Champions League betting – Man United v Marseille

Man United v Marseille betting preview, odds and tips

Manchester United will be looking to build on the 0-0 draw achieved in France by going into the quarter finals of the competition for the 5th successive season.  But Marseille are looking for a major upset and to reach the last 8 for the first time since the 1992/1993 season. Manchester United came through group C with a fair amount of ease to reach this stage. As Marseille came through in second from group F after winning 4 of their 6 group matches.

Man United

Manchester United defeated Arsenal 2-0 at home on Saturday evening to reach the Semi Final of the FA Cup and continue challenging for 3 trophies. The Red Devils have never lost at home to French first division opposition or at home at all this season and are therefore firm favourites and best priced at 1.5 with Bet365 to win on the night. Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez have struck up a good partnership recently and should continue upfront together on Tuesday after contributing 22 goals between them so far this season. Hernandez is therefore a good bet at 6.0 with Skybet to open the scoring on the night. Man United have the best defensive record in the competition this season after only conceding 1 goal so far in their 7 matches and so a 2-0 home victory is definitely worth a look at 6.75 with Unibet.

Marseille

Current Ligue 1 holders Olympic Marseille currently sit 4th in the league this season but only a point behind top of the table Lille. Although L’OM are most definitely under dogs and priced as much as 8.0 with Paddy power to win on the night they have a decent away record this season. Marseille have lost only 3 of their 14 away games in the league and only once away at Chelsea in the Champions League. L’OM will also be taking some confidence to Old Trafford after winning 5 of their last 6 league games.  Andre-Pierre Gignac is fit for the trip to Manchester after missing the first leg and the striker is a good price at 4.2 with Paddy Power so score at any time, despite a difficult season so far.

Highlighted Bets

Javier Hernandez first goal scorer – 6.0 Skybet
2-0 Man United correct score – 6.75 Unibet
Andre-Pierre Gignac anytime scorer – 4.2 Paddy power
Both teams to score first half – 6.5 Skybet

By Sam Markham

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League betting – Man United v Chelsea

Man United v Chelsea betting preview, odds and tips

Manchester United won the first leg at Stamford Bridge thanks to a first half goal from Wayne Rooney and  it was a precious away goal that could be crucial come Tuesday evening. Although Chelsea had a decent record against Man United at home recently it was  fairly comfortable for the Red Devils as the Blues didn’t play anywhere near their potential. There is though still only one goal in it and everything to play for.

Manchester United

The Red Devils are still on for a successful season as they currently lead the Premier League and are progressing well in both the domestic and European cup competitions. Man United haven’t lost at home so far this season and will take plenty of confidence going into the return leg. Alex Ferguson’s side also boast an impressive defensive record in the competition after conceding just 2 goals. Comparatively though they have only managed to find the back of the net on 10 occasions, which is an average of just over one goal per game.  With this in mind Man United are looking good for a 1-0 home win that is nicely priced at 7.75 with Bwin. Wayne Rooney was rested for the weekend game against Fulham but should be back on Tuesday and is definitely worth a bet after scoring 4 goals in his last 2 games.  The striker is a great bet then at 6.4 with Unibet to open the scoring on the night.

Chelsea

With a chance of reclaiming their Premier League title looking all the more out of reach, Chelsea have only the Champions League left to gain any silverware this season.  The Blues will though have to improve on their performance in the first leg which saw them play nowhere near their potential, and it has been this stuttering form which was been their downfall in the second half of the season. Goals have also been hard to come by for Ancelotti’s men, despite signing Fernando Torres, they have only scored 4 goals in their last 5 games. Fernando Torres is also still waiting for his first Chelsea goal and if you think he can do the damage on Tuesday then Unibet are offering great odds of 4.5 for the striker to score at any time.

Highlighted Bets

1-0 Man United WIN – 7.0 Blue Square
Wayne Rooney first goal scorer – 5.5 Will Hill
Fernando Torres anytime scorer – 3.6 Paddy Power
DRAW – 3.3 Paddy Power
Both teams to score first half – 5.5 Skybet

By Sam Markham

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group H betting

Group H Champions League odds and tips

Group H looks like Arsene Wenger’s and Arsenal’s to lose in all honesty and the 1-2 odds at Victor Chandler for them to top the group must be snapped up early before it shortens up fast. Shakhtar Donetsk could be second best while Sporting Braga and Partizan Belgrade should give a good account but look the two most likely not to make grade.

