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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Back to business for favourites

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After Thursday’s heroics in the Super Cup, the big two in Spain are back in action on Sunday as Barcelona (4/5 favourite La Liga outright) face a difficult trip to Osasuna, while Real Madrid are involved in a local derby at Getafe.

Despite a number of claims to the contrary by their rivals, it looks as if the La Liga title race will once again be a straight fight between the pair and despite it still being so early in the campaign, their results on Sunday could have a huge bearing on the outcome of the season.

However, despite their class, they certainly won’t have it all their own way, most notably Barcelona who have traditionally struggled in Pamplona (Osasuna 10/1, draw 11/2, Barcelona 2/9).

Osasuna are currently one of the success stories of Spanish football due to them having managed to stabilise themselves in the top flight, despite their lack of resources.

Their achievements has often been built around transforming rough diamonds into stars and Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men will be desperate to prove themselves after losing their opener against Deportivo.

Following a summer of speculation following Pep Guardiola’s departure, it appears to be business as usual at the Nou Camp and so far the Blaugrana have looked almost imperious, most notably in their 3-2 win over Real Madrid on Thursday.

Boss Tito Vilanova has continued with his predecessor’s tactics and will once again expect his team to dominate at El Sadar.

Despite the difference in quality between the two sides, this will undoubtedly be a close one but Barcelona should just sneak through (Barcelona 8/1 to win 2-1).

The second big game of the night sees minnow Getafe take on their illustrious neighbours Real Madrid at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez (Getafe 8/1, draw 4/1, Real 1/3).

After taking the league by storm in 2004, the Azulones have slowly slipped down the standings in recent years and once again look set for another season of struggle.

However, they always rise to the occasion against their local rivals and will fancy themselves to cause an upset on Sunday.

Perhaps surprisingly, Madrid have failed to get anywhere near their heights of last season in their two matches so far and were quite frankly dominated by Barcelona earlier this week.

Following their draw with Valencia last Sunday, Jose Mourinho’s men will be desperate to get their first win of the season under their belts as they prepare for the second leg of the Super Cup on Wednesday.

This looks likely to be a cagey affair in the opening stages but it’s hard to ignore Real’s class and they should eventually record a comfortable victory (Madrid 7/1 to win 3-0).

Elsewhere on Sunday, there’s an Andalucian derby as Granada host Sevilla, while in the late match Valencia will expect to take the points against Deportivo.

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Can Reds and Gunners finally 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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Van Persie to spark United

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Twelve Premier League sides are in action at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, with title hopefuls Manchester United (11/5 – Outright) looking to bounce back from defeat at Everton on Monday night.

Manchester United v Fulham

Not many pundits would have expected the Cottagers to be three points better off than United heading into this game, but that is the case after Martin Jol’s men’s five-star display against Norwich City.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had to wait two extra days to start their campaign but fluffed their lines at Goodison Park amid a defensive injury crisis and a headline-grabbing performance from Toffees star Marouane Fellaini.

United are still stretched at the back for this weekend but the fact Fulham are traditionally poor away from the capital suggests a Robin van Persie-inspired home side will take all three points.

Verdict: Van Persie to score two or more – 9/2

Aston Villa v Everton

Villa endured a season to forget last term but things did not go to plan for Paul Lambert’s first game in charge when they went down 1-0 at promoted West Ham last weekend.

The success of Lambert’s tenure with the Villans will largely be decided in front of the demanding Villa Park faithful who have seen their side slump from Champions League hopefuls to relegation candidates inside only a couple of seasons.

Everton, who shocked Manchester United on Monday, continue to perform miracles under David Moyes on a shoestring budget and have the attacking flair to make it two wins from two following a stalemate at half-time.

Verdict: Draw/Everton – 9/2

Norwich v QPR

There were 10 goals involved in Norwich and QPR’s respective season openers – however neither side managed to find the back of the net as they were spanked by Fulham and Swansea respectively.

QPR’s embarrassment came in front of their own fans at Loftus Road which was a shock given Mark Hughes’ men’s rich vein of home form towards the end of last year.

However, bank on Chris Hughton to lead his side to victory at Carrow Road for his first home game given the fact the Rs have not beaten the Canaries in the last five league games between the clubs.

Verdict: Norwich to win 2-1 – 8/1

Southampton v Wigan

With due respect this is hardly the most glamorous of Premier League games although it was always on the cards they would be pointless going into the match after Saints started with a clash at Manchester City while Wigan lost out to Chelsea.

However, Nigel Adkins’ side managed to score twice against the champions and were actually leading with 20 minutes left to play at Eastlands before Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri struck for the Blues.

Latics, who are set to lose Victor Moses to Chelsea imminently, are known as slow starters and will have their work cut out at St Mary’s as Saints’ vociferous fans welcome the return of Premier League football to their ground.

Verdict: Saints to win – 11/10

Sunderland v Reading

Sunderland managed to hold Arsenal at the Emirates in their opener which was about as much luck as the Black Cats could have hoped for last weekend.

Since then they have managed to land Steven Fletcher for £14m from Wolves as they look to add a cutting edge to the side which was lacking last season.

But the Royals have a star hitman of their own in the shape of Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak and he has been on board for a while – in contrast to Fletcher who is likely to start this one on the bench.

Verdict: Draw – 5/2

Tottenham v West Brom

Last season this was a battle between veteran managers Harry Redknapp and Roy Hodgson – but neither will be in the dug-outs this time around, with the former out of work and the latter installed as England manager.

Both clubs have taken big gambles on their new men at the helm – Chelsea flop Andre-Villas Boas at White Hart Lane and long-term number two Steve Clarke at the Hawthorns in his first managerial post.

Clarke did get off to a winning start last weekend against former employers Liverpool as AVB’s men lost out to Newcastle.

Regardless, Spurs will have too much for the Baggies on the day and don’t be surprised if Jermain Defoe – in tandem with Emmanuel Adebayor – steals the show now he has found a manager who seems to believe in him again.

Verdict: Defoe hat-trick – 20/1

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Money to burn at Loftus Road

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After QPR’s morale-sapping 5-0 thrashing to Swansea at Loftus Road on the opening day of the season, Mark Hughes has moved quick to try and solve the club’s defensive woes. The wealthy Londoners (7/2 – Relegation) are continuing the splash the cash but is this necessarily going to go hand-in-hand with success this season?

A fee of £9million was agreed with Spurs for the ever-reliable Michael Dawson while the Hoops also agreed a season-long loan deal with Real Madrid for Ricardo Carvalho. With Jose Bosingwa signed too late to face Swansea it means Hughes could field a completely new-look back four against Norwich on Saturday, with Ryan Nelsen also expected to start (Norwich 5/4, draw 12/5, QPR 11/5).

QPR have also been linked with Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar, which could suggest Hughes is not completely won-over by new signing Robert Green following his howler for the first Swansea goal last weekend.

This summer the club have already brought in Junior Hoillet, Park Ji-sung, Samba Diakite, Green, Nelses, Andrew Johnson, Fabio and Bosingwa, with more new faces expected to join Dawson and Carvalho at Loftus Road before the transfer window closes. Indeed, they have been linked with Ryan Shawcross, Jermain Defoe and Kurt Zouma – it seems nailed on the already-bloated QPR squad will be extended further before too long.

All these moves, especially the defensive ones in the wake of the Swansea hammering, has led many onlookers to question their transfer policy and there have been suggestions QPR are ‘panic buying’ – which is something Tony Fernandes has been quick to hit back at.

The Chairman took to Twitter to say: “Wages are less than last year 15 players already left. And we have spent a net of 1.5 million this year. We have a fantastic team led by our very committed manager Mark. There is no panic and no overspending. ”

Ever since QPR (125/1 – Top 4 Finish) were taken over by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore in August 2007 the club have seemed to wastefully spend money and hire/fire countless managers in the search for success, and this has showed no signs of abating under successive owners.

The club’s PR activity wasn’t helped by the broadcast of ‘The Four Year Plan’ which showed the extraordinary, and sometimes shocking, behind-the-scenes activity over four years as the Hoops strived to get back in the Premier League.

If you look at the new faces signed this summer, five players are over 30 and Carvalho, 34, will become the sixth and also the 19th thirty-plus player in total on the books at Loftus Road. While most teams in the Premier League are looking towards nurturing youth and working within UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations, the west London club seem to be going down a different path.

QPR are striving for success but the way they are going about it means eyebrows are being raised up and down the country. While it is true that Dawson and Carvalho are good defenders, Hughes cannot just parachute them in and expect a sturdy Hoops defence from day one.

Whether their philosophy will work remains to be seen, but the revolution is going to be televised.

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«Барселона» – «Реал» Мадрид испанское Эль-Классико!

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Футбол. Суперкубок Испании

Барселона – Реал Мадрид. Они сошлись, как лед и пламя! Лучше про противостояние «Барселоны» и «Реала»Real Ozil Barca Adriano 1 300x213 Барселона Реал Мадрид испанское Эль Классико! не скажешь. Эти клубы подпитываются энергией друг от друга и становятся только сильнее от этого. На самом старте испанской Примеры мы с вами станем свидетелями очередного двухматчевого противостояния великих клубов.

Вообще-то суперкубки обычно являются приятными бонусами на старте чемпионатов, но только не когда сходятся «Реал» и «Барса». Самое забавное, что до прошлого года эти команды не играли в матчах за Суперкубок почти 17 лет, но с учетом их последнего доминирования на испанской арене к этому надо уже привыкать.

По сравнению с прошлым годом в обоих клубах произошло всего одно эпохальное изменение. «Барселону» 1.70 покинул Хосеп Гвардиола! Еще год назад казалось, что Гвардиола может пойти по пути Алекса Фергюсона и руководить командой добрые три десятка лет, но Пеп сам принял решение, что ему нужно временно отойти от дел. Весь этот процесс происходил на фоне поражения от «Реала» в чемпионате, и уму не поддающегося проигрыша «Челси» в 1/2 Финала Лиги Чемпионов.

Новым тренером «Барсы» стал, бывший помощник Гвардиолы, Тито Виланова, что ждать от этого специалиста не знает никто, кроме руководства «сине-гранатовых», которые возможно хотят сохранить преемственность в клубе, а возможно просто хотят дать «передышку» Гвардиоле, который при таком раскладе может вернуться в любой момент, когда посчитает себя готовым к этому. В любом случае при новом тренере «Барса» выиграла стартовый матч со счетом 5:1!!! И пускай соперником был «Реал Сосьедад», но счет в любом случае говорит сам за себя.

«Реал» 4.40 за это время не изменился практически ни на йоту, так как Лука Модрич до Мадрида никак не доедет, а продал «Мадрид» к этому моменту только тех, кто не проходил в основной состав. В матче с «Валенсией» подопечные Моуринью не показали и 60% от своих возможностей, что в итоге завершилось ничейным исходом 1:1. Некоторым показалось, что «сливочные» плохо готовы физически, но возможно это был банальный недонастрой.

В прошлом году оба матча завершились очень результативно, так что Тотал Больше 2.5 смотрится весьма симпатично! Как мы знаем Моуринью понял, что переиграть «Барсу» «Реал» может только в остро-атакующем стиле, но вопрос только в том, хватит ли у «королевского клуба» на это сил?

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Forest ready for Bolton battle

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Nottingham Forest have made a positive start to their Championship campaign and will make the trip to the Reebok Stadium on Friday confident they can get something from their clash with Bolton Wanderers (Bolton Wanderers Evens, draw 5/2, Nottingham Forest 13/5 – Match Betting).

The Reds claimed a win on the opening day of the season with a 1-0 home victory over Bristol City, followed by a hard fought 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town in West Yorkshire in midweek from which they were unlucky not to claim the three points from.

Manager Sean O’Driscoll has made his side hard to beat in their opening games and it looks like Forest (7/2 – Promotion Outright) will be in the mix for the play-offs come the end of the regular season.

Backed by their new Kuwaiti owners, Forest have been able to make some strong signings over the summer and they are likely to add to the squad at the City Ground before the window closes at the end of the month.

The signing of Simon Cox from West Brom already looks like it will pay off over the course of the season, as he found the net against the Terriers on Tuesday and looked a threat throughout.

With the likes of Lewis McGugan  and Dexter Blackstock in their ranks, Forest have some real attacking threats who are bound to get chances presented to them on Friday night against a Bolton outfit who have already shown they can be vulnerable at the back this term.

The Whites had a rude awakening to life in the Championship when they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Lancashire rivals Burnley last weekend.

That result at Turf Moor will have been a bitter pill to swallow for Trotters boss Owen Coyle against his former employers but he will have been pleased with his side’s display in midweek when they saw off Derby County 2-0 at the Reebok.

Bolton (7/1 – Championship Outright) will be a tough proposition on home soil this term, as they have been able to keep hold of many of their key players who dropped down from the Premier League last season.

Mark and Kevin Davies form the spine of the team in the upper half of the pitch and Coyle will need to keep both those players at the club beyond the transfer window if they are to be successful in the second tier of English football.

The strong back two of Matthew Mills and Zat Knight will be tough to break down and the pair of Keith Andrews and Chris Eagles in the middle of the park will add an extra attacking threat that Forest will have to be wary of.

This certainly looks like it will be a very close game and it could go either way, depending on who can make the most of their chances.

It looks like there could well be a share of the spoils which would probably make O’Driscoll the happier of the two managers as Forest (12/1 – Championship Outright) would maintain their unbeaten record in the league this season.

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Well face tough Spanish test

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Stuart McCall’s Motherwell side will have to show some steel if they are going to secure a first leg lead from the Europa League Play-off first leg clash against Spanish Primera Liga side Levante at Fir Park on Thursday.

Well dropped into the Europa League after Greek giants Panathinaikos ended their Champions League dream at the first hurdle and they have now been given a draw which is akin from being thrown out of the fire and into the frying pan.

Valencia’s other club, Levante, are enjoying their first taste of European football and arrive having recently sold star striker Arune Kone to Wigan Athletic, but Juan Ignacio Martinez still boasts a wealth of talent which can pose problems to Motherwell.

Veteran Greek hitman Theofanis Gekas was immediately drafted in to replace Kone and will look to hit the ground running with a goal in Scotland.

Levante got their La Liga campaign underway with a 1-1 home draw against last season’s Europa League winners Atletico Madrid at the weekend so will no doubt fancy their chances of gaining a satisfactory result.

McCall’s men won 2-1 at Kilmarnock at the weekend so come into the fixture on a high note and the former Scotland international is set to stick with the 4-4-2 formation he utilised in the Panathinaikos home tie for the game.

Simon Ramsden is out of the match which means Adam Cummins should partner Simon Hutchinson at the back.

Levante’s form this season is difficult to assess so early, but the fact they recorded wins over eventual La Liga champions Real Madrid, Champions League qualifiers Malaga, Europa League winners Atletico Madrid and finalists Athletic Bilbao last term suggests they are a capable unit.

A crumb of comfort for Motherwell is the Spanish outfit’s disappointing away form as they won only five from 19 away games in the league last season, have not won on the road since March and have been known to rely heavily on their home form in two-legged cup ties.

Therefore, if Motherwell are to progress in the Europa League then the outcome of Thursday’s match is likely to be crucial. But, whether they will have enough to take a lead to Spain for the second leg is a doubt.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 5/2
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Meanwhile, Levante’s Spanish rivals Athletic Bilbao should have no problems in overcoming A HJK Helsinki side which was dumped out of the Champions League qualification at the hands of Celtic and this is reflected in the 2/13 odds for them to win Thursday’s home tie.

Italian giants Inter Milan (12/1 Outright joint favourites) face a tricky first leg trip to face Romanian outfit FC Vaslui, but Andrea Stramaccioni’s men should have just enough at 4/6 to secure a lead to take back to the San Siro.

Steve McClaren guided then Premier League club Middlesbrough to the 2006 final of this competition. And, the former England coach will look to repeat that feat with Dutch side FC Twente this season. But his side are facing a tough first leg play-off trip to Turkey to face Bursaspor.

FC Twente defeated Czech side Mlada Boleslav 2-0 home and away in the previous round and have won their opening two league games against Groningen and NAC Breda respectively, so are on a high at the moment and 11/8 for a first leg away win looks a decent price.

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