UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

[Aidymac]

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[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Tuesday 19 August 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Besiktas JK v Arsenal (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.7[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.84 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]FC København v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.65[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.02[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.54 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]FC Red Bull Salzburg v Malmö FF (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.57[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.7[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]8.8[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]96.28 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Napoli v Athletic Bilbao (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.83[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.8[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]5[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.86 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Steaua Bucuresti v Ludogorets Razgrad (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.55[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.6[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]99.91 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TH] [/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Wednesday 20 August 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Aalborg BK v APOEL (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.26[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.45[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.75[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]99.90 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Lille OSC v FC Porto (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.66[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.4[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.85[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.09 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]NK Maribor v Celtic (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.98[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.4[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.56[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.03 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Slovan Bratislava v FC BATE Borisov (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.5[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.4[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]101.67 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Standard de Liège v Zenit Saint-Petersburg (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.4[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.55[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]98.93 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Tuesday TV previews: 4pts Arsenal (-0.75AH) to beat Besiktas 1.85 Ladbrokes This may not be the comfortable night Arsenal would like but I do still expect them to win the match and make life a lot easier for the second leg next week. Besiktas are likely to be a little rusty and if we’re being honest they are likely to be outclassed at times too but the hostile atmosphere and conditions could well inspire the hosts for some of the match. When push comes to shove though I expect Arsenal to get the job done. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/besiktas-vs-arsenal-betting-arsenal-can-take-a-lead-back-to-london 4pts Napoli vs Athletic Bilbao - Under 2.5 goals 1.87 Boylesports Napoli beat Barcelona in preseason so they have to be respected, especially as they are at home in this first leg but this is competitive football now. Neither side have began their league campaign yet so there isn’t an advantage for either here so I think this could be a tight first leg and one which could be devoid of goals. Bilbao would love to get back to Spain level in the tie while Napoli may well take a low scoring draw too so I like under 2.5 goals here. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/napoli-vs-athletic-bilbao-betting-first-leg-could-be-quite-a-tight-affair

[Masturbinho]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th I think that Arsenal are insanely short, the best odds for them to win are 1.67! Last season Chelsea were priced at 2.00 away to Galatasaray. While Besiktas are slighty worse than Galatasaray, the same can be said about Arsenal and Chelsea. Also Besiktas didn't have any players at the World Cup and therefore had a full preseason preparation, while Arsenal had probably half of their players involved in the World Cup. Turkish teams are generally strong at home and poorer away, I think the same applies for English teams. Besitkas +1 AH 1.84 Marathonbet

[daniel3400]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th I am from Austria, and i can tell you that salzburgs team is going to smash malmö hardcore. All they wanted for years now is to qualify for the champ league, and finally the big chance is here, nobody even thinks about not going through. they have an incredible squad, with players who could play in the best leagues of europe as well. (Kampl,Soriano,Mane,Alan) They scored 24 goals in their first 5 league games, conceding only 1. Its been a real joy watching them play. 1 game of course destroys the overall picture, and that was the first leg of the last cl-qualif. round against agdam, which they lost 2-1. Soriano alone scored 9 goals in 5 games. Ok, the other teams in austria arent really strong, but malmö isnt aswell. A look at the Numbers: Malmös squad is worth about 12 Mio € Salzburgs Squad is worth about 66 Mio € The RedBull Arena will be full of people who will push their team to the absolute limit, and they will attack from minute 1 to minute 90+, whatever the scoreline will show. The ML of AHC atm ist at -1,75, which is about fair I'd say, and i would take that Handicap any day. I cant see a game score with salzburg scoring less than 3, also its gonna be very hard for malmö to get on the scoreline at all BTTS: No @ 1,95 Salzburg -1,75 @ 1,99

