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BATE bid to pinch Bayern

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BATE Borisov are available at a huge price of 8/1 to build on their impressive away victory over Lille in the opening round of fixtures and beat Bayern Munich, priced up 4/11 to win, when the two sides clash in the Champions League in Belarus on Tuesday (totesport – match prices).

The Belarussian champions stunned their French hosts on Match-day 1 with an accomplished performance to get their European Group F campaign off to the perfect start.

Bayern, meanwhile, were far from convincing in victory over Valencia in their opening game, and they could find it tough in Eastern Europe.

A draw price of 4/1 offers value for this encounter, but, at 8/1, and with wind behind their sails, BATE Borisov are worth consideration.

Elsewhere, Benfica will be looking to cause an upset against their Iberian rivals when Barcelona visit the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday.

The Portuguese side earned a draw at Celtic Park on Match-day 1 and will fancy their chances of recording a first victory in Group G in their first match of the campaign on home soil.

Benfica are priced at 5/1 to win this one, with the draw quoted at 16/5, and Barca the overwhelming favourites to make it two wins from two, at 4/7.

It’s difficult to see past a win for the Catalan giants in this one, but if Benfica can get off to a quick start then Tito Vilanova’s men may be happy to settle for the draw.

Elsewhere, there’s an intriguing tie in Turkey as Benfica’s Portuguese rivals Braga travel to face Galatasaray.

An intimidating trip at the best of times, the hosts are the 10/11 favourites to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford and earn the win they need to keep their hopes of qualification alive.

Braga head into the game following an embarrassing home defeat to Cluj, but despite odds of 10/3, it is difficult to imagine the visitors coming away from the Turk Telekom cauldron with three points.

The draw, available at 5/2, may appeal, but 10/11 on Galatasaray to win is where the value lies for this encounter.

Two giants of European football go head to head in Holland on Wednesday, meanwhile, as Ajax welcome Real Madrid to the Amsterdam Arena.

Though Ajax are not the force they once were, this tie carries plenty of significance for the Dutch outfit and, at a price of 7/1 to win the game, they are pretty backable.

A narrow defeat to Dortmund ensured a pointless start to Ajax’s European campaign, and three points against Real would be greeted with euphoria by the home supporters.

At 4/9, Real are the overwhelming favourites for this one, but it could be a lot closer than many experts reckon, and, with the draw available at 7/2, this is another clash that offers plenty of value for money for punters.

We round things off with Porto’s game against PSG in Group A, where Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to make another strong statement following their 4-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev in their opening fixture.

And, at a price of 9/4 to make it two from two, a victory for the team from the French capital could prove lucrative for punters prepared to put their faith in Europe’s definitive ‘pretenders to the throne’.

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Hoops to claim vital win

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The weekend’s Premier League action climaxes on Monday with a London derby between Queens Park Rangers and West Ham (Match Betting – QPR 11/10, draw 12/5, West Ham 11/4).

After previously being stalwarts of the top flight in years gone by, the two sides haven’t met since 2004 and you can be certain that both teams will be desperate to get one over on their local rivals.

After making eleven new signings in the summer QPR have struggled to gel, taking just two points from their opening five league games, and are now bottom of the table following Reading’s draw on Saturday.

Furthermore they’re currently in the midst of somewhat of an injury crisis, most notably in defence, where three of their first-choice back four are currently out of action.

However, they do have plenty of talent in both midfield and attack and the return of Alejandro Faurlin has undoubtedly made a massive difference to the side.

However, it’s former Hammer Bobby Zamora (11/8 to score at anytime) who is most likely to be their key man on Monday and he’ll be desperate to prove he can still mix it in the Premier League, after a largely disappointing time since moving to Loftus Road in January.

With West Ham struggling to defend crosses this season, Zamora will fancy himself to get on the scoresheet for what would be his fifth goal of the season.

In contrast to their rivals, Sam Allardyce’s men have made a solid start to their return to the top flight, taking eight points from their first five matches to leave them tenth.

