Southampton vs Fulham betting preview

Southampton Form: LWWLLW

Promoted from the Championship last season, Southampton have so far struggled with the higher standards of the Premier League. After taking just three points from their first six matches, they currently sit in 17^th position and are early season contenders to go down. Although their recent form seems fairly solid, it includes wins against lower league opposition in the shape of Stevenage and Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup so is rather deceptive in terms of Premier League performances. The only three points this season came at home with a 4-1 win against fellow relegation candidates Aston Villa and the home form of Southamton will be crucial in deciding their fate come the end of the season. Get free bets for this match here.

The main problem for Southampton so far this season has been their leakiness at the back and they are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Scoring goals has been a little bit easier for them, largely thanks to the efforts of Ricky Lambert who is their top goal scorer having found the net on four occasions this season.  A lot of the good midfield work comes from Adam Lallana whilst record signing Gaston Ramirez also looks like a player capable of getting an assist or a goal.

Watching Southampton as a neutral this season has been rather entertaining. The games are full of goals with 5 out of the 6 games going over the 3.5 mark. The majority of goals are coming in the second forty five minutes with all but one of the matches featuring a second half with over 2.5 goals scored.

Fulham Form: LWWLLL

Fulham have started the season in their usual manner seemingly bound for mid table mediocrity once again. If they do manage to finish in the top half of the table then it must be seen as a great achievement by Martin Jol due to the high profile departures over the summer. Fulham are famed for their contrasting home and away form (as well as a bizarre tribute to Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage) and last season only four of their fourteen wins came on the road. This form seems to be continuing this season with Fulham only managing to score in one of their away games this season, during a 2-1 victory over Wigan.

Fulham’s big name summer signing missed the defeat to Manchester City and is unlikely to feature against Southampton this weekend. This is a big blow to the Cottagers but, in Petric, Rodallaga and Ruiz, Fulham are not short in attacking threats. Petric and duff have been Fulham’s main source of goals this season having scored three apiece. All of Fulham’s goals this season have featured a healthy number of goals with the 2.5 mark being surpassed in every outing. The goals have been fairly spread out but, the second halves have seen slightly more with each going over 1.5 goals.

Betting Preview

Looking at the statistics, one thing stands out; this game should feature goals, and lots of them. With all but one of Fulham’s Premier League matches going over the 2.5 mark and all but one of Southampton’s games going over the 3.5 mark, it would be surprising to see this trend not to continue. Although Fulham have only scored in one of their three away matches this season, they will fancy their chances to get at least one goal against a Southampton team that are yet to keep a clean sheet. Similarly, Southampton and Ricky Lambert in particular will expect to get on the score-sheet and their goal scoring form this season suggests that they will. With Ricky Lambert banging them in, Gaston Ramirez and Adam Lallana would be a decent bet for an assist. In his two appearances this season, Ramirez has demonstrated his supreme ability and as a dead ball specialist, may be able to bag a goal himself.

The last competitive meeting between the two sides came all the way back in the 2004/05 season as a thrilling 3-3 draw was played out. Although nearly all the personnel of both clubs have changed since then, the stats suggest that a similar game might be played out this weekend. Much will depend on whether or not Southampton can keep tight at the back and if they can they will stand a good chance of winning. However, it’s a big ask and having conceded in all their games this season it seems unlikely. Therefore, it looks like it will end in a draw.

Highlighted Bets

Draw, 12/5 with SkyBet

Second Half Over 1.5, 4/5 with Bet365

Ramirez E/W, 9/1 for first goal with Coral 3/1 anytime

Anytime Assist, Adam Lallana, 11/4 with BoyleSports

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Ascot Cumberland Lodge Stakes betting preview

EBOR winner Willing Foe bids for a first Group success when he tackles six other rivals in the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot. The race over 1m4f sees Godolphin doubly represented with Songcraft looking to build on his latest Newmarket third, while recent Cambridgeshire-winning trainer Marcus Tregoning saddles his consistent filly Hawafeez. Find free bets for this race here.

John Gosden’s representative Camborne is the only previous course and distance winner in the field and after showing up for a long way in the Ebor, the trip that day looked to have stretched him. He will have the services of Eddie Ahern and will appreciate this drop back in trip and is probably better judged on winning the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap here in June. This does represent a step up in class for the son of Doyen but he won’t mind the softer conditions having won on good to soft ground and should be thereabouts.

