Tag Archives: Face

Goalless Gunners face Anfield test

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Following Saturday’s Premier League action, there are three games to look forward to on Sunday with Arsenal’s visit to Liverpool the highlight at 1.30pm.

Liverpool v Arsenal (1.30pm)
Liverpool (11/10) have come in for criticism for letting Andy Carroll go without, in the end, bringing in a replacement but face an Arsenal (5/2, draw 12/5) side who similarly failed to splash the cash on deadline day.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers made it clear on Thursday and Friday that he wanted at least one more addition to his frontline but, for whatever reason, he failed to land Clint Dempsey from Fulham and now must approach the next three months will very little cover for Fabio Borini and Luis Suarez.

Scoring goals was their biggest problem last season and could well haunt them again this time around as, taking into account their Europa League games against Hearts as well as the two league games so far, missing chances have again been a feature of their early matches.

However, the Reds were impressive last weekend against champions Manchester City and, but for a shocking back-pass from Martin Skrtel, would have got a deserved 2-1 win, so there is optimism they can get three points against the Gunners.

Finding the back of the net has also been a worry for Arsene Wenger as Arsenal have begun slowly with two unimpressive goalless draws against Sunderland and Stoke.

The Frenchman will hope Oliver Giroud, Lukas Podolski and apparent Liverpool target Theo Walcott begin to fire soon, preferably on Sunday, as they look to get a win under their belts.

Despite a lack of goals from both sides, then, this one should be entertaining with Liverpool tipped to win by the odd goal. Go for 2-1 in the correct score market at 9/1.

Newcastle v Aston Villa (4pm)
Newcastle (8/13) host Aston Villa (5/1) after their Europa League success on Thursday and will hope to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Chelsea last time out.

The Magpies began with a 2-1 win over Spurs and many believe they can again battle for a top-six spot after last year’s surprise bid for a top-four place. They host a poor Villa side and this looks nailed on a home win.

Villa have began the campaign dreadfully and last week’s 3-1 reverse against Everton was as bad a performance the home faithful witnessed under old boss Alex McLeish.

The deadline-day signing of Christian Benteke is designed to provide Darren Bent with a decent strike partner but it remains to be seen if a side who many are now tipping for relegation, can be revitalised by Paul Lambert.

Two games in remains very early to judge a side but the signs are not good for Villa and we cannot see anything other than an away defeat on Sunday to leave them point-less after three games.

Southampton v Manchester United (4pm)
United go to top-flight new-boys Saints (5/1) hoping to find a bit more rhythm as Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-chasers have been rusty so far.

A deserved defeat at Everton was followed up by a sloppy 3-2 home victory over Fulham and they will need to be wary of a Southampton side bound to be pumped up for what will undoubtedly be one of the occasions of the season at St Mary’s for the home fans.

Robin van Persie did get off the mark well last week and appears to have hit the ground running in his new surroundings so the Dutchman is worth backing in the first goalscorer market at 4/1.

Expect a tight opening 45 minutes in this one as Nigel Adkins sets his side up with two banks of four but United are eventually tipped to break them down with a narrow away win on the cards (Draw/United – HT/FT – 10/3).

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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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Celtic face tough Euro test

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Celtic head into their Champions League third round qualifying tie with HJK Helsinki as favourites to move a step closer towards a place in the group stages of the competition, though their opponents head into the match with wind in their sails.

The 2011 Finnish champions, who currently trail 2012 league leaders FC Inter by two points, qualified to face the SPL holders with a 9-1 aggregate victory over Icelandic side KR.

And, while questions could be raised about the standard of opposition, the impact a comfortable victory can have on a team ahead of a big match should not be underestimated.

HJK are priced at 6/1 to leave Celtic Park with a first-leg win on Wednesday, which seems extremely generous considering their hosts’ lack of competitive action in recent months.

Celtic are priced at 4/11 to take an advantage with them back to Iceland for the second leg, while a draw is available at 16/5.

