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Falcao can inspire Atleti shock

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Bet on the Champions LeagueComing up on Friday is Roberto Di Matteo’s chance to pick up his first piece of silverware this season as Chelsea take on Atletico Madrid for the European Super Cup, taking place in Monaco with the kick-off at 1945.

There were perhaps not too many predicting Chelsea’s bid for this particular trophy last season, particularly after losing 3-1 at Napoli and their subsequent draw, but somehow the Blues managed to defy the odds to go on and lift the Champions League trophy for the first time in May.

They needed to as they were hugely disappointing in the Premier League, only managing to finish sixth, but their victory at the Allianz Arena secured another season of Champions League football.

The Blues’ European success and FA Cup win last term, which was enough to secure Di Matteo a permanent deal, was largely based on defence with Chelsea trying to stifle the perceived strengths of the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, which obviously worked despite the number of chances that their opponents created.

However, the addition of the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar to the squad seems to suggest that the team could adopt a more progressive approach with Chelsea banging in eight goals in the opening three games to top the Premier League table at this early stage.

Even though they were largely second best to Manchester City in the Community Shield, Chelsea still managed to score twice so we could be in store for a far more entertaining fixture in Europe from the Londoners this time around.

The Stamford Bridge giants have been installed as the 6/5 favourites in the match betting, with the Spanish outfit on offer at 23/10 to add to their Europa League triumph of last year, with the draw available at 12/5.

Atletico missed out on the Champions League after finishing fifth in La Liga last season but fighting on two fronts may well have seen Los Colchoneros just run out of steam.

The capital club opened the new campaign with a 1-1 draw at Levante but warmed up for this showpiece clash with a resounding 4-0 thumping of the team they defeated to lift the Europa League title in May, Athletic Bilbao.

That was at the Vicente Calderon, though, where they are a much tougher proposition but they didn’t fare too badly in Europe last season and pose a very real threat to Chelsea’s aspirations.

Atletico arguably have the better strikeforce with one-time Chelsea target Radamel Falcao underlying his credentials with a hat-trick last weekend.

It would be foolish to ignore the Colombian hitman in the goalscoring markets and he looks good value at 13/2 to score the first or last goal on Friday, while he can be backed at 7/4 anytime.

Fernando Torres (9/2 First/Last, 5/4 Anytime) is perhaps enjoying life more this season, with two goals in his first three games, but he is still tarnished by past failures even if he is taking on the club where he made his name.

It certainly looks like an entertaining match with the promise of goals and, at the prices, Atletico might just be the team to arrest Chelsea’s early-season momentum.

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Wolves to pass Cobblers test

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The final match of the second round of the Capital One Cup takes place on Thursday and there’s a chance of a shock, as League Two Northampton take on Championship promotion hopefuls Wolves at Sixfields (Match Betting – Northampton 12/5, draw 12/5, Wolves 11/10).

The competition has already seen a number of upsets, with the likes of Burton, Swindon and Crawley all beating teams from higher divisions, and the Cobblers will be hoping their luck holds out.

Aidy Boothroyd’s men currently sit ninth in the table following an unbeaten start to the campaign and will look on the Capital One Cup as the perfect opportunity to raise some much-needed funds.

After finishing 20th last season, Boothroyd has remodelled his squad through the summer and has brought in a number of talented youngsters in a bid to aid his side’s push for promotion.

However, on nights like this it’s often experience that can make the difference and in veteran striker Clive Platt (13/2 – first goalscorer) Northampton may just have the perfect man to help them cause a shock.

The 34-year-old moved to Sixfields in the summer and although he has yet to find the net in his four appearances this season, he is a man who always rises to the occasion.

Platt’s physicality is sure to cause the Wolves defenders some problems and he’ll be hoping to prove he can still mix it with Championship players.

Like Thursday’s opponents, Wanderers have also had to make changes to their squad over the last few months but now look set to make a genuine challenge in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in May.

New boss Stale Solbakken has had to wave goodbye to the likes of Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher but still has plenty of quality in his ranks and is likely to use the Northampton tie as the perfect opportunity to assess whether or not some of his fringe players are good enough to force their way into the side.

