UEFA Champions League > 13 September

[Mustafa]

	Tuesday 13 September 2011	Home	Draw	Away	BPP
	APOEL v Zenit Saint-Petersburg (19:45 BST)	3.53	3.38	2.28	101.77 %
	Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal (19:45 BST)	2.16	3.45	3.77	101.81 %
	Chelsea v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (19:45 BST)	1.45	4.7	8.8	101.61 %
	FC Barcelona v AC Milan (19:45 BST)	1.33	5.65	11.6	101.32 %
	FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk (19:45 BST)	1.72	3.93	5.7	100.88 %
	FC Viktoria Plzen v FC BATE Borisov (19:45 BST)	2.1	3.42	4.1	101.25 %
	Olympiacos v Olympique Marseille (19:45 BST)	2.74	3.3	2.9	101.28 %
	Racing Genk v Valencia (19:45 BST)	5	3.77	1.8	102.08 %

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Milan, a team that does really well in Champions League is @ 11.00. That is crazy.

[Jase82]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Arsenal look a decent price, maybe on a positive handicap especially. They've made some pretty astute signings recently, and I'd expect them to look better in midfield, the fullbacks should be more experienced, and a bit of freshness up top with the Korean lad coming in and replacing Bendtner. All depending on who is fit and available of course, so team news will be crucial. Dortmund are a decent side, but an Arsenal side in full swing could easily put their defense under immense pressure.

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Arsenal look a decent price, maybe on a positive handicap especially. They've made some pretty astute signings recently, and I'd expect them to look better in midfield, the fullbacks should be more experienced, and a bit of freshness up top with the Korean lad coming in and replacing Bendtner. All depending on who is fit and available of course, so team news will be crucial. Dortmund are a decent side, but an Arsenal side in full swing could easily put their defense under immense pressure.

I think the goals will be the better option here. Both teams play attacking football and furthermore Arsenal concede goals and it will take some time before Mertesacker and Koscielny establish an understanding.

[Mahno]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Can't believe Shakhtar is @5.50 :loon Porto defence will be to slow for Shakhtar's brazilians

[Simao BVB]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Can't believe Shakhtar is @5.50 :loon Porto defence will be to slow for Shakhtar's brazilians

i agree that is way to high for Shakhtar. Mahno do you know if there will be any significant missings in Shakhtar team?

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Can't believe Shakhtar is @5.50 :loon Porto defence will be to slow for Shakhtar's brazilians

And their attack is not the same without Falcao.

[-Blackadder-]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Milan' date=' a team that does really well in Champions League is @ 11.00. That is crazy.[/quote'] Barcelona always raise their game against the big sides though. If they can raise it higher than it already is. I honestly don't think there is a price that isn't value for Barca at home, unless they're missing half their team and are playing Real or someone. I doubt they will lose a game at home all season, maybe if they play a reserve side in the Copa del Rey or something. And Milan don't do so well in the CL, losing to Spurs, Arsenal and (convincingly) Man United in their last three seasons in the CL (didn't qualify in 2008/09). Do you honestly believe Milan have any chance of winning this game? I wouldn't take them if I were offered 30.0, personally.

