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Brit trio out for matchday 3 glory

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It’s Champions League matchday three this week and teams know they can go a long way to securing their passage into the last 16 with a vital win. On Tuesday, Chelsea and Manchester United are the Premier League representatives hoping to maintain their recent good form while there’s a mouth-watering clash for Celtic when they go to Barcelona.

Barcelona v Celtic

Probably the biggest game of the evening sees Neil Lennon’s side travel to take on the might of the Catalan giants and aristocrats of Europe.

Barcelona are, as ever, huge favourites (1/12 – match odds) to come out on top but this is unlikely to be as easy an evening as the market is suggesting for Tito Vilanova’s men, with Celtic’s 25/1 odds of winning looking just a bit too large.

Celtic, unlike in recent campaigns, have given themselves a chance of qualification with a draw at home to Benfica and a fine win at Spartak Moscow so far, but still they face a huge ask to make it into the top two in such a tough group.

However, Tuesday is one of the Bhoys’ biggest European nights for many a year – considering the way the group is finely poised after two games – and they know getting anything from the game, however hard that is, will give them a great chance of progressing and also go down as one of their best-ever results.

But this is Barca at the Nou Camp we are talking about and even the most die-hard Celtic fan will struggle to predict anything other than a home win.

Celtic would love a repeat of their 1-1 draw from 2008 when they famously earned a point in Barcelona and, again at long odds of 11/1, the draw is tempting to back on Tuesday.

Don’t be fooled though, Barca have much more quality than the SPL champions – even if boss Vilanova opts to rest a few regulars – and a fairly comfortable 2-0 home win is our prediction.

Prediction: Barcelona 2 Celtic 0 at 6/1.

Manchester United v Braga

United’s home game with Portuguese side Braga should be a straightforward evening for the Premier League giants at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have won their first two games in the Champions League so far and should have too much for Braga as they look to make it three wins out of three (1/3 in the match betting) and take a big step towards a last-16 place.

United have not yet been at their best this season and have looked rusty, inconsistent and less than watertight at the back in certain games to offer Braga hope of a shock victory (9/1) or draw (4/1).

But they were surprisingly beaten 2-0 at home by relative minnows CFR Cluj on matchday one before restoring pride with an impressive 2-0 win over Galatasaray in Turkey last time out. That suggests they are a side difficult to predict and on their day a match for most but, on this occasion, a defeat looks very likely.

Prediction: United 3 Braga 0 at 8/1.

Shakhtar Donetsk v Chelsea

The final game involving a British side sees in-form Chelsea make the tricky journey to Ukraine to tackle a Shakhtar side (6/4 in the match betting) who are fast emerging as a side to fear in Europe.

Mircea Lucescu’s men are, like the Blues, sitting pretty at the top of their domestic league but boast a perfect P12 W12 record so far, while they are also in with a chance of progressing out of the Group after seeing off newcomers Nordsjaelland 2-0 before claiming a very creditable 1-1 draw against Juventus in Turin on matchday two (Draw v Chelsea – 12/5).

Both sides know, with Juve lurking and likely to claim one of the top two places and qualification, that this is a big night. A potentially-pivotal win for Roberto Di Matteo’s men then, on offer at 15/8, is worth backing but don’t expect it to be easy for the reigning European champions.

Shakhtar are very dangerous and goals look likely but we fancy the Londoners to turn in another efficient and stylish display and run out narrow victors.

Prediction: Shakhtar 1 Chelsea 2 at 10/1.

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No time to panic for winless trio

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Queens Park Rangers (2/1 – Premier League relegation), Norwich City and Reading are still waiting for their first wins in the Premier League this season but, with plenty of points up for grabs, there is no need to press the panic button just yet.

There is no doubting that Mark Hughes is one of the managers who is under the most pressure to keep hold of his job in the top flight, with the Hoops spending big bucks over the summer to strengthen the squad at Loftus Road.

Hughes has had the backing of the chairman recently, which is always a worrying development for a man in his position.

With three defeats on the bounce, Rangers’ clash at home to Everton on Sunday is a massive game, even though the London outfit are just two points off safety (QPR 11/5, draw 9/4, Everton 6/5 – Match Betting).

Six goals in seven matches show that finding the back of the net has been difficult for Hughes’ men.