One of these is likely to be Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (5/1 – first goalscorer), who after years of failing to find any consistency in the top flight is likely to be given plenty of chances to shine in the Championship.

After already netting twice this term, the stocky striker will expect to get onto the scoresheet at Sixfields so look out for him to have big impact on the outcome of the game.

These matches are almost always too close to call and both teams will fancy their chances of making it into the third round where they could come up against one of the Premier League big boys.

However, despite their recent relegation, Wolves still have plenty of quality in their ranks and should emerge with a comfortable win (Wolves 16/1 to win 3-1).

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Double up on English duo

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After navigating tricky away legs in the first round of their respective Europa League play-offs with Hearts and Atromitos, Liverpool and Newcastle will be expected to finish the jobs on Thursday night.

Liverpool v Hearts – 8:05pm

What a difference a week can make, especially if you are Brendan Rodgers. Seven days ago it appeared as though the knives were being sharpened after the opening-day debacle at West Brom. Had the Reds followed that 3-0 defeat up with another loss at Hearts in the first leg of their play-off clash then Rodgers may have become a marked man.

As it was, Liverpool rode their luck a bit as they picked up a 1-0 win thanks to an own goal from Andy Webster. Rodgers’ men have since followed that up with a good showing against Manchester City, when only two individual mistakes cost them all three points.

Given their advantage from the first leg, and with a game against Arsenal to come on Sunday, Liverpool will do well not to look beyond the Jambos. The Reds are 2/9 to win the match, with Hearts 12/1 and the draw 5/1.

Rodgers will hope he can keep his players focused on the job in hand and he should name another strong starting XI after fielding some big names in Edinburgh last week.

Nuri Shain could make his debut after failing to sign in time to face City at the weekend, while Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Adam Morgan are all pushing for starts. Andy Carroll could make his first start of the season against Hearts as Fabio Borini continues to struggle since his switch to Anfield.

Whoever starts for Liverpool will be expected to produce a professional performance as they look to do enough to reach Friday’s draw.

Hearts probably had their chance to cause an upset in the first leg and Liverpool’s extra quality should tell. The Reds are 6/1 to win 2-0 and 13/2 to run out winners 3-0.

Newcastle United v Atromitos Athens – 8pm

Last week we tipped the draw as being a good result for Newcastle in the first leg of their tie with the Greeks. Considering the team Alan Pardew put out and the conditions in Athens it was certainly an excellent result to record a 1-1 draw.

The Toon boss will more than likely keep faith with the majority of the players who did so well in the first leg, with Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana and Romain Amalfitano all set to make their first starts at St James’ Park.

While the fans are desperate for a few European away days you get the sense Pardew would rather keep the club’s focus on the Premier League as they aim to build on last season’s success.

Given the Toon’s fairly small squad a European campaign is likely to take its toll and their league form may suffer as a result. Certainly they weren’t as good as they can be against Chelsea on Saturday, two days after the first leg with Atromitos.

The Greeks have responded well to the disappointment of drawing the first leg, winning the opening match of the season in their domestic league.

However, much like Hearts at Liverpool, a combination of home advantage and a bit of extra quality should make the difference. Newcastle are 4/11 for the win, with the draw 7/2 and Artomitos 8/1.

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Toffees too sticky for O’s

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Wednesday’s solitary Capital One cup tie sees Premier League Everton go head-to-head with League One outfit Leyton Orient at Goodison Park as David Moyes’ men look to win the cup for the very first time (14/1 Outright).

The Toffees have enjoyed an impressive start to the new Premier League season with a 1-0 home win against Manchester United followed by a 3-1 victory at Aston Villa on Saturday. And, they will be confident of having too much for the O’s in the second round of the newly-named League Cup this week.

Moyes is expected to use the match to blood some youngsters and hand some fringe men an opportunity to put themselves into contention for a call-up to the senior side for Premier League duty.

But with skipper Phil Neville revealing that qualification into European football is their main target this season, the Capital One Cup is a realistic chance to achieve that goal and pick up some silverware along the way.

The O’s come into the tie on the back of a free weekend after a motorway smash resulted in their League One home clash with Hartlepool being postponed when the visitors were unable to get to the Matchroom Stadium in time for kick-off.