Silvestre De Sousa and Willing Foe look to be carrying the Godolphin charge but the 5-year-old gelding was a shade disappointing when a beaten favourite in a similar contest at Longchamp last time. However, that race was over an extended 2m and the return to 1m4f looks sure to suit. A repeat of his memorable Ebor victory makes him the one to beat but his stablemate Songcraft is also useful and is not entered to just make up the numbers. Richard Mullen’s mount won twice in Meydan at the start of this year and ran well when beaten by another stablemate Retrieve, in a listed contest last week. The big worry is whether this race will come too soon but he could figure if showing no ill-effects from his recent outing.

Marcus Tregoning’s string are in fine form and Hawafeez can continue the yard’s excellent recent run here. The only filly in the race was well supported in the Lillie Langtry when last seen but was beaten into fourth when unable to quicken in the final furlong. Previously, he was mightily impressive on his seasonal reappearance when scooting to a four length success at Newbury and a repeat of that form should see him take this. Tregoning has an outstanding record in this race and has won it no fewer than five times in the last decade and looks to have another suitable candidate this year. Get a free bet for the Cheltenham Festival here.

Starboard will only run if the ground is suitable states his trainer John Gosden and he may yet be withdrawn having not raced on anything softer than good before. Allied Powers will be bidding to show his younger rivals how to do it he has been rather disappointing since a Group 3 success at Longchamp in May. He has claims on his best form but judged on his most recent efforts is probably best watched, as is Irrigo who wears first-time blinkers.

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Aston Villa v West Brom Betting Preview

Aston Villa welcome midlands rivals West Brom to Villa Park on Sunday. Villa come into the game after a triumphant extra time 4-2 victory at the Etihad in the Capital One Cup. The game has been rescheduled to Sunday 30^th September following the announcement that it is live on Sky Sports. Kick off at 4pm. Choose a free bet for this match here.

Aston Villa lost 4-1 away at pointless Southampton in their last Premier League encounter. It was a dismal performance from Villa, highlighting the weaknesses in their defence, as Southampton broke through on numerous occasions and could have scored more. But, following their midweek cup win against champions City things are starting to look up for Paul Lamberts side. After a solid defensive performance, Villa capitalised on lacklustre City defending to force the game into extra time, eventually winning 4-2.

Paul Lambert is adamant new signing Christen Benteke and prolific forward Darren Bent will gel and form a menacing partnership. The Belgian international has made an impressive start to his Villa career following a summer move from Genk; where he scored 19 goals in 37 appearances.  He scored on his debut against Swansea, in the 2-0 home victory, before an impressive performance at Southampton where he came close to scoring on more than one occasion.

West Brom have made a solid start to the new season and currently sit in fourth place, after picking up 10 points from a possible 15. After keeping three clean sheets in the opening five league games, it is clear that West Brom have a team that is going to be difficult to break down this season.  Both Everton and Liverpool have failed to score against West Brom this season, reinforcing the strength of their defence.

However, West Brom have looked poor in their last two Premier League matches. After losing 3-0 away to Fulham, Albion then struggled to break down Reading, before eventually winning 1-0 through a lucky Lukaku goal.  But there have been promising signs this season and West Brom are more than capable of shutting up shop and keeping a clean sheet. It is offensively were they are struggling.

Prediction:

After a dismal outing in their last Premier League game Aston Villa will be keen to reproduce a performance that saw them beat Man City midweek. But it is hard to see how they will break down a stubborn West Brom without any creative midfielders.  West Brom have also been playing poorly of late, but were still able to grind out a 1-0 victory against Reading. It is clear that they are strong at the back and will be difficult to break down. Therefore, with both teams struggling offensively it is likely this game will be a draw and could even be a 0-0 stalemate. The draw is 9/4.

Highlighted Bets:

1)      As the teams are very similarly matched, it is likely that this game will be another tight affair with very little in it. Both teams are averaging under 2.5 goals per game (both teams have had 3/5 games under) and less than three total goals at 4/5 looks a solid shout. It is hard to see how there will be many goals in this game as both teams are suited to playing on the counter attack, and may be unable to force a breakthrough in open play.

