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Madrid to reignite La Liga race

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After contrasting starts to the season, Sunday sees possibly the biggest rivals in football meet as Barcelona take on Real Madrid at the Nou Camp (Match Betting – Barcelona 5/6, draw 11/4, Real Madrid 3/1).

The two sides have a long and bitter rivalry and even at this early stage of the season, victory for Barca could all but wrap-up the La Liga title. After a summer of uncertainty, the Blaugrana have started the campaign in sparkling style and are yet to be beaten at both home and abroad.

A number of questions have been asked about the team following the departure of the legendary Pep Guardiola but his assistant Tito Vilanova has stepped-up with aplomb and his side showed both their ability and unity by netting two late goals to beat Sevilla last Saturday. They followed this up with a win over Benfica on Tuesday but that result provided more questions than answers for Vilanova, as the returning Carles Puyol suffered an horrific elbow injury.

This means the Catalans are likely to rely on Javier Mascherano and Alex Song at the back and, while both have spent plenty of time in defence, they could hardly be described as naturals. The injury crisis ensures that Sergio Busquets’ (15/2 to score at anytime) performance becomes even more important as he will be the man charged with shielding the duo. Busquets is widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world and his ability to break-up play and track runners will be massive on Sunday.

In contrast to their rivals, Real have had a difficult opening few months of the campaign and currently sit sixth in the table, eight points behind Barcelona. This means the visit to the Nou Camp is an almost must win game for Jose Mourinho’s men and they will go into the clash eying all three points.

Los Blancos were expected to kick-on from last season’s La Liga victory but have looked disjointed at times, with Mourinho trying a number of combinations in both defence and midfield in an attempt to find a solution. The Portuguese boss usually tries to suffocate Barca in these games and is likely to employ three defensive midfielders to counter their attacking threat.

This means Cristiano Ronaldo’s (11/10 to score at anytime) pace on the break will prove even more important and having effectively scored the goal that won the title last term against another makeshift Barcelona defence, he will fancy his chances of once again silencing the Nou Camp faithful.

Like all the games between these two sides, this has the potential for fireworks and with so much talent on display, it’s sure to be an intriguing tussle. However, with Barcelona’s current defensive issues, Madrid have the perfect man to take advantage in Ronaldo and his ability to find the net in big games could see his side through (Madrid 14/1 to win 2-1).

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Take Toon to make point

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There are four Premier League games on Sunday with the stand-out clash coming in the north east when Newcastle host Manchester United.

Newcastle v Man Utd (4pm)

The Magpies (3/1) may well fancy their chances of causing an upset at home against a Manchester United (10/11, draw 11/4) side who it is fair to say have yet to really get going this season.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have stumbled their way through the opening six weeks of the season and lost their second game of the campaign at Spurs last weekend.

They followed that up with just a narrow win over minnows CFR Cluj in the Champions League in midweek and will not find it easy at the Sports Direct Arena.

Alan Pardew’s side were convincing 3-0 winners over Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday and, in the shape of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, have the strikers to trouble a shaky Red Devils’ rearguard.

Goals are likely and a score draw is predicted in an exciting game.

Prediction - 2-2 at 14/1.

Southampton v Fulham (1.30pm)

Sunday’s early kick-off sees a recently-promoted Southampton (8/5), who have struggled to adapt to life back in the top flight, against a Fulham (7/4, draw 12/5) side who have had a mixed campaign so far.

Saints did see off Villa 4-1 in their last home game but that is the only high point in a series of five defeats from their opening six games and Fulham will surely relish this trip to St Mary’s.

The Cottagers only narrowly lost to champions Manchester City 2-1 last weekend and can make amends with the three points in this one.

Prediction - Fulham to win 2-0 at 11/1.

Liverpool v Stoke (3pm)

Incredibly, Liverpool (1/2, draw 16/5) have won just two league games at Anfield in 2012 and a victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side is a must against the Potters after an overall poor start to the season.

Last weekend’s 5-2 victory at Norwich points at better things to come for the Reds as they finally got the goals earlier performances had been threatening but they will be tested by a dogged Stoke (13/2) side, who are always difficult to beat under Tony Pulis.