[MPLouis]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

I am from Austria, and i can tell you that salzburgs team is going to smash malmö hardcore. All they wanted for years now is to qualify for the champ league, and finally the big chance is here, nobody even thinks about not going through. they have an incredible squad, with players who could play in the best leagues of europe as well. (Kampl,Soriano,Mane,Alan) They scored 24 goals in their first 5 league games, conceding only 1. Its been a real joy watching them play. 1 game of course destroys the overall picture, and that was the first leg of the last cl-qualif. round against agdam, which they lost 2-1. Soriano alone scored 9 goals in 5 games. Ok, the other teams in austria arent really strong, but malmö isnt aswell. A look at the Numbers: Malmös squad is worth about 12 Mio € Salzburgs Squad is worth about 66 Mio € The RedBull Arena will be full of people who will push their team to the absolute limit, and they will attack from minute 1 to minute 90+, whatever the scoreline will show. The ML of AHC atm ist at -1,75, which is about fair I'd say, and i would take that Handicap any day. I cant see a game score with salzburg scoring less than 3, also its gonna be very hard for malmö to get on the scoreline at all BTTS: No @ 1,95 Salzburg -1,75 @ 1,99

Salzburg have looked sensational in the Austrian Bundesliga. The trouble they have is translating this form when they play stronger opposition in the Champions League. They beat Qarabag, but only 2-0 at home, after losing 2-1 away. Malmo lost 4-2 away to Sparta Prague before winning the home leg 3-0. The odds for this game look about right to me, and I don't see these two bets as being particularly good value - they could win or lose.

[Simeon Borisof]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Malmo are incredibly lucky for even being here.They were almost out against Ventspils,drawing 0:0 at home and were totally outplayed in the 2nd leg but somehow managed to win by 0:1.After that they lost 4:2 in Prague when they could've lose it by 4-5 goals more.Then i don't know what had happened in Sweden but Malmo scored 2 and won.Now i think there will be no mercy in Austria.Salzburg's form at home is monstress.

[Jase82]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th I also add that Salzburg definitely look like they "should" comfortably be able to compete with the best Europe has to offer. They possess a lot of quality but here I fear complacency and pressure could be their undoing. The fans expect, the media expects, and the world expects. These are dangerous combinations for a punter, especially given the inexperience at this level.

[smarties4]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Salzburg is without a doubt the better team of the two, but Malmö isn't nearly as bad as some posters here suggests. They've acted nervous in the qualifiers, however, up until their home game against Sparta. Their confidence is a hell of a lot better at this point. Fun fact; the players and fans of Malmö despises Salzburg something fierce. Saw a pic on twitter from of their players featuring a smashed red bull can, says it all really! :lol Anyway, I'd pick a home win in both games in this qualifier, based on What I stated above. Salzburg is better and will likely win at home, while Malmö will have a packed arena with fanatic fans carrying them in the second leg.

[Simeon Borisof]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Steaua-Ludogorec Ludogorec had a tough schedule so far in the domestic league (playing against Botev for the Supercup Final winning it 3:1,CSKA winning 2:0 and now against Steaua(?).Dermenjiev said that he is pleased with the squad,its condition and results.The game is very important for both teams.Our coach said that they want to play with "the biggest'' this year and Euro League is out of their plans.Hamza(CF) will replace Mantula(CB) in the group for the game.Barth(CB),Hernandez(CM),Vasilev and Petrov both CB's and Vitinha(LB) are out for the guests.I can say that only Barth could be an important missing but i think that Terziev will replace him as well.The other missings are not regular starters and their absence won't be crucial.As like as Ludogorec,Steaua is the top team but in Romania.Their only aim is to take part in the group stage and it's vital for them to get a result at home.Ludo will be content with the draw there,knowing that in the 2nd leg there will be a full stadium with enthusiastic fans wanting to celebrate with them.I read that the Romanians have no major abcenses too so a good and attacking game is expected.Both teams have similar playing styles and given the pressure in both camps i can see them cancelling each other out so a draw is on the cards.Bookies have made Steaua strong favourites but i can't see them being that big favourites especially with Ludo beating them recently in a friendly(2:4).Anyway i can't see so many goals once again and a low scoring draw is much more likely outcome.Draw @ 3.2 with bet365.GL! 1:0 A well deserved win by Steaua,even though it came late(88th)