However, after a fairly straightforward start to the campaign this is one of their last easy games before they meet some of the big boys and they will be targeting three points on Monday.

One of their problems this season has been scoring goals, an issue that has been magnified by the injury to Andy Carroll and, with Carlton Cole looking out of form so far this term, even more responsibility has fallen on captain Kevin Nolan (5/2 to score at anytime).

Despite not being a favourite amongst the fans, the veteran is always reliable when the Hammers need a goal – a quality that more than makes up for his lack of mobility. His ability to drift into the box can often prove priceless and he’ll be looking to catch the makeshift Hoops backline napping.

But, with so much quality going forward its surely only a matter of time before the QPR find their feet and they could just sneak this one (QPR 8/1 to win 2-1).

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Mallorca aim to hit new heights

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Real Mallorca will attempt to make history with a fourth win of their Primera Division campaign when they travel to lowly Getafe on Monday evening.

Joaquin Caparros’ side have already equalled their highest-ever points total after five top-flight games with three wins and two draws and will look to make it their best start with three points at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

Despite their strong start they are not considered favourites to win the match at 21/10 in the 90 Minutes market, while Getafe can be backed at 6/5 to secure only their second La Liga win of the campaign.

It is clear that Mallorca’s success so far this season has been based around their strong defensive play, emphasised by the fact they have only managed to score seven goals to date, two of which came in their 2-0 win against Valencia last time out, while conceding just three.

Caparros, who is again set to be without Giovani dos Santos, Javi Marquez and Alvaro, will hope his back-line again come up trumps on Monday.

Getafe are languishing down in 17th position, although they have had a difficult start to the campaign with games against the likes of Sevilla and Barcelona, while their only win came against local rivals and reigning champions Real Madrid.

Therefore, Luis Garcia’s side are capable of producing the goods, but the coach has warned against conceding more sloppy goals with ten already shipped in their opening five matches.

Getafe will also be without Alexis Ruano, who begins a two-game ban after his dismissal in the defeat to Celta Vigo last time out.

History is just siding with Mallorca as the Islanders have won ten out of their 20 fixtures, compared to Getafe who have won seven, which again points to a tight game in store.

With Mallorca stingy at the back this game could well be decided by a momentary lapse in the Getafe defence as they are a side which are noted for the scoring abilities with just six on the board to date, so a 1-0 win for the visitors could be worth noting at 15/2 in the Correct Score market.

But we feel a tight game will be reflected in the outcome and both sides should have enough in the tank to collect a hard-earned point from this head-to-head.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5

Value Bet: 0-0 Correct Score @ 15/2

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Forest out to put down Rams

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The Championship action continues on Sunday with the East Midlands grudge match between Nottingham Forest and Derby at the City Ground (Forest 10/11, draw 5/2, Derby 3/1).

Recent clashes between these two have always produced fireworks and with so much local pride at stake, it’s sure to be an absolute cracker.

After an uncertain summer following their takeover by the Al-Hasawi family, Forest have struggled to gel due to the influx of new players and go into the game on a run of seven matches without a win.

This has been partly down to the appointment of boss Sean O’Driscoll, who has tried to introduce a new footballing philosophy at the club, following years of long-ball tactics under the likes of Billy Davies and Steve Cotterill.

However, it’s surely only a matter of time before they start putting some points on the board and one look at their squad shows you that they have plenty of quality within their ranks.

Most notable of these is attacking midfielder Lewis McGugan (9/4 to score at anytime), who has long been seen as a potential Premier League star without anyone ever taking a chance on him.

The 23-year-old is now a major part of the Forest line-up and has been one of the rare bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

He is also one of few local boys involved in the game and will be desperate to show his ability on Sunday.

After once again starting the season with high hopes, Derby have struggled this term as the lack of finances at the club have once again hampered Nigel Clough from adding true quality to his squad.

The lack of strength in depth has forced the Rams’ boss to utilise the club’s excellent youth players in a number of games and he’ll be looking to tap into his youngsters’ passion for the game at the City Ground.