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September FC Porto v Shakhtar Have to be looking at the goal market in this one, Porto have lost Boas obviously and also Falcao who was a decent goal threat but new coach Pereira knows the philosophy of the club having been involved with them for 25 years and I can't see them closing ranks and playing defensive particularly at home. Shakhtar are going to be running the same formation and tactics we have come used to from them, tight Eastern European defence and skilful, attacking Brazilians all through midfield and attack. Porto have started the season strongly, youngster Kleber arrived and was set the task of replacing Falcao which is obviously not easy, he will have gained confidence from last time out against Uniao Leiria where he got a brace, Porto have always replaced top players successfully in the past and have an excellent scouting network in South America so we will trust their decisions when it comes to replacing Falcao. Much of the rest of the team is as you were last season, Hulk is the talisman of the side with most of the play coming through him, from an attacking viewpoint he is definitely their best player. Defensively they leave gaps, there is no doubt about that. Their defensive record is pretty good at home but mainly because teams (particularly domestic) go there and sit back, trying to soak up pressure which they usually fail to do because they can't cope with the speed of the passing and movement, even against Barca the other week they showed this and were probably a bit unlucky to go in down, at half time. They tend to play a pretty high defensive line, I don't know if they will change this against a side with more attacking ability like Shakhtar but I still think they can definitely be got at on the break. Been rotating the starting line-up a fair bit so far so it will be interesting to see what Pereira classes as the strongest side available. Mahno knows more about Shakhtar than me, but I would regard them as comparable in level to Porto if not quite as strong, but their record in the CL recently has to be respected and will go to Portugal in confident mood I'm sure after a decent start to the domestic campaign 6-2-0, this will certainly be their toughest match to date though. Both sides are used to having the majority of the possession in their domestic league but the Ukrainian league is certainly more level than the Portuguese is currently, it will be interesting to see how Shakhtar cope as a defensive unit as they are likely to spend fair chunks of the game defending, but with that as I said previously they have great capacity to hit Porto on the break and will certainly fancy their chances of scoring. Fernandinho, Willan, Jadson, Luis Adriano are all good attacking players that can cause Porto problems. From a formation viewpoint I imagine Hubschman will be playing in defensive midfield position and how well he deals with the movement of the Porto front three may well dictate how successful Shakhtar are, he will certainly be the most defensive minded of the midfield, ahead of him the formation is fairly fluid and interchangeable. Possible Line ups; FC Porto: Helton - Fucile, Rolando, Sapunaru, Otamendi - Souza, João Moutinho, Belluschi/Guarin - Varela, Hulk, Kléber Shakhtar: Rybka - Srna, Kucher, Rakytskyy, Shevchuk - Hübschman, Fernandinho, Jadson, Willian, Costa - Adriano All bets are currently provisional as I'm waiting to see if there are any important injuries etc. in the weekend games that may alter my thinking. Both Teams to Score - 1.9 - William Hill - 4 Points Goal Line over 2.5 - 1.92 - Bet365 - 4 Points Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal This is another match that, on paper at least, looks an absolute cracker and probably the best of the round. Borussia are a young exciting side full of good attacking players, obviously won the league last season and will be expecting a good start against an Arsenal side who are at their weakest point in a fair few years. Borussia have started the season pretty well, 2-1-1, drawing away with last years runners up Leverkusen 0-0 last week in a game they had a goal disallowed and key man Gotze sent off. They line up in a now familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, Barrios is still out injured and that is a big blow as he was looking like becoming a world-class player last season, Lewandowski is a decent replacement though and they have danger throughout the attacking midfielders Götze, Kagawa and Großkreutz, particularly Götze who should be a star performer. Dortmund are also very strong at home, unbeaten in 20 odd games winning both their league games there this season. Arsenal have done huge (by their standards) business in the transfer market, it did all come across as a bit rushed though and we will have to wait to see how the new signings are incorporated. Arsenal will be missing two of their best players in Vermaelen and Wilshire but they do have a very strong squad and decent replacements, I think playing Santos in this game would be the wrong move, saw in a couple of matches I watched him in Turkey last season and he wasn't too good at tracking back when he went forward, in fact he didn't look too keen on defending at all, against a side with the attacking capabilities of Dortmund that could well be a problem, Gibbs will probably start I think. Midfield looks strong, Arteta will take on the Fabregas role and with Wilshire out Ramsey will carry on in midfield, Walcott, Gervinho and Van Persie make for a strong looking front three. Reports of Arsenals demise in the media are somewhat premature for me, they got tonked at Old Trafford but they set up in a suicidal way with inferior players to what they would normally have, this team already looks far stronger. Ramsey and Van Persie both looked strong on international duty and if Mertesacker can come in and give some stability and leadership at the back they will be in better stead. The defence still looks venerable though and I don't think a clean sheet is likely. Think this is another game with goals in it, Arsenal are not a defensive side and it isn't a game Wenger will feel is beyond them. Dortmund are untested against the best sides in Europe and didn't impress in the Europa League last year, the atmosphere should be great and with the attacking mentality of both sides I think over 3.0 goals is a good option again at a decent price. Dortmund's strength at home puts me off backing Arsenal on a +0.5AH, but I can see both sides scoring and having a real go as both will see it as a winnable game. Possible Line Ups; Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - S. Bender, Gündogan - Götze, Kagawa, Großkreutz - Lewandowski Arsenal: Szczesny - Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs - Song, Ramsey, Arteta - Walcott, Gervinho - Van Persie Both Teams to Score - 1.72 - Bet365 - 5 Points Goal Line Over 2.5 - 2.02 - Bet365 - 5 Points Goal Line Over 3.0 - 2.8 - Pinnacle - 4 Points