2)      In West Broms opening league matches 9/11 goals have been in the second half, 7/14 for Aston Villa. The second half to have more goals offers fantastic value at 19/20. Both teams regularly have more goals in the second half, and in a tight derby game this is going to be the likely outcome. A more risky bet would be for the first goal to come in the second half at 12/5. Neither team will want to concede first which may make the first half a tense affair with little attacking, making this a great value bet.

3)      As mentioned earlier, it is likely that this game will be a tight match ending in a draw. The last time these two teams met, it was a goalless draw at the Hawthorns, and it could be a similar result on Sunday. A 0-0 correct score not only offers a realistic chance of winning, but represents fantastic value at 10/1.

Recap:

• Draw @ 9/4
• 0-0 @ 10/1
• Second half to have the most goals @ 19/20
• First goal to come in the second half @ 12/5
• Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5

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Arsenal vs Chelsea betting preview

The Gunners currently lie fifth in the Premier League table, on 9 points, and have gradually grown in confidence. After two consecutive 0-0 draws against Sunderland and Stoke they produced a mature performance over Liverpool beating them 2-0 at Anfield and thumping Southampton 6-1 shortly after the international break. A 1-1 draw at the Etihad is no mean feat either. Grab a free bet for this match.

The form and more importantly consistency shown by Abou Diaby has seen comparisons between the once hotly-tipped youngster and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira re-emerge. His drive and reading of the game has been instrumental in starting the Gunners swift counter-attacks and will look to disrupt the forward play of messrs Hazard and Mata.

His steel partnered with the finesse of Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla provides a nice balance to Arsenal’s midfield. Long-term absentee Jack Wilshere will need to be at his best to break back into the Arsenal set-up.

After the departure of Van Persie you would be forgiven for expecting a goal drought at Arsenal. As always Arsene Wenger has bought well and for relatively little, bringing in experienced German international Lukas Podolski and towering French forward Olivier Giroud. Their flourishing partnership will prove a handful for most defences; indeed even Chelsea’s given the controversy surrounding John Terry and the more often than not aloof David Luiz should he start.

Chelsea

Chelsea have started the season in fine form rising to the summit of the Premier League collecting 13 points and an impressive goal difference of +7. Similarly to Arsenal the departure of Didier Drogba has caused come concern for fans but much of their recent success can be attributed to their summer signings, particularly Eden Hazard. The young Belgian will no doubt be the toughest challenge facing Carl Jenkinson so far this season as Chelsea will look to exploit Arsenal’s inexperience in both full-back positions.

The 6-0 thrashing of Wolves in the League Cup last Tuesday evening reinforces Roberto di Matteo’s belief that the blues can compete on all fronts this season, fielding a weakened albeit still very impressive side highlighting their strength in depth.

After a promising start Fernando Torres has stuttered once more and against the imperious Thomas Vermaelen, Chelsea’s number 9 may struggle to have any meaningful impact. The Blues will rely on runners from midfield to provide the goals so expect Frank Lampard to be lurking.

Fortunately for Chelsea, John Terry’s 4-match ban will not come into effect until after the Chelsea captain has decided whether or not to appeal against the decision. The former England skipper has faced a number of controversies in recent years and has a knack of silencing his numerous critics.

Betting Verdict

Both clubs now have an attacking philosophy which should make for an entertaining game for the neutral. As is often the case in football nowadays, much will depend on the ability of the full-backs to get forward given the attacking potency of both sides’ wide men. Whichever team can get the extra man forward is likely to leave the Emirates with 3 points.

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Betfred Cambridgeshire betting preview

3:40 Newmarket (1m1f)

RACING’s headquarters plays host to the first leg of the Autumn Double on Saturday as a field of 35 descend on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile for the latest renewal of the Betfred Cambridgeshire Handicap over 1m1f. The ground was officially described as good on the second day of the Cambridgeshire meeting and similar can conditions can be expected on Saturday where last year’s winner Prince Of Johanne bids to become the first horse since Prince de Galles in 1970 to win the race for a second consecutive year. Tom Tate’s representative won the race off a mark of 91 only 12 months ago but faces a much stiffer task now racing off a BHA rating of 104 although he does have the assistance of useful claimer Brendan Powell, who takes off a handy 5Ib. After winning the Royal Hunt Cup in June, the 6-year-old gelding has been a little disappointing in each of his last three runs since but will appreciate this slight step up in trip after racing exclusively at a mile this season. He, along with 2010 winner Credit Swap, are the only two previous course and distance winners in this line-up but the latter, now with Michael Wigham, has to overcome a 371-day absence. Check out all the free bets on offer for this race here.

