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Big boys join Europa race

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The Europa League third qualifying round gets underway on Thursday and several of Europe’s sleeping giants will be searching for a stress-free passage to the play-off round, where a place in the group stages will be at stake.

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool face Belarussian outfit FK Gomel, who set up the plum tie with the 2004/05 Champions League winners with a narrow win over FK Renova of Macedonia.

Attacking threats for Gomel include former BATE Borisov hitman Aleksandr Alumona and new signing Andrey Sherakow, who arrived from Minsk, though there is a very definite lack of big-match experience in the squad.

Unsurprisingly, Gomel are priced as 7/1 outsiders to take anything from their home leg against the Reds, with Rodgers’ men a near-certainty at 1/3 to take an advantage with them back to Anfield.

Elsewhere, another former Champions League winner, Inter Milan, will aim to move a step closer to qualification for the Europa League when they take on Hajduk Split.

The Croatian outfit’s finest moment in Europe came in the 1994/95 season, when they reached the quarter final of the Champions League, though recent years have been tinged with frustration, having finished as runner-up in the Prva Liga for the last four years.

They take on a team who topped their Champions League group last season only to be eliminated in the second round, and fail to produce the goods in Serie A, finishing a distant sixth and well out of the title race.

But Inter Milan’s hopes of staging a comeback in the upcoming season are high, and, at 4/11 to fit into place the first piece of the jigsaw and win this first leg clash, they are expected to have too much of Hajduk Split.

Meanwhile, La Liga side Athletic Bilbao should be far too strong for NK Slaven Belupo when the two sides meet for the first of two legs tomorrow evening. The Croats have a habit of starting games strongly in Europe, but will struggle in the Spanish heat.

Bilbao’s 1/10 price tells you all you need to know about this game, but a 10/1 price on a 5-0 win for the Spaniards represents extremely good value, as does a 6-0 scoreline, which is available at 16/1.

Further British interest at this stage of the competition is represented by Dundee United, who welcome Dynamo Moscow to Tannadice Park tomorrow evening, and who will rightly fancy their chances of defying their 10/3 price and taking a lead with them into the away leg.

Dynamo are available at 7/10 to escape with the win, but Peter Houston’s men will be feeling far from charitable, and a siege mentality from the hosts could force the Russians to settle for a draw, which is available at a rather generous 23/10.

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Blues to join Reds in final

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After Saturday’s superb first semi-final, which saw Liverpool beat local rivals Everton to claim a place in the FA Cup final, Tottenham and Chelsea face each other on Sunday to decide who will return to Wembley to meet the Reds in May (Spurs 13/8, draw 23/10, Chelsea 7/4 – Match Betting).

As both Premier League games between the London sides have ended in draws this season, the two teams will be looking for the extra ingredient that will see them beat their opponents to keep their hopes of domestic silverware alive.

At the turn of the year, Tottenham looked as if they could win the Premier League title after staying in touch with both Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the table, but they have struggled in recent weeks and have now dropped to fourth behind local rivals Arsenal.

They lost last time out against Norwich but the FA Cup is a totally different kettle of fish and they will be looking to win their first piece of silverware since capturing the League Cup in 1998.

Key to their chances of victory will undoubtedly be the performance of Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart (13/8 to score at any time) who, after starring in the early part of the campaign, has struggled recently. However, he always seems to perform on the big stage and his ability to play clever passes and unlock defences could make the difference.

The Blues are currently in a rich vein of form under interim boss Roberto di Matteo, having won four of their last five matches in all competitions.

They may have a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona on Wednesday but they will be desperate to beat their local rivals first. They will also have a number of players who will be looking to put in a strong display against Spurs to give themselves a chance of being included in the starting line-up for the clash against the Blaugrana.

Like Spurs, much of their attacking threat comes through their playmakers and Spanish international Juan Mata (15/8 to score at any time) could play a vital role in proceedings. Mata is a similar player to Van der Vaart so expect him to pop up all over the field as he looks to break down the Tottenham rearguard.

This looks almost too close to call but with captain John Terry fit and Chelsea being the form side, they should just sneak it 1-0. However, it’s guaranteed to be tight (Chelsea 13/2 to win 1-0).

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RVP can join Anfield club

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Holland hot-shot Robin van Persie simply has to be backed to score the first goal in Saturday’s lunchtime tussle between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield.

Totesport’s ‘Double Delight – Hat-trick Heaven‘ offer could see the 4/1 for the dynamic Dutchman to bag first pay out 8/1 if he scores another in the match, or 12/1 if he joins the likes of Andrey Arshavin (2009), Peter Crouch (2007) and Robbie Fowler (1994) in the Anfield hat-trick club.

If your player scores the first goal of the match and goes on to score another, we’ll double your First Goalscorer price. If they go on to score a hat-trick, we’ll treble your First Goalscorer price. Who is your money on to bag the first goal of the match at Anfield?.

Van Persie could have had a hat-trick before half-time in last week’s north London derby demolition of Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners’ spearhead has scored 23 Premier League goals so far this season, bagging in 15 of the 26 matches he has appeared in, and grabbing the all-important first goal on eight occasions.

That represents almost one in every three matches in which he has played and suggests there is good value in taking the 4/1 for him to open the scoring on Saturday, while hoping that he adds to his tally later.

Another player who could be incredible value in this market is Yossi Benayoun (11/1 – First Goalscorer). The irrepressible Israeli was a surprise inclusion in Arsene Wenger’s side for last weekend’s 5-2 win over Spurs, but he did enough to suggest he will keep his place against his former club.

Benayoun, who scored two for Liverpool against Arsenal in that epic 4-4 draw between the clubs in 2009, has always had a tidy goal ratio during his injury-hit time in English football.

He has scored once in three starts for the Gunners this season, once in one start for Chelsea last term and 14 in 40 starts for Liverpool in the previous two campaigns, although there were a handful of substitute appearances in each of those years.

Aside from the goalscorer betting, which manager is likely to be smiling smugly into the camera in the post-match interviews and which one will be sourly shrugging at Sky TV’s microphone man?

Totesport makes Liverpool (Evens) the favourites, but with Daniel Agger definitely out with a cracked rib and Steven Gerrard struggling, the bet has to be Arsenal (11/4) to claim a point at 13/5.

Both dressing rooms will be buoyant after their results last weekend but Liverpool’s Carling Cup victory over Cardiff City was a draining occasion – and still left many observers wondering about Kenny Dalglish’s recent transfer activity.

Dalglish will make changes with Durk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy potentially returning to the starting line-up unless the Anfield boss believes Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson are the men to knock the Gunners out of their stride.

Wenger will feel that his faith in Theo Walcott has been partially vindicated by the will-o’-the-wisp winger’s second-half brace last week, but the fact remains that he does not score enough or do enough with his final ball to justify selection ahead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League at home this season, although they have won only four of their 12 matches. But seven of the last 12 matches between these two have ended in draws and six of them have finished at one apiece – which makes 1-1 in the Correct Score market at 11/2 another tempting option.

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