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Match day 4: 

Best Champions League Prediction (s) of previous Matches: “Chelsea winning in Moscow & Spurs losing away to Inter Milan” 

Hello everyone & welcome to another Champions League Prediction article. Last time out on Match day 3 I managed 4 out of 5 correct results. I successfully predicted Chelsea, Arsenal & Manchester United to win as well as Spurs to lose to Inter Milan. 

This means that I have now that predicted 10 out of 15 fixtures correct in terms of results. No correct scores yet unlike the Premiership but I’m sure some will come along soon. 

I will be doing the Premiership predictions for the weekend on Thursday. The weekend predictions just gone were 5 out of 9 (written before Blackpool – WBA) on correct results & another correct score for the Fulham – Wigan game which was my 10th in the Premiership this season. The average for correct scorelines is now one every week which is better than the same stage of last season. The average for correct results is down from an average of last season of 57% to 42%. Go figure. 

Good luck & see you all at the weekend. 

Match 1: Bursaspor – Manchester United: (Group C: Tuesday 2nd November: 7.45pm): 

Manchester United have picked up after their run of draws. They won at the weekend against Spurs after beating Stoke away the previous weekend. I suppose I should pass comment on the referee decision that allowed United to score their second goal. The referee got it wrong & should have blown up for handball as should have the Linesman. This sort of decisions seems to happen at Old Trafford a lot. I can’t remember the last time that a decision like this went against united & why did the referee allow Rio Ferdinand to continue his conversation while he was speaking to his linesman. This ref has previous in favour for united. Oh well who cares. I don’t think that it changed the result though because I don’t think Spurs would have scored to draw or heavens forbid twice to win. 

United won their last Champions League game 1-0 at home which means they have one foot in the door for qualifying from the group into the knockout stages. United it must be said are unbeaten in the all competitions this season & this is why I really can’t see them losing this game especially as they won their last European away game 1-0 in Valencia. Bursaspor are weaker than Valencia so it points to an away win.

Bursaspor drew 1-1 at the weekend with Fernbahce to leave them still top of the league by four points after 10 games. They are also unbeaten in the league this season with a record of won 7 & drawn 3. They look like retaining their title. 

However in Europe this season it has been a different story as they have lost all their games including a 4-0 home defeat to Valencia in their only home game so far. This game therefore should be an easy away win for United with or without Rio Ferdinand & Wayne Rooney. 

Result Prediction: Manchester United to win 
Score Prediction: Bursaspor 0 Manchester united 2 

Match 2: Tottenham – Inter Milan: (Group A: Tuesday 2nd November: 7.45pm): 

Spurs will feel aggrieved & rightly so at Manchester United’s second goal on Saturday but the fact is that they were 1-0 down already & the clock running down. I don’t think they would have won or drawn if the second goal had been not allowed. 

They now face the return against Inter who they lost (as I predicted) away two weeks ago. Spurs were 4-0 down at half time in this game but once Inter took their foot of the peddle they were able to get back into it by scoring three goals, two of them very late in the game. This scoreline should not take anything away from Spurs though who never gave up & deserve credit for that. 

Inter won away at Genoa at the weekend to go second in the table behind Lazio who also won. Inter are 4 points behind Lazio but I still think that Inter will retain their title. In Europe they are unbeaten in their 3 games with two wins & a draw in Holland against FC Twente. Inter should qualify from this group & it is between Spurs & FC Twente as to who qualifies with them. Because of this it is vital that spurs avoid defeat in this game which I think they will but I don’t think they will have enough to win as Inter I think are a better side 

Should be a really good atmosphere at White hart lane & if you can get a ticket than grab it with both hands regardless of price. 

Result Prediction: A score draw 
Score Prediction: Tottenham 1 Inter Milan 1 

Match 3: Valencia – Glasgow Rangers: (Group C: Tuesday 2nd November: 7.45pm): 

Rangers drew at home with Valencia in their last European game & will feel frustrated that they didn’t take the three points. They now face Valencia in the return. Rangers are now second in the group & undefeated so far with two draws & the 1 win. They need to avoid defeat in this game as Valencia are behind them by only the one point. 

On Saturday Rangers lost their 100% league record when they could only draw with Inverness. They are however still top by one point ahead of Celtic due in no small part to their 3-1 at Parkhead the weekend before. Valencia after a great start in the Spanish league have dropped off the pace. They could only draw 1-1 with Real Zaragoza at the weekend. This result leaves them in 4th place 6 points behind leaders Real Madrid. 

Valencia lost their last Champions league home game at home 1-0 to Manchester United, their only defeat so far. Can’t see Rangers winning this game as they don’t score enough goals in Europe despite having a very good defence. 

A boring game & a close one but Valencia to just shade a win. 