But, when you consider as well that manager Neil Lennon could be without key attacking duo Anthony Stokes and Kris Commons for the clash, it may be difficult for the Glasgow side to break down their less illustrious opponents.

Elsewhere in the third qualifying round, Celtic’s SPL rivals Motherwell welcome Panathinaikos to Fir Park Stadium for what will be a big occasion for the old Lanarkshire club.

The Greeks finished second in last season’s Super League, while the Steelmen’s third-placed finish in last year’s SPL was enough to ignite their own hopes of mixing it with Europe’s biggest clubs in 2012/13.

Following the withdrawal from the SPL of Rangers, there is belief at Motherwell that the team can challenge Celtic’s domestic supremacy, and advancement in Europe will also be high on head coach Stuart McCall’s list of priorities.

His side are available in the match betting at 3/1 to win the first leg tie, while Panathinaikos are priced at 4/5 to ruin the party, with the draw up for grabs at 11/5.

It’s a tough game to call, but a siege mentality from the hosts could make life difficult for the Greeks, who could be prepared to settle for a draw to take back to Athens.

Another tie to look out for is the showdown in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen face Club Brugge.

The men from the Danish capital qualified from their group in the 2010/11 Champions League and will be desperate to replicate that success after failing to make the competition last season.

Brugge, meanwhile, will be looking to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2005/06 season, when they defied the odds to take a point from Bayern Munich before bowing out at the group stage.

Copenhagen are priced 21/20 to win the game, while Brugge are at 21/10, and the draw is at 11/5. But a cursory glance at the two teams’ domestic fortunes last season indicates there perhaps isn’t as much between these two sides as those odds suggest.

With that in mind, a punt on Brugge at relatively long odds could be a decent option here.

Finally, Bate Borisov will look to reach the group stages of the Champions League for a second consecutive year, but must first overcome Debrecen, who were comfortable winners in their second qualifying round tie against Albanian champions Skenderbeu Korce.

Debrecen have not reached the ‘competition proper’ since 2010/11, but, following their comfortable Hungarian league triumph in 2011/2, they will approach this challenge with confidence.

Bate are the favourites at 4/5 in the match betting, though Debrecen’s odds of 3/1 bely the team’s ability and recent form, so a bet here on the visitors at such a good price would make a lot of sense.

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Ukraine face tricky opener

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Co-hosts Ukraine take on Sweden in the second Group D match on Monday night with the support of the whole nation behind them. They are slight favourites to win this one but the Swedes have a habit of upsetting the odds (Ukraine 6/4, Draw 9/4, Sweden 2/1 – Match Betting).

Far from riding on a wave of optimism heading into their first European Championships, Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin has all but written off his side’s chances before a ball has even been kicked.

He was brought back to the post for a second stint in March 2011 after leading his men to the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup during his first spell in charge but he has not really been able to inspire his charges second time around. Consequently, getting out of the group stage of the competition would be seen as a massive achievement (Ukraine 5/4 To Qualify).

The trouble for Blokhin is that he has inherited a team in transition, with several talented youngsters coming through who are not quite ready while veterans such as Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk are clearly past their best.

They have also had to prepare without any recent competitive football having qualified as hosts and the coach has used 40 players in his 15 months back in charge to try to find a winning combination.

He does not appear to have done that and, worryingly, slated both his defence and attack in an interview on Saturday.

The former Dynamo Kiev striker confessed that he has struggled to select an in-form striker, while making it clear that he has problems both in central defence and at full-back.

This does not leave much of the pitch to enthuse about and the scattergun approach to selection and tactics has left a number of players unsure of their role in the side (Ukraine – Exactly 0 points in group stage 10/1).

They tend to play a standard 4-4-2 which sometimes changes into a 4-5-1 during games and it would appear likely that, despite home advantage, goals will be at a premium against the Swedes and in their subsequent two group games.

