UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

[unknown88]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

very good choice for an accumulator. almost certain to happen. worth noting: neither side need to win, and ajax only need to draw. with that being said, a 0-0, 1-0, or 0-1 seems unlikely. will definitely be using this bet as well.

hey l just read this and found it interesting "Ajax v Madrid sees a battle of two teams with strong reputations in Europe. Madrid the champions of Europe have won their last 6 games and will look for an away win for pride more than anything as they have already qualified. Ajax meanwhile have work to do and must avoid a defeat to ensure they make it through. But even if they do lose they can still make it through with a better goal record than Lyon. This means Ajax will approach the game with a very tight defensive and midfield approach that will focus on keeping the game tight until they see how the Lyon match is progressing. " but l personally still back my bet, even madrids "weak" side has stars such az benzema, higuan, kaka etc stil capable of breaking ajax weak defense + madrid have nothing to lose they won the group fairly comfortably and mourinho is looking out to get a 7-0-0 run in uefa

[unknown88]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Game: Basel v Man Utd Prediction: Utd to avoid losing. Utd, only need a draw to progress to the next stage. I think Utd progressing to the next stage is a certainty. Gaining top spot in the group will be tough, as Utd will need to beat Basel away from home at a bigger margin then Benfica v Otelul (should benfica win at home). I think Utd will give it a go anyway, but wont be too stressed if they dont seal top spot. Pick: There are a couple bets here that i think have "value". If you think Utd will win the game then, Wayne Rooney to score and Utd to win @ 2.75, Welbeck to score and Utd to win @ 3.2 might both be very reasonable bets. Utd must avoid defeat, and with Berba and Chicharito out, Rooney and Welbeck look like the prime candidates to score. Note: these are "value" bets in my opinion, as in bets that i think provide a good reward for the risk it entails. Accumulator Picks: Double Chance, Utd to win or Draw @ 1.10 or Utd to win either half @ 1.30 the whole rationale of my picks are based on the notion that Utd will avoid losing at any cost. note that this means 0 - 0 could be a possibility. However, with Basel needing a WIN to qualify, im sure they will be giving it a go and will try to score. this means two things, more space for utd to exploit on the counter, and should they score** utd will need to score again to avoid defeat (or win). more likely, basel will probably be pushing for the win throughout the game and Utd's quality will see them put 1 or 2 in the back of the net and snatching the win. Edit: all prices from sportsbet Australia

l am going for straight out man utd win....Sir Alex Ferguson's side are very solid at the back (ferguson, smalling, evans, vidic, evra etc.). Basel, by contrast, have a very weak defence and against Manchester United's strong attack will have serious problems. I think today we will see a much more focused United that should close the matter in the first half. l would bet man utd/man utd to take each half but a more secure bet would be man utd outright win.

[nigelixtiti]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

hey l just read this and found it interesting "Ajax v Madrid sees a battle of two teams with strong reputations in Europe. Madrid the champions of Europe have won their last 6 games and will look for an away win for pride more than anything as they have already qualified. Ajax meanwhile have work to do and must avoid a defeat to ensure they make it through. But even if they do lose they can still make it through with a better goal record than Lyon. This means Ajax will approach the game with a very tight defensive and midfield approach that will focus on keeping the game tight until they see how the Lyon match is progressing. " but l personally still back my bet, even madrids "weak" side has stars such az benzema, higuan, kaka etc stil capable of breaking ajax weak defense + madrid have nothing to lose they won the group fairly comfortably and mourinho is looking out to get a 7-0-0 run in uefa

definitely agree with u. Barce B beat BATE 4 - 0. not implying that Ajax = BATE, but i think with the main players being rested (this WILL happen since they have clasico v Barce over hte weekend), the fringe players will want to impress anyway and like you said, even the "weak side" consisting of benzema and callejon can score

[nigelixtiti]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

hey l just read this and found it interesting "Ajax v Madrid sees a battle of two teams with strong reputations in Europe. Madrid the champions of Europe have won their last 6 games and will look for an away win for pride more than anything as they have already qualified. Ajax meanwhile have work to do and must avoid a defeat to ensure they make it through. But even if they do lose they can still make it through with a better goal record than Lyon. This means Ajax will approach the game with a very tight defensive and midfield approach that will focus on keeping the game tight until they see how the Lyon match is progressing. " but l personally still back my bet, even madrids "weak" side has stars such az benzema, higuan, kaka etc stil capable of breaking ajax weak defense + madrid have nothing to lose they won the group fairly comfortably and mourinho is looking out to get a 7-0-0 run in uefa