Result Prediction: Valencia to win 
Score Prediction: Valencia 1 Rangers 0 

Match 4: Chelsea – Spartak Moscow: (Group F: Wednesday 2nd November: 7.45pm): 

Chelsea are still top of the Premiership by 5 points after coming from behind to beat Blackburn away 2-1 on Saturday. They are also unbeaten in their Champions League Group having won all three games, the latest being a 2-0 win in Moscow against Spartak who they now play in the return. 

Chelsea should win this game & win it easily & to be honest it is just a matter of getting the correct score right. Chelsea as I have said before are one of my teams that I think can win the Champions League which of course this year is being held at Wembley. 

Spartak won at the weekend when they beat FC Rostov 2-1. This result leaves them 4th in the table, 10 points behind the leaders Rubin Kazan. They would be even lower in the table if it wasn’t for their recent really good form. 

Can’t see the Russians winning this game or drawing as their seems to be a really big gap between the Russian league & the Premiership. This is a shame as I remember when most countries leagues were on an equal level which made games more exciting. It must have been harder to predict games I suspect in the 1980’s so I suppose I can’t have it both ways. 

Result Prediction: Chelsea to win 
Score Prediction: Chelsea 3 Spartak Moscow 0 

Match 5: Shakhtar Donetsk – Arsenal: (Group H: Wednesday 2nd November: 7.45pm): 

Arsenal won 1-0 against West Ham on Saturday with a very late goal to remain 2nd in the table but behind Chelsea by 5 points still. They are also still in the League cup & into the quarter finals after beating Newcastle reserves away 4-0 last Wednesday. They have drawn Wigan at home in the quarters so they should qualify for the semis in that competition. They have also won all their Champions league games & now face Shakhtar Donetsk whom they beat 5-1 at home two weeks ago. This could be a tougher game than the home game methinks but Arsenal should still have enough to win. 

Arsenal should qualify from this group but I don’t think they will have enough to win Europe’s premier trophy. That is a shame but such is life, err, I mean football. 

Shakhtar Donetsk are top of their domestic league by five points after winning 1-0 away at the weekend. Their domestic league is however a different kettle of fish compared to the Champions League & hence why I think that Arsenal will win this game but not without conceding a goal as their defence it not their strongest arm. 

Result Prediction: Arsenal to win 
Score Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 1 Arsenal 3 

That’s all from the champions league for a couple of weeks. See you all for the Premiership On Thursday. 

Cheers 

Douglas Martin 

1st November 2010 

After a lackluster performance in their opening game of the World Cup wagering vs the Yanks, the English are mad, as well they ought to be. England qualified for the 2010 World Cup odds competition with plenty of ease wrecking its qualifying group competitors. It also climbed the FIFA world standings and prior to defender Rio Ferdinand followed only Spain (4:1) and Brazil (5:1) in the soccer betting probabilities at the sportsbooks. Its lineup is loaded with EPL stars and world class skill like Stevie Gerard, Frank Lampard and debatably the best striker in the world, Wayne Rooney.

Yet the best the English may muster was a 1-1 draw at the online sportsbook versus an substandard US squad. Worse, the US’ only goal came on a horrible gaffe by the English goaltender who granted the ball to slip through his hands on a regular save and watched as it dribbled into the goal.

But England needs to have bounced back from the comparable World Cup betting humiliation and save 3 points from Algeria. Algeria looked fairly weak during its 1st game, a 1-0 loss to Slovenia. Granted Algeria played most of the soccer wagering match down a man following its star striker was shown a red card in the first half, but it was clear that this squad was not of the same class as Ye Olde’ Englande.

In this sports wagering game, it was expected for the English to score early and often. Wayne Rooney should have been able to find much more space against a below average Algerian defense and manage to break free of his defenders considerably more easily than he did versus the US.

England knew how critical these 3 points are and it may not only let them get away. A tie puts them on the brink of elimination from the group, and the squad’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup odds contest would be all but snuffed out. They might find themselves in a 4 way battle only to advance from the group stage and this squad is simply too talented to find itself omitted of the Final 16 of the World Cup betting.

The only way to gamble this World Cup wagering competition was on England to win it (1/4), though the payout isn’t much.

Regrettably for England, which was a hugely favored squad going into the World Cup, Algeria held them to a tie. England’s continuously unimpressive performance in the World Cup 2010 is represented by the final score of 0-0. To date in this tournament, they basically have not been aggressive enough.

Coach Fabio Capello was horrified at the team’s performance. His remarks that “this isn’t the England I know” are most likely echoed by the countless fanatics. At the same time, he recognized that the strain of the World Cup may be affecting the team’s ability to score at their usual levels.

Even the Algerian coach, Rabah Saadane, was surprised at England’s weak effectiveness. He had suspected they would be better, and they just weren’t at their greatest throughout Friday’s match.

Manchester United and England received a boost from Rio Ferdinand  after he came through after 27 minute of Tony Carr’s testimonial match at Upton Park.

Ferdinand has had issues with back and groin problems this season, which have only allowed  him to play in just 11 Premier League starts for United. The England captain made his return after three weeks on the bench as a late substitute in last weekend’s victory over Sunderland.

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