One player to watch is 22-year-old Dynamo Kiev wide man Andriy Yarmolenko, who has now moved out onto the flank after starting life as a target man.

He has searing pace and has retained the ability to score, with seven goals from 20 appearances to date.

The St Petersburg-born youngster has been courted by, among others, AC Milan and could make a name for himself in the tournament.

Results for Ukraine in 2011 were not great – with four wins, five defeats and three draws – and they will need their best players to be at the top of their game if they are to advance to the last eight.

They have won three of their last four friendlies, however, and drew 3-3 with Germany in November last year.

But this is where it starts to get serious and Sweden are tournament football veterans, who always seem to make a nuisance of themselves in the group stage.

Erik Hamren has moulded his charges into a solid, hardworking side who are well-organised and difficult to break down.

They also like to play 4-4-2 and hit teams on the break and, in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have one of the best strikers in Europe to put the ball in the back of the net.

The giant hit-man has enjoyed another excellent season with AC Milan and will be full of confidence going into Sweden’s opening match, despite never really having shown his true colours on the biggest international stage.

He does have an excellent scoring record for the Swedes with 31 strikes in 77 appearances but he will need a solid tournament this time around to silence the doubters, with age not on his side.

Lyon’s left-footed midfielder Kim Kallstrom should provide Ibrahimovic with the service he needs as he was credited with seven assists during qualifying, while chipping in with three goals of his own.

If he can find his talismanic team-mate in the box then the Swedes will be a goal threat.

Former Bolton star Johan Elmander is likely to be the second striker and, while he is not as prolific in front of goal as his esteemed strike partner, he is a vastly experienced player and will not be fazed by facing the hosts on their own patch.

Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson could have a big say in proceedings with his ability to score from set plays, while he will also provide decent crosses for the big man up front.

Midfielder Rasmus Elm has the x-factor needed to unlock defences and has been watched by several top European sides over the past 12 months.

Like Larsson, he is a dead-ball specialist but also has the ability to beat players and pick out a pass – he will pull the strings in the middle of the park for Hamren’s side.

Eight wins and two defeats in qualifying was a decent return and they will be confident of getting out of a group that contains England, who have always struggled to beat the Swedes, and a France side that can blow hot and cold.

Consistency is the Swedes’ main strength as they rarely get pummelled, with only Holland giving them a drubbing in qualifying and, despite Ukraine’s home advantage, they should get at least a point out of this one.

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Top trio face tricky trips

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Saturday’s round of Championship matches sees the division’s top three sides, Southampton, West Ham and Cardiff, all face winnable but potentially tricky trips against teams scrapping it out at the wrong end of the table and we assess their chances of picking up maximum points.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST V SOUTHAMPTON (3pm)

We start our treble for the weekend at the City Ground where Nigel Adkins takes his league leaders looking for three points which would keep their noses just in front in the battle for promotion to the Premier League, with the Saints 4/6 with Totesport to go up in April.

The Saints have struggled over the past two months with their five-point lead being whittled down to a goal difference advantage over West Ham following just two wins in eight, while Cardiff and Middlesbrough are just two points behind them.

Adkins will be boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, right-back Frazer Richardson and strike duo Guly do Prado and David Connolly, but defender Jose Fonte is a doubt and Richard Chaplow is definitely out.

Forest defeated Ipswich 3-2 at Portman Road in their last league outing to leave them in the third relegation place and two points adrift of safety.

Boss Steve Cotterill, who should have striker Dexter Blackstock and midfielder Paul Anderson in contention to play, will hope that win will boost his side going into the match and count on Forest’s good home record against the Saints, who they have not failed to score against at the City ground for 26 years, to stand them in good stead.

But, four straight league defeats at home and no goals in front of their fans since mid-November means the Forest players will have to work hard to reverse that shocking run this weekend.

However, with Southampton on a poor run of late and Forest boosted by their win at Ipswich, we fancy a possible result of sorts for the hosts.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: Draw 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

PORTSMOUTH V WEST HAM (3pm)

Sam Allardyce takes his high-flying Hammers to Fratton Park for a tough clash against a Portsmouth side which has dragged itself clear of the relegation battle under new boss Michael Appleton.

Pompey are now seven points clear of the bottom three and go in search of a fourth win in seven league matches and fourth on home soil since Appleton replaced Steve Cotterill as boss.

Portsmouth’s plans have not been helped by injury doubts over Ricardo Rocha, Hayden Mullins and Luke Varney.

West Ham arrive with the best away record in the Championship with 24 points gained and only 11 goals conceded from 13 outings.

However, their recent form has dipped with just two wins in six league games and a 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Allardyce should have a strong squad to select from as only Guy Demel and midfielder Matt Taylor are absent due to injury.

The two sides have won 14 games each from their previous 34 meetings and drawn the other six so games between them usually have a winner.

But with Pompey being strong a home and the Hammers not firing on all cylinders of late it is difficult to pick one above the other on this occasions.

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

DONCASTER V CARDIFF (3pm)

Like the Forest-Southampton affair, this is another bottom versus top encounter at the Keepmoat Stadium which should see third-placed Cardiff City come out on top, but might not be a foregone conclusion.

Dean Saunders’ Rovers find themselves second-bottom in the table and four points adrift of safety, although they have won four of their last seven league games – three of them at home against strong opposition in the shape of table-toppers Southampton, Leicester and Barnsley.

Rovers should also be boosted by the availability of new signing Damien Plessis, while fit-again trio Herald Goulon, Martin Woods and John Oster should also be in the running to feature.

Cardiff arrive on the back of successive away defeats in the Carling Cup and FA Cup, but chasing a third successive league win.

Malky Mackay’s side have only lost one Championship game in 13 – against Middlesbrough on December 17 – and have seven draws on their travels which is more than any other side in the league.

However, despite being without injured duo, defender Kevin McNaughton and striker Rudy Gestede, they boast a good record against Rovers.

Three successive wins and nine goals in their recent matches not to mention 16 wins from their 31 league encounters over the years to Doncaster’s five suggests the Bluebirds have the Indian sign over their hosts.

And, with a chance of going to the top of the table up for grabs depending on other results, the men from South Wales should have too much for Rovers.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 21/20
Value Bet: Miller K 1st Goal Cardiff To Win 2-0 Scorecast @ 28/1

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Spanish giants face stern tests

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The Primera Division might well be a two-horse race when it comes to the top prize but there are certainly plenty of clubs eager to take Real Madrid and Barcelona down a peg or two on any given day. Two of those clubs are Malaga and Sevilla, both of who will get their chance to show Spain what they are capable of on Saturday night. We preview what should be an intriguing night’s action.

Malaga v Real Madrid 7pm

When you think about Malaga you think about sun, sea, the Costa del Sol and fights over sun loungers. What doesn’t spring to mind is a football club looking to become the biggest in Spain. However, that is exactly what Malaga CF are looking to do following the takeover of Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani last season.

The Andalusian outfit are now one of the richest clubs in the world and flexed their financial muscle in the summer by bringing in the likes of Jeremy Toulalan, Joaquin, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Santi Cazorla. With a star-studded squad at his disposal former Real boss Manuel Pellegrini will now look to overthrow the club his current employers are desperate to emulate.

Malaga are 11/2 to get the win, with Real 4/9 and the draw 7/2 in the match betting. You might expect Real to be shorter given the way they have been playing since a 1-0 defeat to surprise package Levante in September. The longer the season goes the better Jose Mourinho’s men look, scoring over three goals in each of their last five matches.

The ‘Special One’ has got the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema all singing from the same hymn sheet finally and they look capable of challenging Barcelona this season. Both Ronaldo and Higuain have got seven goals in as many games and Real look capable of matching Barcelona’s deadliness in front of goal.

However, the most improved aspect of the team has been the defence. Whereas it use to be a case of outscoring the opposition, Mourinho has instilled into his players the need to keep it tight at the back.

With both of those aspects in mind Real to win at 11/10 with a minus one handicap looks a cracking bet. Malaga will be a force to be reckoned with soon enough but this will be a valuable lesson they’ll need to learn if they are to get to that level.

Barcelona v Sevilla 9pm

What can be said about Barcelona that hasn’t been done so already? The 2-0 win over Viktoria Plzen might not look much on paper but it contained another classic goal scored by Andres Iniesta which is well worth digging out. At the Nou Camp this season they have been unstoppable, winning their four La Liga matches by a combined scoreline of 21-0. Sevilla should be the next victims but they won’t be pushovers.

New manager Marcelino Garcia Toral has hit the ground running with Sevilla and they are just one of three unbeaten sides left in the division. Their water-tight defensive unit has been their strength thus far with Toral’s men letting just one goal in during the past five matches.

That backline is likely to be sorely test on Saturday night but it shouldn’t be the kind of lop-sided result we are used to seeing at Barcelona. Totals goals between 2-3 could be a good bet at 6/5, with Barcelona’s odds of 1/6 to win the match offering no value. Barcelona will win but there could be some money to be made if Sevilla keep the scoreline down.

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Gunners face German test

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Arsenal have a huge European test on their hands on Tuesday when they face Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in their first Champions League group clash of the season (Dortmund 6/5, draw 23/10, Arsenal 12/5).

The Gunners have endured a slow start to their Premier League campaign with just four points from their first four games in the top flight so far.

Arsenal (16/1 Champions League outright) head to Germany with a win under their belts but it was a less than convincing 1-0 victory over newly promoted Swansea City last weekend that will not fill Gunners fans with confidence.

Having finished in fourth place in the Premier League last term, manager Arsene Wenger and his men have already played in the qualifying rounds of this competition and were able to overcome Italian outfit Udinese over two legs.

That success will have been a good experience for a somewhat new look Arsenal side who will need to draw on that when they take on the current Bundesliga champions.

Dortmund have not made the best start to the defence of their domestic crown, as they currently sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table and this could be a promising sign for the Gunners.

Arsenal’s new signings Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun could all feature for the Gunners but Aaron Ramsey will miss out through injury in what will be a fiery clash.

Wenger’s side will have their work cut out for them but they might just be able to nick a draw to take back to the Emirates.

Tuesday’s other game with British interest sees Chelsea host German opposition of their own in the form of Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Chelsea 2/5, draw 7/2, Leverkusen 15/2).

This will be the first game for manager Andre Villas-Boas with the Blues in the Champions League and the Portuguese coach will be looking to continue his unbeaten record with the London outfit.

Chelsea (8/1 Champions League outright) midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted there is extra pressure on his side to win this lucrative European competition from the club’s owner Roman Abramovich, who has made no secret of his desire to win the tournament.

The Blues have come close in the past, most notably their final appearance against Manchester United back in 2008, but the club are yet to lift the prestigious European Cup.

With Chelsea looking like they are starting to settle under Villas-Boas, they will be full of confidence going into this game, however it won’t be easy against a Leverkusen side who are only two points off the top of the Bundesliga.

Tuesday’s game will see a welcome return for Germany international midfielder Michael Ballack, who helped the Blues secure the first domestic double in their history.

The 34-year-old has plenty of European experience but not even that is likely to stop Chelsea picking up all three points in front of their home fans at Stamford Bridge.

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Celts face tough opposition

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England’s friendly with the Netherlands on Wednesday may have been called off but Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are all in action – and all three face some difficult opponents.

The Premier League clubs may be angered by an international fixture list so close to the start of the season but for the fans, and of course punters, it will surely whet the appetite for the new campaign.

Wales face Australia at the Cardiff City Stadium in what should prove a huge test for Gary Speed’s side.  The Socceroos are 23rd in the Fifa world rankings table, while Wales are 112th in the table but it should be a tighter affair than the rankings system suggests.

Former Sheffield United boss Speed will be able to call on Spurs wideman Gareth Bale for the first time since taking charge of the national side.

The Spurs schemer has missed the first four games of Speed’s tenure through injury but is now fully fit and is expected to be included in the starting line-up.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will captain the side, while Craig Bellamy should also be included in the starting XI and Australia coach Holger Osieck admits he expects a tough test in Cardiff.

“I rate Wales pretty highly,” explained Osieck.

“Knowing some of the individual quality. If you look at Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale, Craig Bellamy, Robert Earnshaw, they are top-class players and the rest are not bad either.

“We are facing a very strong team.”

Wales are 2/1 to beat Australia, who have Premier League stars Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill in their ranks, the visitors are the 11/8 favourites and the draw is priced at 9/4.

Scotland face Denmark at Hampden Park and boss Craig Levein has been left without regulars Darren Fletcher, James McFadden and Craig Gordon.

However, Liverpool new boy Charlie Adam and Blackburn summer recruit David Goodwillie have been included in the squad and will be keen to cause Denmark problems in Glasgow.

Scotland are 9/4 to take all three points, the draw is 9/5 and Denmark are the 6/4 favourites to seal an away victory.

Adam is the most likely candidate to take the Scots’ set-pieces and the mercurial midfielder does have a knack of hitting the target in dead-ball situations, as he did on the final day of the season for Blackpool under extreme pressure at Old Trafford.

Adam is 9/1 to open the scoring at Hampden and 5/2 to score at any time.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland host Croatia at the Aviva Stadium and the Italian tactician has seen his side heavily hit by injuries.

Jon Walters, Marc Wilson, James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman and Kevin Doyle have all been ruled out through injury, but West Brom new boy Shane Long is fit and will replace Doyle in the starting line up.

Croatia are 6/4 to win the fixture, while the hosts are 7/4 and the draw is priced at 23/10.

Wales and Scotland have both been drawn in qualifying Group A ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the duo will be treating their respective matches on Wednesday as warm-up fixtures ahead of the qualifying campaign.

Speed and Levein will also be keeping an eye on events in Dublin as Croatia are the top seed in Group A, while Serbia, Belgium and Macedonia complete the group.

Wales are priced at 66/1 to emerge top of the pile in Group A, Scotland are 14/1 and Belgium are the 15/8 favourites to secure top spot and book a place in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

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Danes face Greek Euro exit

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After a superb opening to the Champions League qualifying round last week, the competition carries on this week with four matches on Tuesday, as club’s look to take their final chance to seal a place in Europe’s most lucrative club competition.

The most eye catching tie sees Danish side Odense BK travel to face Greek giants Panathinaikos with the tie evenly balanced at 1-1, after a hotly contested first leg in Denmark.

The game will be staged in the Olympic Stadium (Panathinaikos 4/6, Draw 5/2, Odense 10/3 – Match Betting) and the home side will be looking to use the intimidating atmosphere often created by their raucous fans to their advantage, as they attempt to qualify for the competition they finished runners-up in 1971.

Panathinaikos managed to reach the last 16 in the 2008-09 season and have Champions League pedigree, but have never really fulfilled their potential on the big stage. The Greek Champions (Panathinaikos/Panathinaikos 6/4 – HT/FT Betting) have a number of names that maybe familiar to English fans and lookout for, amongst others, former Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto. The Argentine arrived at Anfield as a youngster but never really adapted to life in the North West. However, he has excelled in Greece and after scoring his side’s goal in the first leg, will be looking for a big performance in the match to show he can do it on the big stage.