Chil The Kite has done little wrong in his seven career starts to date and probably got going a little too late in a Listed contest at Haydock last time. The winner has run well since and the second Fulbright proved himself up to Listed class when scoring at Sandown recently. Hughie Morrison’s charge ran well at this track on his final start as a 2-year-old and even though he has been handed stall number 1 he holds pressing claims for the stable that won this with Supaseus in 2009. The nature of King’s Warrior’s success in the John Smith’s Cup over slightly further was most taking and the way he forged clear once asked by rider Rab Havlin suggests there could be more to come from the son of King’s Best. Peter Chapple-Hyam’s inmate has gone up 10Ib for that 4½-length win but the booking of excellent claimer Michael J Murphy partially offsets a rise in the weights and he could be dangerous, especially if rain arrives beforehand.

Closing quickly at the finish in a competitive Goodwood Handicap last time was the George Baker-trained Jack’s Revenge, who has the services of French rider Gerald Mosse. Granted a bit of luck in running, the 4-year-old might be a little bit better of a mark of 90 after a convincing victory on the neighbouring July Course on his penultimate outing. Jack’s Revenge is stepping into better company but is versatile with regards to the ground and can play a part if getting the breaks. So can Bronze Angel who sneaked into the race off joint-bottom weight for the Marcus Tregoning team. His run in the Britannia at Royal Ascot was eye-catching but after travelling extremely well into the race he found a couple too good when push came to shove. The Dark Angel colt has been raised just 4Ib for that effort and shouldering just 8-8, he is worth monitoring in the market. Find the best offers for the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.

Top weight Fury has ran okay in defeat of late before bombing out in the Strensall Stakes at York and looks to have it all to do at the weights. Similarly, Mijhaar has yet to really go on as expected this year and has been beaten favourite on three of his four runs this term and on recent evidence is perhaps worth swerving. Mukhadram will don the famous Hamdan Al Maktoum silks and is unexposed after four career starts, the last of which came when second to Sovereign Debt in a conditions event. The Paul Hanagan-ridden colt is open to boundless amounts of improvement but looks a little short in the market and at much likelier forecast odds, Godolphin might have a say in the outcome of this race with Man Of Action. His last run can be forgiven as he was slowly away and pushed along from a very early stage at Sandown but prior to that he was a very gallant second to the useful Sir John Hawkwood over 1m2f. Frankie Dettori’s mount might want the ground to dry out further but stamina should not be an issue and he is expected to be competitive down another 1Ib to a mark of 97.

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Young Boys Bern vs Liverpool betting preview

Young Boys Bern

After a good showing in the Swiss Cup at the weekend in which they beat minions Wettswil 5-1 they will be on a high. Their early season league form has been indifferent as they sit in fifth place after eight games. In front of a home crowd they are unlikely to sit back and try and counter, they will attempt to play flowing football and will try and get a win and get a foothold a daunting group. Their best showing in this competition in recent years was reaching the first knockout phase in 2010-11 where they were unlucky to be defeated by Zenit St. Petersburg 4-3 on aggregate by a late goal in the second leg. They are not be written off and may snatch a draw here. The key player for them is Swedish midfield maestro Alexander Farnerud, whom may not be a bad bet for first goalscorer with Betfair at 21-1. Choose a free bet for this match here.

Liverpool

Liverpoolhave had their worst start to a Premier League season ever and have failed to win in four games. Despite resultsLiverpoolare adapting to their new manager’s style of play and haven’t been playing as badly as results suggest. Their lack of striking options is a cause of major concern for the reds although Luis Suarez seems to found his shooting boots with two goals in three games. They are creating chances and if Suarez can find the net consistently it will help the side believe in how they are playing and they will click. Expect them to continue in the same style but it is early days so don’t expect them to walkover their Swiss counterparts here. On paper they should win this game and they need a win under their belt if they are to progress in the competition but a draw would not be a disaster.