Madrid's squad list: Goalkeepers: Adan, Pacheco, Meijas Defenders: Arbeloa, Varane, Coentrao, Albiol, Mendes Mid: Kaka, Ozil, Di Maria, Sahin, Alonso, Altintop, Callejon, Granero Strikers: Higuain, Benzema, Jese Pretty decent team

[tommy schnurmann]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December I will play the both to score yes in Inter-Cska @1.83 with bet365. Both teams with rather pathetic displays in recent weeks in their local championships, Russians even in CL against Lille. Constellation here is that the game is completely meaningless with Inter, they will rest a lot of players to try a turnaround in Serie A. CSKA still with the options to qualify for EL or even CL next round. Russians will have more power in attack after some injured players with Honda or Doumbia return but defense looked shaky in most Champions League matches this year like in 2-3 against Inter in Luzhniki, so i think even Inter B-Team are able to score.Over 2.5 should be in value too, but thing is that if Lille-Trabzonspor wont end in a draw( which is to assume) CSKA can only hope to finish in 3rd place and for that goal Draw would be good in any case. So Russians could settle for a draw when they hear news from Lille maybe and 1-1 dont seem completely unrealististic outcome which is why i decided to skip over/under 2.5 here.

[nigelixtiti]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Does anyone have an opinion on the Lille v Trabzonspor game? Lille need to win to go through and Trabzonspor need to avoid defeat. Open attacking game?? I dont kow much about either teams, but it seems similar to the dortmund v marsielle situation from yesterday. Above 2.5 Goals is priced at 1.89 and Both Teams to Score @ 2.00. At a quick glance these look like very good prices, however, im wondering why both teams not to score is priced @ 1.75? im missing some information about this game im sure. can anyone give me an opinion on this game?? prices are from sportsbet australia

[impressivegol]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Nigel, the situation is a little different from the dortmund v marsielle game, because in that game Dortmund needed to win by a high number of goals to overturn the GD they had in the group. In this match, Lille need to simply win, so they can afford to be cautious defensively, and if they go up 1-0, they can work on just keeping possession away from Trab. Whereas Dortmund took the lead and kept attacking relentlessly...plus Trab aren't prolific goalscorers themselves.

[trhemp]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December After an ordinary betting performance last night im looking to get some money in the bank today. Real vs Ajax Madrid look likely to play a strong team still (relative to the dutch) even though this match means very little too them. The "Special One" always goes out to win. With the players he is taking i have no doubt they will give it a good go. Ajax have to get something out of this game, however they are not in the best place right now on and off the field so im more then happy to snap off the bookies hands with the price they are giving for Madrid. Real to win @ 2.30 Tempted to lump on a single but it looks like a good juicy addition to any multi. Trabzonspor vs Lille Interesting game as both teams want something out of this. I see the home field advantage being the difference. Lille are hitting some decent form in Ligue 1 and they will be marking this down as a must win. Lille to win @1.45 Napoli vs Villareal Huge game for the italians, a win gets them through no matter what result happens in Manchester. hard to tell if Villareal will turn up to win (not lose all group games) or turn up with no interest. I would of liked a better price on Napoli to win. however i think they still will get it done. game of the season for them. Napoli to win @ 1.65 Bayern vs City No idea about this game, can City perform in europe. Will Bayern turn up, put out a good team and really try and get something out of this. Tough game to bet on and i would not be taking the price on Man City to win. My bookie has them at 1.50. Staying well clear of that. Bayern at 5.50 is good value. Anytime Bayern are at that price its worth a little wager imo. However if i am to add this game into a multi i think i will go Both teams to score @ 1.77 Real Madrid is the best value of the day BY FAR. Edit: just seen the price of Real to win by 2 or more goals 4.00. yes please All prices from TAB Sportsbet Australia