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch (5/2 to score anytime) is in great form and he will fancy it against his old side while ex-Reds Charlie Adam, Jermaine Pennant and Michael Owen – if he gets on – will also be fired up.

It looks like being tight and the home side will hope not to make the sort of crucial defensive mistakes that have blighted their season so far. If they manage to keep a clean sheet the Reds might just edge it.

Prediction - Liverpool to win 1-0 at 6/1.

Tottenham v Aston Villa (3pm)

Spurs (4/9) are improving under Andre Villas-Boas and, after a slow start, have begun to pick up points with last week’s win at Manchester United the highlight of an inconsistent campaign so far.

They have generally been unconvincing at home in the league, though, drawing against Norwich and West Brom, while they were lucky to see off QPR last time out after falling behind in the first half.

But Villa (7/1, draw 10/3) have hardly been pulling up trees under new boss Paul Lambert and only just scraped a 1-1 draw at home to local rivals West Brom last weekend. The midlanders were embarrassingly beaten 4-1 by newcomers Southampton on their last away trip and will want to erase that memory as quickly as possible.

Sadly, with a rejuvenated Spurs the opposition, we predict another long 90 minutes for Lambert and his players.

Prediction – Spurs to win 3-1 at 10/1.

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Early leaders set to maintain form

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There are six Premier League games on Saturday, including three of the top four in action with Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City all looking for victories to maintain their good starts to the season.

Manchester City v Sunderland (12.45pm)

City (2/7, draw 9/2 in the match betting) sit four points behind early leaders Chelsea after a stuttering start to the defence of their title.

Roberto Mancini’s side remain unbeaten but only just overcame Fulham last weekend and could find it tricky at home against a spirited Sunderland (12/1 to win) side. The champions were poor in midweek when drawing with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and will need to improve against the Black Cats, who have summer signing Steven Fletcher in red-hot form.

It could be closer than City would want at the Etihad but a narrow home win is predicted.

Prediction: Man City to win 2-1 (7/1).

Chelsea v Norwich (3pm)

Chelsea (2/9 to win) have looked good so far with new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar catching they eye and they are top of the table on merit, having dropped just two points so far.

Last week’s win at Arsenal underlined their title credentials further and expect a comfortable home win in this one against a Norwich side currently struggling to match last-season’s achievements under former boss Paul Lambert.

The Canaries (14/1, draw 11/2 match betting) were outplayed last weekend when going down 5-2 at home to Liverpool and could get the runaround again at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: Chelsea to win 4-0 (10/1).

Swansea v Reading (3pm)

The Swans’ (10/11 to win) hosting of the Royals (16/5, draw 5/2 in the match betting) is one of the more difficult games to predict on Saturday with the home side’s impressive start now just a faded memory after a run of three consecutive league defeats.

Reading, however, have yet to win this season and appear to be struggling to adapt to life back in the top flight. It won’t be a classic at the Liberty Stadium and a hard-fought draw looks on the cards.

Prediction: 1-1 draw (11/2).

West Brom v QPR (3pm)

QPR (10/3 to win) are desperate for a win after a shocking start to the season. Despite heavy summer investment, the Hoops have picked up just two points so far and are bottom of the table.

The Baggies, in contrast, are flying high early on in sixth under new boss Steve Clarke and can follow up last weekend’s 1-1 draw at neighbours Aston Villa with a win here (5/6, draw 11/4 in the match betting) to pile further pressure on Rangers boss Mark Hughes.

Prediction: West Brom to win 2-1 (8/1).

Wigan v Everton (3pm)

A north-west derby at the DW Stadium sees on-form Everton (Evens to take the three points) expected to come away with the three points against a Wigan (3/1, draw 5/2) side who have just one league victory to their name this season.

The Toffees have been very impressive so far, aside from a blip at Leeds in the Capital One Cup, and they can enhance their growing top-four claims with another away win this weekend.

Prediction: Everton to win 2-0 (8/1).

West Ham v Arsenal (5.30pm)

Saturday’s evening game is a London derby to relish with a clash of styles on show at Upton Park. Sam Allardyce’s side will do all they can to disrupt Arsenal’s (Evens to win) fluid passing game and, following the 2-1 win at QPR on Monday, will approach this with confidence.