[matdusud]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Olympiakos-Marseille pick dnb Marseille many bookies have marseille 2.03 really surprised to see olympiakos slightly favourites, i had a quick look at olympiakos team( input on this team is welcome) and french players they have are very average ones, as mirallas and abdoun who were playing in second division, pantelic is getting old... Olympiakos will only have one official match, marseille has mbia injured and A. ayew doubtfull, but marseille is usually quite solid away and i expect them to get a draw at least there.atmosphere is hot in greece but marseille players are used of the pressure Our beginning of season was bad but we were quite unlucky plus had physical problems for the first two matches( not fresh enough in the last 30mns) I m a marseille fan but it happens to me to lay my team but here i really see value, so i will take this aho above 2, i would have seen this line around 1.8 :hope

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Barcelona - Milan Both teams failed to win in their respective national leagues. Milan came from behind to draw 2-2 at San Siro against Lazio, while Barcelona failed to win after leading 2-0 after first half away against Real Sociedad in a game that ended 2-2. The above results show that both teams have some problems in defense. Milan defense was against strikers like Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse and it is acceptable that they have conceded a couple of goals, for a team like Barcelona conceding goals from Real Sociedad is somewhat unacceptable. Both teams played each other 11 times and both managed 4 wins each and 3 games ended in a draw. Even though Barcelona is strong at home they should not be @ 1.25-1.30 against a team like Milan. It will be hard for Milan to win at Nou Camp, but they have enough quality to get at least a draw. Both teams have quality strikers and both have some problems in defense so goals is another good option. Draw @ 5.50 (1 unit) William Hill Both to Score @ 2.00 (2 units) William Hill

[robin_111]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Barcelona - Milan Both teams failed to win in their respective national leagues. Milan came from behind to draw 2-2 at San Siro against Lazio, while Barcelona failed to win after leading 2-0 after first half away against Real Sociedad in a game that ended 2-2. The above results show that both teams have some problems in defense. Milan defense was against strikers like Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse and it is acceptable that they have conceded a couple of goals, for a team like Barcelona conceding goals from Real Sociedad is somewhat unacceptable. Both teams played each other 11 times and both managed 4 wins each and 3 games ended in a draw. Even though Barcelona is strong at home they should not be @ 1.25-1.30 against a team like Milan. It will be hard for Milan to win at Nou Camp, but they have enough quality to get at least a draw. Both teams have quality strikers and both have some problems in defense so goals is another good option. Draw @ 5.50 (1 unit) William Hill Both to Score @ 2.00 (2 units) William Hill

after last nite match i lost my confidence in barca , i will skip this match betting

[RedDevil92]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Barcelona - Milan Both teams failed to win in their respective national leagues. Milan came from behind to draw 2-2 at San Siro against Lazio, while Barcelona failed to win after leading 2-0 after first half away against Real Sociedad in a game that ended 2-2. The above results show that both teams have some problems in defense. Milan defense was against strikers like Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse and it is acceptable that they have conceded a couple of goals, for a team like Barcelona conceding goals from Real Sociedad is somewhat unacceptable. Both teams played each other 11 times and both managed 4 wins each and 3 games ended in a draw. Even though Barcelona is strong at home they should not be @ 1.25-1.30 against a team like Milan. It will be hard for Milan to win at Nou Camp, but they have enough quality to get at least a draw. Both teams have quality strikers and both have some problems in defense so goals is another good option. Draw @ 5.50 (1 unit) William Hill Both to Score @ 2.00 (2 units) William Hill

Sorry,but I don't see any value in this odds.Barcelona didn't play well yesterday and they lost Sanchez due to an severe injury.But they are too strong,especially at home.Even if they have a few players out,they are too strong.Remember their 5-0 victory at home against Villareal. Milan is too bad for the CL.Last year,Tottenham threw them out.Now,Milan themselves has some injury problems.Their midfield with van Bommel,Seedorf,Ambrosini and Gattuso is too old and they can't do anaything than produce a lot of fouls.I will see whether I take Gattuso and van Bommel to be bookes.Especially those are candidates when they are behind with 1 or 2 goals.They might have some good strikers but they won't go out to attack and those strikers won't get many chances as Barca loves to control the match.They have several good midfielders including Xavi,Iniesta,new signing Fabregas and youngster Alcantara.I don't know whether Pique will be available but they have Busquets and Mascherano who can play as a centre back.Additionally they have Messi and I can't see Milan having a chance.Defenders Taiwo and Mexes are out with an injury.tHe only good defender they have is Thiago Silva.No way that the oldies Nesta,Zambrotta,Yepes and Bonera will keep a clean sheet.Milan is just the name it is not the team it has been a decade ago.Barca to win at least with 2 goals difference.I personally played AH-1,25 a few days ago but now odds are too low.I will keep an eyes on the card market for van Bommel and Gattuso. You should not forget that Guardiola rested several players for Milan and they played away from home. GL:ok