He can also try to inspire his side with the memory of their miraculous win at Forest last year, where they upset the odds to win 2-1, despite being reduced to ten men after just two minutes.

One of the heroes of that match was Jamie Ward (5/2 to score at anytime) who after years of showing signs of potential, appears to have come of age this year and has even become a regular in the Northern Ireland team.

Ward thrives on pressure and will be looking to use his pace to try and get in behind the Forest rear guard.

This one is sure to be a classic local derby with two teams who will do anything to beat each other.

However, home advantage often plays a massive role in the outcome of these games and the extra class in the Forest side should see them through (Forest 7/1 to win 2-1).

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Villa can take bragging rights

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There is just one Premier League fixture on Sunday but there is plenty at stake in a West Midlands derby as Aston Villa host a West Bromwich Albion side riding high in the Premier League.

There are of course bigger rivals for the clubs in Birmingham City and Wolves but there will be no lack of intensity and commitment on Sunday afternoon as the players look to give the fans the bragging rights.

Both sides of course began the campaign with new managers, with Villa turning to Paul Lambert to turn things around after the dire reign of Alex McLeish, while the Baggies have turned to Steve Clarke after Roy Hodgson was appointed as the new England boss.

There is no doubt that Clarke has enjoyed the better of the starts with three wins already under his belt as the Baggies sit pretty in fourth place in the table, while Villa have won just once in the league this term and find themselves in 14th place on four points.

However, Villa can only have been boosted by a fantastic win at Manchester City in the Capital One Cup in midweek and they have been installed as 6/4 favourites in the match betting, with Albion priced at 2/1 while the draw is on offer at 9/4.

True, West Brom have won three times this season but all three victories have come at the Hawthorns and Clarke’s men were soundly beaten 3-0 by Fulham the last time on their travels.

Villa have looked far from convincing this season, beating Swansea well in their only win in the league but crumbling to a 4-1 defeat at Southampton the week after despite taking the lead.

However, that victory over City could be the catalyst that Lambert was looking for and Gabriel Agbonlahor showed he is fully recovered from the knee injury sustained in pre-season.

The 25-year-old bagged two goals in an impressive performance at the Etihad and is available at 13/2 as First/Last Goalscorer, although whether he has done enough to earn a start remains to be seen, with 7/4 on offer as an Anytime Scorer.

Darren Bent (5/1 First/Last and 11/8 Anytime) and Christian Benteke (6/1 and 13/8) have been the preferred strikers so far but may now be anxiously looking over their shoulders.

Competition for places has got to be a good thing though and could well work in Lambert’s favour whichever way he goes, although the Villa boss will be without Stephen Ireland and Joe Bennett, offset by the news Brett Holman has recovered from a knee problem.

West Brom are not without their own injury problems though as Liam Ridgewell, James Morrison, Steven Reid, Jermaine Thomas and Goran Popov are all doubtful, while Peter Odemwingie is definitely out as he completes his ban following his sending off against Fulham.

Villa are not the sort of side, not yet anyway, that seem ready to batter an opponent out of sight, regardless of the venue but, although West Brom can certainly give them a game, they should have the momentum going into this fixture to take the three points.

The Baggies go into this one on the back of being  beaten 2-1 by Liverpool at the Hawthorns in the Capital One Cup, while their away form leaves a little to be desired.

However, they can at least get on the scoreboard and 2-1 has been a popular scoreline of late with five of the last six results ending that way – three times to Villa – and that is priced at a tempting 17/2.

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Records on the line

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With both Arsenal and Chelsea still unbeaten in the Premier League this season, the clash at the Emirates between these two London giants should be another top flight classic (Arsenal 6/5, draw 12/5, Chelsea 12/5 Match Betting).