Match Prediction: 1-1 draw

The longest odds are on a draw with most bookies giving very similar prices on both sides to win, with slightly shorter odds onLiverpoolwith the majority. The best odds for a draw lie with Goalwin at 3.25, and a price of 6.5 seems popular with many bookmakers for a 1-1 correct score market. The best price for Suarez first golascorer is 7-1 with either Bet365 or Coral. Young Boys to lead at half time but fail to win is at 11-1 with both Coral and William Hill.

Betting Highlights

Young Boys Half time/Fail to win – 11-1 – William Hill

Alexander Farnerud first goalscorer – 21-1 – Betfair

1-1 Draw – 6.5-1 – Ladbrokes

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Spurs vs Lazio betting preview

This Thursday the Europa League kicks off another year’s worth of European competition between some of Europe’s brightest clubs, all fighting for that lucrative place in Amsterdam next Spring and some elusive European silverware. Amongst the twelve groups is Group J, which includes English hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur and Italy’s on-form team Lazio. Though little about qualification for the knock-out stages is decided on match-day one, the clash at White Hart Lane still offers up a tantalising affair, all the more so as both teams are the top candidates to advance out of the group. Choose a free bet for this match here.

André Villas Boas may be wondering what he has to do to recreate his success with Porto, who he led to Europa League glory in 2011, in the North of London. Despite the eternal optimism of Spur’s Fans, who remained confident whilst watching some of their key players depart this summer, Tottenham made a bad start to the season, losing one and drawing two home games. However, in spite of being without a win in four, they struck back against Reading last weekend; winning 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium with Jermaine Defoe picking up two goals to secure the win. A home game may appear more comfortable then, but Spurs fans should be reminded that their team has not won a game at White Hart Lane since a May win against Fulham, and their poor home form has let them down so far this season. This has been coupled with a lack of goals within a team who hadn’t scored more than two goals in a game since a 4-1 win over Bolton last May, although the firepower is seemingly there. Defoe is their highest goalscorer, who will be seeking to continue his good form, and new signing Dembele will provide some danger going forward too, looking to add to his only goal this season.

Lazio could well be the dark horses of this season’s Europa league, and they come in to their first game in fantastic form. The Italian side have won all three games this season in Serie A, leaving them third in the table; and have won their last six games. Their away form is also complimentary to Spur’s poor home form, as Lazio have won their last four away games, and this will be an encouraging statistic for the Italians. Spur’s difficulty scoring goals will also be tested against Lazio, who haven’t conceded more than one goal in a game since a 3-0 loss to Torino back in July. Villas Boas’ main threats will come from German veteran striker Miroslav Klose, who has scored three times this season, although the Brazilian Midfielder Hernanes, who is coming off the back of scoring twice in their last win against Chievo, will also present a challenge to Tottenham’s back line.

The bookmakers make it quite clear who the favourite is in this clash though, as BET365 and SkyBet put a spur’s victory at 5/6 and 4/5 respectively, this in contrast to the long odds for a Lazio victory which is offered at 10/3 with SkyBet, Totesport and BetFRED; perhaps a good chance to more than triple your bet if Lazio take an early lead. This however may not be too likely, as Totesport and BetFRED have Defoe to score first at 5/1; shorter than Miroslav Klose to do the same, who is Lazio’s best chance at 13/2. Taking Spur’s recent scoring record in to account, it is unsurprising that a 1-0 Spur’s Victory is most likely with the bookies, with BET365 and Boylesports offering 6/1 on that scoreline, and this reflects the tight and thrilling game in store.

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by Nick Moss

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Bayern Munich vs Valencia betting preview

Sitting comfortably on top of the Bundesliga league table with three wins from three games, Jupp Heynckes would hope to continue the streak in a home game against Valencia. Standing as favourites in Group F, Bayern are poised to make a shot at the trophy after a disappointing loss to Chelsea at home in the last finals. Valencia sits at 11^th position on the Spanish La Liga with only five points from four games. This is understandable considering the fact that they have played away games against league giants Barcelona and Real Madrid this season. Pellegrino would be trying hard to justify his appointment as manager in May. His situation might not be about to change, especially not while away at the Munchen Arena. Choose a free bet for this match here.