[ultravires]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Milan are going to be comprehensively beaten performance wise. It's just a question of how many goals Barca can convert their dominance into. Milan simply wont be able to get the ball off of them. They are far too slow on and off the ball. That wouldn't be as much of a problem if they were able to keep hold of the ball but Barca are so good at pressing that they simply wont have it for long enough. There were also fitness concerns that I saw when watching them against Lazio. Nesta and Ibra in particular looked physically off. Their defending was questionable at times too. I don't see anything positive for Milan in this match up. I'm certainly eyeing quite a heavy bet on Barca -1.5. I also think that their result at the weekend is not an issue, it may even be a positive.

[IAmGooner]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Have taken a few already, will add write-ups a bit later. Arsenal/Dortmund Both teams to score: YES @ 1.91 (William Hill) Safe to say neither side is looking in great shape going into this one. Dortmund have made a stuttering start to their league title defence and I believe the Champions League will hurt them further domestically, I dont think they have sufficient quality depth to make a mark in both competitions. However they are a very exciting side with plenty of youth and enthusiasm, play good football and press hard off the ball. The likes of Goetze and Kagawa are destined to go alot higher and I do think we will be breached at least once in Germany. We've added Mertesacker to the backline and Santos may come in at left-back if he's approaching full fitness, but still we look a mess off the ball right now. Swansea could have scored at least once, maybe twice on Saturday, plenty of nerves at the back. We look very short of confidence right now. By the same token, Gervinho is back for this, as is Song, so I'm liking the midfield base with Arteta also in there, should be more composed, Gervinho adds a bit of life to the attack, granted his decision-making is off at times, he does commit defenders and showed in Udinese that he can cause teams trouble. Dortmund look a bit off right now and losing at home to Hertha is not good, so I would be surprised if we failed to net at least once in this one. BTTS is my call. Barcelona -1.5 AH vs Milan @ 1.75 (Bet365) Just cannot see past Barca here. They had a rare sloppy match away at the weekend, where defensive errors cost them and the team looked jaded from internationals plus had made plenty of changes. For this they should be raring to go and the big problem I see for Milan, is trying to get the ball back, watched them at home to Lazio and it's all very slow and workmanlike in the midfield. Too many similar players if you ask me, you also need to be able to retain the ball in the Nou Camp and I would fear for Milan in this respect. Barca are simply a few levels above them IMO, I really think the Milan midfield will struggle to contain Barca's with Messi dropping deep, and in attack I doubt Milan have the cutting edge to really hurt the Spaniards.

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Have taken a few already, will add write-ups a bit later. Arsenal/Dortmund Both teams to score: YES @ 1.91 (William Hill) Safe to say neither side is looking in great shape going into this one. Dortmund have made a stuttering start to their league title defence and I believe the Champions League will hurt them further domestically, I dont think they have sufficient quality depth to make a mark in both competitions. However they are a very exciting side with plenty of youth and enthusiasm, play good football and press hard off the ball. The likes of Goetze and Kagawa are destined to go alot higher and I do think we will be breached at least once in Germany. We've added Mertesacker to the backline and Santos may come in at left-back if he's approaching full fitness, but still we look a mess off the ball right now. Swansea could have scored at least once, maybe twice on Saturday, plenty of nerves at the back. We look very short of confidence right now. By the same token, Gervinho is back for this, as is Song, so I'm liking the midfield base with Arteta also in there, should be more composed, Gervinho adds a bit of life to the attack, granted his decision-making is off at times, he does commit defenders and showed in Udinese that he can cause teams trouble. Dortmund look a bit off right now and losing at home to Hertha is not good, so I would be surprised if we failed to net at least once in this one. BTTS is my call.