But, with the likes of Bobby Zamora, David Hoilett, Jamie Mackie and Djibril Cisse in their ranks and the ability spend money on a striker in January, it should not be long before QPR start bagging goals and climb out the relegation zone.

Having seen manager Paul Lambert make the switch to Aston Villa over the summer, Norwich (8/13 – Premier League relegation) are really struggling, with what appears to be that classic ’second season syndrome’.

The Canaries finished comfortably in mid-table last season and could have been placed higher had they not had a sloppy end to the campaign, as they knew their Premier League status was secure.

Chris Hughton has struggled to build on the work done by his predecessor and, with 17 goals conceded in their first seven games, the problems in defence have been clear at Carrow Road.

A 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in their last outing will not have done Norwich’s confidence any good and things won’t get any easier when they host Arsenal on Saturday (Norwich 11/8, draw 9/4, Arsenal 15/8 – Match Betting).

Unless Norwich can cause some major upsets in the coming weeks then it could well be a long old season for the Canaries.

Reading (8/11 – Premier League relegation) make up the last of the trio still searching for their first thee points and, like Hughes and Hughton, Brian McDermott has been somewhat unlucky not to have guided his side to a victory.

In Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, the Royals have a man who can get goals and, although he has made a relatively slow start to the season, he is likely end up as the top goalscorer at the Madejski this term.

Reading will have a job on their hands to stay up this season but if they can get their home form sorted they should have a good chance of survival, although hosting a resurgent Liverpool this weekend will be tough (Reading 8/11, draw 7/2, Liverpool 17/2 Match Betting).

With Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool the next opponents for the struggling trio at the bottom of the table, they might have to wait beyond this weekend for their first win in the Premier League but the battle to avoid the drop is really just beginning.

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Prem trio all fancied

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It’s match-day two of the Europa League on Thursday and the three Premier League teams involved, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle, all face tricky – but winnable – ties (totesport – match coupon).

Liverpool v Udinese (8.05)

Liverpool are finally winning games under Brendan Rodgers and expect them to continue their recent success with another three points in Europe over the Italians (Liverpool 4/6, Udinese 9/2, draw 11/4 – match prices).

Rodgers will again utilise his impressive crop of youngsters in the Group A match after they served him well in the opening clash against Young Boys last month when they eventually came out on top 5-3.

Jonjo Shelvey was the star that night with two goals when coming on as a sub, and expect him to start as he is currently on a domestic ban following his red card against Manchester United. Rodgers will give the majority of his first-choice players the night off but, even without the likes of Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Luis Suarez and Pepe Reina, they should have enough to make it two wins out of two in the competition.

Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Sebastian Coates should all get another chance to impress and push their first-team claims, while veteran defender Jamie Carragher is likely to skipper the side.

Udinese kicked off their Europa League group campaign with a 1-1 draw with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala and are unbeaten in five games in total. However, they have only won once in nine in all competitions this term and would gladly settle for another point  at Anfield.

Francesco Guidolin’s men do have talent in the shape of Antonio Di Natale, Brazilian summer signing Willians, and on-loan Andrea Lazzari but they are not fancied to cause an upset in this, although they could hold the Reds at bay in the first 45 minutes with HT/FT – Draw/Liverpool worth backing at 3/1 and a correct score of 2-0 to the Reds our prediction at odds of 6/1.

Newcastle v Bordeaux (8.05)

The Magpies have made a solid start to the Premier League season and began the Europa League group stage with a goalless draw in Portugal with Maritimo. Again, expect a much-changed side when Alan Pardew reveals his selections to take on French outfit Bordeaux as Toon aim for a home win to take charge of the group early on (Newcastle 7/5 Bordeaux 2/1 draw 9/4 – match prices).

Youngsters Sammy Ameobi, Adam Campbell, James Tavernier and Gael Bigirimana are all tipped to be involved while Pardew is expected to rest one or both of first-choice strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse against the six-times French title winners.

Breaking down Bordeaux might prove tough, however, as they are well known in France for their defensive-minded tactics and are on an extremely-impressive 17-match unbeaten run – that includes a 4-0 thumping of Club Bruges in the Group D opener, a 0-0 with the star-studded PSG and a fine 2-0 win at Lyon in Ligue 1 over the weekend.