Group H winner odds

The club from North London for all their football flair have come unstuck in the Champions League in recent years after they were beaten finalists in 2006. Their group opposition will attempt to disturb Arsenal’s scintillating football by adopting aggressive tactics. But Arsenal’s early season form seems to suggest that have much more resolve now and it would be a travesty if they weren’t to make it through to the last 16. The Gunners had to settle for third place once more in the Premier League last term and they can’t buy silverware of late, their last title success coming way back in the invincible 2003/04 season. They will certainly go quite far again in the Champions League but how far id the ultimate question. The 11/4 (William Hill) for them to get knocked out at the quarter-final stage seems very reasonable indeed.

Ukrainian champions Shakhtar were UEFA Cup winners in 2009 and are a real force in European competition but can they produce winning displays now up in Champions League grade? While this question remains unanswered for now, there seems no reason why not! The team are tough to beat at home and their UEFA cup winning campaign was certainly no fluke. Their squad has a somewhat Brazilian contingent to it and for that reason they will not be lacking in flair and can comfortably secure second place in Group H behind the Gunners. For this 10/11(Bet365) seems like a snatch for them to make the second round. They begin with a home tie against Partizan Belgrade and should get off to the perfect start at 4/9 (William Hill). Arsenal old boy Eduardo has transferred to Ukraine and he will sure receive a hostile reception when returning to the Emirates.

Portuguese runners-up last season, Sporting Braga and defied the odds to beat both Celtic and Sevilla to book their place in Group H. It will be very interesting to see how they fair in their debut Champions League season and the bookies seem reluctant to overprice them for Group H qualification at just 11/10 (Bet365). But their downfall might be on the road, Celtic ran out comfortable 2-1 winners at Parkhead in qualifying and they will face much sterner tests than the Hoops. Expect them to pick up nil points at the Emirates in their opener.

Partizan Belgrade have won the Serbian SuperLiga an unprecedented twenty-two times and had to go through qualifying to appear in last Thursday’s draw. They did however account for Anderlecht en route and for that performance they must be taken seriously. But the other three in the group just look far too strong and should outclass and outplay the Serbs this being reflected in the 1/7 (general) odds for them not to qualify. Picking up a point or two would prove a real achievement.

Reccomended bets: Spurs to qualify at 4/5 with Coral – Free £10 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group G betting

Group G Champions League odds and tips

Group G – the aptly named ‘group of death’. Real Madrid, AC Milan, Ajax and Auxerre all stand a chance of qualifying but only two can make the cut. The Jose factor will be quite significant when analysing the chances of Madrid who are unsurprisingly favourites to top the group at 8/13 (Stan James) but the remaining three clubs shouldn’t be too far behind.

Group G winner odds

The ‘Special One’ led Inter Milan to last years Champions League overcoming Bayern in the Bernabeu finale. Now, the Portuguese boss will be sat in the home dug-out in the Madrid stadium after swapping it for the San Siro. Inter hadn’t previously won the Champions League but Mourinho quickly settled that score and he can continue his excellent record in the competition at Madrid, who are second favourites at 11/2 (Betfred) to win the Wembley final. Real must first negotiate Group G which looks all set to produce some mouth-watering clashes. Madrid must aim to overhaul Barcelona’s tag as the best team in the world and have set about doing so with the signings of Germany star duo Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. They will be pivotal in their European adventure when they kick off at home to Martin Jol’s Ajax. The nine time winners of this trophy must be warned against complacency in a group which could potentially catch them out.

AC Milan at present seem to be on a downward spiral and have arguably been replaced by Inter as the top Italian club. They have not won Serie A since 2004 but do have good history in Europe’s elite competition winning it seven times, second only to Madrid, and being runners-up on four occasions. But last seasons miserable third place finish in the league does not send confidence roaring and they could well be the first big-name to enter the 2010-11 Champions League. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri’s ageing squad have however been boosted by the double capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho and they can provide the spark that has been missing since their 2007 winning year. Milan have to be taken seriously of course in Group G, and are available at 7/2 (Bwin.com) to finish as group winners and are as short as 2/5 (Paddy Power) just to progress to the knockouts. They will come head to head with Real Madrid in a carbon copy of last years group stages and it was the Italians who had the edge a year ago with a win and a draw. Auxerre are first up at the San Siro but there is little value at 2/5 (general) for them to start with a win.