Arsene Wenger’s side began the season well but last weekend’s home defeat to Chelsea will have left fans anxious over a title bid and they will not fancy another derby so soon.

Loan signing Andy Carroll could be back for West Ham (3/1, draw 5/2 in the match betting) and, with that in mind, we see this as the shock result of the day with a home win the outcome.

Prediction: West Ham to win 1-0 (10/1).

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Bluebirds aim to keep flying

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There is a full programme of Championship football on Saturday with all 24 clubs in action. Cardiff are sitting pretty at the top of the table and will hope to maintain that lead against lowly Ipswich. We will take a look at that match-up and the other big ties affecting the top clubs this weekend (Cardiff 9/2 Championship Outright).

Ipswich v Cardiff City

While August was a mixed month for the Bluebirds, the advent of September saw the Welshmen’s season ignite with four wins and just one defeat en route to the top of the standings.

And October also began well with a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City to welcome the start of autumn as they opened up a one-point gap on Leicester City.

The task now for the capital club is to keep it going and a trip to Portman Road does not look too taxing for Malky Mackay’s charges.

The Tractor Boys last tasted league success back on August 21 at Watford and since swatting the Hornets, they have lost four and drawn three games and these are worrying times for the East Anglia outfit.

Home form is always the key to success and Ipswich have yet to win on their own patch with two draws and two losses, while they have only scored four goals.

It is true that Cardiff’s away form has not been their strength to date, with just one win on their travels, but they look a confident outfit and should have enough to claim the spoils from this one.

But history is not on their side as Cardiff have only won three times at Portman Road and were beaten 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last season.

Craig Bellamy looks set to miss out due to injury and Tommy Smith is doubtful, while midfielder Luke Hyam has been ruled out for Town but Michael Chopra is fit to play.

Pressure is mounting on Ipswich boss Paul Jewell and things might be even worse on Saturday night.

Odds: Ipswich 2/1, Cardiff 13/10, draw 12/5

Leicester City v Bristol City

Hot on the Bluebirds’ heels are the Foxes who, like the team above them in the table, won four of five Championship games in September.

That is certainly promotion form and they took some decent scalps last month, with wins at home to Blackpool and Hull while claiming all three points against Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

Victory at Huddersfield last time out made it back-to-back away wins but they are back on home territory this weekend and, with Cardiff playing at tea time, they could temporarily sit at the top of the table.

While they have not really blown any teams off the park, Nigel Pearson’s charges have been efficient and solid at the back and that augurs well for the season’s promotion push.

The East Midlanders have won all four of their home games and conceded just two goals in the process and, while that record will end at some stage, Bristol do not look like the club to ruin the home fans’ afternoon this weekend.

They have taken four points from a possible 12 on their travels but scored only four goals in the process and the Robins currently sit in 14th place in the table.

One win in their last six games is not the sort of form that is going to cause opposition managers too many sleepless nights and, with the middle of the division looking congested, they could easily be sucked into the danger zone if results do not improve.

Odds: Leicester 4/7, Bristol City 5/1, draw 11/4

Derby County v Brighton

Brighton are just one point behind Leicester in third but cannot afford to rest on their laurels with several big clubs nestled in behind and waiting to pounce.

Five consecutive victories had seen the Seagulls fly up the table but defeat at home to Birmingham and a draw with Ipswich last time out has thwarted their progress.

However a trip to Pride Park will not faze Gus Poyet’s high-flyers as they have already picked up nine points from four games away from home and appear happy to continue their brand of passing football away from the Amex.

Indeed it could be argued that they are happier on the road as the south coast club have already dropped seven points on their own patch this term.

They will face a Derby side in mid-table who have scored 11 goals in their four home games this season with two wins in the East Midlands already.

They did lose their last home encounter to Burnley but have taken 10 points from a possible 18 and will be no pushovers this weekend.

Poyet will still be without strikers Craig Mackail-Smith and Vicente with the duo set to return to action after the international break and they will be looking to improve on a record of just four goals in their last four matches.