Czech Republic international Jaroslav Plasil is seen as the key attacking midfielder for Francis Gillot’s side when they do venture forward and they will put up a stern fight at St James’ Park. Expect the home side to eventually secure a win, though, with 1-0 appealing in the correct score market at 5/1.

Panathinaikos v Tottenham (6.00)

After a tricky start to his Tottenham tenure, Andre Villas-Boas appears to have got the Londoners going with the weekend 3-2 win at Manchester United the highlight of a mixed campaign so far.

AvB’s men had the better of a 0-0 opening Group J encounter with Lazio last month but had to settle for a point, although they should get their Europa League campaign up-and running with a win on Thursday in Greece (Spurs 11/10 Panathinaikos 2/1 draw 9/4 – match prices).

The Portuguese fielded a fairly strong line-up against the Italians and is set to start with plenty of his regular Premier League squad against Panathinaikos with Jermain Defoe, Clint Dempsey and possibly even Gareth Bale all in contention.

Hugo Lloris will come in again for Brad Friedel in goal but that hardly weakens the Premier League top-four contenders, and with their opponents on Thursday without a win in six matches, expect them to have too much for Panathinaikos despite a lively home crowd backing Jesualdo Ferreira’s men.

In the correct score market, 2-0 to Spurs is our selection at odds of 7/1.

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Tricky ties await Brit trio

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Manchester United, Chelsea and Celtic get their Champions League group campaigns underway on Wednesday and, despite all three being at home, it could be a tricky evening for the British sides.

Manchester United v Galatasaray

United look to have the easiest task of the British sides on Wednesday as they welcome Turkish champions Gala to Old Trafford. Not that Sir Alex Ferguson will be taking anything for granted following last season’s disappointing group stage exit (United 2/7, Galatasaray 11/1, draw 9/2).

The Premier League runners-up were uncharacteristically sloppy in front of their own fans in this competition last term, drawing 3-3 at home to Benfica and 2-2 with Basel as well as just about seeing off minnows Otelul Galati 2-0.

Fergie has warned he will not tolerate those sort of below-par performances and results this season and, with that in mind, back United to kick off with a fairly convincing home win.

Saturday’s 4-0 success over Wigan was more like it from the Red Devils after a rusty start to the campaign which had seen them lose to Everton and then scramble wins over Fulham and Southampton. They have added firepower this year in the shape of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa so Wayne Rooney’s continued absence should not be much of a problem.

Gala will approach the game determined to claim a point but the Turkish side are notoriously poor travellers and will not relish the trip, as their huge odds of 11/1 to win on the night prove.

Go for 2-0 to United in the correct score market at 5/1.

Chelsea v Juventus

The Blues appear to have a much-more daunting opener with the visit of Italian champions Juve a tougher one to call (Chelsea 11/10. Juve 11/4, draw 23/10).

Roberto Di Matteo’s side surprised many with their Champions League triumph last season and they will not want to give up their crown easily. At least progressing through the group should be fairly straightforward, with minnows FC Nordsjaelland in Group E along with Shakhtar Donetsk and Juve.

The European champions come into Wednesday’s clash in good early-season form, too, and they are unbeaten so far with the hard-fought 0-0 draw at QPR on Saturday the only blip domestically.

However, the 5-1 thumping at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup is a reminder of how vulnerable they can still be and Di Matteo’s side, who finished last season sixth in the Premier Leauge, are very much a work in progress with several new arrivals bedding in.

Eden Hazard has looked a class act already, though, and will relish this test against one of Europe’s heavyweights so the Belgian is well worth backing in the score anytime market at 9/4.

Overall, Di Matteo’s men may well view a point as a decent outcome considering what lies ahead and a cagey 0-0 (11/2) could well be on the cards.

Celtic v Benfica

It has been a very strange start to the season in Scotland as Celtic have stumbled their way through their opening SPL games, not quite sure what to do with themselves now arch-rivals Rangers have left the top flight.

The Bhoys will surely come good in the league after a start that has seen them draw twice, scrape two narrow wins and then lose to St Johnstone at the weekend.

That last result may just have given away the fact that Celtic’s focus was on this tie rather than their early SPL struggles as they look to see off the Portuguese giants (Celtic 11/4, Benfica 11/10, draw 23/10).