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Salzburg v Malmo My comments on Salzburg previously made on here were that domestic and European form shouldn't be considered when it comes to them as they have disappointed a few times before in a similar situation, although this can be applied to a lot of sides. Having watched Malmo away to Sparta Prague in the last round I was surprised by how attacking they went in the away game even when they were 2-1 up (ended up losing 4-2). If they go this attacking Salzburg have the quality to pick them off with ease, but I imagine they learned from this when they played a more sensible game in the return leg winning 2-0. I can't see them going for the kill in this game, they will be happy to defend and play on the break, should be said they are a better home side than away. Are Salzburg good enough to be considered at this price? I wouldn't consider them heavyweights and 1.73 for Malmo +2.0AH appeals to me more. It's a hell of a big line to beat at this stage of qualifying and I feel Malmo are well capable of nicking a goal, then you need Salzburg to get 4 to cover the line. Austrian football isn't really providing them with any worthwhile opposition currently, they played a second team at the weekend and still won 3-0, their finances mean they will win that league by 20+ points again. Malmo +2.0AH - 1.73 - pinnacle - 4 Points Besiktas v Arsenal I would love a play on Arsenal but will wait for the home leg I think, Besiktas are strong at home (listed as neutral venue but they have been playing there for a while) and Arsenal aren't at full strength even though they are by far a better side. I remember comments previously that the pitch is poor and sides often struggle to adapt to it. Arsenal will certainly go through but it wouldn't surprise me to see a draw or Arsenal victory by only a goal, there should be multiple options on them in the second leg and I will be backing them unless they win this game by 3 or 4. Turkish sides away from home are generally a far different proposition.

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Standard Liege v Zenit I consider Zenit a good bet this week. I should say I backed them a couple of weeks ago away from home against AEL and they lost 1-0 despite dominating the game, I'm willing to consider that a bit of a freak result as they won the second leg 3-0 and have had another couple of weeks together since that game. They have added Javi Garcia to the side since that game - I'm assuming he is registered and can play in this game - from Man City and that would look a very good signing and a statement of intent, they sit top of the Russian league with 4 wins out of 4 so far. They have a fine array of talent in most positions and have added Garay and Garcia this season. Hulk and Rondon are dangerous attacking players and they look well equipped to win this game to me. Standard aren't a team I'm overly familiar with bar their Europa League adventures last season when they became a good side to back against losing 5 of their 6 group games and all 3 home games. They have lost 3 key players from last season in defensive midfielder William Vainqueur (Dinamo Moscow £5m 29 app 1 Goal last season) and strikers Imoh Ezekiel (Al Arabi £7m 48 apps 15 goals) and Michy Batshuayi (Marseille £5m 38 apps 21 goals), trying to replace those kind of goals with Tony Watt who couldn't get in Celtic's team isn't really good enough. They do have some good players but this is likely to be as far as they get and I would be surprised if Zenit don't make it through to the group stage. Obviously we have the problem that Zenit don't have to win this game to go through so I'm happy to place a meatier stake on the DNB at an acceptable price as well as a smaller stake on the straight win, I would probably have Zenit just under evens. Zenit DNB - 1.53 - coral - 10 Points Zenit -0.5AH - 2.05 - pinnacle - 4 Points

[gavanski]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th If my memory serves me correctly, Arsenal was very reliable in these qualifiers during the past years and they played quite a number of matches since they finished fourth on numerous occasions. I remember very comfortable wins over Udinese and Fener, teams which are far superior than this Besiktas side and Gunners were in my opinion less stronger than today. From my experience Arsenal never had the problems with this middle class European teams (I can't remember some unexpected loss, please, correct me if I am wrong). I heard from some sites that Turks will be without their best player Hutchinson so that would be another thing that goes in the favour of Arsenal. For me, this is one of the better bets of the season and I will pull the trigger on Arsenal without much hesitation, because I think that they are far superior than the opponent and because of the importance of the match. Arsenal @1,65 10/10

[Dzontra85]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th IMO great value on Alborg this round. They are last year champions and in previous round they eliminate Dinamo Z even when they lost home 0-1 they were dominate team, and they manage to win in Zagreb 0-2. Dont think they can lose again at home, specially not against Apoel. Sent from my XT615 using PL Forum