Odds: Derby 13/8, Brighton 13/8, draw 9/4

Blackpool v Charlton

Blackpool are one of four teams on 16 points and they will hope to add another three to that tally when they welcome the struggling Addicks to Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

The seaside town certainly enjoyed the back end of the summer with a maximum nine points in August, with 10 goals scored and just one conceded, but they found points and goals much more hard to come by in September.

Ian Holloway’s men took just four points from five league contests and suffered defeats to Leicester, Huddersfield and Cardiff.

But they bounced back to form with a 3-2 victory at Hull on Tuesday night to get their promotion bid back on track.

The Tangerines are desperate for another taste of the promised land after failing to stay in the top flight in their only season in the Premier League to date.

And the fact that they came so close to a return last season will surely spur them on to try to go one better this term.

The days when Charlton were a permanent fixture in the Premier League seem a long time ago and it would seem as though they will be fighting a relegation battle this campaign and not considering a push for promotion.

Chris Powell has been unable to halt his side’s slip down the standings and they are currently 20th in the table with just nine points, which includes one win at home and one away.

The boss made it clear to the Charlton fans that they would need at least one season to settle into the Championship before thinking about taking another step up, but if things do not improve they might well be back in League One next year.

Four defeats from their past six games has left the Londoners hovering above the drop zone but they will have taken some confidence from a 2-1 win at Derby the last time they ventured away from the Valley.

But facing Blackpool in the north west will be a lot tougher and it is hard to see them coming away with anything this weekend.

Odds: Blackpool 4/6, Charlton 4/1, draw 11/4

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Highland game looks tight

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Friday’s televised Scottish Premier League action sees Highland rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County come together at the Caledonian Stadium as the two sides bid to pull away from the lower reaches of the table.

It is the first time the two sides have met in the top tier of Scottish football and they go into the encounter with an identical record in terms of matches won, drawn and lost from their opening eight matches.

Both have one win and five draws, while they also boast a goal difference of minus one, although Ross County have scored and conceded almost half the amount of goals than their rivals.

Caley Thistle boss Terry Butcher has called on his players to become instant derby heroes given that Richie Foran could be the only fit and available home player to have played against County if goalkeeper Ryan Esson is ruled out with a groin injury.

However, the former England captain is confident his players will cope with the demands of a new experience and come out on top.

Inverness also go into the game in confident mood having followed up a 2-2 draw at Hibernian with a comfortable 4-0 victory against basement side Dundee last weekend to make it four unbeaten.

Ross County were unbeaten in 40 league games when they secured promotion to the SPL and have had a reasonable start in the top flight with only two defeats in their opening eight matches.

However, the problem for Derek Adams is the defeats have been in their last two outings – 2-1 at home to St Johnstone and a thrilling last-gasp 5-4 reverse at St Mirren at the weekend.

Having kept things solid at the back, albeit without scoring many goals at the other end of the field, County’s defence uncharacteristically folded against the Buddies and Adams will no doubt be keen to tighten things up again for the trip to Inverness with County 7/4 to collect three points.

However, four goals will be a positive to build on for the Dingwall outfit who also boast former Inverness players Ross Tokely, Grant Munro and Iain Vigurs who are no doubt looking to get one over their old club.

Historically, Inverness have the edge in games between the two clubs, but Ross County came out on top during the 2009/10 First Division campaign with two wins and a draw from the four games, including a 3-1 win at the Caledonian Stadium.

But Butcher’s side won 3-0 at home in the league that season and also defeated County 1-0 in a Scottish Challenge Cup encounter.

There is very little to pick between the two sides going into the match with Inverness’ positive recent run counting for little given the phrase that ‘the form book goes out of the window in derbies’.

A home win at 5/4 is worth serious consideration but with local pride at stake and a desire not to lose it will result in a tight game and the points shared.

Prediction: Draw – 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Draw – Correct Score at 11/2

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Prem trio all fancied

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It’s match-day two of the Europa League on Thursday and the three Premier League teams involved, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle, all face tricky – but winnable – ties (totesport – match coupon).

Liverpool v Udinese (8.05)

Liverpool are finally winning games under Brendan Rodgers and expect them to continue their recent success with another three points in Europe over the Italians (Liverpool 4/6, Udinese 9/2, draw 11/4 – match prices).