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Inter - CSKA Both teams are in bad form in their respective domestic leagues. CSKA are without a win in their last 5 games in all competitions and they also lost their last 3 games. Meanwhile, Inter are doing well in the Champions League and have qualified as a group winners. Inter also has a perfect record against CSKA winning all 5 games against the Russian side. Claudio Ranieri named a mixed squad for this game and it is very likely that some youngsters will start the match. However, some important players are included in the match squad and I can't see Inter losing this game. Inter DNB @ 1.83 (3 units) Bet365

[biggie_mac]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Ajax meanwhile have work to do and must avoid a defeat to

ajax only need to draw

Ajax has 8 points and Lyon 5. If Lyon wins and Ajax looses they both end up with 8 points and since both encounters between the two ended 0-0, aren't the goal difference going to be the decisive factor? Because based on goal difference, Ajax currently has +3 and Lyon -4 so Ajax should be qualified (unless they loose with 4-0(or 3-0) and Lyon wins with 4-0(or 5-0). Am I missing something? As I don't understand why most people say Ajax needs at least a draw....

[impressivegol]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December You're right biggie. People are just being very technical since it isn't OFFICIAL that ajax are through, because if Ajax lose 3-0 and Lyon win 4-0, Lyon could be through. But of course the chances of that goal difference playing out are quite slim...

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Basel - Man.United Basel are doing really well at the moment. They are playing really well domestically and are having a decent run in the Champions League. Their away draws against Benfica and Man.United prove that they can play against big sides. Man.United are not playing well at them moment either domestically or in Europe. They were really poor in their recent games and for this game will be without many strikers up front, including Chicharito, Owen and Berbatov. So my guess it will be Rooney as a sole striker upfront supported by Nani and Valencia on the wings. For the Red Devils to win the group they must beat Basel (which I think will not be that easy since the Swiss team is in a good form and Man.United are missing some important players up front) and Benfica must drop points at home against Otelul, which is even more unlikely in my opinion. So basically Man.United will qualify if they don't lose to Basel. Moreover, these two sides met 3 times and in all games both managed to score. Basel last 8 games produced 29 goals and they managed to keep a clean sheet only once and scored in every of their last 10 games a total of 20 goals. Both to Score @ 1.83 (3 units) Bet365 Draw @ 3.75 (1 unit) Bet365

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

You're right biggie. People are just being very technical since it isn't OFFICIAL that ajax are through' date=' because if Ajax lose 3-0 and Lyon win 4-0, Lyon could be through. But of course the chances of that goal difference playing out are quite slim...[/quote'] But if that happens both Lyon and Ajax will be equal on head to head result, goal difference, goals scored and goals conceded. So in that case the UEFA club coefficients will be considered and I guess in that case Lyon will go through since they have better results in the last 5 years in the Champions League.

[maliniok]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Biggie - you're right. Would be interesting if Ajax lost by 3 and Lyon won by 4... Ajax is just under pressure to keep the gd to the good.

[nigelixtiti]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Nigel, the situation is a little different from the dortmund v marsielle game, because in that game Dortmund needed to win by a high number of goals to overturn the GD they had in the group. In this match, Lille need to simply win, so they can afford to be cautious defensively, and if they go up 1-0, they can work on just keeping possession away from Trab. Whereas Dortmund took the lead and kept attacking relentlessly...plus Trab aren't prolific goalscorers themselves.

thanks for your insight. staying clear from this one

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Lille - Trabzonspor Both teams have a good chance to qualify from this group with Lille having an advantage of playing at home, but for Turkish side a draw will be enough provided that CSKA do not beat Inter at San Siro. Bookings market is very interesting here. The referee for this game is Portuguese Pedro Proenca who shows plenty of cards. In the last 9 games he was in charge of he showed less than 6 yellow cards in just 2 games (in 1 game he showed 5 yellow cards with one resulting in a red card), while the remaining 7 produced 44 yellow (on average 6 per game) and 2 red cards. Since both teams have so much to play for I expect plenty of cards to be shown here and this scenario is more likely than the odds suggest. Over 55 Booking Points @ 2.30 (2 units) William Hill

[maliniok]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Just out of curiosity as i never bet on bookings. How do they calculate the booking points?

[Mustafa]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Just out of curiosity as i never bet on bookings. How do they calculate the booking points?

10 points for yellow card and 25 for red, maximum 35 points per player. So let's say if a player is shown 2 yellow cards and 1 red it will be 35 points and not 45.

