overpaid.

But is is not going to stop and PSG will look to join the top echelons of the European game through their ability in the transfer market, with ex-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti the man pulling the strings.

Montpellier took the Ligue 1 title last season, with PSG finishing second and they kick off their defence of the title on Friday night against Toulouse (Montpelier 8/11, Toulouse 9/2, draw 12/5 Match Prices). The Paris club begin with the visit of Lorient on Saturday and are massive favourites to take all three points from the side who finished just one point and one place above the drop zone last term.

It is true that the increased expectation will heap pressure on the Paris players but, operating in a relatively weak league, they should be able to sweep all before them. The downside for the French league is that it could become, like Scotland has now after Rangers’ demotion, a one-horse race for the title, with the likes of Montpellier, Lyon, Lille and Bordeaux struggling to hang on to their coat-tails.

The PSG fans will not care two hoots about the financial implications as they will just want to see their heroes lift trophy after trophy at home and in Europe but it may well take them a few seasons to adapt to life in the Champions League, as there are a number of talented teams waiting to bring them down to earth.

If the cash keeps rolling in for Ancelotti and director of football Leonardo to spend then all should be well at the Parc des Princes. But it is a dangerous policy and one that can backfire if things go wrong, as Blackburn fans, who face trips to Brighton and Barnsley this season instead of Old Trafford and the Emirates, will testify to.

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Capital One Cup Countdown!

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Former Premier League outfit Wolves start their League Cup campaign this Saturday with what should be a straightforward match against Aldershot (Wolves 2/5 to win).

The newly relegated side face the League Two outfit at Molineux and should be shoe-ins to progress to the second round with ease.

However, new boss Stale Solbakken will not want his tenure to get off to a losing start, especially with the ongoing transfer speculation surrounding skipper Steven Fletcher, and it could be a nervy afternoon.

Especially as last season the Shots were a surprise package in the tournament, defeating higher placed opposition West Ham, Rochdale and Carlisle on their way to the last 16 of the competition.

Dean Holdsworth’s men can be backed at 7/1 to pull of a victory and continue last season’s League Cup giant killing.

Leeds United vs Shrewsbury Town

Championship side Leeds United have only ever lost once to Shrewsbury Town at home in nine matches, but tellingly that was the last time the Shrews played at Elland Road.

Despite it being in the old Division Two back in 1988, Graham Turner’s men will be hoping to repeat the 3-2 score line they achieved backed then.

The Shrews can be backed at 40/1 to win by the same margin, but a Leeds United 1-0 or 2-0 win would be a much safer bet, both at 6/1.

Neil Warnock’s promotion-chasing outfit will be giving new players a run out to familiarise them with the Yorkshire surroundings.

New £200,000 signing Luke Varney has said he is raring to go.

“People have said the cup game is a hindrance but, personally, I think it’s blessing,” said the former Portsmouth, Derby and Charlton winger.

Doncaster Rovers vs York City

Doncaster welcome newly promoted York City to the Keepmoat Stadium for a Yorkshire derby in the first round of the Capital One Cup.

The odds will be stacked against the Minstermen, with Rovers having the better head-to-head stats against their Yorkshire rivals. But City will be keen to stand out after an eight-year exile from the Football League.

Players will be keen to impress York manager Gary Mills, as a chance to gain a first XI place is up for grabs.

York are 7/2 to come away with a victory and can be backed at 40/1 to grab a 3-2 victory over League One Rovers.

Last season York were prone to shipping lazy goals in the Conference but were equally quick to make up for it by playing a ‘we’re going to score one more than you’ brand of football.

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Reds look set for Euro progress

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Liverpool are in Europa League third qualifying round second leg action against Gomel on Thursday at Anfield as they look set to seal their place in the play-off round of the tournament.

Stewart Downing’s goal in Belarus last week handed Brendan Rodgers a winning start to life in charge of the Merseysiders after he took over from Kenny Dalglish this summer.

And, with a 1-0 lead to defend on home soil, it seems unlikely that Gomel (10/1 Away Win 90 Minutes) will have enough to overturn the deficit and dump the Reds out of Europe at this early stage.

Rodgers is likely to name a similar side to the one which triumphed in the away leg so Daniel Agger is again set to miss out as he is still building up his fitness levels for the new Premier League campaign.

Luis Suarez, fresh from signing a new contract at Anfield, is back from the Olympic Games with Uruguay and could be on the bench with Andy Carroll pushing summer signing Fabio Borini for a starting role.

Gomel manager Oleg Kubarev is not expected to make wholesale changes from the first leg with danger man Aleksandr Alumona set to lead the attack, while Nikolay Lipatkin could be handed a start after a 15-minute substitute display last week.

Despite Liverpool’s first-leg win, it was Gomel who dominated large spells of the game as they are six weeks into their league season.

Match-winner Downing is hoping the Reds will not be as lacklustre this time around following another week of pre-season work and use their quality to seal a safe passage into the next round (11/2 Liverpool to win 2-0).

He said: “Obviously I can understand fans who want us to be fast out of the blocks but we had only been back 10 days so for me, it was a good result, maybe not the best performance but with a week’s training behind us we’ll put a better performance in at Anfield.”

Another notable second leg fixture sees Scottish Premier League outfit Dundee United travelling to Russia to face Dinamo Moscow hoping to snatch a win (15/2 Away Win 90 Minutes) which would send them through.

Moscow have two away goals after last week’s 2-2 draw at Tannadice and are 3/10 favourites to progress, although Peter Houston’s men could go for the draw after 90 minutes (10/3) and try and take the tie all the way to progress.

The 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan thrashed Croatian outfit Hadjuk Split 3-0 in last week’s away first leg so not surprisingly are 1/7 to win the home tie at the San Siro.

Last season’s Europa League finalists, Athletic Bilbao, travel to Croatia for their second-leg tie against NK Slaven Belupo.

The Spanish outfit, who comfortably dismissed Manchester United over two legs last term, managed a 3-1 home-leg win and will look to ease their way through (2/1 Away Win 90 Minutes).

However, the away goal could be the key if the hosts can grab an early goal (Slaven 9/2 Home Win 90 Minutes), but Bilbao should have too much firepower to be really troubled.

A closer tie involves Marseille, who were held 1-1 in Turkey by Eskisehirspor last week.

The French Ligue 1 outfit should have enough to progress on home soil and that is reflected by the fact they are 4/11 to win the game, but a draw at 90 minutes is worth noting at 16/5.

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