Rodgers will again utilise his impressive crop of youngsters in the Group A match after they served him well in the opening clash against Young Boys last month when they eventually came out on top 5-3.

Jonjo Shelvey was the star that night with two goals when coming on as a sub, and expect him to start as he is currently on a domestic ban following his red card against Manchester United. Rodgers will give the majority of his first-choice players the night off but, even without the likes of Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Luis Suarez and Pepe Reina, they should have enough to make it two wins out of two in the competition.

Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Sebastian Coates should all get another chance to impress and push their first-team claims, while veteran defender Jamie Carragher is likely to skipper the side.

Udinese kicked off their Europa League group campaign with a 1-1 draw with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala and are unbeaten in five games in total. However, they have only won once in nine in all competitions this term and would gladly settle for another point  at Anfield.

Francesco Guidolin’s men do have talent in the shape of Antonio Di Natale, Brazilian summer signing Willians, and on-loan Andrea Lazzari but they are not fancied to cause an upset in this, although they could hold the Reds at bay in the first 45 minutes with HT/FT – Draw/Liverpool worth backing at 3/1 and a correct score of 2-0 to the Reds our prediction at odds of 6/1.

Newcastle v Bordeaux (8.05)

The Magpies have made a solid start to the Premier League season and began the Europa League group stage with a goalless draw in Portugal with Maritimo. Again, expect a much-changed side when Alan Pardew reveals his selections to take on French outfit Bordeaux as Toon aim for a home win to take charge of the group early on (Newcastle 7/5 Bordeaux 2/1 draw 9/4 – match prices).

Youngsters Sammy Ameobi, Adam Campbell, James Tavernier and Gael Bigirimana are all tipped to be involved while Pardew is expected to rest one or both of first-choice strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse against the six-times French title winners.

Breaking down Bordeaux might prove tough, however, as they are well known in France for their defensive-minded tactics and are on an extremely-impressive 17-match unbeaten run – that includes a 4-0 thumping of Club Bruges in the Group D opener, a 0-0 with the star-studded PSG and a fine 2-0 win at Lyon in Ligue 1 over the weekend.

Czech Republic international Jaroslav Plasil is seen as the key attacking midfielder for Francis Gillot’s side when they do venture forward and they will put up a stern fight at St James’ Park. Expect the home side to eventually secure a win, though, with 1-0 appealing in the correct score market at 5/1.

Panathinaikos v Tottenham (6.00)

After a tricky start to his Tottenham tenure, Andre Villas-Boas appears to have got the Londoners going with the weekend 3-2 win at Manchester United the highlight of a mixed campaign so far.

AvB’s men had the better of a 0-0 opening Group J encounter with Lazio last month but had to settle for a point, although they should get their Europa League campaign up-and running with a win on Thursday in Greece (Spurs 11/10 Panathinaikos 2/1 draw 9/4 – match prices).

The Portuguese fielded a fairly strong line-up against the Italians and is set to start with plenty of his regular Premier League squad against Panathinaikos with Jermain Defoe, Clint Dempsey and possibly even Gareth Bale all in contention.

Hugo Lloris will come in again for Brad Friedel in goal but that hardly weakens the Premier League top-four contenders, and with their opponents on Thursday without a win in six matches, expect them to have too much for Panathinaikos despite a lively home crowd backing Jesualdo Ferreira’s men.

In the correct score market, 2-0 to Spurs is our selection at odds of 7/1.

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Rovers to chop down Forest

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It’s been a tough few days for Blackburn Rovers with the resignation of manager Steve Kean and the side find themselves on the road again when they take on Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night (Forest 6/4, draw 9/4, Rovers 9/5 Match Betting).

After months of speculation and pressure for change at Ewood Park, Kean finally decided to call it a day with the Lancashire outfit ahead of their 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Saturday.

The Scot’s departure will relieve the pressure on the Blackburn (11/2 Championship outright) squad and it will be up to caretaker manager Eric Black to guide the players through this spell, as the club’s owners continue their search for a successor.

Black has spoken about the positive attitude in the dressing room and, with the experience of Paul Robinson, Danny Murphy and Nuno Gomes in their ranks, they certainly have the mental strength to get through this difficult time and get results on the pitch.