Martin Jol resisted the clutches of Fulham over the summer in order to stay at Ajax and that says something about how highly he rates the team he has assembled there. But Ajax have been out of the European limelight for a while now since their European success in 1995 and had to book their place this year through qualifying and have not won the Eredivisie since the 2003/04 season. They will need to improve if they are going to trouble the likes of Madrid and Milan and Uruguayan Luis Suarez musr be on top of his game if Ajax are to make an impact in Group G. Odds of 3/1 (Coral) are available for them to make it through the group and the club from Amsterdam start with the toughest of tasks in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Perhaps the nightmares of draws for A.J Auxerre, which was their reward for finishing third in the French league and beating Zenit St.Petersburg in qualifying. Jean Fernandez’s team will know the size of the task ahead of them but they can play in the knowledge where nobody expects them to progress. This underdog tag could work in their favour and some punters might nibble at the 5/1 Totesport are offering for them to qualify. While this may seem unlikely, the French outfit will not give up the ghost easily and could shock a few of their more fancied rivals. If they get anything in Milan on September 15 it will deliver a real statement of intent.

Reccomended bets: Real Madrid to win the group at best odds 8/13 with Stan James – Free £25 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group F betting

Group F Champions League odds and tips

Premier League title winners Chelsea recorded their best ever finish in the 2007/08 Champions League season when they were beaten in the final by Manchester United. Penalty kicks were their downfall that night at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and this year they face another trip to the Russian capital when they do battle with Spartak. French champions Marseille and Slovakian newcomers Zilina make up the rest of Group F.

Group F winner odds

Carlo Ancelotti guided old club AC Milan to the Champions League in 2003 and 2007 but will be hoping to lead the Blues to their maiden European success this time when they kick off their campaign in Zilina. The West Londoners won the Premier League by the narrowest of margins last season from United but realise they need to add the Champions League to their honours list before they can be considered true European greats. But their double winning season has seen them installed as third favourites at 6/1 (SkyBet) to win the competition outright and should finish as runaway leaders in Group F but are unbackable at 3/10 (Boylesports) to do so. They will get off to the perfect start away to Zilina on September 15 and can reward punters at 7/4 (Victor Chandler) by being the British team to progress furthest. The longshot wager regards the Stamford Bridge club comes in the highest scoring group market, 6/1 (Stan James) says Group F clubs net more than any other. This seems overpriced considered Chelsea’s emphatic start to the new Premier League season which has seen them bag fourteen goals in just three games.

Olympique de Marseille finally clinched the French title for the first time in eighteen years and can boast winning the Champions League in 1993. The club from the Stade Velodrome are the only French winners of the competition thus far and will enter this years in buoyant mood and have a serious chance of progression in the group. While they may have to settle for second placed, reaching the last 16 will be an achievement in itself. Manager Didier Deschamps a Champions League winner with Marseille in ’93 will lock horns with his former employers in Chelsea aiming to put one over his old club. They can be backed quite easily at 7/10 (Bwin.com) to qualify through Group F pipping Spartak Moscow to the runners up spot. They kick off with a home tie against the Russians and this represents a good early chance to get points on the board.

Spartak manager Valery Karpin has transformed the clubs fortunes of late and will be hoping his side perform well in the competition with the help of new signing Aiden McGeady from Celtic. It could be a battle between them and Marseille for second placed and the sides are no strangers to each other in Europe. The pair met in the semi-final of the 1990/01 Champions League with Marseille running out 3-1 winners in Moscow. Spartak will need to prevent a repeat scoreline when they travel to France for the opener and bookies SkyBet list them at 6/4 to go further than the group stages.

Little is known about Slovakian side Msk Zilina and had to book their place the hard way disposing of Birkirkara, Litex Lovech and Sparta Prague in qualifying. Zilina have won five Slovakian championships since the start of the league in 1993 and are the current holders. Their squad consists of many of those who starred for Slovakia in the 2010 World Cup but they will struggle in Group F. They face stiff competition in Chelsea, Marseille and Spartak who will prove just to strong for them. Destined for an early exit as justified by the 10/1 (Bet365) just to qualify through the group.

Recommended bets: Chelsea to win the group at Stan James who have the best odds of 3/10 – Free £25 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group E betting

Group E Champions League odds and tips

Last years Champions League runners-up Bayern Munich will be hoping to go one better this time around and they have been drawn with Roma, FC Basel and CFR Cluj. Louis Van Gaal’s Bavarian’s should negotiate Group E and will be bidding to win the trophy for the first time since 2001. Germany’s most successful club justify favouritism at 4/6 to finish as group winners and they begin with a testing tie against Roma at the Allianz Arena. Bayern should however overcome the Italians at home and look backable at 8/11 (Bet365) to collect all three points and make the perfect start.