Like this one and will take the same bet in Chelsea - Leverkusen game. Reasoning: Chelsea are still without Chech and they have conceded goals from teams who in my opinion are lower than Leverkusen. In fact Chelsea has conceded a goal in their last 3 games. Leverkusen strikers are in good shape after scoring 4 goals in their last game against Augsburg in Bundesliga, so in my opinion they will be able to score at least once at Stamford Bridge. Both to Score Double: Chelsea - Leverkusen & B.Dortmund - Arsenal @ 3.91 (1 unit) William Hill

[mad_men]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September I will go with double here Valencia + Chelsea @ 2.45 Maybe these are obvious bets but i will take my chances. Genk (8th place in Jupiler league) in my view is at least one class below Valencia, and now when they have sold their best players( De Bruyne, Courtois, Carlos) and two regulars (Joneleit and Barda) are doubtfull for this match due to injuries, I just don't see them to do any damage to Valencia. So what we have here is a team which is truggling in Jupiler league against a team which is one of the top teams in La Primera. Of course there is a lot of hype about Genk first appearance after nine years of absence in CH League group stage and home crowd will definitely help them, but still there will be two different class of players on the field . I think this quote shows a lot about class difference:"We have only come up against stars like this on PlayStation" David Hubert admits he is a little overawed as KRC Genk prepare to meet Valencia CF Don't know much what to say about Chelsea... one of the best home teams in this Champions League. And nothing else than a victory would be a failure for them. Leverkusen is picking up their form lately but still far from being a top notch opponent for Chelsea.

[Jase82]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

I will go with double here Valencia + Chelsea @ 2.45 Maybe these are obvious bets but i will take my chances. Genk (8th place in Jupiler league) in my view is at least one class below Valencia, and now when they have sold their best players( De Bruyne, Courtois, Carlos) and two regulars (Joneleit and Barda) are doubtfull for this match due to injuries, I just don't see them to do any damage to Valencia. So what we have here is a team which is truggling in Jupiler league against a team which is one of the top teams in La Primera. Of course there is a lot of hype about Genk first appearance after nine years of absence in CH League group stage and home crowd will definitely help them, but still there will be two different class of players on the field . I think this quote shows a lot about class difference:"We have only come up against stars like this on PlayStation" David Hubert admits he is a little overawed as KRC Genk prepare to meet Valencia CF Don't know much what to say about Chelsea... one of the best home teams in this Champions League. And nothing else than a victory would be a failure for them. Leverkusen is picking up their form lately but still far from being a top notch opponent for Chelsea.

I'd personally be a bit more cautious. The CL can be a minefield when throwing these short priced favourites into a double / treble :)

[ultravires]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September I have since taken the -1.5 line and here is why: I think most agree that the energy/pace of the midfield is perhaps the most important factor in this match. Taking that into account, the best Milan can put out is: Nocerino, MVB, Boateng. This would bring Cassano/Seedorf/Aquilani to AMC. Allegri doesn't like to change much around though so to drop Boateng back would be a bit surprising. It is more likely that Aquilani/Seedorf will play LCM. The physical attributes of that player are just not good enough. If that player is combined with Antonini at LB then embarrassment will ensue. Zambrotta may get the nod but continuity is usually preferred. Barca will own the ball but they can't keep it for 90 minutes. I have concerns over their CB. Busquets and Mascherano are about as good as CM's could be in that position but together I can see them having issues. I have read conflicting views as to whether Puyol will play. Ibra is not easy to play against and he will cause problems to a Mash/Busquets partnership. Barca are more than capable of keeping the ball to limit his chances though and hopefully they will. Milan's side is not that bad really. They'd cope well against most CL sides but this is Barca. The team attributes don't match up and there is potential for slight humiliation. I'm not looking forward to another few days of Ibra/Cass bashing but I can't see much else happening really. Barca -1.5 - 1.820 - 7 points - Pinnacle

