Champions League Preview 2nd Apr

Champions League

Football
Published: 02/04/2014

PSG v CHELSEA, Wednesday 2nd April, 19:45, Sky Sports 1

This game reminds me of the Sparks song ’This town ain’t big enough for the both of us’ as you have the huge egos of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho doing battle and one of these self professed greatest can come out on top.

In terms of who will qualify for the semi-finals bookmakers are split with the English side and their experience making them marginal 10/11 (GENERAL) favourites while PSG are a best priced evens with betfair SPORTSBOOK.

PSG are 11/10 (paddy Power) favourites to come out on top in the first leg with the French side unbeaten in their last nine Champions League games. This season they have only lost one home game in all competitions and this came against Montpellier in the French Cup.

Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from a shock defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier league that has put a serious dent in their title hopes. The Blues have registered just one victory from their last six in all games which threatens to be their undoing. The London side have also won just four of their last 14 games away in this competition. They are 16/5 (bet365/CORAL) the victory and it is 12/5 (GENERAL) that the game ends in a draw.

NO in the both teams to score market is an option as this would paid in 11 of the last 14 for Chelsea and seven of the last nine for PSG. This can be backed at 5/6 (ladbrokes).

I think the bet in this game could be taking the tie to have under 1.5 goals as Chelsea away to the big sides this season have never seen more than two goals in these matches. Now this suggest under 2.5 though the price at around 1.61 is a little short so consider the play on the under 1.5 goals. Chelsea have already kept Premier League blanks at Old Trafford, the Eithad and the Emirates already this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Under 1.5 goals PSG & Chelsea, 2/1 (STAN JAMES/betway)

REAL MADRID v BORUSSIA DORTMUND, Wednesday 2nd April, 19:45, Sky Sports

Dortmund saw off Madrid in style last season to book their place in the Champions League final and the Spanish side will be hungry for revenge this time around.

Madrid are 1/4 (BETVICTOR/ladbrokes) favourites to qualify for the last four with Dortmund the 15/4 (bet365/BWIN) outsiders. In terms of the first leg in Madrid the home side are the short priced 4/11 (GENERAL) favourites. After a few recent stutters I was almost tempted to take them on with Dortmund at 8/1 (GENERAL) though the absence of Lewandowski through suspension is a huge blow for the German side. The Polish striker has scored or assisted 50% (20 of 40) of the goals Dortmund have netted in this competition in the last two seasons.

Domestic form has started to falter for Real but in the Champions League they are on a nine game unbeaten run. Madrid did win the meeting between these sides 2-0 at the Bernabeu last season and they might be popular in a double with PSG for some people.

Cristiano Ronaldo has already netted 13 goals in the Champions League this season and is just 11/21 (888 SPORT/unibet) to net at anytime while Karim Benzema is a 5/4 (SPREADEX) chance. For Dortmund I like the chances of Marco Reus to net at anytime after four in his last three games and up against a Real Madrid defence that has allowed their opponents the most shots on target of the sides left in this competition.

RECOMMENDATION: Marco Reus to score at anytime, 15/4 (betfair SPORTSBOOK)

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Any odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of publishing (02/04/2014) but are subject to change.

02/04/2014     © Frixo 2024

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