[senk]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

Standard Liege v Zenit I consider Zenit a good bet this week. I should say I backed them a couple of weeks ago away from home against AEL and they lost 1-0 despite dominating the game, I'm willing to consider that a bit of a freak result as they won the second leg 3-0 and have had another couple of weeks together since that game. They have added Javi Garcia to the side since that game - I'm assuming he is registered and can play in this game - from Man City and that would look a very good signing and a statement of intent, they sit top of the Russian league with 4 wins out of 4 so far. They have a fine array of talent in most positions and have added Garay and Garcia this season. Hulk and Rondon are dangerous attacking players and they look well equipped to win this game to me. Standard aren't a team I'm overly familiar with bar their Europa League adventures last season when they became a good side to back against losing 5 of their 6 group games and all 3 home games. They have lost 3 key players from last season in defensive midfielder William Vainqueur (Dinamo Moscow £5m 29 app 1 Goal last season) and strikers Imoh Ezekiel (Al Arabi £7m 48 apps 15 goals) and Michy Batshuayi (Marseille £5m 38 apps 21 goals), trying to replace those kind of goals with Tony Watt who couldn't get in Celtic's team isn't really good enough. They do have some good players but this is likely to be as far as they get and I would be surprised if Zenit don't make it through to the group stage. Obviously we have the problem that Zenit don't have to win this game to go through so I'm happy to place a meatier stake on the DNB at an acceptable price as well as a smaller stake on the straight win, I would probably have Zenit just under evens. Zenit DNB - 1.53 - coral - 10 Points Zenit -0.5AH - 2.05 - pinnacle - 4 Points

I tend to agree here. Standard liege lost a lot of offensive power and a key midfielder. They did sign Jeff Louis from Nancy though, he's a good offensive player through the wings but probably need some time to adapt to his teammates. He was on the bench for the first time this weekend and played around 25 minutes. T.Watt did score a goal but Standard liege got crushed by a newly promoted team with 5-2. Shameful performance and now they lost back to back games. Not a massive boost I would say if you face Zenit a real powerhouse the next few days. Difference in budget, class and offensive power is huge. Zenit started really well with 4 wins in the league. With the likes of Danny, Hulk, Kerzhakov, Garcia, Rondon, Garay, Criscito etc they posess a lot of quality. They should really be too strong for the home side in this fixture but the thing is they failed me a couple of times. Sometimes these Russians look uninterested in away fixtures playing for a low scoring draw. But if they score first I have a good feeling they will come out as winners and although the odds are not great for a CL away game, I must admit this Standard liege side looked really poor at the weekend. They were once a fearced home team with a fanatic crowd and players like Fellaini, Defour, Witsel etc but they keep selling all their key players every year. So previous stats aren't relevant to be honest. If Zenit steps up and reaches their normal level they should win this one pretty comfortable. This game is really important for a side like Zenit, reaching the CL is key for their club and their star players so they can keep building a stronger side every season. With the likes of Garcia they got a lot of physical strength in midfield what should help them moving forward and recovering lost balls. I expect a entertaining game cause Standard isn't the type of team to just sit back and relax and they know that away in Russia their chances are very slim. This suits Zenit perfectly cause they are deadly with their fast counter-attacks. 1-2 or 1-3 is my call!