[Profit Prophet]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Gone in quite big this midweek after a profitable weekend. Had abit of luck on my side, hitting 4 trebles even though i only got 8/15 selections correct but ended up with 113% profit, so more than happy with that. Few suprise results around though, cough bordeaux,chievo,inter. Anyway on to midweek, I've gone with Dortmund @ 2.20 Leyton Orient @ 2.10 Newcastle dnb @ 2.10 Singles/doubles/treble DORTMUND v ARSENAL Dortmund win @ 2.20 Bluesq I'm not sure how anyone can seriously consider backing Arsenal in this one even on the AH. They've added players but there hardly going to set the world on fire. Arshavin has turned out to be a poor player which still suprises me after seeing his performance in the euros a few years back. Arteta is a good player but like all arsenals players, lacks fight. Mertesacker, very over rated. Maybe he'll adjust but i think they need better. Walcott, a good player on his day but too hit and miss for me and isn't a natural goalscorer. Add in their injuries and inexperience and i think they'll struggle. We saw away at porto how arsenal can be beaten quite comfortably even when they look comfortable themselves. Against Udinese, they would have lost that game 6-7 times out of 10. If the pen had been converted i don't think they'd be in the comp now. To conclude on Arsenal, they are mentally weak, physically weak, inexperienced, they've got alot of pressure to contend with and i think it's going to take time to settle down. The last thing they need is an away game at a compact intimidating stadium, which is what they;ve got. I don't watch too much german football, but Dortmund have progressed significantly this past 2 years. The german physicality will go in their favour and i think they can match Arsenal technically and over power them physically and mentally too. They'll be up for this and will smell blood. 2.20 is decent odds, i'd say from 1.90 up is worth taking. No need for cover in this one imo, i think they'll win quite comfortably although not by a huge margin. I also think Arsenal will look to get out the group on their home performances. Dortmund win @ 2.20

[attik]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Olympiakos-Marseille pick dnb Marseille many bookies have marseille 2.03 really surprised to see olympiakos slightly favourites, i had a quick look at olympiakos team( input on this team is welcome) and french players they have are very average ones, as mirallas and abdoun who were playing in second division, pantelic is getting old... Olympiakos will only have one official match, marseille has mbia injured and A. ayew doubtfull, but marseille is usually quite solid away and i expect them to get a draw at least there.atmosphere is hot in greece but marseille players are used of the pressure Our beginning of season was bad but we were quite unlucky plus had physical problems for the first two matches( not fresh enough in the last 30mns) I m a marseille fan but it happens to me to lay my team but here i really see value, so i will take this aho above 2, i would have seen this line around 1.8 :hope

You will be surprised:loon:moon

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Away from the usual club and country loyalties nonsense, it's a real no-bet. Marseille have started terribly no wins from 5 in the French league and Olympiakos haven't even started the season yet due to all the match-fixing, also lost Reira to Galatasary who was a key player. Don't see anyone could bet on this game with any confidence at all..

[Profit Prophet]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September DORTMUND V ARSENAL Ramsay has now been ruled out of tomo's game with an ankle injury. A position Wenger could ill afford further woes in. The home win is looking stronger and i'd expect the odds to shorten soon if they haven't already.

[ultravires]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September Ibra has been ruled out of the Barca match. That necessitates Cassano and Pato up front. On paper that should weaken Milan because Ibra is a beast, but this whole match had 'nightmare' written all over it for him.

[IAmGooner]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

DORTMUND V ARSENAL Ramsay has now been ruled out of tomo's game with an ankle injury. A position Wenger could ill afford further woes in. The home win is looking stronger and i'd expect the odds to shorten soon if they haven't already.

Ramsey has been terrible all season and needed a rest anyway so no, a home win is not looking stronger because of that news. Dortmund are priced around 2.1-2.2, hard to see it getting any shorter than that. I dont think they can justify the price as it stands now tbh. 2.0 or under would be frankly ridiculous.