Group E winner odds

Ex-Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri led A.S Roma to a second placed finish in Serie A last season but have been unable to finish at the summit since 2001. However, they did perform well in both the Coppa Italia and the SuperCoppa Italiana but again had to settle for second best in both. And they may have to do so again behind Bayern in Group E but if they are to stick their heads in front and win the group they can be backed at 11/5 (Bwin.com). If they can avoid defeat in Munich in the opener they stand a chance of nicking a draw at Paddy Power’s 12/5. Roma will be solid in the Stadio Olimpico and are just 2/9 (Stan James) to qualify through the group.

Swiss side FC Basel had to go through qualifying in order to make last Thursday’s Champions League draw in Monaco. They dispatched of Debreceni and Sheriff Tiraspol and Thorsten Fink’s side will be a tough nut to crack in the competition. They are no strangers to European competition since bursting onto the scene in the 2000-01 season and have won the Swiss Super League a massive thirteen times. Their best success in Europe’s elite tournament came in the 2002/03 season when they made it to the knockout rounds. It is unlikely they are going to go this far this year but they can continue their European adventure in the Europa League by finishing third. They begin with a trip to Cluj on September 15 but could struggle to get anything in Romania and are best priced 2/1 (William Hill) to win the game and a larger 9/2 (Victor Chandler) to qualify through Group E.

Romanian football seems to be on the up after CFR Cluj and rivals Unirea Urziceni have both recently made their Champions League bows. The former is their only representative this year but caught the eye in the 2008/09 competition winning their opener with Roma and holding Chelsea to a draw. Cluj are the current Romanian champions having achieving this accolade for only the second time in their history but are the outsiders at 7/1 (Paddy Power) to make the last 16. But they are capable of causing a few upsets in Group E albeit en route to their inevitable early exit. However, Bwin.com offer odds of 13/10 that Cluj mastermind a win against Basel in the first and this certainly seems worth a small stake.

Reccomended bets: Roma to win the group at best odds 7/4 with Blue Square – Free £66 worth of bets

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group D betting

Group D Champions League odds and tips

Barcelona will breeze through Group D with all respect to Rubin Kazan, Panathinaikos and Copenhagen. The three times Champions League winners are the 11/4 (Victor Chandler) favourites to be kings of Europe and their group opponents should provide the perfect warm-ups. So let’s concentrate on the battle for the runners up spot and it looks a two-horse race between the Russian and Greek champions – but who will prevail?

Group D winner odds

Barcelona – Best odds 1/10 Bet 365
Rubin Kazan- Best odds 16/1 VC Bet
Panathinaikos – Best odds 14/1 Blue Sq
Copenhagen – Best odds 40/1 Bet 365

Rubin Kazan made their Champions League bow last season and pulled of the shock of the competition with a victory in the Nou Camp. While they may get nothing in Barcelona this time around, they stand every chance of progression if they can rekindle this form against weaker opposition. The Russians seem excellent value at 11/10 with Bet365 to make the last 16 at the expense of Panathinaikos. They begin away to Copenhagen and will be confident of making a good start in Denmark.

The Greeks have invested heavily in their squad in recent years and it looks to have paid off with them winning their domestic title and cup double for the first time since 2004. Panathinaikos’ best effort in the Champions League came in 1971 when they were beaten finalists but they can forget about appearing at Wembley in May. If they are to make it through Group D it could go down to the last game where Panathinaikos travel to Copenhagen and Kazan have the much sterner task in Barcelona. If you fancy the Greek representatives to qualify they are available at 6/4 with Victor Chandler.

In the 2006/07 edition of the Champions League FC Copenhagen were making their first appearance in the competition. That experience should stand them in good stead this time around and if they can rediscover their home form they could be a threat. Manchester United, Benfica and Celtic were their group opponents last time and at home they were unbeaten accounting for United and Celtic in the process and holding Benfica to a share of the spoils. The Danish Champions have a familiar face in ex-Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer and his experience playing at the highest level will be sought after. The Danes are longshots at 6/1 (SkyBet) to squeeze through Group D but expect them to struggle at the wrong end of this quartet.