[TOTTI3]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Lille > Trabzonspor =over (1.92) bet365 stake 6 / 10 Lille position 3° points 5 Trabzonspor position 2° points 6 Preview: Lille: Injured: Benoit Pedretti (Midfielder 12 / 3), Idrissa Gueye (midfielder 9 / 0), Tulio de Melo (forward 4 / 0); Suspended: David Rozenhal (defender 8 / 0); Trabzonspor: Injured: Robert Vittek (forward 1 / 0), Tayfun Cora (defender 0 / 0), O Kivrak (goalkeeper 0 / 0), Volkan Sen (midfielder 10 / 1). Lille has a score of w1-d2-l2 goals scored 6 goals against 6 Trabzonspor, while has a score of w1-d3-l1 goals scored 3 goals against 5. For Lille this is the most important game, they need a win to qualify for the knockout stage. The visiting team will try to win the game in order to continue the adventure in the Champions League. You can count on top form by Burak Yilmaz his best player who has scored 14 goals in his last 16 games. Both teams need the win. This means we will see a game with many goals from actions. Both teams have played over the weekend in their respective leagues games full of goals: Lille won with a score of 3-2 against Ajaccio while Trabzonspor equalized with a score of 2-2 against Sivasspor. At the end for these reasons I prefer to play over the option. Trabzonspor in the last four has never won. Trabzonspor has not lost any of their last 4 away games. Lille has a winning streak of 3 games. :hope:hope:hope

[garyfinny]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Huge contraction of odds for Basel - they were 7.4 on Betfair at one point, now dropped to 6. What gives here? Personally, I think a lot of fears about Man U are premature. Yes, this is a big injury list, but they will still be able to field quite a formidable side way above the likes of Basel. With most of their strikers out, they may go for Welbeck and Rooney upfront which is a decent combo for an away game. I watched Man U against Villa and this was a good, controlled performance and with hopefully Vidic and Park featuring in the side, they will be improved. A lot was made over the mess Basel caused for United at Old Trafford, but this time, the game counts for a lot - a scenario United have encountered many times before, but Basel haven't. The pressure is all on Basel really, because they need to win, as a draw isn't enough. I would expect an experienced United side to soak up the pressure and pick them off. I don't see the team being that weak despite the injury list.

[jompy]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Man City -Bayern M Man City is showing great form and performance in the Premier League, but cant present the same level in the CL, especially away from home. The citizens will need only the win tonight and they got perfect chance to get it , as Bayern will field some bench players and will make rotations, trying to keep fit and fresh Ribery, Robben, Lahm, Van Buyten and Kroos, as some of them got health problems. Man City is strong home side, having 11-1-0 run in their last 12 matches at Etihad Stadium. Their only draw is against Napoli in CL. Man City has scored 2 or more goals in 10 of their last 11 home games. Bayern done their job in CL group stages already, and even with loss tonight, will remain on the top. They will rotate their squad and desipite that germans are famous with their spirit and motivation I really doubt Bayern will perform at their highest level without their best players. Bayern shows really shaky defense lately, losing from Dortmund at home 0:1 and from Mainz in their last away game with 3:2. Bayern got some scoring problems away from home, having only 1 win in their last 5 visits, against poor Augsburg. 27.11.2011 D1 Mainz 3-2 Bayern Munchen 06.11.2011 D1 FC Augsburg 1-2 Bayern Munchen 23.10.2011 D1 Hannover 96 2-1 Bayern Munchen 18.10.2011 CL SSC Napoli 1-1 Bayern Munchen 01.10.2011 D1 Hoffenheim 0-0 Bayern Munchen I expect strong motivated home side to win City to win 1.75 @ Pinnacle Dinamo Zagreb - Lyon Dinamo is one of the weakest sides in this CL, and I see huge class difference between them and the french tonight. Dinamo will be without Cufre, Tonel and Simunic. They lost all of their 5 matches so far, with 2:15 goal difference, without scoring goal at home till now. Lyon will rely on the fair play, which means Real to win in Holland. Also Lyon improved their performance lately, due the coming back and the great form of Lopez, who scored 3 goals in last 2 matches. Lyon won over Auxerre with 0:3 away from home, and then took the lead over Toulouse at home with 3:0, but slow down at the end of the game and won only with 3:2, maybe resting power for this important game. I see huge class difference and I expect Real to took the lead in Holland, that will give additional motivation to Lyon and I expect them to win in Zagreb Lyon(-0.25)AH 1.71 @ Canbet Ajax - Real M There are 2 reasons that stop me to bet against Real, even as they are the team which is suggested to be the team with lower motivaiton. First of all Ajax got some problems with injured players and wont have striker available tonight, also Alderweireld is out, huge blow for Ajax in defence. Upfront Ajax wont have available Sightorsson, Bulykin(doubt), De Jong, Boerrighter, Ooijer and Boilesen. Sulejmani and Aissati are doubtfull aswel but probably will play. Real will have derby against Barcelona this weekend and Casillas, Ramos, C.Ronaldo and Lass won't travel to Amsterdam. Anyway Rael got more quality players, motivated to win first team place and Mou will try to get 6 wins from 6 matches, which will be welcomed and also will improve their confidence before the game with Barcelona. Probable line-up : Adan Arbeloa Varane Albiol Coentrao X.Alonso Sahin Altintop Kaka Callejon Higuain (Benzema) Real got 6 straight wins away from home, keeping 5 clean sheets and scoring 17 goals. Even with this suqad, they seem strong enough not to lose tomorrow and I wont miss such odds Real M DNB 1.75 @ Nordicbet

