Arsenal have been at their scintillating best so far in the Champions League but expect them to come unstuck when they travel to Ukraine to take on in-form Shakhtar Donetsk (19/10 match betting) on Wednesday.
The Gunners’ perfect record of three victories out of three in Group H means a win is not a must this week and, with talisman Cesc Fabregas not playing due to a minor hamstring problem, the game will present Shakhtar with a great chance of causing an upset (Shakhtar to win 2-1 – 9/1).
They too are well placed to qualify from the group along with Arsene Wenger’s men, having won two out of three games to date, and will be eager to make up for the 5-1 thumping dished out by Arsenal at the Emirates a couple of weeks ago – that loss being just their second in 30 games in all competitions.
Mircea Lucescu’s side are top of the table in Ukraine once again – five points clear of Dynamo Kiev – and look red-hot favourites to win back-to-back titles, especially if they maintain their superb early-season form.
Shakhtar have kept clean sheets in nine of their ten home games this season and Arsenal, who were soundly beaten 3-0 on their only previous trip to Donetsk in the competition back in 2000, will not have it anywhere near as easy as they did in the first game between the two sides.
Chelsea’s European campaign has been equally as smooth as Arsenal’s thus far and another win, that would secure their qualification out of Group F, is expected when Spartak Moscow visit Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are once again proving the team to match in the Premier League, having slipped up only at Manchester City so far, and it has been a similar story in Europe.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side (2/9 match betting) are again set to progress through their group with the minimum of fuss and another win against the Russian side (14/1) seems very much on the cards on Wednesday.
The three points will mean qualification is in the bag and then everyone at the club can concentrate on the tough league trip to an improving Liverpool on Sunday.
Probably the game of the night on Wednesday comes at the San Siro when Real Madrid (4/1 – Champions League outright) take on AC Milan (28/1 – outright) with the Italians out to make amends following the 2-0 reverse at the Bernabeu earlier in Group G.
Jose Mourinho took a while to win over some of the more stubborn Real fans with his brand of effective, but often negative, football, but recent high-scoring wins over Racing and Malaga prove he can win in style as well.
And Another victory this week, as he chases his third Champions League triumph, would further underline the fact that he is the best club coach on the planet.
Matchday four also sees crucial games for Auxerre and Partizan, who must win against Ajax and Zilina respectively to stand any chance of making it through, while Bayern Munich (1/10 Group E winner), who have a perfect record so far, should also book their place in the next stage with a win over Romanian outfit CFR Cluj.
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