Reccomended bets: Panathinaikos to qualify at 6/4 with Victor Chandler – Free £50 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group C betting

Group C Champions League odds and tips

A plum draw for 2008 winners Manchester United who look all set to top Group C with little in the way to prevent them. Cash strapped Valencia are the most obvious dangers but they will be happy to cement the runners up spot in Group C. Rangers and Bursaspor will battle it out for minor placings one would assume for the right to enter the Europa League.

Group C winner odds

Sir Alex Ferguson will be the first to admit he would have liked to have added more Champions League successes to his glowing honours list. Fergie has scooped Europe’s elite prize on just two occasions during the treble winning year of 1999 and in 2008. And after the disappointment of finishing second to Chelsea in the Premier League last season, the United boss will want to add another to his record in the showcase final at Wembley in May. Bayern Munich got the better of United on away goals in last years competition but expect them to be knocking on the door this time around. Progressing through this seemingly easy group should be a formality but they are no price at 3/10 (general) to finish as Group C winners.

Valencia look the second best team on paper in this quartet of clubs. However, the Spanish outfit are in serious financial difficult to the extent where they have had to postpone construction on their new stadium and sell a host of stars including World Cup winners David Villa and David Silva. And, if there is to be a big club that fails to make it out of the group stages, one gets the feeling it could be Valencia. The Spanish club finished third in La Liga last term but that was with the help of their star duo and they face a tricky Champions League opener at Bursaspor. SportingBet offer 2/1 they fail to progress past the group stages so it will be interesting to monitor whether their off field problems will affect their performances on it.

Turkish League and Super Cup Champions Bursaspor are yet another club making their Champions League debut. The newcomers edged out the more fancied Fenerbahce, Galatasary and Trabzonspor to seal the Turkish title and they will head into the competition bidding to make a statement of intent. The hostile atmosphere in Turkey can work in their favour and are not without a chance if they can make the Bursa Ataturk Stadium a difficult place to visit. They entertain Valencia in their opener and are best priced 2/1 (William Hill) to pick up all three points. It will be interesting to see how they approach their home games as they may get little joy on the road.

Walter Smith’s Rangers retained the SPL title with three games to spare last season and thus secured automatic entry for the 2010/11 Champions League. However, they must improve drastically on last years CL where they only managed a point and finished bottom of a group which included Sevilla, Stuttgart and Romanian minnows Unirea Urziceni. But Rangers could struggle again to pick up points and it would be a surprise to see them go any further and another European failure looks set to happen. They are a large 9/2 (Bet365) to qualify but this can be overlooked and this is justified by the 2/7 (SkyBet) for them to exit early. Smith was Sir Alex’s assistant in the 2003/04 season but don’t expect him to do the Rangers chief any favours when they begin with an unforgiving trip to Old Trafford.

Reccomended bets: Bursaspor to qualify at best odds 7/2 with Victor Chandler- Free £50 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group B betting

Group B Champions League odds and tips

Group B at first glance is probably the most open of the eight with Olympique Lyonnais, FC Schalke 04, Benfica and Hapoel Tel Aviv making up the quartet. Last years semi-finalists Lyon are much fancied to top the group after their impressive showing but it is difficult to discount both the German and Portuguese opposition. Israeli’ Champions Hapoel are the only non-European club in the group stages after winning their domestic title for the first time in a decade, but most would agree that they could struggle to pick up points in this line-up.

Group B winner odds

Lyon – Best odds 15/8 VC Bet
Schalke – Best odds 2/1 Stan James
Benfica – Best odds 11/4 Coral
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Best odds 25/1 Sky Bet

In such a tight group, Lyon have been chalked up as favourites to finish as group winners at 15/8 (Victor Chandler) and this bet must be proceeded with caution. Forgetting last seasons performance, Lyon could only finish runners-up to Marseille in Ligue 1 last term having won the French league no fewer than on seven occasions in the last ten years. So there is an element of doubt as to whether Lyon are on a downward spiral but their home form should see them comfortably through to the knockout stages.

Bundesliga runners-up last season FC Schalke are the real interesting contenders in Group B. Under manager Felix Magath they are likely to go well after two years in the wilderness without Champions League football. However, the last time they were involved in the 2007/08 they did reach the quarter-final stage and they will be targeting a similar performance this time around. While the 2/1 (Paddy Power) odds for them to finish top of the group seem a little short, they can certainly progress at odds of 4/5(Bwin.com) which seems more sensible. They kick-off their campaign in away to Lyon and will be hoping to avoid defeat in France which might relinquish any strong hopes of progressing.