[ultravires]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December While it may be hard to see CSKA coming to Milan and winning, I find it equally hard to see this Inter stepping up and winning. Inter have been very average in the 5 matches that meant something to them up to this point. A few younger and perhaps more motivated players will get a chance tonight but I still feel there will be an attitude that reflects the fact they are guaranteed to finish top of the group. I'm not sure if CSKA have the balls or quality to come and win this match as I have watched little of them. I know they have a couple of good attacking players and they can certainly get at the Inter D. Faraoni-Rannochia-Caldirola-Nagatomo // that is not a very sturdy looking back four. I just don't see Inter winning this one and although I am not going in properly on this match I will put the draw in a couple of multiples for fun. Napoli are now widely up to 1.90 which is good enough for me. The match has been talked to death but at that price (and it may even get a little longer) I can back them tonight. They have a full-strength side and I don't think Villarreal are the type of team to sit in and defend for 90 minutes - especially in a match that means nothing. Napoli have risen in all big matches so far and this is the biggest yet.

[Mozzi]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

From a purely statistical point of view' date=' the Dinamo Zagreb-Lyon match is interesting in the fact that [b']Both Teams NOT To Score is priced at 2.10 [PaddyPower]. This would have landed in 8/11 of Zagreb's European matches this season, and in 4/5 in the CL proper. It's worth noting the only time in the group stage this bet wouldn't have landed in the CL proper was in Matchday Five, where they scored two goals in the last ten minutes at the Bernabéu, although they were already 6-0 down at this stage. The bet would have landed in all five of Lyon's CL matches this season, and Lyon have failed to score away from home in the Champions League this season. As I said, purely statistics here. I haven't seen enough of either side to comment on how the sides are expected to line up or how they're performing recently, but the price seems tempting given the numbers.

Dinamo Zagreb miss three-quarters of their regular back four tonight and Lyon must win by a large number of goals to progress. That's why the odds are long and it's why I find it unlikely that your bet will win. Good luck if you take it.

[unknown88]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Basel - Man.United Basel are doing really well at the moment. They are playing really well domestically and are having a decent run in the Champions League. Their away draws against Benfica and Man.United prove that they can play against big sides. Man.United are not playing well at them moment either domestically or in Europe. They were really poor in their recent games and for this game will be without many strikers up front, including Chicharito, Owen and Berbatov. So my guess it will be Rooney as a sole striker upfront supported by Nani and Valencia on the wings. For the Red Devils to win the group they must beat Basel (which I think will not be that easy since the Swiss team is in a good form and Man.United are missing some important players up front) and Benfica must drop points at home against Otelul, which is even more unlikely in my opinion. So basically Man.United will qualify if they don't lose to Basel. Moreover, these two sides met 3 times and in all games both managed to score. Basel last 8 games produced 29 goals and they managed to keep a clean sheet only once and scored in every of their last 10 games a total of 20 goals. Both to Score @ 1.83 (3 units) Bet365 Draw @ 3.75 (1 unit) Bet365

l wouldn't take past games into this encouter, we are taking about Manchester united, manchester united!! a class side that can get back to form in no time, the calibre of players united has is amazing and the 'shock' results of prior CL games in this group shouldnt b used, l am sure alex ferguson has learnt from his mistakes and with his experience he will change from the mistakes....anywayz for man utd how can there defence be broken with smalling, ferguson, evra, vidic...with all players knowing they want to come first in the group and them being away to basel makes no difference '

