Crouch Lennon

Tottenham have looked far from out of their depth in the Champions League so far but they come up against a Milan side out for revenge after the first-leg result, while Schalke and Valencia sit level. There must be a winner in both ties so who will be celebrating at the final whistle?

Tottenham v AC Milan

Spurs have surpassed many people’s expectations in their first Champions League adventure and they are holding a one-goal advantage over AC Milan following the first leg.

A late Peter Crouch goal, which came from a superb speedy break from winger Aaron Lennon, means Harry Redknapp’s side hold the upper hand against the team currently sitting top of Serie A.

There is no doubting the attacking potential of AC Milan as they can boast the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Alexandre Pato, but Spurs have shown this season they can rip teams apart with their own prowess going forward.

For that reason, it is going to be vital for Spurs that they can get Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart on the pitch. The duo have been missing for several weeks but Redknapp has admitted both could play at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

Spurs are 6/5 to win the game while Milan are 11/5.

Milan are likely to come to north London and attack, with their confidence boosted from a 1-0 win over Juventus at the weekend. If they go hell for leather they will cause problems for a Spurs side that has been leaking goals in recent weeks.

They let in three at Wolves on Saturday and another three to Blackpool in the previous game and, with no disrespect to those two teams, they do not boast the same attacking threat as Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

It is 8/11 for both teams to score and 12/5 for there to be 4 or more goals in the game, which could look good bets given the attacking talent on show.

There is also the underlying tension that is likely to still exist from the fracas that took most of the headlines after the first leg. Genaro Gattuso is not travelling to White Hart Lane due to a four-match suspension handed out for his headbutt on Joe Jordan, but even without his presence there could be some animosity on and off the pitch.

Spurs will be hoping all the headlines are made on the pitch this time around and they can get the right result to extend their maiden voyage into the Champions League and write another chapter in the history of the club.

Schalke v Valencia

Schalke and Valencia go into their last-16 second-leg level at 1-1, so the German side’s away goal could come into play at the end of extra time. Felix Magath is under massive pressure after they dropped to tenth in the Bundesliga, courtesy of a 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart on Saturday, and he needs a result to appease the baying crowd.

Schalke’s Champions League exploits have been the only saving grace for their suffering fans, but they do boast the attacking experience of Raul and if Klaas-Jan Huntelaar recovers in time to play, they could cause Valencia problems.

The Spaniards sit third in La Liga after their 2-1 win over Real Mallorca and that game was their third in a row where they have won despite going behind. They even managed to rest top scorer Roberto Soldado for that game, while the experienced pairing of David Albelda and Joaquin should both be back from injury.

It was hard to separate the two teams during the first leg in Spain and a second draw in 90 minutes is 9/4. If there is a result within the allotted 90 minutes then Schalke are 6/4 to get the win.

Both sides should fancy their chances of getting the victory but given the host’s struggles then Valencia at 9/5 to get the win could be seen as a good bet.

However, if Schalke and Valencia let the nerves of making the final eight get to them it could be a tense game and 21/10 for there to be 1 goal or less could come into the equation.

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Sunday’s game at Hillsborough still has real significance for Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls are still in the bottom three and stand in real need of three points. United’s chance of reaching the play-offs has all but slipped away but their supporters could take some satisfaction from adding to the problems of their city rivals.

If this game wasn’t a derby, Sheffield United would be the ideal opponents for Wednesday. The Blades’ away form has collapsed dramatically and they have been beaten twelve times away from Bramhall Lane. Their record is actually worse that the Owls, who have lost eleven games on the road.

Confidence is low in both dressing rooms though Sheffield United did win last Saturday- however, they have plunged to tenth place after a season when they were expected to be a top six side with some ease. Two points from their last four games has dragged Sheffield Wednesday back into the relegation mire after a relatively good run of results.

Head-to-Head from 124 competitive games:

• Sheffield United 45 Wins
• Sheffield Wednesday 41 Wins
• Plus 38 Draws

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The importance of this game to the Owls can’t be overstated because next week they have to travel to in-form Cardiff City. Their final game sees them host fellow strugglers Crystal Palace in what would be a nerve-shredding ‘winner take all’ encounter.

The Owls have lost their last two matches by a single, late goal and manager Alan Irvine will not want to go into the last day having to beat Palace to stay up. The team aren’t playing badly but the rub of the green has been missing.

The visit of the Blades could be the moment to pull off a win. Though Kevin Blackwell’s team should be highly motivated for a derby, they will also be suffering some deflation after their steep decline.

In the past two campaigns Wednesday have had the edge, unbeaten in four fixtures before this season’s first game. Sheffield United squeaked through 3-2 back in September after going in three goals to the good at half-time.

The Owls look ready to overturn that result. Irvine will point out that only a deflected strike denied them a point at Middlesbrough last week. Sheffield United have only a mathematical chance of reaching the top six and with their Championship status on the line, Wednesday should be able to win a battling encounter.

Related posts:

1. The Sheffield Shield Returns
2. Derby Day Despair For Arsenal and Everton
3. Cardiff Chasing First Welsh Heineken Cup Triumph

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