Expect a passionate home support to lift Neil Lennon’s side and a home win is not out of the question, especially when you consider Benfica’s record away from home. They have also lost their two Champions League trips to Celtic to date, conceding four goals and failing to score a single one in the process, while they have only won four of their 26 Champions League away games in total.

Despite those stats, this remains a big test for the Hoops and another draw is predicted in what looks like being a tight encounter. 1-1 at 5/1 appeals to ensure a solid, if unspectacular start to Celtic’s European Cup campaign proper.

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Trio searching for promotion points

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The race for automatic promotion from the Championship is intensifying and it now looks like being a three-horse race between Southampton, Reading and West Ham, who are all in action on Saturday looking to get some more vital points on the board.

Burnley v West Ham

Sam Allardyce’s Hammers have hit a sticky patch at just the wrong time in their bid to secure an immediate return to the Premier League (4/7 – Promotion) this season.

The Londoners looked certain to win promotion at one stage, but their recent inability to kill teams off – particularly at home – has resulted in five draws from the last six outings which has allowed in-form Reading to jump into second spot behind league leaders Southampton.

However, West Ham have been strong away from home all season and it might be good for them to be playing away from Upton Park as the pressure from the stands appears to have affected them in recent weeks.

The Hammers have picked up half of their total of 68 points on the road so will be confident of improving on that at Turf Moor.

Julien Faubert and Ricardo Vaz Te are still absent with respective groin and hamstring problems, while defender Guy Demel and midfielder Papa Bouba Diop have long-term injuries.

Burnley have been consistently inconsistent this season with their home record of six wins, six draw and six defeats summing things up perfectly. However, Eddie Howe’s men did defeat the Hammers 2-1 at Upton Park earlier in the season and have lost only four of 36 games against them on home soil.

Left-back Danny Lafferty and forward Danny Ings will be checked before the game, while top scorer Jay Rodriguez is also likely to start again after completing 90 minutes against Ipswich in midweek.

The Clarets want a first win in seven, while West Ham know a draw will mean a record fifth consecutive stalemate, but Allardyce’s side should get their promotion bid back on track on Saturday.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 5/4
Value Bet: Draw/West Ham HT/FT @ 9/2

Reading v Blackpool

A huge game is in wait in the scrap for promotion and play-off places at the Madejski Stadium as second-placed Reading take on fifth-placed Blackpool.

Brian McDermott’s Royals have jumped above West Ham into the second automatic promotion places (4/7 – Promotion) following a run of nine wins and one draw before Tuesday’s surprise 3-1 defeat at Peterborough.

They stay two points ahead of the Hammers, who have a game in hand, so will be desperate to secure three points against the Tangerines to stay in the box seat for another weekend.

The Royals have won five successive games on home soil going into this match and will be looking to extend that run, although they will have to do it without striker Jason Roberts due to a hamstring injury.

England youth international Benik Afobe has arrived on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season, and the youngster could make his debut, while Hayden Mullins is set to continue on the right of defence in the absence of ankle injury victim Matt Connolly and Joseph Mills continues to miss out.

Blackpool have hit an indifferent run of form in recent weeks, although Wednesday’s last-gasp 3-3 draw with Leicester at Bloomfield Road has kept them in the play-off places.

Ian Holloway’s side have won two, drawn two and lost two in their last six, but an encouraging statistic is they are the Championship’s top scorers on their travels with 32 so far.

Roman Bednar will sit this one out due to injury and so it is a timely return for Stephen Dobbie to the club from Swansea.

The Royals look set to bounce back from Tuesday’s Posh defeat and put another three points on the board this weekend.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 4/5
Value Bet: Reading To Win 3-2 Correct Score @ 25/1

Southampton v Doncaster

A real top-versus-bottom affair at St Mary’s which, on the face of it, appears to be one of the biggest home bankers of the weekend.

Nigel Adkins’ Saints sit five points clear at the top of the Championship table (1/3 – Outright) and look good for a return to the Premier League, while Doncaster are one place and one point off the bottom spot.

Southampton’s home form is easily the best in the league with 14 wins and just two defeats, while they have won five and drawn one in their last matches.

Guly do Prado and Tadanari Lee are injury doubts for the Saints so Billy Sharp could be handed a rare start against his former club, while midfielder Richard Chaplow could return to the squad after missing out at Hull in midweek.