[Mozzi]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Basel v Man Utd match ? I see a draw here . Looking at MU recent forms . Their players wasnt consistent and wining match with just a goal or two . With chicharito out . I cant really see MU having enough attack for this game.

Statements like this really, really amuse me. Nothing against you, Rayno - many people have said it - but yours was the first I came across on this thread. Let me tell you a bit about Hernandez. Hernandez is a very gifted finisher. His ability to score in a nano second from any available opportunity is just remarkable and it's no surprise that people are talking about him a lot as a result. However, like they do with Falcao from Atletico Madrid, they all get very carried away because of his goalscoring record and they ignore the fact that Hernandez doesn't actually do anything else for United's attack! Goalscoring is the main role of any striker and he does it well but he contributes nothing else to United's attack whatsoever. His runs are a lot worse than they were last season - he's frequently offside in every game he plays in - and his ability to hold the ball up is non-existant. In fact, viewing Hernandez as an "all round striker" in comparison to all of United's other strikers, I'd actually put him at the bottom of the pile because the others all bring more of an all round game than he does. Therefore, I don't think United will miss him as much tonight as people anticipate. United always, always play a defensive 4-5-1 away from home in Europe which is why they don't lose away from home in this competition and it's why they rarely concede away from home in this competition. Hernandez does not play in a 4-5-1 because Fergie knows it wouldn't work, hence him always using Rooney in the lone frontman role or occasionally Berbatov. United will look to nullify a very attacking Basel side tonight and will probably do enough to quality. Basel have not been the same since manager Fink left to Hamburger SV - they've looked less dangerous on the field and I think that might show tonight against quality. However, Shaqiri may have some joy as United have only got Fletcher in central midfield - everyone else is out, really. Fergie may use Jones there again or drop Giggs in there, both of which can do a job, but it leaves gaps and Basel love to exploit those gaps, as they indicated in their deserved 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. Basel have two very experienced strikers in Frei and Streller who should not be underestimated. If Vidic and Ferdinand are on their games, however, then those two will not pose a threat - they're goalscorers, not creators. Basel's defence is shocking - this side could not keep a clean sheet against anyone and I doubt they will tonight. United playing boring but effective football away from home in Europe and I expect more of the same tonight. An early Basel goal would make this open and interesting but aside from that, we can expect a 0-1, 0-0, or 1-1 scoreline, in my view. Unders looks interesting from a value perspective or G/G for the braver amongst you. Personally, I'd take Nani to score anytime because only Nani can break through sides for United nowadays and if United are to score then he'll be involved, I'm sure. Lastly, anyone who says United's recent displays are poor is a moron. United were poor for a lengthy period of time following their defeat against City as they focused on defence and won games in a boring but efficient manner. Ironically, United have played really well in their last 3-4 games but have been very unlucky against Benfica and Newcastle with both sides needing a lot of luck to avoid being beaten by the better side. United dominated Villa at weekend but failed to convert their chances. That's been United's problem lately - converting chances. Creating them isn't an issue though. I don't expect to see that problem against a weak Basel defence tonight though.

[unknown88]