[senk]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Arsenal is the bet of the round for me and I'm really not surprised to see such low odds. They opened around evens but dropped rapidly after Besiktas played Feyenoord and it looked like the bookies reacted on that game. I saw both games and indeed Besiktas looked pretty poor overall. Ofcourse they won both games but seriously Feyenoord is a mess at the moment. They almost lost their whole defensive line and their topscorer from last season. Only Mathijsen is still there as a experienced player but he's old and slow. And even with all these missings they looked better on the ball than Besiktas. Demba Ba made the difference in the return leg but it was far from convincing what they showed on the pitch. Huge defensive errors by Feyenoord in both games. Arsenal is 5 times stronger atleast. Hutchinson is highly doubtful and things could become ugly if he can't start this game. He's their engine in midfield and really important when it comes to recovering posession and helping his centre backs. Besiktas failed to sign a proper right back so Serdar Kurtulus will probably play. This guy is poor and really lacks speed. Sanchez will eat him alive if he's playing on the left. In midfield Besiktas doesn't stand a single chance against this Arsenal side. They really needd a superb Demba Ba but I doubt if he can do it all by himself. Arsenal is pretty solid away in Europe. Atmosphere is surely not a big factor for me. They play on a neutral venue although Besiktas already played some games there but the atmosphere sucks compared to their own stadium. The stands are far from the field and Arsenal already played Fenerbache away a few years ago and also won comfortable with 0-3 so no way the negative crowd will affect them. Arsenal scored a late winner against Palace this weekend and it was a big relief for all who support the club. Last year they lost the opening game against Villa so luckily for them history didn't repeat itself. Overall they were the far better side and the win was fully deserved [for the ones who didn't watched the game]. Arsenal won all 12 qualifiers in this competition so they should be confident ahead of this game. In their last 6 away games in the CL they won 4, lost one and drew one. They've beaten teams like Bayern Munchen, Fenerbache, Marseille and Dortmund. Besiktas is surely less convincing than these teams. I'm going pretty big on this one and one of the main reasons is the lack of tactical skills in Turkish teams. They often have a few technical good players in their squad and physically they look fine but when it comes to tactics, it's a real mess. We saw it so many times on this stage, at home they sometimes achieved a positive result with the help of their fanatic fan support but if you would analyze their game-plan, you would probably become 10 years older in three days. I watched them so many times, teams like Galatasaray, Fenerbache etc but everytime it seems they all play on intuition without any clear ideas. Arsenal will be well prepared tactically and dominate possesion heavily until they find a small gap and then they strike. They do have a habbit to win games in the second half, happened so many times last season too. In he first half they tend to relax, often pretty boring knowing they can strike anytime but with only a few chances. After an hour or so they accelerate and the opposition often concedes in the last 30 minutes of the game. They have a pretty strong squad this year so their bench is filled with quality players who can make the difference when needed. It will either be a rape like 0-4 or a solid 0-2 imo. Depends on how fast Arsenal scores a goal. If Besiktas concedes early and have to move forward Arsenal will smash them. Their last 3 away wins in the CL all came after a level break at half-time so the halftime draw / fulltime Arsenal option might be a good one too. But on the other hand the class difference is so big that I rather take these bets. Arsenal to win high stakes for me. Arsenal over 1.5 team goals medium stakes. Arsenal -1.5 small stakes. Goodluck people!

[kevshat]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th 3pts Maribor to beat Celtic 2/1 Stan James Given the convincing beating they took in the previous round it is hard to believe that Celtic are favourites for this away leg. Maribor may not be anything special but neither are Legia Warsaw and they took Celtic to the cleaners. Celtic are up and running much more now and will be a lot sharper than against Warsaw but a 6-1 defeat isn’t all down to a lack of sharpness. At these prices Maribor just have to be the bet. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/nk-maribor-vs-celtic-betting-slovenians-look-good-value-to-beat-scottish-champions

[thesource2win]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th I love the fact that nobody is giving Malmo any shot here. I was surprised and disappointed with their defense at Sparta and hope they learned a lesson. If they can just get an important away goal, even if they lose 1-2 or 1-3, I still think they can post a clean sheet at home and advance. Would love to see a draw here but I see RBS winning 2-1 or even 3-2. Then hopefully Malmo wins 1-0 at home.

[TotoSchillaci]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Hast beat me to it with the Zenit play. Agree with everything and Standard Liege aren't even getting results against the Belgian teams placed higher than them at the moment so Zenit should dominate them like against the Cypriots but hopefully no stupid red cards this time.

[TotoSchillaci]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th With the Arsenal game I'm staying away because of the combination of factors being Arsenal have only played 1 competitive match and are almost certain they can win in London. Bestikas have already comfortably dispatched of Feyenoord last round and have been working solely towards this match since. Arsenal looked like they haven't shaken off all the rust yet against Palace as is to be expected. It would be good if this match were priced similar to the Zenit match where we could step in with draw protection but being 1.6 something away in Turkey is too much risk for not enough reward. Why take a chance, when at the Emirates a 3-0 win is easily imaginable?