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

FC Porto v Shakhtar Have to be looking at the goal market in this one, Porto have lost Boas obviously and also Falcao who was a decent goal threat but new coach Pereira knows the philosophy of the club having been involved with them for 25 years and I can't see them closing ranks and playing defensive particularly at home. Shakhtar are going to be running the same formation and tactics we have come used to from them, tight Eastern European defence and skilful, attacking Brazilians all through midfield and attack. Porto have started the season strongly, youngster Kleber arrived and was set the task of replacing Falcao which is obviously not easy, he will have gained confidence from last time out against Uniao Leiria where he got a brace, Porto have always replaced top players successfully in the past and have an excellent scouting network in South America so we will trust their decisions when it comes to replacing Falcao. Much of the rest of the team is as you were last season, Hulk is the talisman of the side with most of the play coming through him, from an attacking viewpoint he is definitely their best player. Defensively they leave gaps, there is no doubt about that. Their defensive record is pretty good at home but mainly because teams (particularly domestic) go there and sit back, trying to soak up pressure which they usually fail to do because they can't cope with the speed of the passing and movement, even against Barca the other week they showed this and were probably a bit unlucky to go in down, at half time. They tend to play a pretty high defensive line, I don't know if they will change this against a side with more attacking ability like Shakhtar but I still think they can definitely be got at on the break. Been rotating the starting line-up a fair bit so far so it will be interesting to see what Pereira classes as the strongest side available. Mahno knows more about Shakhtar than me, but I would regard them as comparable in level to Porto if not quite as strong, but their record in the CL recently has to be respected and will go to Portugal in confident mood I'm sure after a decent start to the domestic campaign 6-2-0, this will certainly be their toughest match to date though. Both sides are used to having the majority of the possession in their domestic league but the Ukrainian league is certainly more level than the Portuguese is currently, it will be interesting to see how Shakhtar cope as a defensive unit as they are likely to spend fair chunks of the game defending, but with that as I said previously they have great capacity to hit Porto on the break and will certainly fancy their chances of scoring. Fernandinho, Willan, Jadson, Luis Adriano are all good attacking players that can cause Porto problems. From a formation viewpoint I imagine Hubschman will be playing in defensive midfield position and how well he deals with the movement of the Porto front three may well dictate how successful Shakhtar are, he will certainly be the most defensive minded of the midfield, ahead of him the formation is fairly fluid and interchangeable. Possible Line ups; FC Porto: Helton - Fucile, Rolando, Sapunaru, Otamendi - Souza, João Moutinho, Belluschi/Guarin - Varela, Hulk, Kléber Shakhtar: Rybka - Srna, Kucher, Rakytskyy, Shevchuk - Hübschman, Fernandinho, Jadson, Willian, Costa - Adriano All bets are currently provisional as I'm waiting to see if there are any important injuries etc. in the weekend games that may alter my thinking. Both Teams to Score - 1.9 - William Hill - 4 Points Goal Line over 2.5 - 1.92 - Bet365 - 4 Points Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal This is another match that, on paper at least, looks an absolute cracker and probably the best of the round. Borussia are a young exciting side full of good attacking players, obviously won the league last season and will be expecting a good start against an Arsenal side who are at their weakest point in a fair few years. Borussia have started the season pretty well, 2-1-1, drawing away with last years runners up Leverkusen 0-0 last week in a game they had a goal disallowed and key man Gotze sent off. They line up in a now familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, Barrios is still out injured and that is a big blow as he was looking like becoming a world-class player last season, Lewandowski is a decent replacement though and they have danger throughout the attacking midfielders Götze, Kagawa and Großkreutz, particularly Götze who should be a star performer. Dortmund are also very strong at home, unbeaten in 20 odd games winning both their league games there this season. Arsenal have done huge (by their standards) business in the transfer market, it did all come across as a bit rushed though and we will have to wait to see how the new signings are incorporated. Arsenal will be missing two of their best players in Vermaelen and Wilshire but they do have a very strong squad and decent replacements, I think playing Santos in this game would be the wrong move, saw in a couple of matches I watched him in Turkey last season and he wasn't too good at tracking back when he went forward, in fact he didn't look too keen on defending at all, against a side with the attacking capabilities of Dortmund that could well be a problem, Gibbs will probably start I think. Midfield looks strong, Arteta will take on the Fabregas role and with Wilshire out Ramsey will carry on in midfield, Walcott, Gervinho and Van Persie make for a strong looking front three. Reports of Arsenals demise in the media are somewhat premature for me, they got tonked at Old Trafford but they set up in a suicidal way with inferior players to what they would normally have, this team already looks far stronger. Ramsey and Van Persie both looked strong on international duty and if Mertesacker can come in and give some stability and leadership at the back they will be in better stead. The defence still looks venerable though and I don't think a clean sheet is likely. Think this is another game with goals in it, Arsenal are not a defensive side and it isn't a game Wenger will feel is beyond them. Dortmund are untested against the best sides in Europe and didn't impress in the Europa League last year, the atmosphere should be great and with the attacking mentality of both sides I think over 3.0 goals is a good option again at a decent price. Dortmund's strength at home puts me off backing Arsenal on a +0.5AH, but I can see both sides scoring and having a real go as both will see it as a winnable game. Possible Line Ups; Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - S. Bender, Gündogan - Götze, Kagawa, Großkreutz - Lewandowski Arsenal: Szczesny - Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs - Song, Ramsey, Arteta - Walcott, Gervinho - Van Persie Both Teams to Score - 1.72 - Bet365 - 5 Points Goal Line Over 2.5 - 2.02 - Bet365 - 5 Points Goal Line Over 3.0 - 2.8 - Pinnacle - 4 Points