Statements like this really, really amuse me. Nothing against you, Rayno - many people have said it - but yours was the first I came across on this thread. Let me tell you a bit about Hernandez. Hernandez is a very gifted finisher. His ability to score in a nano second from any available opportunity is just remarkable and it's no surprise that people are talking about him a lot as a result. However, like they do with Falcao from Atletico Madrid, they all get very carried away because of his goalscoring record and they ignore the fact that Hernandez doesn't actually do anything else for United's attack! Goalscoring is the main role of any striker and he does it well but he contributes nothing else to United's attack whatsoever. His runs are a lot worse than they were last season - he's frequently offside in every game he plays in - and his ability to hold the ball up is non-existant. In fact, viewing Hernandez as an "all round striker" in comparison to all of United's other strikers, I'd actually put him at the bottom of the pile because the others all bring more of an all round game than he does. Therefore, I don't think United will miss him as much tonight as people anticipate. United always, always play a defensive 4-5-1 away from home in Europe which is why they don't lose away from home in this competition and it's why they rarely concede away from home in this competition. Hernandez does not play in a 4-5-1 because Fergie knows it wouldn't work, hence him always using Rooney in the lone frontman role or occasionally Berbatov. United will look to nullify a very attacking Basel side tonight and will probably do enough to quality. Basel have not been the same since manager Fink left to Hamburger SV - they've looked less dangerous on the field and I think that might show tonight against quality. However, Shaqiri may have some joy as United have only got Fletcher in central midfield - everyone else is out, really. Fergie may use Jones there again or drop Giggs in there, both of which can do a job, but it leaves gaps and Basel love to exploit those gaps, as they indicated in their deserved 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. Basel have two very experienced strikers in Frei and Streller who should not be underestimated. If Vidic and Ferdinand are on their games, however, then those two will not pose a threat - they're goalscorers, not creators. Basel's defence is shocking - this side could not keep a clean sheet against anyone and I doubt they will tonight. United playing boring but effective football away from home in Europe and I expect more of the same tonight. An early Basel goal would make this open and interesting but aside from that, we can expect a 0-1, 0-0, or 1-1 scoreline, in my view. Unders looks interesting from a value perspective or G/G for the braver amongst you. Personally, I'd take Nani to score anytime because only Nani can break through sides for United nowadays and if United are to score then he'll be involved, I'm sure. Lastly, anyone who says United's recent displays are poor is a moron. United were poor for a lengthy period of time following their defeat against City as they focused on defence and won games in a boring but efficient manner. Ironically, United have played really well in their last 3-4 games but have been very unlucky against Benfica and Newcastle with both sides needing a lot of luck to avoid being beaten by the better side. United dominated Villa at weekend but failed to convert their chances. That's been United's problem lately - converting chances. Creating them isn't an issue though. I don't expect to see that problem against a weak Basel defence tonight though.

couldn't agree anymore, hernandez is more of a poacher....the likes of evra making runs on the left and nani on the right and maybe valencia are the real attacking threats to basel, rooney the legend, welbeck and young ...even without hernandez and berbatov the offensive side is unbelievable. tbh if evra, ferguson, vidic, smalling at defence l dont see man utd conceding a goal especially at the stake of coming 1st in there group.

[Rayno]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Statements like this really, really amuse me. Nothing against you, Rayno - many people have said it - but yours was the first I came across on this thread. Let me tell you a bit about Hernandez. Hernandez is a very gifted finisher. His ability to score in a nano second from any available opportunity is just remarkable and it's no surprise that people are talking about him a lot as a result. However, like they do with Falcao from Atletico Madrid, they all get very carried away because of his goalscoring record and they ignore the fact that Hernandez doesn't actually do anything else for United's attack! Goalscoring is the main role of any striker and he does it well but he contributes nothing else to United's attack whatsoever. His runs are a lot worse than they were last season - he's frequently offside in every game he plays in - and his ability to hold the ball up is non-existant. In fact, viewing Hernandez as an "all round striker" in comparison to all of United's other strikers, I'd actually put him at the bottom of the pile because the others all bring more of an all round game than he does. Therefore, I don't think United will miss him as much tonight as people anticipate. United always, always play a defensive 4-5-1 away from home in Europe which is why they don't lose away from home in this competition and it's why they rarely concede away from home in this competition. Hernandez does not play in a 4-5-1 because Fergie knows it wouldn't work, hence him always using Rooney in the lone frontman role or occasionally Berbatov. United will look to nullify a very attacking Basel side tonight and will probably do enough to quality. Basel have not been the same since manager Fink left to Hamburger SV - they've looked less dangerous on the field and I think that might show tonight against quality. However, Shaqiri may have some joy as United have only got Fletcher in central midfield - everyone else is out, really. Fergie may use Jones there again or drop Giggs in there, both of which can do a job, but it leaves gaps and Basel love to exploit those gaps, as they indicated in their deserved 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. Basel have two very experienced strikers in Frei and Streller who should not be underestimated. If Vidic and Ferdinand are on their games, however, then those two will not pose a threat - they're goalscorers, not creators. Basel's defence is shocking - this side could not keep a clean sheet against anyone and I doubt they will tonight. United playing boring but effective football away from home in Europe and I expect more of the same tonight. An early Basel goal would make this open and interesting but aside from that, we can expect a 0-1, 0-0, or 1-1 scoreline, in my view. Unders looks interesting from a value perspective or G/G for the braver amongst you. Personally, I'd take Nani to score anytime because only Nani can break through sides for United nowadays and if United are to score then he'll be involved, I'm sure. Lastly, anyone who says United's recent displays are poor is a moron. United were poor for a lengthy period of time following their defeat against City as they focused on defence and won games in a boring but efficient manner. Ironically, United have played really well in their last 3-4 games but have been very unlucky against Benfica and Newcastle with both sides needing a lot of luck to avoid being beaten by the better side. United dominated Villa at weekend but failed to convert their chances. That's been United's problem lately - converting chances. Creating them isn't an issue though. I don't expect to see that problem against a weak Basel defence tonight though.