BAYERN MUNICH: WWWWW.  1.45 BET VICTOR

After the Euro Championships, Mario Mandzukic had proved that he is to be watched out for. With three goals for Bayern already, StanJames have him to score anytime during the game at 2.1. Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez are down to score at 2.0 and 2.9 on Betvictor. Bayern Munchen are definitely favourites on this one, they have won 13 of their 19 games against Spanish opponents. Also, they played seven straight home wins in their last European campaign.  Betvictor offers a 1.45 for a Bayern win on Wednesday night. Bayern have conceded only three goals in their last five games, they stand to score all the goals in the match at 2.38 on Bet365. Bayern have scored more than two goals in their last five games, Pinnacle have a 1.7 for more than 2.5 goals in this game.

VALENCIA: LDDLW. 8.5 BET365

Valencia have recorded ten defeats and only five wins in 25 games against Bundesliga clubs. The odds are entirely against them but it is important not to ignore the tenacity of strikers like Roberto Soldado who already has two goals in the bag. A Soldado goal is up for 3.75 on Williamhill. Missing summer signing Fernando Gago, David Albelda and Ever Banega, Bet365 are paying 8.5 if the Los Che boys win. Valencia do not have a record of scoring many goals against german teams and especially Bayer Munchen. they have scored one goal or less in six of their last seven encounters, BETFAIR have a score line of  2-1 in favour of Bayern at 9.

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Man Utd vs Galatasary betting preview

Manchester United host Galatasaray in round one of the Champions’ League group H on 19^th September. With both teams averaging over 3.5 goals per game this season and coming into this match on the back of  4-0 victories, it is likely to be a fierce encounter.

Manchester United crashed out of the Champions’ League at the group stage last year finishing third behind Basel and Benfica. Manchester United are usually prolific at Old Trafford and regularly ease past opponents, but last year only taking five points from a possible nine at home was their downfall, and subsequently meant they missed out on making the knockout stages. Assistant manager Mike Phelan sees that as a blip and a learning curve, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be demanding an opening win in the group stages this year to put last year’s disappointment behind them. Choose a free bet for this match here.

Without the injured Wayne Rooney, new £24m singing Robin Van Persie has hit the ground running scoring four goals in his opening two starts. The tricky Dutchman has proven he has what it takes to make the switch to Manchester United after overturning a 2-1 deficit against Southampton with two quick fire goals in the last five minutes to complete his hat-trick and secure the win for United. RVP should be fit to start midweek after coming on as a substitute in the comprehensive 4-0 victory over Wigan on Saturday.

Turkish Super League champions have been inconsistent playing in Europe’s most prestigious competitions, not playing to their potential since winning the UEFA cup and UEFA Super cup double in 2000. After making an impressive start to the season Galatasaray will be anticipating their trip to Old Trafford and will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season against the toughest of opponents.

Toulouse on loan forward Umut Bulut has made an impressive start to his career at Galatasaray scoring four goals in four appearances. The £4m rated striker scored two goals in his debut against Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super cup helping his side eventually win 3-2. Galatasaray also have former Premier League strikers Johan Elmander and Milan Baros (scoring 20 goals between them last season) at their disposal, boasting an imposing attack – which will cause United’s makeshift defence problems.

Opening three league matches:

Galatasaray 2-1 Kasimpasa                          Everton 1-0 Manchester United

Besiktas 3-3 Galatasaray                              Manchester United 3-2 Fulham

Galatasaray 3-2 Bursaspor                            Southampton 2-3 Manchester United

Antalyaspor 0- 4 Galatasaray                        Manchester United 4-0 Wigan

This opening group stage game at Old Trafford screams goals and promises to be an enthralling encounter.

Prediction:

Both teams have made exciting starts to their league seasons winning two games out of three, and Galatasaray remaining unbeaten. Playing in similar styles both teams have been free scoring and lacklustre at the back, so this promises to be an exciting prospect. Manchester United are likely to win and the odds reflect that, but Galatasaray will be confident going into the match and will not roll over and accept defeat. After last year’s performance in the Champions League and the fact United are missing key players including Wayne Rooney, an upset could be on the cards. Galatasaray to win with a +2 handicap offers fantastic value at even money. Meaning that Galatasaray start with a two goal advantage and even if they lose by a single goal the bet wins. For example, if Manchester United win 2-1 then the bet wins, but if they win 3-1 or more the bet loses.