The 5-3 thriller at the Stamford Bridge last term was one of the games of the season, with Arsenal claiming the bragging rights in the capital. However both teams have a very different feel about them, with the Gunners losing star striker Robin van Persie over the summer and the Blues bringing in the likes of Eden Hazard (8/1 first goalscorer) and Oscar.

Arsenal managed to battle for a 1-1 draw in their last outing against the Premier League champions Manchester City and they will be boosted by the return of Thomas Vermaelen in the heart of their defence, having recovered from a virus.

Chelsea had to show great character themselves to overcome a resilient Stoke City to win 1-0 at the Bridge in their last game. The Blues look set to have skipper John Terry at centre-back before his potential four-match ban and he will be a key player if Chelsea are to get anything out of this game.

These really are two very evenly matched sides and with their unbeaten record at stake, it may well be a draw at the Emirates (6/1 Draw 1-1 correct score) between two attacking teams.

Speaking of records Norwich City and Liverpool have the unenviable tag of being two teams who are yet to win a game in the Premier League this season and they go head-to-head on Saturday (Norwich 4/1, draw 11/4, Liverpool 8/11 Match Betting).

The Reds make the trip to Carrow Road having got through their highly emotive encounter with arch rivals Manchester United, even if it did end in defeat. Now they have got through that game at Anfield, Liverpool have some more freedom to play against a Canaries outfit who have really struggled since losing manger Paul Lambert to Aston Villa.

Both teams have found goals hard to come by this season and this should be a very close affair at Carrow Road. However with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez in their ranks, Liverpool might just edge this one and ease the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers (6/1 Liverpool 1-0 correct score).

In Saturday’s evening game, Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur in another game which should show off the best of the Premier League (United 4/7, draw 3/1, Tottenham 11/2 Match Betting).

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has insisted he side will be going out to attack the Red Devils at Old Trafford in a bid to end their long wait for a win at the Theatre of Dreams in the Premier League. Having failed to win on the road against United in the top flight since 1989, the odds are stacked against the Lilywhites, but they will be buoyed by recent wins over Reading and QPR.

The Red Devils welcome back Wayne Rooney (4/1 first goalscorer) from injury and he could line-up alongside Van Persie in a formidable partnership.  It’s those two players who could be the difference and if Spurs push too hard in attack they will get undone by a United (7/1 United 2-0 correct score) side who know what it takes to win

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Terriers to continue fine form

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Successive promotions from the third tier to the top used to be something of a rarity but in recent seasons Norwich and Southampton have shown back-to-back promotions are possible, but few would have backed Huddersfield Town to continue the trend.

Admittedly it may be too early to suggest the Terriers can upset the odds and secure a place in the Premier League. However, Simon Grayson’s men have shown they are more than capable of holding their own in the Championship and can continue their winning run against Watford this weekend.

Town picked up an impressive win over previously unbeaten Blackpool last time out, while Watford ended a run of four successive defeats in all competitions by picking up a draw at home to Bristol City.

Huddersfield enjoy home advantage and Grayson is expected to field the same side that saw off the Seasiders, with Watford set for a tough afternoon in Yorkshire. The Terriers are priced at a very attractive evens to take all three points, Watford are 11/4 to pick up a third league victory of the campaign and the draw is 12/5.

If you think Huddersfield can maintain their form over the course of the campaign they’re 11/2 to secure promotion, although it remains to be seen whether or not they’re genuine contenders or still riding on the euphoria of last season’s promotion.

Unlike the Terriers, fellow newly-promoted outfit Sheffield Wednesday have found themselves in the midst of a sticky patch after a fine start to the season.  The Owls have lost four consecutive league games and face a tricky trip to Wolves, who remain unbeaten at Molineux, on Saturday.

Wanderers may have slumped to a heavy defeat at Chelsea in the Capital One Cup in midweek but their league form has picked up after a slow start and Wolves should be able to make it four consecutive league victories by seeing off Wednesday on Saturday.

Wolves are 10/11 to secure the victory and take all three points, the draw is 5/2 and Wednesday are 3/1 to end their losing run and pick up their first league win on the road.