[GrandaddyCrunk]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th I'd be a bit cautious with Arsenal. 1) They were not at all convincing vs Palace on Saturday. This could be down to various factors (looking ahead to this match, players still gelling, etc), and maybe it was a one-off, but in any case, 1.6ish is a very short price on a team that put in a performance like that going to Turkey and winning. 2) Arsenal have a big match away at Everton this weekend. I think this has to be a big priority for Wenger and I'm sure in the back of their minds, Arsenal are confident of winning vs Besiktas at the Emirates. It's also worth noting that the weekend after next, Arsenal are away at Leicester, which is of course a much easier match (on paper) than away at Everton. Compare this with the Turkish outfit, who have no league fixtures to worry about until the weekend after next (vs a promoted side). Ultimately these 2 factors are prominent enough for me to avoid backing Arsenal here. The match will take place at the Olympic stadium (not Besiktas' normal arena), where the fans are not nearly as close to the players, but atmospheres in Turkey are always intense regardless. Besiktas are missing one or two important players as well, and were unable to pick up a playmaker up til now, a position they are well aware of needing to strengthen in. Demba Ba is a quality addition, but ultimately they aren't quite good enough to warrant backing either. With all the above taken into consideration, this is a stay away game for me. If Arsenal want it badly and up their level of play, they can win it, but with a visit to Goodison Park looming on Saturday (and only 2 days preparation for this game), I find it hard to back either side here. The totals market offers very little appeal as well.

[paolodrosi]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Kobenhavn-Leverkusen over 2,5 2,08 I' ll take this bet, only because Roger Schmidt is the coach of Leverkusen. I remember when he was at Salzburg and his team humiliate the Austrian league. Salzburg under his coaching skills, had a 62 consecutive games to score at least 1 goal. Last Friday qualified to next round in German cup, after a 6-0 win, over a lower division team, in a game that Kiessling scored 5 goals. Turkish international Calhanoglou could be the star of the team. He is very sharp in free kicks and corner kicks. Kobenhavn have two faces. One very poor and problematic, in domestic league, and one very strong and efficient in Europe. They have some very experienced guys, like Claudemir, Antonsson, Nilson, and a good youngster Cornelious. In this game they have to prove how good is the defending line, against the Bayer scoring machine. I expect an open game with many goals, and Leverkusen to give a high pace tempo in this one. I think the price 2,08 is big mistake by bookies. I have 200 dollars and a very promising date tonight. I 've plans for a nice and romantic restaurant, with red wine and tasty steak. I hope Kiessling continue to score, otherwise the plan is changing to McDonalds.

[toaster33]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Wenger has stated how important Arsenal qualifying is in the past couple of days: 'We are desperate to go through, no matter what it costs we want to go through'. I think this match (rightly so) hugely takes priority over Everton at the weekend. I think Wenger will play the strongest team possible and look to win this one by a couple of goals so that the return leg isn't a do or die situation. However, I do think that the odds on a straight win are too short to steam in on, despite the fact I think Arsenal will win. Instead I think a better bet would be to back Aaron Ramsey to score. He's got a terrific record of scoring away from home over the past 12 months, and he's become a really key player. If Arsenal win I find it hard not to see Ramsey grabbing a goal with the form he's in - in the last three matches Arsenal played that mattered he's 3 in 3 (OK, separated by a few months). You can grab odds of about 3.2 on Betfair Exchange at the moment. I'll be having a bit of that.