And, while they impressively knocked out London rivals Charlton of the Championship on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the Valley in the previous round of the League Cup, Russell Slade’s men are pointless from their opening two league outings having lost to Tranmere and Stevenage respectively.

Everton also hold the upper hand in the previous eight meetings between the two sides with Walter Smith’s side romping to a 4-1 FA Cup fourth round win in 2002 the last time they faced each other.

The last League Cup encounter also went in favour of the Merseysiders in 1989 thanks to goals from Mike Newell and Kevin Sheedy. The recent form suggests a home banker in this tie, with Orient’s only chance of conjuring up a cup shock coming from Moyes’ team selection.

If the Scot opts to make wholesale changes and hands the majority of his usual starting XI a rest it could give the Londoners a chance, but we feel he will send out a side more than capable of winning this tie inside the regular 90 minutes.

Prediction: Everton Home 90 Minutes @ 2/9
Value Bet: Everton To Win 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

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Group stage spots up for grabs

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Celtic and Dynamo Kiev will look to protect commanding first-leg leads when the Champions League resumes on Wednesday ahead of the group stage draw for Europe’s premier club competition – which includes holders Chelsea as one of 22 automatic entrants – on August 30 in Monaco.

Celtic v Helsingborgs

Celtic 1/2 draw 3/1 Helsingborgs 6/1 – 90 minutes

Neil Lennon’s men have already chalked up two wins on the road in Europe this season to improve on an otherwise shambolic away record and must feel they have excellent claims of sending Helsingborgs packing.

The Hoops have lost only one of their last eight European games in Glasgow, winning six of them, and at the weekend continued their impressive start to the season with a 4-2 win at Inverness.

Wins are rare for the Allsvenskan side in the Champions League, although a 12-year absence from the competition offers little by way of a form guide, but a 3-1 weekend defeat by Djurgaden, for whom Erton Fejzullahu scored a hat-trick, will not have raised morale.

The Swedish side will have the edge in terms of match sharpness but Celtic have goals in them and the likes of Kris Commons (13/8), Victor Wanyama (9/2) and Anthony Watt (11/8) all appeal in the anytime scorer market for what should be a home win.

Dynamo Kiev v Borussia Monchengladbach

Dynamo Kiev 5/6 draw 12/5 Borussia Monchengladbach 10/3 – 90 minutes

Dynamo were runners-up in Ukraine last season and beat Feyenoord 3-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, so it comes as no shock to see them priced up at odds on because of a two-goal cushion from the first leg in Germany last week.

The home side looked under the pump when falling behind at Stadion im Borussia-Park but a goal from Andriy Yarmolenko put them in front before an own goal late on gave them a deserved win.

The is the first taste of European football for Monchengladbach since the 1996/97 Uefa Cup campaign, when they eliminated Arsenal before losing to AS Monaco in the second round.

A 2-1 win at home to Hoffenheim on the opening day of the new German domestic season will have lifted spirits but Dynamo have dropped just three points from a possible 21 in Ukraine and can brag about an incredibly strong home record which has seen them go 21 months without being beaten.

Nigeria striker Brown Ideye has started the season like a runaway train and the Dynamo Kiev/Dynamo Kiev double result could have legs here at 15/8.

In Wednesday’s other games, CFR Cluj take on FC Basel having become the first Romanian club to have won in Switzerland in Uefa competition, Spartak Moscow beat Fenerbahce 2-1 last week and are looking to advance to an 11th group stage campaign and Lille must overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat by FC Copenhagen but have not won in their last four home European games.

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Villa to put league woes aside

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The League Cup, rebranded as the Capital One Cup for the next four years, can be a difficult beast at this stage of the season. The second round fixtures take place on Tuesday night as most of the Premier League sides (except those involved in Europe) enter the competition, but many managers choose to field their fringe players and youngsters in the competition and as such there is plenty of potential for a few surprises.

However, there are a few teams desperate for victories to kick start their seasons, and one tie that stands out in this respect is Aston Villa’s home tie against League One side Tranmere Rovers.

