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Too much to ask for Town…

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Ipswich head to the Emirates on Tuesday holding a narrow 1-0 lead over Arsenal in the Carling Cup semi following the first leg, but very few people are giving them a chance of making it to Wembley (Ipswich to win in 90 minutes – 20/1).

The Tractor Boys were well worth their win at Portman Road a fortnight ago as Tamas Priskin’s late goal (3/1 to score anytime in second leg) set up the tie perfectly for the return in north London this week but, despite their lead, it remains a tough ask for the Championship strugglers to make it to Wembley.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger rested some of his top stars in the first leg but still included the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Denilson and skipper Cesc Fabregas, while youngsters Keiran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere also started.

The Frenchman is expected to name a similar side in the second game as he looks for the same sort of performance from his side that they put on against Leeds in the FA Cup third-round replay last week.

That display, which secured a comfortable 3-1 win, was a marked improvement from the one  at Portman Road but confirms that if the Gunners approach the match in the right frame of mind there can surely be only one winner.

Saturday’s 3-0 win over Wigan in the league came courtesy of a Robin van Persie hat-trick but the Dutchman could well be rested against Paul Jewell’s side on Tuesday with the goalscoring responsibility likely to again rest with Niklas Bendtner, or even Carlos Vela who came on late in the first leg.

Jewell claims he has already picked his side for the game and is expected to play Priskin up front on his own as he plots what would be a famous triumph (Ipswich 40/1 to win on penalties).

The new Ipswich boss is, however, without Lee Martin who is cup-tied but midfielder Colin Healy is set to play despite a minor groin strain.

Town are aiming for their first appearance in a major final since the famous FA Cup Final win of 1978 – which came against Arsenal – but it’s going to take a mammoth effort from them to restrict the Gunners, who have hit nine goals in their last three games and managed 42 from just 16 matches at home in all competitions so far this term – an average of 2.6 per game.

Two on Tuesday would be enough but a more handsome win – take 4-0 to the Gunners at 8/1 for example – is likely to be a more astute correct score bet.

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Algeria record much needed win

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Algeria secured a 1-0 win over the UAE in Germany in their final pre-World Cup match (Algeria 500/1 outright winners).

Karim Ziani scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the second half as coach Rabah Saadane answered some of the critics who rounded on him in the defeat in Ireland last week.

The squad Saadane used included defensive pillars Madjid Bougherra and Antar Yahia as well as Medhi Lacen in midfield, while under-fire Yazid Mansouri kept his place in the starting line-up despite his poor showing against Ireland.

Srecko Katanec’s UAE team were well organised early on and put pressure on Faouzi Chaouchi on two occasions.

Algeria should have taken the lead in the 17th minute after an inspired run by Ziani who found Rafik Djebbour in the box but the AEK Athens forward failed to get on the end of the pass.

The game was a sloppy yet energetic affair, with the UAE more than holding their own against their World Cup-bound opponents.

Forwards Matar and Ahmed Khalil were doing their best to trouble the resolute Algerian backline while the Fennecs attempted to inject as much pace into the game as possible, desperately in search of their first goal in three matches.

The start of the second half saw Khalil once again pestering the Algerians with his constant pressure but Chaouchi was alert and brave to come out of his goal and make a vital clearance.

Four minutes into the second half, Algeria won a penalty when Sabil handled the ball in his area. Ziani stepped up and blasted the ball past Humaid with a powerful shot to give the Desert Foxes a 1-0 lead.

Faisal Khalil was subbed into the match for Al Shihi in the 54th minute as Katanec looked for more offensive solutions. Saadane countered by putting in Ghezzal for Rafik Saifi, Djebbour for Boudebouz, and Foued Kadir for Mansouri.

Algeria dominated possession for the rest of the encounter but still couldn’t add a second and remain without a goal from open play in their last three four outings.

Saadane said after the game: “This game was a good test for us. It was very tough and a high level.

“It demonstrated the capabilities of the team, especially with the players returning from injury and took us a step closer to where we want to be. There was a lot of willingness on the part of players, who have given a great deal in these last few weeks.”

He added: “Among the positives are the physicality of the players. We played an attacking game today to try and win, given our status as a World Cup team.

“There were many problems with ball retention. No one could keep the ball and I asked the players at half-time to improve on this and they did in the second half. There are still some problems in attack, where our finishing was lacking. Hopefully we’ll have this during the World Cup.”

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