The combination of Gomes and Scotland international Jordan Rhodes looks like it could be a potent partnership in the Championship this term and Forest will have their work cut out for them in defence if they are to keep the pair off the scoresheet.

As for the home side, their task against one of the favorites to win promotion back to the Premier League will be made all the more difficult following the suspension of Dexter Blackstock, who was sent off in the 1-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Derby County on Sunday.

Forest will still be hurting from that defeat at the City Ground and manager Sean O’Driscoll will be wanting to put things right against Rovers.

However, Blackburn have so much strength in their starting XI and the luxury of bringing impact players off the bench, so they should be able to just edge out the Reds (13/2 1-0 Rovers correct score).

In Wednesday’s other encounter Derby, who will be buoyed by that win over Forest, make the trip to the North East to take on Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough 21/20, draw 12/5, Derby 5/2 Match Betting).

Boro suffered their first defeat at the Riverside last weekend, as they were undone by Leicester City 2-1 to the frustration of manager Tony Mowbray. It was really a game the home side should have won but goals from Jamie Vardy and Lloyd Dyer saw their downfall.

Derby will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday, as they go in search of their second away win of the season following that scalp against Forest.

The Rams look like they will struggle in the Championship once again this term and manager Nigel Clough looks set to head back down to the East Midlands with nothing to show for their efforts at the Riverside, with Boro looking just too strong for them (7/1 2-0 Middlesbrough correct score).

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City and Arsenal set for Euro wins

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Arsenal and Manchester City both enjoy home advantage on Wednesday night in the Champions League, and we think the two English sides can pick up wins over Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

The Gunners got off to a winning start in the Champions League two weeks ago as they came from behind to see off French champions Montpellier away from home.

Olympiacos suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Schalke in their opening game and need to get a result at the Emirates to give themselves a chance of reaching the latter stages of the competition, but Arsenal should be too strong on home soil.

Arsenal are 4/11 to secure the win in the standard match betting market, the draw is 4/1 and Olympiacos are 8/1 to grab a shock victory.

However, the Gunners have scored 13 goals in their last three home games, conceding just four, and we think the 20/23 on offer for an Arsenal win with a -1 handicap is the best bet in this particular fixture.

Manchester City can count themselves unlucky to be without a point after their Champions League opener at Real Madrid.

Roberto Mancini’s side were leading heading into the closing stages of the match but conceded two late goals at the Bernabeu and City will be eager to get their first points on the board when German champions Dortmund arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Dortmund picked up a 1-0 win over Ajax in their opening fixture but City should be too strong for the German giants, who haven’t won away in the Bundesliga yet this season.

City are priced at 10/11 to secure the win and they should be able to take all three points when the Bundesliga champions visit on Wednesday, a win for Dortmund is available at 10/3 and the draw is 5/2.

Real Madrid travel to Ajax as two giants of European football meet in Amsterdam but it should be a relatively straightforward win for the Spanish champions, who will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the competition and put the pressure on Dortmund, City and Ajax.

Coach Jose Mourinho will be desperate to land the title with a third club, having lifted the trophy with Porto and Inter Milan, and will almost certainly name his strongest possible side at the Amsterdam Arena.

Real are 4/9 to win in the standard match betting market, but the 21/20 on offer for a Madrid victory with a -1 handicap looks much more appealing and we think this is the best bet in this tie.  Ajax are 7/1 to grab the win and the draw is 7/2.

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Mixed fortunes for Brits

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The Champions League resumes on Tuesday with three British clubs in action, as Manchester United (9/1 – Champions League outright) face CFR Cluj, Chelsea meet FC Nordsjaelland and Celtic travel to Russia to take on Spartak Moscow.

After last season’s European disappointment, United struggled through their opening group match against Galatasary and cannot afford to be complacent when they head to Romania to meet Cluj (9/2, draw 11/4, United 4/6).

Ione Andone’s men also won their first match of the tournament away at Braga and have now become regulars in Europe after making their debut in 2008.

United themselves have something to prove going into the game, having lost 3-2 at home to Tottenham on Saturday, a result that has prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to drop a number of his more established figures for the trip to Transylvania.