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

Kobenhavn-Leverkusen over 2,5 2,08 I' ll take this bet, only because Roger Schmidt is the coach of Leverkusen. I remember when he was at Salzburg and his team humiliate the Austrian league. Salzburg under his coaching skills, had a 62 consecutive games to score at least 1 goal. Last Friday qualified to next round in German cup, after a 6-0 win, over a lower division team, in a game that Kiessling scored 5 goals. Turkish international Calhanoglou could be the star of the team. He is very sharp in free kicks and corner kicks. Kobenhavn have two faces. One very poor and problematic, in domestic league, and one very strong and efficient in Europe. They have some very experienced guys, like Claudemir, Antonsson, Nilson, and a good youngster Cornelious. In this game they have to prove how good is the defending line, against the Bayer scoring machine. I expect an open game with many goals, and Leverkusen to give a high pace tempo in this one. I think the price 2,08 is big mistake by bookies. I have 200 dollars and a very promising date tonight. I 've plans for a nice and romantic restaurant, with red wine and tasty steak. I hope Kiessling continue to score, otherwise the plan is changing to McDonalds.

Good luck with that! :lol..Welcome to the forum, nice first post.

[HastGill1]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

I'd be a bit cautious with Arsenal. 1) They were not at all convincing vs Palace on Saturday. This could be down to various factors (looking ahead to this match, players still gelling, etc), and maybe it was a one-off, but in any case, 1.6ish is a very short price on a team that put in a performance like that going to Turkey and winning. 2) Arsenal have a big match away at Everton this weekend. I think this has to be a big priority for Wenger and I'm sure in the back of their minds, Arsenal are confident of winning vs Besiktas at the Emirates. It's also worth noting that the weekend after next, Arsenal are away at Leicester, which is of course a much easier match (on paper) than away at Everton. Compare this with the Turkish outfit, who have no league fixtures to worry about until the weekend after next (vs a promoted side). Ultimately these 2 factors are prominent enough for me to avoid backing Arsenal here. The match will take place at the Olympic stadium (not Besiktas' normal arena), where the fans are not nearly as close to the players, but atmospheres in Turkey are always intense regardless. Besiktas are missing one or two important players as well, and were unable to pick up a playmaker up til now, a position they are well aware of needing to strengthen in. Demba Ba is a quality addition, but ultimately they aren't quite good enough to warrant backing either. With all the above taken into consideration, this is a stay away game for me. If Arsenal want it badly and up their level of play, they can win it, but with a visit to Goodison Park looming on Saturday (and only 2 days preparation for this game), I find it hard to back either side here. The totals market offers very little appeal as well.

I'm in the same boat as others on this. I can see Arsenal winning but the price and factors around the game make it difficult to back them especially when they have the return leg to come when you would expect them to win by a couple of goals. I'll be watching it and prepared to have a go in-play but be cautious at the same time.. The ground is unlikely to be more than half-full by the way.

[malabgd]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Salzburg v Malmö FF Salzburg: Martin Hinteregger (5/0 d, doubtful), Valon Berisha (0/0 m), Isaac Vorsah (0/0 d), Asger Sørensen (0/0 d) Malmö FF: Matias Concha (7/0 d), Simon Thern (11/2 m), Alexander Blomqvist (0/0 d), Guillermo Molins (11/8 m, 2nd top scorer) Be?ikta? v Arsenal Be?ikta? (last term): Gökhan Töre (30/4 m), Atiba Hutchinson (30/1 m) (both doubtful) Arsenal: Gibbs (1/0 d), Sanogo (1/0 f), Ospina (0/0 g), Podolski (0/0 f), Ozil (0/0 m), Walcott (0/0 f), Gnabry (0/0 f), Miyaichi (0/0 m) Information from more then 50 football leagues and competitions at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[senk]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

I'd be a bit cautious with Arsenal. 1) They were not at all convincing vs Palace on Saturday. This could be down to various factors (looking ahead to this match, players still gelling, etc), and maybe it was a one-off, but in any case, 1.6ish is a very short price on a team that put in a performance like that going to Turkey and winning. 2) Arsenal have a big match away at Everton this weekend. I think this has to be a big priority for Wenger and I'm sure in the back of their minds, Arsenal are confident of winning vs Besiktas at the Emirates. It's also worth noting that the weekend after next, Arsenal are away at Leicester, which is of course a much easier match (on paper) than away at Everton. Compare this with the Turkish outfit, who have no league fixtures to worry about until the weekend after next (vs a promoted side). Ultimately these 2 factors are prominent enough for me to avoid backing Arsenal here. The match will take place at the Olympic stadium (not Besiktas' normal arena), where the fans are not nearly as close to the players, but atmospheres in Turkey are always intense regardless. Besiktas are missing one or two important players as well, and were unable to pick up a playmaker up til now, a position they are well aware of needing to strengthen in. Demba Ba is a quality addition, but ultimately they aren't quite good enough to warrant backing either. With all the above taken into consideration, this is a stay away game for me. If Arsenal want it badly and up their level of play, they can win it, but with a visit to Goodison Park looming on Saturday (and only 2 days preparation for this game), I find it hard to back either side here. The totals market offers very little appeal as well.