Highlighted Bets:

1)    In last season’s champions’ league group qualifications Manchester United surprisingly drew to Benfica and Basel, 2-2 and 3-3 respectively. Manchester United have also conceded a goal in three out of their first four premier league games, whereas Galatasaray have scored at least two in their opening three league matches. Both Elmander and Bulut scored in the weekends 4-0 win over Antalyaspor. The two tricky attackers are clinical finishers and capable of scoring at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Both players offer fantastic value with Elmander 5/1 to score anytime and Bulut 4/1 to score anytime.

2)    Both Galatasaray are averaging over three goals per game this season (Galatasaray 4.8g/pg, Man United 3.9g/pg), and it looks like this game will be full of goals. This is reinforced by the head to head records at Old Trafford. Galatasaray have played at Old Trafford twice in the Champions League, losing 4-0 and drawing 3-3. In conclusion, over 2.5 goals at 1/2 and over 3.5 goals at 13/10 look good bets when these free scoring teams meet midweek.

3)    Both teams are more than capable of scoring goals, which they have shown in their opening games of the season. The match at Old Trafford promises to be an exciting encounter between two free scoring teams. Manchester United are likely to win the match, but Galatasaray are no push-over and it may be tighter than the betting suggests. United to win 2-1 is 8/1 and a more adventurous score line of 3-2 is 28/1.

Recap:

• Galatasaray +2 goal handicap @ EVS
• Johan Elmander to score anytime @ 5/1    Umut Bulut to score anytime @ 4/1
• Over 2.5 goals @ 1/2  Over 3.5 goals @ 13/10
• Man United to win 2-1 @ 8/1
• Man United to win 3-2 @ 28/1

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Barcelona vs Spartak Moscow betting preview

On Wednesday Spanish giants Barcelona will kick off their Champions League group stage campaign when they host the Russian outfit Spartak Moscow at Camp Nou. It’s the first meeting between the two sides since 1993/1994, when Spartak managed to claw back a phenomenal 2-2 draw at home from 2-0 down. Choose a free bet for this match here.

The pressure will be on Barca’s new boss Tito Villanova as Barcelona under former manager, Guardiola, never failed to reach the semi finals of the Champions League. Barcelona have currently been undefeated at home in the competition for the last 16 matches, their last defeat coming at the hands of another Russian side: FC Rubin Kazan back in 2010. This season Barcelona have been in fantastic form, they’ve won all 4 of their domestic league games this season amassing 12 goals. Barcelona’s last outing, against Getafe CF, saw Barca romp to a 5-1 victory. Their only loss thus far was an aggregate defeat to fierce rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. Within the past week however Barcelona have started to experience somewhat of an injury crisis. Big name players such as captain Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Alexis Sanchez are all sidelined. This means that Villanova will have to tinker with his preferred starting lineup to ensure that Barcelona produce the dominant display expected of them.

Spartak’s Spanish Manager Unai Emery, formerly of Valencia, has never managed to defeat Barcelona whilst in charge of any team. Emery has also not yet managed to get Spartak into a run of good form, unlike Villanova’s success with Barca. So far Spartak have played 8, winning only half of their fixtures and lost 3. Currently sitting midtable in the Russian Premier League, Spartak have thus far been disappointing. Spartak have not produced a win in 5 games, their last victory being against FC Fenerbahce, nearly a month ago on 21^st August, in the first leg of their qualifying match to reach this stage. With Spartak struggling to produce results against somewhat meagre Russian sides it is hard to see how they will prove capable of challenging world class Barcelona for a share of the points at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Spartak’s fortunes of late have been shattered by an injury to prolific Brazillian striker Welliton, formerly Russian top goalscorer 2009 and 2010, is set to be out till the end of the month and usually plays a key role in Spartak’s game.

With Barcelona in such fierce form it is hard to see them faltering at home against a poorly performing Spartak side. Whilst injury troubles may have greatly dented the hopes of Spartak Moscow, denying them their talismanic centre forward, Barcelona should be able to soldier on. Despite having some key players absent Barcelona have more than enough skill languishing on the bench, something which cannot be said for Spartak. With the best odds for Barcelona to win at 2/17 against 33/1 for a Spartak victory and 119/10 for a draw, it is a brave man who places his money on the fortunes of Spartak Moscow.

Check out our full range of Champions League betting previews here. If you fancy a free bet for any Champions League match, visit Betfred who are offering new customers a free £50 bet on any event!

Stephen Woodward

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