Dean Saunders’ Rovers are in desperate need of a win as they are four points adrift of safety following a run of just one win in six, which came at fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Shelton Martis remains a major injury doubt for Doncaster with hamstring and calf problems, while Tommy Spurr’s absence means George Friend will contest the left-back berth with Herita Ilunga after returning to training from knee ligament damage.

Pascal Chimbonda is poised to return at right-back having missed the Millwall home defeat due to his wife being unwell, while Kyle Bennett faces a late fitness test on his toe.

Everything points to a home win, but Rovers did defeat the Saints 1-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium earlier in the season and won 2-1 on their previous visit to St Mary’s so they will have some hope of securing a result.

But anything other than a comfortable win for the Saints would be a major shock.

Prediction: Home Win 90 Minutes @ 1/3
Value Bet: Lambert 1st Goal Southampton To Win 3-1 Scorecast @ 22/1

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Trio eyeing cup shocks

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Stevenage, Crawley Town and Brighton will be hoping to overcome Premier League opposition in a busy Sunday of FA Cup Fifth Round action.

Crawley v Stoke
League Two high-flyers Crawley are taking on Premier League opposition for the second year in succession in the form of Stoke City (Crawley 11/4 draw 12/5 away Evens). Last season they travelled to Old Trafford in the last 16 and were unlucky to not force a replay after hitting the bar late on in a narrow 1-0 defeat.

The big spending West Sussex club were a non-league team then, but fresh from lifting the Conference title last May they are now chasing a second successive promotion into League One. They have already provided two cup shocks this season having defeated Championship side Bristol City and Hull without conceding a goal.

Stoke meanwhile are hoping to go one better this season after reaching last year’s final before losing to Manchester City. The reward for their May day at Wembley was a spot in the Europa League, a new experience for the club with boss Tony Pulis admitting it has been a challenge trying to combine European and domestic duties.

They travel south on Sunday fresh from a 1-0 defeat to Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League last 32 tie, with Pulis again pledging to shuffle his pack for the return to domestic action.

For that reason, the Broadfield Stadium is the most likely venue for an upset on Sunday, with Crawley’s financial resources meaning they possess a squad far stronger than their League Two standing suggests, making their odds of 11/4 worthy of a punt.

Stevenage v Tottenham
Stevenage manager Gary Smith hasn’t even been in English football management for a month yet he is already preparing his side for a huge tie against Premier League title-chasing Tottenham (Stevenage 9/1 draw 4/1 Tottenham 1/3). The 43-year-old moved to Broadhall Way last month after a three year spell in the MLS with Colorado Rapids.

His first game in charge was a 1-0 fourth round win over Notts County that set-up a plumb tie with Harry Redknapp’s Londoners. The club have yet to concede a goal in their cup adventure so far this year, taking in wins over Hartlepool, Stourbridge, Notts County and Reading. They also know how to knock out Premier league sides after defeating Newcastle at the third round stage last season – the only occasion they have knocked out a top flight side.

Spurs boss Redknapp is open about his desire to guide Tottenham back into the Champions League but will not want to see their momentum checked by a defeat to lower league opposition in the cup. They have lost just once to lower league opposition in 33 attempts and, despite being a touch fortunate to make it past Watford in round four, are unlikely to slip up on this occasion. A comfortable 3-0 Spurs win is my tip and is priced at 7/1.

Liverpool v Brighton
Kenny Dalglish’s reds have already booked one Wembley date this season but the Scot has warned his side that Carling Cup final places are at risk if they under-perform against Brighton at Anfield on Sunday (Liverpool 1/4 draw 9/2 Brighton 11/1). The club have not lost at home in any competition this season but have not made the quarter-finals of the FA Cup since winning it in 2006.

They have already beaten Brighton this campaign, with goals from Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy giving them a 2-1 Carling Cup win at the Amex Stadium in September. Albion meanwhile will be hoping to repeat their heroics of 29 years ago, when they last beat Liverpool en route to the final, where they eventually lost to Manchester United in a replay.

They were giant-killers in round four, knocking out Alan Pardew’s Champions League-chasing Newcastle. Gus Poyet’s men have also yet to lose in any competition this calendar year, winning six and drawing four of their 10 league and cup games.

I expect the sides’ unbeaten runs to continue after Sunday’s contest, with a hard-earned replay the reward for Albion. My prediction is an entertaining 2-2 draw priced at a hefty 28/1.

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England trio begin Europa tilt

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The European adventure continues for England’s top two clubs although not in the competition that either would have liked as they get their Europa League campaigns underway on Thursday, while surprise package Stoke are also in action, looking to put their poor domestic run behind them.

Big spending Manchester City head the outright betting at 5/1 for Europa League glory in Bucharest in May, which is hardly a surprise given the riches at manager Roberto Mancini’s disposal.

However, the question is how seriously will the Premier League leaders be taking this competition, given the way their season has gone so far.

When they were banging in goals for fun and thumping title challengers Manchester United and Spurs away, the talk was about winning every competition they were in.

However, they have been knocked out of the Champions League at the first opportunity, albeit from a tough looking group, were knocked out of the FA Cup (again as early as possible) while they fell at the semi-final stage in the Carling Cup.

Despite a magnificent start to the Premier League campaign, the Citizens have not run away with it as yet, particularly as they have been far from consistent in 2012.

Mancini’s men take on defending champions FC Porto in the first leg of their last-32 clash at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday, with the Portuguese giants as, if not more, disappointed that they failed to make it further in the Champions League.

Porto’s home form was the principal reason for their failure to get out of Group G, just one win and two draws to finish behind APOEL FC and Zenit St Petersburg.

This is perhaps reflected in the match betting with both sides available at 13/8 to take a first-leg advantage, while the draw is on offer at 23/10.

Mancini will have the Toure brothers back from African Nations Cup duty to bolster the ranks, while Mario Balotelli is available despite his domestic ban.

But whether the Italian tactician decides to go with his fringe players remains to be seen, although his squad is arguably the strongest in Europe.

However, indifferent away form has been the problem of late and Porto are likely to go all out for the win to maintain the defence of their trophy, with Hulk (6/1 First/Last Goalscorer) leading the charge up front.

United, 7/1 outright second favourites, have named a strong-looking squad as they make their bow in Europe’s second tier competition, although Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov and Patrice Evra have been left at home.

The Red Devils did not appear to have the toughest of groups in the Champions League but still failed to progress with a 2-1 defeat in Basel condemning them to a place in the Europa League.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men take on another Champions League drop-out, although Ajax were far from disgraced in their failure to progress, only losing out on goal difference to Lyon in a group which also included Real Madrid.

The betting suggests that this is a foregone conclusion with United odds on favourites at 5/6 to win at the Amsterdam Arena, with Ajax available at 10/3 and the draw at 5/2.

United have improved their form of late to remain in Premier League contention but it is still taking something of a chance backing them at the prices, given only one away victory in Europe this year – and that was 2-0 at group whipping boys Otelul Galati.

Ajax are not the force they once were but, with the draw of United, the players will no doubt be up for this one and it is set to be a tight affair.

Stoke have surprised a few in getting this far and their reward is a tough draw against Spanish giants Valencia, who consolidated third place in La Liga with a 4-0 demotion of Sporting Gijon.

Stoke’s form has been poor of late, losing their last three games, but they did enjoy dominance at the Britannia in Europe before Christmas, winning two and drawing one in Group E.

Valencia’s form on their travels in the Champions League cost them progression but they have enjoyed previous success in this competition and, as the third best side in Spain, obviously are no mugs.

It will be a real contrast of styles and although Valencia have been installed as the 6/4 favourites in the match betting, Stoke (7/4) can take something into the second leg – albeit a draw, priced at 23/10.

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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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Trio can land Friday prize

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There are three key games taking place across Europe on Friday evening, with punters sure to be keeping an eye on developments in England, Italy and Germany. We take a look at the best betting options for the triple-header…….

Preston can make it make it four successive League One wins on the bounce when they welcome Yeovil to Deepdale in leg one of Friday’s football treble.

North End have responded well from their shock home defeat to Colchester on the opening day of the new campaign – and first in the third tier of English football since relegation last season – by clocking up 10 points in four games.

By contrast, Yeovil have managed just one win in League One so far this season – at home to Oldham nearly a month ago – and are priced accordingly at 4/1 in the match betting for what would be a shock away win.

More encouraging for PNE manager Phil Brown, who revealed free agent El Hadji Diouf is training with the club this week, is the that fact his promotion-contenders have not conceded a league goal in 270 minutes.

His only worry is goalkeeper Iain Turner, who scored with a huge goal-kick in Preston’s last outing against Notts County on August 27, because of an elbow injury.

Yeovil boss Terry Skiverton was delighted with the way his side battled to a goalless draw against Tranmere at Prenton Park – the club first clean sheet of the new season – but it is difficult to make a case for the Glovers heading back North on Friday night.

Skiverton, who admitted “my players are going through the pain barrier for me at the moment” last week, has lost strikers Jon Obika and Andy Williams to injury and that can only blunt the Green and Whites as an attacking unit.

North End can be backed at 4/7 to beat Yeovil and are 2/1 to win promotion from League 1 this season, and it is difficult to envisage them flopping on Friday.

In Serie A, AC Milan drew twice in the league against Lazio (Milan 8/13, draw 12/5, Lazio 4/1 – Match Betting) last term – but only lost twice at home all season.

The defending champions are a short price to win on Friday at the San Siro in the opening game of the delayed Italian season, but they look too strong for the Rome outfit.

Finally, Augsburg have failed to win a match in Bundesliga in four attempts since promotion to the German top flight last season – and have not scored in 180 minutes – and on Friday entertain shot-shy Bayer Leverkusen.

The visitors have only netted twice in four games since the start of the new season and it may pay to side with a low goals projection at SGL Arena (Augsburg 3/1, draw 5/2, Bayer Leverkusen 8/11 – Match Betting).

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British trio looking good

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The domestic season is still to begin in England but the preliminary rounds of the Europa League are well underway as Stoke, Fulham and Hearts all hope to book their place in the final play-off stage of the competition on Thursday.

All three British sides left in have a realistic chance of going through and here we preview their respective third-round, second-leg ties.

Hajduk Split v Stoke (agg 0-1)

The Potters’ first foray into Europe for 37 years ended in a narrow win in the first leg against the Croatian outfit thanks to Jon Walters’ early goal at what was a rocking Britannia Stadium last week.

Tony Pulis’ side wasted several good chances to extend their lead in the tie and, while they would have wanted more goals to take to Split, Stoke remain in pole position to make it through.

However, they are sure to be tested by their opponents on Thursday in front of what is expected to be a hostile home following. Pulis is likely to go with a defensive-minded formation but if any side can go and shut up shop and kill a game then it’s the Potters.

Go with 0-0 at 7/1 – just enough to extend their European adventure for at least two more games.

Fulham v RNK Split (agg 0-0)

Fulham have had it relatively easy in the Europa League so far but will have been disappointed to have come away from Croatia – against the lesser-known Split outfit – without a victory.

A goalless draw away in Europe is always viewed as a decent result, however, and, like Stoke, the Cottagers are in a good position to advance into the play-offs ahead of the second leg in London.

Martin Jol set his stall out in this competition in the early qualifying round against Northern Irish minnows Crusaders when he named a surprisingly strong side – despite the fact it was mid-July – and he is obviously keen to do well in the tournament after taking over from Mark Hughes this summer.

The likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and recent signing John Arne Riise all started in the first leg and they will again be charged with disposing of RNK this time around. Expect a fairly comfortable home win here with 4-0 to the Cottagers at 15/2 representing good value.

Hearts v Paksi (agg 1-1)

Hearts gave themselves every chance of securing a play-off spot with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Hungary last week against the relatively unknown Paksi, who certainly punched above their weight last season when finishing second in the Hungarian league to earn a shot at the Europa League.

The first leg was generally controlled by the Jambos but, after falling behind against the run of play, they failed to find enough to come back and win. However, an away goal and a score-draw is always welcome in Europe so expect the SPL side to have too much for Paksi in Edinburgh.

Hearts have been in the news this week when Jim Jefferies became the latest managerial casualty of controversial ‘hands-on’ owner Vladimir Romanov. And, despite the off-field shenanigans proving to be a distraction in the past, these latest developments are unlikely to affect them too much for the second leg and a handsome Hearts win looks on the cards for new man in charge Paulo Sergio (Hearts 23/20 – HT/FT).

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