Cardiff have a formidable record at the Cardiff City Stadium with three wins from three games, scoring six goals and conceding just twice along the way.  The Welsh side sit in seventh place in the Championship table and will be keen to push their way into the top six but they face arguably their biggest test yet on Saturday when Blackpool visit.

The showdown, a repeat of the 2010 play-off final, promises to be a close affair with little to choose between the two Championship heavyweights but home advantage could be a key factor.

Cardiff are 13/10 to grab the win and maintain their fine form on home soil, Blackpool are 15/8 to bounce back from defeat against Huddersfield and seal the win and the draw is 5/2.

If you agree with all of our selections a treble of Huddersfield, Cardiff and Wolves pays out at accumulated odds of 8.78, and we think three home wins could be on the cards in these particular Championship ties.

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Patched-up Reds a worry

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West Brom should not be dismissed at 15/8 (90 minutes) to send Liverpool (11/8, draw 12/5) packing from the Capital One Cup third round at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.

Key to this recommendation is the impressive home form of Steve Clarke’s men, having lost only twice in their own back yard since the end of February in all competitions. Already this season they have chalked up wins against the same opponents, in-form Everton and newcomers Reading – all to nil.

Clarke has also made some smart acquisitions in the form of striker Romelu Lukaku from his old club Chelsea, as well as midfield livewire Claudio Yacob and Markus Rosenberg from Werder Bremen.

Rosenberg will be hoping to break his duck for his new club if Lukaku is rested along with playmaker Zoltan Gera, while Shane Long, who made a positive impact when introduced as a substitute against Reading, could also be in line for a start.

The pair can be backed at 2/1 and 13/8 respectively in the Anytime Goalscorer market.

Chris Brunt said experience gained from the Premier League had given the players the understanding to get over the line and revealed he was enthused by the spirit in the camp.

The skipper told the official club website: “If you look across the squad, we’ve got a lot of Premier League experience and that speaks volumes in games like Saturday, when it’s scrappy and not free-flowing.

“We know how to win games and we did it again against Reading.”

Brendan Rodgers will have to dig deep into his already-depleted squad for the trip to the Black Country and the Capital One Cup is unlikely to feature near the top of his priority list.

The Northern Irishman is without Jonjo Shelvey, who starts a three-match ban following his red card against Manchester United, as well as long-term injury-victim Martin Kelly and fellow defender Dan Agger.

Fabio Borini is also unlikely to be risked because of a swollen ankle sustained in the 2-1 defeat by the club’s bitter rivals on an emotionally-charged afternoon on Sunday.

The former Swansea boss made a raft of changes for the Europa League last week and will not want to risk senior stars such as captain Steven Gerrard and striker Luis Suarez.

Curiously, the only away game Liverpool failed to score in so far this season was against West Brom, but, with so many changes planned, punters may decide they are worth taking on.

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Underdogs Gers to see off ‘Well

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ally mccoistIt’s not often you will see Rangers not odds on to beat Motherwell at Ibrox but, of course, times have changed and the Old Firm outfit will have their work cut in their Scottish Communities League Cup third round tie on Wednesday (Rangers 7/4, draw 12/5, Motherwell 7/4 – Match Betting).

Rangers have made a mixed start to life in the Scottish Third Division but they remain unbeaten in the league and their home form, as you would expect, has been formidable with three wins from three.

The Gers faithful have not let their club down in their hour of need and, amazingly, over 45,000 fans showed up over the weekend for their 4-1 hammering of Montrose.

It’s this support that the home side will need if they are to cause what would be classed as an upset against Motherwelll and it will indeed be a win for the underdog if Rangers can progress, according to manager Ally McCoist.

The former Scotland striker says ‘Well are the favourites for Wednesday night’s encounter and for good reason, with the Steelmen sitting pretty at the top of the Scottish Premier League table.

That’s a position Rangers know all too well but McCoist does still have players at the Old Firm outfit who can cause the Motherwell defence problems.