The exclusions could see the veteran coach experiment with some of the talented youngsters that impressed in the League Cup against Newcastle, so don’t be surprised to see a few unfamiliar names on the United teamsheet.

This has all the hallmarks of a banana skin but United should have enough experience to see them through, but they won’t have it all their own way.

In the second game which sees a British team in action, champions Chelsea travel to Denmark to face one of the unknown quantities of the tournament in FC Nordsjaelland (10/1, draw 7/2, Chelsea 4/11).

The Blues almost got off to the perfect start as they took an early lead in their first game against Juventus before being pegged back by the Italian giants as the tie finished 2-2.

This has put them under some early pressure, with Shakhtar Donetsk also in the group, but they’ll look at their trip to Scandinavia as the chance to claim an easy three points.

However, facing the champions of Europe is a massive opportunity for any side and having won their domestic league last season, Kasper Hjulmand’s men will be looking to cause what would be a massive upset.

Like the first game, things certainly won’t be easy for the Blues but their greater experience should see them though and so expect them to claim a comfortable win.

The final game involving a British team sees possibly the toughest test as Celtic travel to Russia to face Spartak Moscow (4/7, draw 3/1, Celtic 11/2).

The Bhoys made a solid start to their European campaign with a goalless draw against Benfica a fortnight ago, but a trip to Russia is always a tough test and you never quite know what threat the opposition will pose.

Neil Lennon’s men will meet a familiar face at the Luzhniki in winger Aiden McGeady, who ironically was the man who scored the winner the last time Celtic won a game in the Champions League.

After dominating Russian football during the 1990s, Spartak have had a difficult few years both on and off the field but Unai Emery’s appointment in the summer has brought freshness to the club and they could be the surprise package of this group.

This is likely to be a cagey affair but despite Celtic’s confidence in the build-up to the match Spartak’s extra class should see them to an easy win.

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Battle of the Whites

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Tuesday night will see another exciting round of action in the Championship and Bolton Wanderers will be hoping they can come on top in the ‘Roses’ clash when they face Leeds United at the Reebok Stadium (Bolton Evs draw 12/5 Leeds 11/4 – Match Betting).

It has not been an easy start to life in the Championship for under-pressure manager Owen Coyle and his players have found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline in a number of tight encounters.

Bolton – 18th place in the table – suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace last weekend and will be desperate to bag the three points against a Leeds side who will head to the Reebok Stadium full of confidence.

The West Yorkshire outfit beat Nottingham Forest and Bristol City in the Championship and saw off Everton in the Capital One Cup, in what was a successful week for manager Neil Warnock and his men.

Striker El-Hadji Diouf has been a revelation since making the move to Elland Road and he will certainly be a threat once again.

Bolton have plenty of talent in their ranks and between two pretty evenly matched sides this Lancashire-Yorkshire derby might well finish with the points shared.

Cardiff City have started to emerge as a strong force in the push for promotion and they will be looking to keep up their winning momentum when they face Birmingham City (Cardiff 10/11 draw 5/2 Birmingham 3/1 – Match Betting).

With four wins in their last five game in the Championship, the Bluebirds are looking strong under manager Malky Mackay.

Cardiff have won all four of their home games this season and will once again be formidable opposition against a Blues outfit struggling to live up to expectations this season.

Injuries have plagued manager Lee Clark and his squad at St Andrew’s but they managed to battle for a 1-0 draw against Brighton on the South Coast.

They will need a similarly gritty performance to get a result in the Welsh capital but the Bluebirds should have enough quality to get the three points.

In another standout game on Tuesday, Hull City will be looking to bounce back from their surprising defeat to Peterborough United when they face Blackpool at the KC Stadium (Hull 11/8 draw 12/5 Blackpool 15/8 – Match Betting).

The Tigers looked in fine form but have come unstuck in their last two outings, with Leicester City and strugglers Peterborough getting the better of manager Steve Bruce and his men.

Blackpool have also gone off the boil in their last two outings with heavy defeats at the hands of Huddersfield Town and Cardiff.

This game will really be about which side can put their recent disappointments behind them when they line-up on Tuesday night.

Both teams have match winners but the Tangerines, with the likes of Tom Ince and Gary Taylor-Fletcher, could edge this one over the Tigers.

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