During the early 1960s when the Champions League was effectively known as the European Cup, Benfica were winners on two consecutive occasions (1960/61 and 1961/62). The current Portuguese champions more recently have struggled in the competition, falling at the first hurdle in both 2006/07 and 2007/08 relegating them into the Europa League. They have spent the last two seasons challenging for this honour and they may have to settle for the same again. They can be overlooked in Group B and they may well only play a minor role by finishing third. However, surprises are aplenty in the Champions League and if they can transfer last seasons domestic form into Europe they hold every chance of qualification at 8/11 but preference is for Schalke at 4/7.

When we talk about Hapoel Tel Aviv we enter the unknown a little. The Israeli’s are making their Champions League bow after overcoming Austrian side Salzburg in the qualification round with a 4-3 aggregate win. The nine million pound payday the club will receive for reaching the group stages may be the only good thing to come out of the Champions League however and they will struggle to register a point on the board. This is justified with the bookies 1/7 on odds that they go no further than the group stages. They make their European debut in Benfica’s Estadio Da Luz and this one can be regarded as a home banker at 2/5 (Bet365). Tel Aviv are 13/2 with Paddy Power but very few, if any will be nibbling on the Israeli’s. A draw (10/3) may be the best they can hope for but that also looks out of their reach.

Reccomended bets: Spurs to qualify at 4/5 with Coral – Free £10 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Champions League Group A betting

Group A Champions League odds and tips

Champions League Group A immediately leaps of the page as Tottenham Hotspur figure amongst the clubs aiming to progress into the last 16. Spurs along with Dutch Eredivisie Champions FC Twente make their debuts in Europe’s elite competition, while last years winners Inter Milan and Germans Werder Bremen complete the quartet. But what can we expect from Harry Redknapp’s men who secured their place after overcoming a dogged Young Boys in qualifying?

Group A winner odds

Inter – Best odds 5/6 VC Bet
Spurs – Best odds 7/2 Blue Sq
Werder Bremen – Best odds 5/1 Betfred
FC Twente – Best odds 18/1 Bet 365

There’s no denying the fact the North Londoners may have to do it the hard way just to qualify from the group stages. However, perhaps the only saving grace was that it could have been a lot worse considering the Pot Three hopefuls avoided Real Madrid in last Thursday’s draw. Instead, they open their campaign in the Weserstadion in Bremen as a pose to the daunting prospect of kicking off in the Santiago Bernabeu. Nevertheless, Werder Bremen will be no pushovers and are not here by default despite needing extra time in their second leg qualifier against Sampdoria to progress on aggregate.

Like Tottenham who were given an opening leg scare against Young Boys, Bremen who finished third in the Bundesliga last season, at one stage looked to be dropping into the Europa League at the hands of Italians Sampdoria. Markus Rosenberg’s extra-time winner though made it the sixth time in seven seasons they had made it into the group stages. And you can get 11/10 with Bet365 the Germans make it a nightmare start for ‘Arry’s men who themselves are a tentative 9/4 to record their first ever Champions League success.

Jose Mourinho guided Inter Milan to their first top European triumph last term after overcoming Bayern Munich in May’s final. The ‘Special One’ has since left the Italian Champions for Madrid but in Rafel Benitez they have secured a more than adequate replacement. The ex-Liverpool boss tasted Champions League in 2005 with the Reds and will feel he has a real chance of emulating Jose’s success at the San Siro. If Inter Milan do follow up and win the 2010/11 Champions League they should have no problems negotiating their way through Group A. The top seeds are as short as 1/14 to progress but look excellent value at 5/6 with Victor Chandler to finish as group winners. They begin their defence with a trip to FC Twente and can get off to the perfect start in Holland but at no sort of odds (2/5).

Twente owe much of their recent success to former England Head Coach Steve McClaren. He guided the team from Enschede to the Dutch league last term seeing off much fancied rivals in Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, hence their Champions League entry this time around. But McClaren has since left for Wolfsburg and their chances of group progression have diminished rapidly now Michel Preud’homme takes the hot-seat. This is justified with the bookies 9/1 odds for them to qualify and it seems almost a certainty they will finish rock-bottom of Group A.

The best bets in this group surround Spurs and they represent a decent price at 4/5 (Coral) to qualify from the group.

Reccomended bets: Spurs to qualify at 4/5 with Coral – Free £10 bet for new customers

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers