Tag Archives: Dream

Ukraine looking to continue dream

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Ukraine take on France in their second Group D game on Friday looking for the win that will guarantee them a place in the last eight of Euro 2012. They stunned the Swedes in their opener so can the co-host do it again in Donetsk? (Ukraine 3/1, France 21/20, draw 23/10 Match Prices).

Group D always looked like it would be a tight affair and, true to form, England kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against France. Of the four teams, Ukraine seemed the weakest on paper but it is the east Europeans who hold all the aces going into the second round of matches.

Coach Oleg Blokhin had all but written off his side’s chances before a ball had even been kicked as he felt they had problems in defence and even more up front, but veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko rolled back the years to net a brace and give them a real chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals (Ukraine 8/13 To Qualify).

The 35-year-old former AC Milan hit-man was injured in the build-up to the tournament and it was thought that he might miss out, but the manager’s decision to hand him a starting berth paid dividends with two well-taken headers. He will lead the line again on Friday against Les Bleus and the whole nation will look to him to provide the goals that could prove crucial.

Despite the euphoria of the victory over Sweden, Blokhin has urged his men to keep their feet on the ground and make sure that Monday’s result does not go to waste. Neither Ukraine nor Sweden look like tournament winners but just getting out of the group will be considered a success for the hosts, who are in a transition phase and should be a force to be reckoned with at the next World Cup.

Andriy Voronin looks set to keep his place alongside Shevchenko and highly-rated youngster Andriy Yarmolenko, who provided the cross for the first goal, will need to find a way past the French to feed the front two. Ukraine will find the France side a tougher proposition that the Swedes, especially after Les Bleus’ opening draw with England.

Roy Hodgson’s men sat back and absorbed the French pressure and had the defensive skills to get away with it. It is open to debate whether Ukraine could last out using the same tactics and this should be a more open game with plenty of chnaces.

England managed to keep Real Madrid’s superb striker Karim Benzema in check for most of the match and it was down to a man who does not score too many goals, Samir Nasri, to gain his side a point. But Benzema is surely too good not to score at some stage of the tournament and the French fans will be hoping it is on Friday.

France played well at times against England but, in truth, it was a dull game with both sides lacking imagination in the searing heat. Therefore it is difficult to read too much into the French display as they were tipped by many to go far in this summer’s showpiece event.

Going forward, Laurent Blanc’s men will always be dangerous with players of the calibre of Frank Ribery, Yohan Cabaye and Nasri. But there are question marks over their defence and the Ukraine coaches will urge the midfield to try and get at the opposition early and force them into mistakes.

Defeat for France would not see them eliminated from the competition but would make it extremely difficult for them to qualify and, on paper, they should be strong enough to win this one. They are now unbeaten in 22 matches but it is three points and not just one they crave from the second group encounter.

Blanc and his men were criticised in their home press for not beating England but the coach has hit back at the critics and said that it was the England tactics that thwarted their attacking ambition. He was clearly not happy with the negativity surrounding their display and will want his charges to prove a point or two next time out.

Ukraine have already pulled off one shock and, with the whole nation behind them, they will be eyeing another three points on Friday but it may be that the Sweden victory was their ‘final’ and this may be a reality check for Blokhin and the home fans.

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Mourinho can salvage dream

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Andre Villas-Boas has become the sixth managerial casualty in eight years at Chelsea (4/1 – FA Cup Winners) as the ruthless search for Champions League success continues apace at Stamford Bridge.

The Portuguese paid the price for a string of poor displays at home and in Europe and now the hunt for another new manager begins, so who are the contenders for the Chelsea hotseat?

Jose Mourinho

The ex-Blues messiah still looks the most likely man to bring the European Cup to Stamford Bridge for the first time, but can Chelsea persuade Mourinho to return to the club?

The Real Madrid (5/2 – Champions League Outright) boss has recently hinted about a future return to England and was even spotted in London this month, reportedly searching for property.

Although many were tipping him to replace Harry Redknapp at Tottenham, the lure of a return to Chelsea may tempt him to west rather than north London.

Whether Roman Abramovich is keen to look to Mourinho again is another question, but the 49-year-old still seems the best option among the experienced runners and riders for the post.

Rafa Benitez

The Spaniard is among the favourites to succeed AVB, having been out of work since leaving Inter Milan in 2012 and his European pedigree is why he is near the top of the list of potential candidates.

Benitez led Liverpool to Champions League success in 2005, beating Chelsea in the semi-finals, and also took the Reds to the final in 2007. On top of that, the 51-year-old lifted the UEFA Cup during his time in charge of Valencia (7/1 – Europa League Winners).

Although Benitez is desperate to get back into management, the rivalry was fierce with Chelsea during his reign at Anfield and that may work against him.

Pep Guardiola

The Barcelona boss has indicated that he will step down from his post at the Nou Camp over the next couple of years, as he seeks a new challenge.

A two-time Champions League winner, Guardiola wants his team to play good football whilst being successful. The 41-year-old speaks fluent English and would demand the respect of the high-profile players at Stamford Bridge.

Barca (5/4f – Champions League Outright) would be loathe to lose him and would Chelsea’s owner be willing to give him time to build a Blues revolution?

Fabio Capello

The Italian is out of work following his decision to step down as England boss – a return to Italy is his preffered choice – but could he be tempted to give the Premier League a go?

The ex-AC Milan chief has enjoyed European and domestic success on several occasions during his time at both the San Siro and during his reign at Real Madrid. His relationship with Chelsea’s England (8/1 – Euro 2012 Outright) contingent may also tempt Blues officials to consider the 65-year-old.

Capello has had his run ins with star players during previous stints with big clubs and his strict regime has often frustrated today’s high-profile players.

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APOEL living the dream

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The attention now turns back to European competition and the serious business of the knockout stages of the Champions League gets underway on Tuesday, with defending champions Barcelona involved first up, along with surprise package APOEL FC.

Pep Guardiola’s men remain as the 6/4 outright favourites for glory in Munich at the end of the season, having won twice in the last three year’s, although there may be some objectors given the Catalans struggles domestically.

The La Liga champions look as though they will be relinquishing their domestic title as they have struggled on the road in Spain, drawing too many games, while they go into Tuesday’s clash against Bayer Leverkusen on the back of a surprise 3-2 at Osasuna.

Barcelona may well have had this game in mind though as Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas were rested for the weekend loss and look set to return to the starting XI.

Barca’s road form in Spain is in stark contrast to their results on their travels in Europe’s elite competition and it is no surprise they go to Germany as 4/9 favourites in the match betting, with the draw priced at 10/3 and Bayer available at 7/1 to upset the odds.

Guardiola’s side dominated Group H qualifying and actually enjoyed better results away from the Nou Camp, winning all three games, scoring 12 goals and conceding just two in the process.

Bayer, runners-up in 2002, have returned to the knockout phase for the first time since 2004/05 on the back of solid home form, scoring six goals and conceding two goals in three wins at the BayArena.

However, their form domestically has slumped of late, while they will also be missing key midfielder Michael Ballack for the first leg and it is difficult to see them causing a shock.

A draw is possibly the best that they can go for but with the onus on them to attack ahead of the second leg at the Nou Camp, Barca can exploit the gaps to take a crucial advantage.

The other game pits Lyon against surprise package APOEL, who shocked Europe by taking top spot in Group G, which included Zenit St Petersburg, FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The French giants secured second spot in Group G behind Real Madrid but only after a dramatic final round of fixtures as a 7-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb took them through with a better goal difference.

Remi Garde’s side have been installed as 2/5 favourites in the match betting to record a first-leg advantage in France, with the draw on offer at 10/3 and APOEL priced at 17/2 to cause a shock.

The experience is very much with the home side as they have reached this stage for the last nine seasons, while APOEL have become the first Cypriot side ever to make the last 16.

However, Lyon have been knocked out at this stage in four of the last five seasons and may well find it harder than the betting suggests against a side that went unbeaten away in the group stages – albeit with three draws.

They were certainly difficult places to go to and the Cypriots can take confidence from those games, particularly as they also have conceded just three goals and kept three clean sheets in six games on the road in Europe (including the qualifying rounds).

APOEL are likely to set themselves up as being hard to break down to give themselves a chance of progressing when they return to Nicosia for the second leg on March 7, so the draw looks tempting at 10/3.

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Lights out on Boro cup dream

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The FA Cup continues on Sunday with two more intriguing ties to look forward to, starting with Middlesbrough making the short trip to Sunderland for a north-east derby. The days second match-up pits Arsenal against Aston Villa. Both the home teams are odds on to win but will it be that straight forward?

Sunderland v Middlesbrough 1:30pm

All three teams in the north-east look to be on the up at the minute and Sunday’s game is a chance for Tony Mowbray’s Boro to show they are capable of hanging with the big boys. The Teessiders are currently fourth in the Championship, just five points off the automatic promotion places.

Mowbray has done a great job rescuing the club after Gordon Strachan had done his best to turn Middlesbrough into a retirement home for Rangers and Celtic has-beens. Having made a great start to the season, the Riverside outfit have suffered a dip in form of late, winning just one of their last five in all competitions. That solitary victory came in the third round of the FA Cup when they narrowly avoided a replay against Shrewsbury.

Mowbray’s team has been crippled by injuries and suspensions of late, and his hands will be tied again for the trip to Sunderland with Nicky Bailey, Julio Arca, Kevin Thomson, Jason Steele and Bart Ogbeche all out.

While Middlesbrough’s form has dipped Sunderland’s resurrection under Martin O’Neill shows no signs of slowing down. The 2-0 win over Swansea makes it six wins in nine matches since O’Neill took the reins at the Stadium of Light. Having guided the Black Cats away from the relegation zone, O’Neill has set his sights on taking Sunderland on a cup run.  The Northern Irishman played a near full-strength team against Peterborough in the last round and with the expectation of Nicklas Bendtner will almost certainly do the same again.

Sunderland are 4/6 to win, with Boro at 5/1 and the draw at 11/4 in the match betting. With the home side a very short price you might want to look towards Stéphane Sessègnon at 11/8 to score anytime given the form he has been in recently.

Arsenal v Aston Villa 4pm

The Gunners are desperately looking for a pick-me-up after an alarming dip in form recently, the defeat to Manchester United last weekend making it three losses on the bounce for the north Londoners. All the good work Arsenal had done after a shocking start to the season appears to have been wasted and the Emirates Stadium faithful will be desperate to see their team win by any means necessary.

The news that Jack Wilshere could miss the rest of the season won’t have improved the mood amongst Arsenal fans but even so they will be confident of beating Aston Villa. Mikel Arteta, Thierry Henry and Bacary Sagna could all return for the Gunners and that would be a timely boost given their problems up front and in defence. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could also get a run out after his man-of-the-match performance last week.

Last time Villa played at the Emirates Stadium they won 2-1 but that was under Gerard Houllier and with Stewart Downing and Ashley Young in the team. Villa’s style under new boss Alex McLeish has changed but it is starting to pay dividends with three wins in their last six matches. The addition of Robbie Keane to the squad looks to have been a shrewd one after his brace last week helped Villa beat Wolves.

The former Tottenham striker is 2/1 to score anytime against Arsenal and you wouldn’t bet against it if he gets a run out. Villa are tough to break down and gave Arsenal a real scare in the clash at Villa Park in December so this one looks destine for a replay. The draw is 11/4 in the match betting, with Arsenal 4/7 and Villa 5/1.

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NI aim to keep dream alive

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There’s no Premier League action this weekend due to the international break and one of the most intriguing games involving the home nations on Friday sees Northern Ireland take on Serbia in a Euro 2012 qualifier – a crucial match for Nigel Worthington’s side as they try and keep their hopes of a making it to a major tournament once again alive.

Northern Ireland have never featured at a European Championships and have not made the finals of a major tournament since the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, but their current campaign represents their best chance in many a year.

Before the Windsor Park showdown against Serbia they sit third in Group C, a point ahead of Friday’s opponents and two points behind second-place Slovenia with a game in hand.

The morale-boosting 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands earlier this month has left Worthington’s side in with a great chance of progressing through the group and booking their place in Poland and Ukraine next year, but it is the final three qualifying games that will obviously prove critical.

Following Friday’s clash in Belfast, they take on Estonia – also at home – before finishing their schedule with a daunting away game at current Group leaders Italy.

So, with that in mind, getting a victory over Serbia looks even more important if they are to keep the dream alive.

Northern Ireland have been in this position in their group before only to capitulate in the final games to miss out on qualification and Worthington will have his side pumped up for Friday in front of what is usually a passionate home support.

He is preparing for the game, however, with major doubts hanging over the fitness of both Kyle Lafferty and Pat McCourt. If the pair, who scored two each in the Faroe Islands win, miss out then it will be a major blow to the boss and he will have to rely on the likes of experienced duo David Healy and Chris Brunt to find the goals that would secure a win.

They are viewed as underdogs, despite home advantage, and 2/1 looks appealing with Northern Ireland likely to go all out for the victory but Serbia (11/10) will be a tough proposition.

It’s a tough one to call, this, but the draw at 9/4 does represent good value while a punt on Healy to score anytime at 7/2 is also well worth a shot.

Prediction: draw @ 9/4
Value bet: 2-2 @ 14/1

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Paraguay to end Venezuela dream

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The second Copa America semi-final in Mendoza on Wednesday evening sees the unlikely pairing of Paraguay and Venezuela going head-to-head for a place in the final on Sunday.

Pre-tournament predictions would have expected hosts Argentina and the mighty Brazil to be amongst the last-four countries looking to be crowned kings of South America.

But with new favourites Uruguay (4/5 Outright Winner) set to face Peru in Tuesday’s first semi-final, all eyes will then be on which of these unfancied teams will be on their way to Buenos Aires this weekend.

Venezuela (13/2 Outright Winner) have already made history by reaching the last-four stages for the first time in their history, while Paraguay (9/4) are in the strange position of making it this far without actually winning a game, having drawn all three group matches, before defeating Brazil on penalties at the weekend.

Therefore we are in for an intriguing encounter between two sides which went into the tournament expected to just make up the numbers in the presence of their more illustrious CONMEBOL members.

We only need to look back to last week for the two sides’ last head-to-head when they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the final Group B clash which ensured Venezuela qualified behind group winners Brazil, while Paraguay progressed as one of the best third-placed teams.

A repeat of that scoreline (50/1 Correct Score) would be a great advertisement for the Copa America, but it’s unlikely the game will be as open given that there is a lot more at stake on this occasion.

Venezuela were the only team to win in 90 minutes when they stunned Chile in the quarter-finals with Malaga striker Jose Salomon Rondon (5/2 Anytime Goalscorer) showing some good form and possibly the man coach Cesar Farias will look towards to fire La Vinotinto into the final.

Rondon scored his only goal of the tournament against Paraguay in the group game, while the side have shared the load around as Gabriel Cichero, Nicolas Fedor, Cesar Gonzalez, Grenddy Perozo and Oswaldo Vizcarrondo have also been on target.

Paraguay will be aiming to secure a first win of the Copa America in the match (20/21 To Win 90 Minutes), although their coach Gerado Martino will not mind if they reach the final on the back of another penalty shoot-out win.

The 1979 winners have not been this far since 1983 so a place in the final will mean just as much to La Albirroja as it will for Venezuela so they will be geared up for a huge match for their nation.

The likes of Manchester City hitman Roque Santa Cruz (6/1 First Goalscorer), Wigan defender Antolin Alcaraz, and Sunderland’s Christian Riveros are all known to Premier League fans and have all found the net for Paraguay in the tournament.

Nelson Valdes and Lucas Barrios have also been on target in the tournament as, like Venezuela, Paraguay have also got goals right through their team.

Paraguay also have veteran goalkeeper Justo Villar between the sticks still brimming with confidence following his man-of-the-match performance in ensuring a dominant Brazil could not find a way past him for the entire 120 minutes of their quarter-final clash and then even failed to convert a single penalty in the shoot-out.

If Villar is just as commanding against Venezuela then that will give the rest of his team a lift in their attempt to break down the opposition and I fancy Paraguay to just have the edge, but they might have to take the long route through once again.

Prediction: Draw 90 minutes @ 21/10
Value Bet: Rondon 1st Goal 1-1 Draw Scorecast @ 33/1.

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Tabarez to end Markarian’s dream

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The semi-final stages of an unpredictable Copa America will get underway on Tuesday evening when Argentina’s conquerors Uruguay will face a Peru side which defied the odds to see off Colombia in their last-eight showdown on Saturday night.

It all points towards a routine success for the Uruguayans (7/10 To Win 90 Minutes) as they go in search of a 15th Copa America title success, but in a tournament which has been littered with shocks as Brazil, Chile and the hosts Argentina have all been dismissed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know exactly what will happen.

Add to the fact that these two sides met in the opening game of Group C and played out a 1-1 draw (5/1 1-1 Correct Score) and it highlights the possibility of a difficult evening ahead for Uruguay.

It is also a pupil-versus-master scenario in La Plata as Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez will be up against his former Bella Vista coach Sergio Markarian, who has worked wonders with a Peru side which finished bottom of the Conmebol World Cup qualifying.

Key forwards Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro were ruled out of this tournament before a ball was even kicked, while Juan Vargas has needed to be wrapped in cotton wool between games due to a leg muscle problem which has blighted him throughout.

But it is the midfield form of Vargas and William Chiroque, who have supported lone forward Paolo Guerrero, and a solid defensive organisation which has been effective in helping the Peruvians reach the last-four.

Therefore it will be a blow for Markarian if Chiroque cannot shake off the hamstring injury which he picked up during the 2-0 win against Colombia (16/1 Peru To Win 2-0 Correct Score) at the weekend as he will want all hands on deck for another testing encounter.

Uruguay, who are looking for their first Copa America win since 1995, will recall their success on Argentinian soil back in 1987 – when they also defeated the hosts and then world champions along the way – as a possible lucky omen going into the Peru clash.

Tabarez set his stall out to try and nullify the impressive Argentinian attacking options, led by Lionel Messi in their penalty shoot-out win, and then went for goals on the break with Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Alvaro Pereira all capable of finding the net.

But with his side favourites he will have to be careful not fall victim to his own tactics which will no doubt be employed by Markarian as he will look for his Peruvian players to soak up what the Uruguayans can throw at them and try and pick up what they can at the other end of the field.

I am not expecting a goal-fest in this game as the previous meeting on July 4 was a draw, while both Uruguay and Peru have only scored four goals respectively in as many games so far.

However, basing my prediction on the superior attacking power of Uruguay and the possible loss of Chiroque from the Peruvian ranks, Tabarez will probably have just the edge over Markarian, but it could be another long night.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 23/10
Value Bet: Peru/Draw HT/FT @ 14/1

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England daring to dream of glory

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England’s women have negotiated a tricky group to make it through to the last eight of the World Cup and are on offer with totesport at 18/1 to win the competition. But just how far can Hope Powell’s side now go in the tournament?

In the end, the Lionesses, as they are known, finished top of Group B and seem to building momentum nicely as the tournament prepares to usher in the knockout stage over the weekend.

The 2-0 win over a highly-regarded Japan side on Tuesday was impressive with England, after surviving a bit of early pressure, going on to dominate pretty much all over the pitch. The win was richly-deserved in the end and will have made the likes of quarter-final opponents France (14/1 – Outright), favourites Germany (10/11) and the always-impressive USA (7/2) take note.

Kelly Smith remains England’s main attacking threat but it will have been the performances of some of the other unsung members of her side that Powell will have been pleased with most on Tuesday.

Ellen White announced her arrival at the competition with a stunning goal – lobbing the Japan keeper from outside the area – while Rachel Yankey came off the bench to seal the win with a well-taken second and those two were among several stand-out performers in the game. Sophie Bradley, meanwhile, was immense at the back and Jess Clarke had also done well in the first 45 minutes before being replaced.

Rachel Unitt is another experienced member of the squad and she, too, was outstanding as England held Japan at bay while creating plenty of chances going forward themselves.

Powell had made a few risky changes to her side for the final group game, most notably resting skipper Faye White, but her game plan was carried out to perfection by her players and they now can approach Saturday’s game against France with confidence.

It will be another tough test for England against a team ranked seventh in the world – England are currently 10th – but one they are capable of passing, especially if they play like they did on Tuesday. The last two matches between the sides have ended in entertaining 2-2 draws so it is likely to be tight in Leverkusen.

If England can come out on top, cynics would then say a semi-final place will be as good as it gets with either Brazil (4/1) or Sweden (18/1) set to stand in their way, but the belief and spirit in Powell’s squad appears to be very high so an extended run in the competition cannot be ruled out now.

Most tournament winners build momentum as the competition progresses and England, after a slow start, look to be doing just that.

Another performance at the level of the Japan victory should be enough to see off France but they will have to raise their game further if they are to  stand a chance of getting into the final.

Then it could be the small matter of hosts Germany, who beat England comfortably in the final of the European Championships two years ago, to see off to claim the ultimate glory.

That’s the stuff of dreams for England’s women – as they know that would be the toughest of all tests – but Powell and co, following Tuesday’s win, are now daring to dream.

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Swans to drown Forest’s dream

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The last time Swansea were in the top flight Return of the Jedi had only just hit the cinemas, Billy Joel went to the top of the charts with Uptown Girl and seat belts became mandatory on British roads. A lot of things have changed since then, especially with the Jacks who nearly went out of business before staging a remarkable comeback. Swansea are now within touching distance of an appearance in the Championship play-off final and a chance to return to the top flight for the first time in 27 years. Thursday’s clash at the City Ground was tight but Nottingham Forest’s failure to take advantage of ten-man Swansea surely hands the advantage to the Welsh side. We preview Monday’s semi-final second leg.

After 90 seconds of the first leg, Forest fans must have thought it was going to be their night – Neil Taylor seeing red for a fairly x-rated challenge. However, anyone who thought that would open the flood gates for the usually free-flowing Forest were mistaken as Billy Davies‘ men found themselves banging their head against a brick wall.

Despite having scored 14 goals in their previous four matches the former European champions found it difficult to break down the Swans – their lack of imagination costing them in their bid to take an advantage to the Liberty Stadium.

Instead the goalless draw surely hands Swansea the impetuous considering their formidable record, the Jacks having lost just three times at home in the league. The Swans are evens to win the second leg of the semi-final, while Forest are 13/5 and the draw, after 90 minutes, is 9/4.

Forest didn’t enjoy their trip to south Wales earlier in the season when they were beaten 3-2, a score line which didn’t reflect the dominance of the home team on that day. Traditionally Forest have struggled away from home in the Championship with their form on the road costing them automatic promotion last season.

The current campaign hasn’t heralded a massive change in fortunes, despite back-to-back wins on their travels at the end of season. Those two wins were the only two they had managed in ten matches away from home.

Davies felt his side were unlucky in the first leg but after watching the video tape back might feel a little differently and could make changes to his side, with David McGoldrick, Garath McCleary, Marcus Tudgay and Radoslaw Majewski all waiting in the wings. For Swansea they have been given a boost with the news the dangerous looking Fabio Borini is fit to start. The on-loan Chelsea striker limped off in the first game with a hamstring problem but has been cleared to play and can be back to score anytime at 6/5.

While Forest stood firm to the Swans trio of Borini, Nathan Dyer and Scott Sinclair last week, with 11 v 11 it might be a different matter. It seems unlikely there is going to be a glut of goals, based on the first leg, but with the crowd behind them you’d say Swansea should have too much attacking talent for Forest.

Last year Forest suffered the heart-break of losing in the play-offs and unless they cause a real upset they will endure the same fate again. As for the Swans, they are 15/8 to go up and maybe that is worth a punt when you look at the team’s in the play-offs. After Tuesday most of south Wales could be preparing a Welsh invasion of the capital, if Swansea and Cardiff do what is expected of them and booked their places at Wembley.

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Dream Wembley final looming

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With both away sides securing 2-0 first-leg victories in the Champions League semi-finals this week it looks likely that Manchester United will face Barcelona in the final on May 28. Real Madrid and Schalke might have other ideas but the prospect of a United vs Barca clash is something to whet the appetite – so will the ‘dream’ final happen? (Barcelona 8/15 to win Champions League).

United stuttered their way through the first half of the season and it left a lot of people scratching their heads that they were still at the top of the Premier League table without really hitting their straps.

But their form has picked up in recent months and the first-leg victory over the Germans was one of the best performances by the Red Devils for a long time and they could have scored four or five but for the brilliance of keeper Manuel Neuer.

Led by a resurgent Wayne Rooney, United’s passing and movement off the ball was first class and it looked like men against boys at times.

Can Schalke come back and spoil United’s dream of a third final in four years? Not if they repeat Tuesday’s display, but it is unlikely that they will play that badly again (Schalke 14/1 to qualify for final).

The Bundesliga side defended poorly and the same display at Old Trafford could lead to an embarrassing scoreline.

However, the Schalke players only have to cast their memories back a few weeks to the quarter-finals when they went to the San Siro and beat a decent Inter Milan side 5-2 before completing the job back at the Veltins-Arena.

That result will give them hope that they can turn things around at the Theatre of Dreams on May 4 but they will face a United side who appear to be peaking at just the right time.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a master at getting his tactics spot on and he will know exactly what to do when the men from Gelsenkirchen come calling.

If Schalke’s job seems difficult then Real’s task looks like Mission Impossible and they do not possess Tom Cruise in their side (Madrid 11/1 to qualify for final).

Wednesday’s disjointed, feisty encounter at the Bernabeu was only really ignited by the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who is now being mentioned in the same breath as Pele and Diego Maradona.

The 23-year-old’s two goals highlighted how important he is to the Catalans and, while they might possess world-class players throughout the side, the Argentinian is a cut above anyone else at present.

Real boss Jose Mourinho could well be in hot water for his post-match comments and he is clearly never going to get over his obsession with Barcelona and the perceived injustices of playing against them.

But if anyone can pull off the impossible then the Portuguese tactician is the man. The trouble is he will probably be sitting in the stands after being red-carded during the first-leg encounter.

Mourinho builds his side around a solid defence and his tactics would have been to get to the Nou Camp on level terms at worst, but Pepe’s sending off changed everything and Real will now have to go into the second leg with an attacking mindset.

However, it seems inconceivable that Barca will not score in their own backyard and Madrid are not the sort of side that will be able to score three times away from home.

Therefore it may need the moon to be a shade of blue for United and Barcelona not to progress to Wembley at the end of May and that would be a fitting finale to the season as, on current form, they are clearly the best two sides in Europe.

Barca may possess the best player on the planet but in Ferguson, United have their own trump card.

The veteran Scot will be out to set the record straight after losing out to the Spanish giants in the 2009 final and what better place to do it than at Wembley?

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