I respect everyone's opinion but to me these arguments are not relevant. Ofcourse the league game against Everton is nowhere near the importancy of this game. Arsenal would be devistated if they don't reach the groupstages of the CL. They need it desperately to fill the gap between the other top guns in their league. Like Hastgill said the stadium will maybe be half full instead of 80000 mad turks. That's totally different + Besiktas even got outplayed by Feyenoord at some points. I'm from the Netherlands and follow Feyenoord very closely. Arsenal would smash this Feyenoord side with atleast 10-1 over two games. And some say that Arsenal only played one competitive game, but Besiktas haven't even started yet only played twice against Feyenoord where they were poor and nowhere near the level they need to avoid a heavy defeat here. Fatigue is out of the question for me too cause these Arsenal players are playing twice a week for many years now, no way it will affect them in a negative way. And comparing a tough BPL game with a turkish side is wrong imo. Crystal palace defended really well over 90 minutes and the english work rate is much higher, something besiktas surely can't. Might sound hard to some people but I can't get the fact that some defend these low odds with such arguments. The odds are low cause Arsenal are the likely winners here and two classes above Besiktas in every department. Everything but a comfortable away win here would be a shock to me if you watched both games of Besiktas so far. I think it's the other way around. Arsenal will be determined to get a good win here so they can relax a bit and focus on the BPL in the upcoming weeks. Arsenal showed last year against Fenerbache that they can easily cope with the pressure in these kind of games. It's just their bad luck the BPL has 4 or 5 big teams who all fight for the same thing so they often need qualifying games to reach the group stages. Winning all 12 previous games should give us the right amount of confidence to pull the trigger here. Skipping low odds is another thing but odds around evens for Arsenal would be insane. Goodluck anyways!

[Alexc]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Good luck to all on Zenit but I can never trust Russian sides away from home. People mention guys like Hulk but he is purely there for the cash, and the questionable motivation could maybe be backed up by results Russian teams tend to come up with, like Zenit's defeat in the last round. Anzhi were a good example of this too. Watched them a few times when they had their money, and some of their performances were appalling.

[krem]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Standard-Zenith Zenith in the last matches of the championship won with a minimum score, 2-1 in the Urals on the road and 1-0 at home and in Ufa, with the only goal was scored from the penalty spot. These contestants will compete for the accommodation in the championship. The main problem is the implementation of the zenith of its moments. Count create about 5 chances to score, but do not realize. The main force of the attack is the Hulk Danny Rondon, they are all in good shape. Vitsel after the disqualification can play in midfield. On defense, all the same, but it is not particularly reliable. In the outcome you do not want to climb. It is difficult to predict anything. I do not know what a Standard. If taking, tomorrow on painting more kick from the total. Goal Rondon 2.3 is small, but in recent games he scores all the time. Besiktas-Arsenal How many remember, Wenger has always relied on the output in the Champions League and it does not matter where started out on the road or at home. Arsenal have a good, balanced composition of this year. Here are just a problem on the defensive. Victory Gunners 1.65 believe little handicap -1, then close to the flow.

[Zacharael]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th Malmo +2AH is as high as 2.0 on some sites now o_o

[MPLouis]

Re: UEFA Champions League Qualifying > August 19th & 20th

Standard-Zenith If taking, tomorrow on painting more kick from the total.

Besiktas-Arsenal Victory Gunners 1.65 believe little handicap -1, then close to the flow.

Love the language - haven't got a clue what it means though :lol