Expectation levels have been raised at Villa Park following the arrival of Paul Lambert as manager but the Birmingham side are yet to secure a solitary point after two Premier League games. Lambert will be well aware that a home loss against Tranmere will not help matters and the Villa boss may resist fielding a weakened team in order to pick up a first win of the season.

A win for the hosts is priced at 4/9 and given the importance of registering a result it is hard to see anything other than a win for the Premier League side, the draw is 10/3 and a Tranmere victory is 6/1.

Top flight newcomers Southampton impressed despite defeat in their opening weekend contest with champions Manchester City but were dealt a Premier League reality check at the weekend as they slumped to a home defeat to Wigan. Saints boss Nigel Adkins is an astute manager and, like Lambert, will be aware of the importance of securing that first result. The St Mary’s side travel to League One high-fliers Stevenage on Tuesday and look good value at 11/10 to secure the win, despite the fact Stevenage are unbeaten in the league so far.

A double on Southampton and Aston Villa pays out at around 2/1 and this could well be worth some consideration ahead of Tuesday’s ties.

Potential upsets

As mentioned previously there is plenty of potential for a few upsets in this stage of the competition so here are a few games where the underdogs could come out on top.  Obviously, by definition an upset is a result that is hard to predict but hopefully these selections will provide food for thought for your Capital One Cup betting plans!

Sheffield Wednesday remain unbeaten after three Championship games following their promotion last season and the Owls host Fulham on Tuesday night.

Wednesday have won both their games at Hillsborough so far and will be backed by a big, vocal crowd when they take on Premier League opposition in the shape of the Cottagers. It remains to be seen what kind of team Fulham boss Martin Jol will field of course but after a relatively solid start (a big win over Norwich and a narrow defeat at Manchester United) the Dutchman could be tempted to make some changes for the trip to South Yorkshire and Wednesday will be keen to demonstrate their promotion credentials by impressing against the west Londoners. Wednesday are 15/8 to see off Fulham, the draw is 12/5 and a win for the visitors is priced at 11/8.

Nottingham Forest impressed at Bolton on Friday night and they welcome Wigan Athletic to the City Ground on Tuesday. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez saw his side lose to League Two opposition last season in the shape of Swindon Town and will be wary of Forest, but may still be tempted to make changes following the win over Southampton at the weekend. Forest remain unbeaten, winning their only home game so far, in the Championship and are certainly capable of beating the Latics, especially if Martinez tinkers with his side. A win for Forest is priced at 6/4, the draw is 12/5 and Wigan are 17/10 to secure victory.

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Petrescu plots Stuttgart stumble

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Dan Petrescu finally got his Dynamo Moscow stewardship off the mark with a dramatic 3-2 win against city rivals Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday and will need the same levels of commitment from his players to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Stuttgart in the Europa League on Tuesday (Dynamo Moscow 8/5 draw 11/5 Stuttgart 7/5 – 90 minutes).

The 44-year-old signed a three-year contract with the capital club after resigning from his post at Premier League rivals FC Kuban Krasnodar and guided the White and Blues to a first win in six thanks to a Christian Noboa winner.

His predecessor Silkin had stood down on August 6 after Dynamo’s 4-0 home defeat by FC Spartak Moskva

A 2-0 defeat against Rubin Kazan followed and Dynamo’s plight took a turn for the worse when they fell to a bad-tempered 2-1 home defeat by Terek Grozny in which Vladimir Rykov and Kevin Kuranyi were both sent off.

Dynamo held on for 72 minutes before a Vedad Ibizevic brace secured Bundesliga side Stuttgart a 2-0 win at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Germany last Wednesday but Petrescu may feel he now has the dressing-room on-side.

Bruno Labbadia may have felt Stuttgart were past the post ahead of the trip to Russia but a stoppage-time defeat by Wolfsburg on the opening day of the new German domestic season on Saturday will have given him food for thought.

Summer signing Ibizevic from Hoffenheim remains key to their chances of progressing in Europe and the approach to this return leg from Labbadia will be intriguing.
Does he try kill the game or protect what he has?

The Reds were knocked out of the Europa League last season by Benfica but are regulars in this competition and history suggests they can be relied on to find the net on their travels (the last time they failed to score on the road in Europe was against Sevilla in 2008).