totally agree on them converting chances . Hernandez is definitely someone good at converting chances . His absence will still affect United a little . United need to step up their game and make good use of the chances in order to win . anyway thanks for pointing it out !

[dak]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Ajax - Real Madrid: Under 2.5 goals @ 2.20 (Victor Chandler) 10/10 The fact is that a draw or a win allows Ajax to advance to the next CL round irespective of Lyon's result. Ajax can also qualify with a defeat provided it is a narrow defeat (Ajax goal differential is +3) and Lyon doesn't win by a margin of +4 goals (Lyon has a goal differential of -3). Hence, I think Ajax will aim to keep a slow tempo to the match and try and grind out a low scoring result. Real has qualified as winners of the group and is relatively indifferent, but that doesn't mean that they will sit and do nothing. Real does have the El Classico derby against Barcelona to think about so they may not knock themselves out in this encounter. Ajax hasn't conceded a goal at home in the CL this year and has 4/5 clean sheets overall in the CL. Real also has 4/5 clean sheets in the CL this season. Therefore, I believe the dynamics of the match give the under 2.5 goals result a good chance and the given odds are very attractive. Dinamo Zagreb - Lyon: Over 2.5 goals @ 2.00 (Coral) 10/10 The over 2.5 goals result is likely in this encounter. Dinamo has nothing to play for except pride and will approach this match in an open manner. Lyon needs to win by +4 goals and hope that Real defeats Ajax by a good margin in order to advance. Ajax has a +3 goal differential with 8 points in the group and Lyon has -4 goal differntial with 5 points in the group. The dynamics of the encounter point to over 2.5 goals and the odds are attractive given the risk. Villarreal - Napoli: Both Teams to Score: Yes @ 1.80 (SkyBet) 10/10 Napoli can clinch qualification to the next CL round by defeating Villarreal. Certainly, Napoli can win this match, but the odds are a bit short given Napoli's poor away record in European cup matches and Villarreal's good home record against Italian teams (4-1-0). Villarreal will play for its pride (if they don't win or draw they will be the first Spanish team to not get even a single point in the CL) and the money. So, Villarreal will push hard to get something from the match and I see them scoring at least. Both teams should score here, I think, and the odds provide a safer bet over Napoli's straight win.

[H_E_M_P_E_S]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December Manchester City – FC Bayern Munich I think the City today to win and will go further in the Champions League ... however I think a growing team of Napoli and the financial plan and the plan toys .... Pick : H Odds : 1.74 Stake : 7 Bookie : SBOBET

[unknown88]

Re: UEFA Champions League > Wednesday 7th December

Manchester City – FC Bayern Munich I think the City today to win and will go further in the Champions League ... however I think a growing team of Napoli and the financial plan and the plan toys .... Pick : H Odds : 1.74 Stake : 7 Bookie : SBOBET

l wouldnt go with city, l would go for city or draw, bayern is a quality side and l know they hav players missing but tehy hav nothing to lose and they can play 'risky' football while city will be under MASSIVE pressure, they are 1st in the PL and it wil b a shock if they dnt make it into round of 16...as i sed bayern will b playing at full throttle they already made it and dont really care wat the result is