However, Panathinaikos’ main man is Greek youngster Sotiris Ninis who on his day can trouble any defence in Europe. The winger has long been touted as the future of Greek football and has been linked with a number of top clubs in the past, with Inter Milan reportedly tracking his progress. Ninis has the ability to unlock any defence and like Leto, maybe looking at the match as a springboard to bigger things.

Panathinaikos may have young talent, but Odense are also a club on the up although they have created a reputation for themselves as the nearly side, after finishing runners-up in the league in the last three seasons. They’ll be hoping the curse doesn’t strike again and will be looking to get off to a fast start in what could be the biggest game of their season.

Henrik Clausen’s side will be looking to their star man Peter Utaka, brother of former Porstmouth man John, to fire them through. Utaka is another man that Premier League clubs have been looking at and he will be hoping to make an impact on the game after a quiet first leg.

Another name English fans may notice is that of former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba. The Cameroon international was billed as the next Roy Keane when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2003, but his career hasn’t quite turned out as planned and he has become somewhat of a journeyman. However, on his day he still has the tenacity and talent to dominate games and could be a key man if selected.

Odense will have high hopes ahead of the game and you never quite know what you’re going to get from Panathinaikos (13/2 – 2-0 Correct Score Betting). However, the Greek side should have more than enough to come through and will be looking to lay down a marker for the group stages by putting in a strong performance on Tuesday.

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Foxes face promotion pressure

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Eriksson McDermott

With just over two weeks to go until the start of the Championship season, punters will be eyeing a potential ‘good value bet‘ in a wide-open division. The likes of Swansea, Blackpool and Burnley have surprised many by gaining promotion to the top flight in recent years, could there be another surprise package this season?

Leicester (9/2jf Championship Outright) look like the team to beat this term after spending big during the summer transfer window.

Sven Goran Eriksson turned the Foxes from relegation candidates to play-off contenders last season and has spent money on strengthening his squad.

David Nugent, Matt Mills, Neil Danns, Sean St Ledger and Kasper Schmeichel are among the names arriving at Leicester and although they look like quality additions, the pressure will be on for Eriksson’s men to deliver the goods.

West Ham (6/4 to win promotion) are another team expected to go close this season, despite losing a number of first-team players since their relegation from the top flight.

Sam Allardyce has pulled off a real coup with the capture of Kevin Nolan, but a couple of other new faces will be needed if they are to stake a claim for an imminent return.

Birmingham and Blackpool are the other two clubs looking to go back up at the first time of asking, with the Tangerines looking a better bet at this stage.

Ian Holloway may have lost Charlie Adam and David Vaughan but in Kevin Phillips (33/1 Championship Leading Scorer) they have someone who can grab 20-plus goals this term.

Blues have lost four first-team regulars and Chris Hughton has some rebuilding to do to make them a force, although he knows how to win promotion having won the title with Newcastle.

After the appointment of Steve McClaren, much of the press will be keeping a close eye on Nottingham Forest (3/1 to win promotion) this season.

The ex-England boss has brought back Andy Reid to the City Ground and the capture of Jonathan Greening from Fulham looks like a useful addition. The play-offs will be the minimum target for McClaren.

Burnley finished last season strongly under Eddie Howe and have a lot of quality in their squad, but they will need a goalscoring replacement for Chris Iwelumo. The Clarets’ home form is likely to keep them in touch with the chasing pack, but they will need to improve on the road.

Reading (12/1 Championship Outright) will still be haunted by their play-off final defeat to Swansea and the loss of Mills will have a big impact on their hopes. Brian McDermott must keep Shane Long if the Royals are to challenge for promotion.

The Yorkshire challenge will come from Leeds and Hull, with the Tigers looking a more likely threat.

Nigel Pearson has made some shrewd additions, in particular Paul McKenna, and in Matt Fryatt (20/1 Top Goalscorer) has one of the best strikers in the division.

Leeds have struggled to make an impact in the transfer market and will be relying heavily on the intimidation factor of Elland Road.

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