Much will rest on the fitness of midfielder Ian Black, as the home side are struggling with a few injuries to key personnel.

Top goalscorer Andy Little and former Hearts winger David Templeton are out with a foot and ankle injury respectively, so McCoist will have to shuffle his pack.

As for the visitors, manager Stuart McCall has no new injury problems following his side’s 3-3 draw with Aberdeen over the weekend.

The Motherwell boss will be looking to field a strong side, with the opportunity of a rare win at Ibrox on the cards.

However, McCall’s side looked very sloppy at the back against the Dons at Pittodrie and that will be an area Rangers will look to capitalise on.

This should be a very competitive and close encounter but, backed by their fanatical home support and against a potentially suspect defence, Rangers might just edge this one at Ibrox (10/1 – Rangers 2-1 correct score).

In Wednesday’s other Scottish League Cup encounter, Aberdeen, who will be buoyed by their late comeback against the SPL leaders, travel to East End Park to take on Dunfermline (Dunfermline 2/1, draw 12/5, Aberdeen 13/10 – Match Betting).

With Jim Jefferies at the helm, the Pars have a manager with plenty of experience in the top tier of Scottish football and his side, who sit in second place in the First Division, are capable of causing an upset.

However, the Dons who, despite playing out draws in all four of their last four outings in the SPL, have plenty of firepower and, with the likes of Scott Vernon and Josh Magennis in attack, they should have too much for Dunfirmline (2/1 – Aberdeen 2-0 correct score).

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Blues set for clean sweep

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Manchester City (6/1 – Capital One Cup outright), Everton and Chelsea are all in action in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday and, although it might not all be over in 90 minutes, the trio of Blues should all progress to the fourth round of the competition.

Premier League champions City are preparing to host a struggling Aston Villa side at the Eithad Stadium, with the visitors eager to make the most of their distraction from league problems (City 1/3, draw 4/1, Villa 8/1 – Match Betting).

The Villans will have to make big improvements from their performance at the weekend after they handed Southampton their first points in the Premier League this term, with a 4-1 defeat at St Mary’s.

Following the loss on the South Coast, manager Paul Lambert has stated he believes Darren Bent and Christian Benteke will make a formidable partnership this season but they need time to gel.

The former Norwich City boss might be tempted to give the duo more time on the field and they could cause the Citizens defence problems.

As for City they will be looking to get back to winning ways after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Arsenal on Sunday.

Manager Roberto Mancini will look to bring some fresh legs into the starting line-up for Tuesday night, with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Jack Rodwell and Carlos Tevez (who were all on the bench against the Gunners) set to feature.

Even if it was a City second team you would still fancy them to overcome Villa and the Blues should come out on top comfortably.

Tuesday will also see the Blues of Merseyside make the trip across the Pennines to West Yorkshire to face a potential banana skin against Leeds United at Elland Road (Leeds 10/3, draw 5/2, Everton 5/6 – Match Betting).

Everton will be buoyed by an impressive performance against Swansea City at the weekend, in a game they dominated at the Liberty Stadium.

That game finished 3-0 but it could easily have been a win by five or six goals, which will have pleased manager David Moyes ahead of the trip to Leeds.

As for the Whites, they too go into this game on the back of a win, and were boosted by the news the potential takeover at the club is edging towards a conclusion before beating Nottingham Forest 2-1.

Leeds will be a tough prospect on home soil but with the injury list ever increasing for Neil Warnock, Everton should have enough strength in depth to progress, even if it does take extra-time or penalties.

The Blues of London make up a strong treble of teams who should go through, as Chelsea host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea 1/4, draw 5/1, Wolves 9/1 – Match Betting).

Wolves have started to settle into life in the Championship as they push for promotion back to the top flight.

Chelsea have a host of young players coming through the ranks at the Bridge and manager Roberto Di Matteo will be looking to give them a run out.

Even if they do field their young guns, Chelsea should have too much firepower for Wolves, who will be more focused on their Championship campaign.

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