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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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson appears to be ready to gamble on his side’s home form to seal their place in the knockout stage of the Europa League as group winners as he will send out a shadow side for Thursday’s Group K trip to Steaua Bucharest (15/8 to beat Liverpool).
Tuesday’s Carling Cup fixtures….
Roy Hodgson is set to rely on his youngsters as Liverpool get their Europa League campaign underway on Thursday with a third qualifying round first-leg clash against Macedonian outfit FK Rabotnicki (Liverpool 2/9, Rabotnicki 9/1, draw 4/1 – 90 Minutes) in Skopje.