The group stages of the Champions League come to a conclusion this week with only two of the eight groups’ qualifiers not yet known. Groups A and B will draw to a tense conclusion on Tuesday night as Chelsea, second favourites to win the trophy outright, need a result to progress to the knockout stages in late February, when the competition begins in earnest.
Chelsea require a home win to ensure progress against Romanian side CFR Cluj, a result which would have been deemed a formality up until a few weeks ago when Liverpool destroyed their proud home record and a seemingly crisis-hit Arsenal side went on to dent their confidence even further.
With talismanic midfielder Frank Lampard suspended, this tie is no foregone conclusion and Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side are not helped by the fact that Cluj cannot qualify for the UEFA Cup and may settle for a stoic defensive effort in search of a result.
The Romanian side are Champions League rookies, but caught Roma cold on matchday one with their predominantly South American squad. All of their ties, with the exception of their home loss to Roma, have been close encounters so they are certainly no pushovers. However, with the wealth of attacking options from midfield that Chelsea have at their disposal it is hard to see them not scoring, with Michael Ballack an attractive option at 6/1 for first goalscorer as he will no doubt assume Lampard’s attacking role from deep.
Jose Mourinho’s Internazionale side are also in action on Tuesday night in Group B when they travel to northern Germany to take on Werder Bremen. Runaway leaders of Serie A, Inter need a win to cement their top spot in the group and gain a potentially more favourable draw in the next stage. A surprising loss to Panathinaikos last time out has opened up this group and all four sides involved have something to play for.
Werder Bremen, who have amazingly drawn four of their five games to date, can still make the UEFA Cup with a win over the Nerazurri, but have struggled in the Bundesliga thus far, losing to Karlsruhe at the weekend and lying mid-table. Allied to Mourinho’s famously inhibited tactics, a draw looks the value bet, with a 1-1 scoreline on offer at about 5/1.
Wednesday night’s fare has less edginess about it, with only two UEFA Cup slots to be decided and Manchester United and Arsenal looking to top their respective groups. United should oblige at home to Aalborg, while the Gunners travel to Porto needing to avoid defeat to stay top.
A 4-0 drubbing at the Emirates in September looked ominous for Porto, but two fine away wins has qualified them for the next phase and an entertaining game should be in store as Arsene Wenger’s side will hardly arrive at the Estadio do Dragao and park the proverbial bus in front of the goals, as it is not in their nature. Over 2.5 goals looks a safe option.
Taking a more long term look, the market for outright betting is dominated by Josep Guardiola’s swashbuckling Barcelona side, who produced another attacking masterclass in destroying Valencia 4-0 at the weekend. At 9/2 in most places, they are worthy favourites and should go all the way once the draw keeps them away from a suffocating tie with Liverpool.
For a bit of value, Juventus are on offer at 14/1 and should emerge with top spot from Group H. A double over Real Madrid and a return to goalscoring form from Allesandro Del Piero mark them out as dark horses to lift the trophy in Rome come next May.
Bets advised:
Michael Ballack to score first v Cluj at 6/1.
Werder Bremen and Inter Milan to draw 1-1 at 5/1.
Porto v Arsenal – Over 2.5 goals at 5/4.
Juventus to win Champions League – Each way at 14/1.