Dynamo will have a slight edge in terms of match sharpness but defensively they cannot be trusted and a lack of goals at the other end means it would require Stuttgart to collapse in spectacular style to not go through.

The ‘over 2.5 goals‘ and ‘both teams to score‘ projects appeal given that Dynamo have to chase this game but it is difficult to envisage Stuttgart flopping.

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Big guns to battle through

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The Champions League action continues on Tuesday with a number of intriguing ties, most notably Malaga’s (50/1 Champions League Outright) trip to Panathinaikos and Udinese’s clash with Braga.

There’s still plenty to play for in both match-ups so it is sure to be an evening of classic European footballing action

The first match between Panathinaikos and Malaga was a true tale of two halves as the Spaniards dominated the opening 45 minutes before their Greek opponents hit back in the second and in the end were unlucky not to get more in their 2-0 defeat (Panathinaikos 11/8, draw 12/5, Malaga 7/4 Match Betting).

This was partly because they opened up as the game went on and produced some of the most exciting football of the whole round.

The man mostly responsibly for this was the performance of winger Ibrahim Sissoko, who looked superb in the first leg and will be looking to make an impact on home soil.

After a tumultuous summer, Malaga will just be pleased to be on the field but have an extra incentive to go through as this would be the club’s first ever Champions League campaign.

Despite a number of high-profile exits, they still have a plenty of class within their ranks and in youngster Isco, they have one of the most sought after players in Europe.

The playmaker has only improved since moving from Valencia last summer and will be looking to terrorise the Greek defence on Tuesday.

This looks almost too close to call and although the home side may win on the night, Malaga’s two goal cushion should see them through (Panathinaikos 8/1 to win 2-1).

The other game that jumps out is the clash between Udinese and Braga which is currently level at 1-1 (Udinese evens, draw 9/4, Braga 11/4 Match Betting).

Last week’s clash in Portugal was a typically cagey affair but the Italian side seem to open up at home so it could be a thriller at the Stadio Friuli.

As usual, forward Antonio Di Natale will be key to their chances of victory and despite his age, is still a top class player, as he showed at the recent European Championships.

The veteran always seems to produce in the big games so don’t be surprised if he pops-up with a vital goal.

Despite their lack of stars, Braga are one of those clubs who just seem to keep finding hidden gems before selling them on to Europe’s big clubs.

However, they do have a few recognisable faces, most notably former Newcastle man Hugo Viana who, despite never really living up to his hype, is still capable of turning any game on its head.

Like the first match this is likely to be very tight but Udinese are normally very strong at home and should just sneak through (Udinese 7/1 to win 2-1).

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Valladolid and Bilbao set to struggle

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Bet on La LigaThe La Liga action continues on Monday with two mouth watering ties as Real Valladolid host Levante while, in perhaps the game of the weekend, Atletico Madrid face Athletic Bilbao in a repeat of last May’s Europa League final (Atletico 12/1 – Europa League outright).

After earning promotion through the play-offs last season, Valladolid got their campaign off to the perfect start by winning away at Real Zaragoza last weekend. However, if they are to maintain their La Liga status, their home form is going to be vital so they will be looking to set a precedent on Monday night (Valladolid 11/10, draw 23/10, Levante 12/5 – Match Prices).

On the other hand, Levante are now one of the top flight’s most consistent sides and after finishing sixth in the table in 2011/12, boss Juan Ignacio Martinez has once again brought in a number of rough diamonds to ensure they continue their progress this term.

The Granotes looked good in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid and with Europa League football also on the agenda this term; this could be an exciting 12 months for the Castilian club.

These are two extremely evenly matched sides but Levante are flying and should just sneak the three points (Levante 15/2 to win 1-0).

The late match has all of the ingredients to be one of the clashes of the season so far as Atletico Madrid face Athletic Bilbao (Atletico 8/13, draw 13/5, Bilbao 9/2 – Match Prices).

After their strong end to last campaign, the capital club have regularly spoken of their desire to challenge for the title.

They certainly have a number of players who deserve to be fighting it out for the game’s top honours and Diego Simeone’s men are always tough to beat at home. They will fancy their chances of claiming their first league victory of the season.

While ‘Atleti’ have been uncharacteristically quiet this summer, Bilbao are currently experiencing huge problems both on and off the pitch.

Their charismatic, if sometimes bizarre, manager Marcelo Bielsa has continued to make headlines after falling out with the board over the proposed building of the club’s new training facilities and at one point was even rumoured to have offered his resignation.

Perhaps more importantly though, the team that thrilled Europe last term appears to be falling apart, with their lynchpins Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez both recently asking to leave the San Mames.

Unlike the other game on Monday, this will more than likely be an open and attacking encounter, with some sublime football and a number of equally ridiculous errors on show.

Both sides are used to this style though and it’s sure to be a thriller, but the capital club’s extra stability in their selection should see them take a comfortable win (Atletico 11/1 to win 3-1).

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Can Reds and Gunners fire?

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There’s two big Premier League games on Sunday with Arsenal and Liverpool both hoping to open their goal accounts but the two top-four hopefuls face tough tests as the Gunners go to Stoke and Brendan Rodgers’ side entertain champions Manchester City.

Stoke v Arsenal (1.30pm)

The early kick-off features the Potters at home to Arsene Wenger’s side with both clubs hoping they can turn the draws they earned on the opening weekend into a win.

Arsenal are favourites to come out on top at 23/10 in the match betting but plenty will see value in the home side triumphing in this with 5/2 looking generous, considering the Potters are traditionally very hard to beat in front of their loud home fans.

Tony Pulis’ side kicked off the campaign with a 1-1 draw at newly-promoted Reading but it was so nearly a 1-0 win as Michael Kightly’s goal was only cancelled out by Adam Le Fondre’s last-minute spot-kick at the Madejski Stadium.

Stoke are always up for it at the Britannia – as are those fans – and Wenger’s men may have to weather an early storm on Sunday lunchtime with the Potters eager to get off to a flying start. With that in mind, Peter Crouch to score the first goal is worth backing at 8/1.

Arsenal have only won once at Stoke in the last four seasons but created enough chances in the ultimately disappointing goalless draw at home to Sunderland in their opener to suggest goals will not be a problem this season, despite Robin van Persie’s exit.

The onus is on summer signings Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud to fill the void left by the Dutchman, while more will be expected from the likes of Theo Walcott in the final third. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the Gunners’ squad and he could even earn a start with his pace a worry to the Potters.

Including pre-season friendlies, Stoke have drawn their last five games 1-1, which can be backed at 6/1, and another draw could well be the outcome here although an entertaining 2-2 is predicted in the correct score market at an attractive 14/1.

Liverpool v Manchester City (4pm)

All eyes then turn to Anfield for an eagerly-awaited clash between Rodgers’ men and Roberto Mancini’s title favourites. City are on offer at 11/8 to win with Liverpool 2/1 shots and the draw 12/5 in the match betting.

Rodgers could be the first Liverpool manager to lose his first two league games since a certain Bill Shankly suffered that fate and, if the Reds are beaten by the champions – and there will be plenty expecting the visitors to come out on top in this – the pressure will be turned up a notch on the former Swansea chief.

The Merseysiders folded badly when losing Daniel Agger to a red card at West Brom last weekend and ultimately slipped to a thoroughly disappointing 3-0 opening-day defeat.

A workmanlike 1-0 success over Hearts on Thursday in the Europa League will have done little to ease fans’ worries that it will be another difficult season for the Reds and they will hope to raise their game, like they did last season against the better sides, when City come to town.

However, Mancini’s men look too strong, even without Sergio Aguero up front, for a side still very much getting to grips with a new system and manager and expect them to pick up all three points to make it two out of two for the title-chasers.

Their entertaining 3-2 win over Southampton last weekend was a lot closer than many thought and this could equally have just one goal in it with City fancied to triumph 2-1, which is on offer at odds of 9/1.

In Aguero’s absence, Mario Balotelli will hope to get the nod ahead of Edin Dzeko to partner Carlos Tevez up front and the Italian is well worth backing at 7/4 to score anytime.

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