Revised bets slightly, actually worked in my favour leaving the bets till today as the odds have improved in a couple of markets. Just in for over3.0 in the Porto v Shakhtar game, I think the price is just too high considering the attacking mentality of both sides, it's a big line to beat but 2.6 (now 2.4) was good enough to tempt.. I see the Dortmund v Arsenal match as a real open game as I put above, the odds have improved in all the bets I quoted so the market obviously doesn't agree, I'm happy to take it on though and 2.95 is too high for over 3.0 so have added an extra point. Getting on Barca too as I see others are. Was tempted to go for goals in this one too but decided to leave it alone, too many question marks about the legs in the Milan midfield for me, Cassano and Pato are both class acts and the Barca defence can definately be got at but if they are too isolated by an overworked midfield they will struggle, Ibra's physical presence would have been beneficial. Presuming Puyol is going to start tomorrow, was on the bench at the weekend but with Mascherano suspended it's vital they have him back. Played a weakened team at the weekend and paid the price but I'm not concerned at all about that, in fact as Guardiola said games like that focus the mind and make them realise they are not going to stroll every game they play. Van Bommel in for Gattuso for Milan who still have Mexes and now Ibra out. I'm not confident enough to take them to win by a clear two goal margin without cover, Milan are not jokers and it will probably suit them to come in as underdogs, seen Italian sides dig their heels in too many times. I'm happy to take a bit of one goal cover at reduced odds, the value is borderline but I'm confident they will have too much and win by at least one. Porto v Shakhtar - Goal Line Over 3.0 - 2.6 - Pinnacle - 5 Points Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal - Both Teams to Score - 1.91 - Hills - 5 Points Goal Line Over 2.5 - 2.08 - Pinnacle - 5 Points Goal Line Over 3.0 - 2.95 - Pinnacle - 5 Points Barcelona v AC Milan - Barcelona -1.25AH - 1.65 - Pinnacle - 6 Points

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Ramsey has been terrible all season and needed a rest anyway so no, a home win is not looking stronger because of that news. Dortmund are priced around 2.1-2.2, hard to see it getting any shorter than that. I dont think they can justify the price as it stands now tbh. 2.0 or under would be frankly ridiculous.

No Rosicky either apparently, is Benayoun likely to start now alongside Arteta? Certainly makes the midfield look more attacking..

[Mindfulness]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

No Rosicky either apparently' date=' is Benayoun likely to start now alongside Arteta? Certainly makes the midfield look more attacking..[/quote'] Benayoun has good Champions League experience but I personally would like to see a middle 3 of Arteta, Song and Frimpong. Although Frimpong is in-experienced he adds strength and fight but also has good technical qualities. Weather Wenger plays him or not is another matter. Arsenal could lineup like this: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Song, Frimpong, Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin Arsenal would still have a wealth of attacking options on the bench with Gervinho, Benayoun and Park Chu-Young.

[attik]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Away from the usual club and country loyalties nonsense' date=' it's a real no-bet. Marseille have started terribly no wins from 5 in the French league and Olympiakos haven't even started the season yet due to all the match-fixing, also lost Reira to Galatasary who was a key player. Don't see anyone could bet on this game with any confidence at all..[/quote'] Iam not an Oly fan.riera was bellow expectetions for Oly,so not big loos. Oly haven"t play ofic game yet but a lot of friendlies,it was clear that transfers can be very usefulls.GL:beer

[Profit Prophet]

Re: UEFA Champions League > 13 September

Ramsey has been terrible all season and needed a rest anyway so no, a home win is not looking stronger because of that news. Dortmund are priced around 2.1-2.2, hard to see it getting any shorter than that. I dont think they can justify the price as it stands now tbh. 2.0 or under would be frankly ridiculous.

Well it reduces options off the bench and Ramsay played quite well for Wales recently so i disagree with you anyway. Check out Dortmunds midfield, i know i'd rather theirs over frimpong,song,arteta and benayoun. It's just the same old Arsenal, physically weak technical players. That wont get you far against more determined stronger players who can pass to. This bet just appeals more and more. I took Arsenal on the DNB v l'pool so i'm not one of those over reactionists whose hating on Arsenal. Their perfomances away from home even when they had Nasri and Fabregas highlight a mental and physical weakness and i see no reason why the same trend wont follow here especially against a decent German side who can play football aswell as out fight them. Dortmund win and i'd be suprised with an Arsenal win so yes 1.90 would be tight but quite expected in my opinion. Dortmund do have a 50% or better chance of winning this game.