The UEFA Champions League returns tonight with 2 of the last 16 ties to be decided as Leverkusen travel to Madrid with a 1 goal advantage while Arsenal look to achieve the impossible and overcome a 3.1 home deficit from their first leg defeat to Monaco. There are also 9 fixtures in the Championship so I am hopeful we can come up with some winners tonight. Here are my previews for the action tonight. 20:45 - Monaco v Arsenal - Prediction 1.2 - Best Bet - Arsenal to win IN 90 MINS @ 23/20
It is a recurring theme now that Arsenal find themselves in. They truly are the biggest groundhog day team I have ever known. Fighting for 4th, capitualting at the back, playing wonderful football and winning games and now predictably, looking to overcome a seemingly impossible first leg reverse. In each of the last 3 seasons, Arsenal have been eliminated at the round of 16 stage having performed woefully in the first legs, losing 4.0 in Milan, and then being overturned at home by Bayern, 3.1 and then 2.0 in last seasons tie. However, with Arsenal being Arsenal they turn in their customory heroic 2nd leg performance to almost, nearly but not qute turn it around, winning 3.0 against Milan, 2.0 in Germany only to be eliminated on away goals and finally last season when they lead 1.0 in Germany for a long period before finally drawing 1.1 This is Arsenal and this 2015. What has changed? I don't need to tell you the answer to that. The football remains terrific, the team are performing well in the league and in a fight for the top 4 as is the norm, with the title seemingly out of their reach (same old) and now they face a trip to Monaco knowing that they need to score at least 3 goals if they are to stand a chance of progression to the illusive quarter finals. Someone get me Bill Murray. So, by that logic, there can only be 1 outcome tonight for Arsenal which if we follow the narrative should involve them scoring early, perhaps scoring another and performing valiantly only to bow out at the final hurdle. They are actually a lot like Scotland now that I think about it and I am backing them to win on the night at 23/20 odds. GIven their recent form, it is not inconceivable that the Gunners could turn it all around tonight but Monaco are remarkably strong at the back having conceded only 1 goal in their last 12 competitive matches at home and I think it is asking just a little too much to score 3 against a team that have the best densive record in the whole competition and who remain virtually untouchable in defense on their own patch. However, I am a strong believer in this Arsenal narative of perpetual frustration having followed their progress for so many years now. They are surely going to run the home side close and I expect them to score 2 tonight and give the French outfit a bit of scare, although ultimately doing an Arsenal and bowing out with the inevitable high heads and stomach full of regrets. I am already getting a vision of Danny Welbeck or Theo Walcott with their head in their hands around the 85th minute having missed a golden chance to get the 3rd goal they need. And Wenger is struggling with his zip... The story is already written. 20:45 - Atletico Madrid v Leverkusen - Prediction - 1.0 Best Bet - Atletico to qualify @6/5 Atletico will be looking to overturn a first leg reverse as they welcome Leverkusen to Madrid with the tie finely poised following the German's 1.0 at the Bay arena 3 weeks ago. Atletico REALLY face an uphill task here, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit against an in-form Bayer Leverkusen side who have won each of their last 5 matches without conceding a single goal. Atletico meanwhile, have only scored once in their last 4 matches, losing to in Germany before drawing three league games in succession. Diego Simeone is a wonderful manager and will need to be at his inspirational best to over turn this deficit but I do believe they can and you can back Ateltico to win on the night @5/6 bearing in mind that a win may not necessarily be enough for last seasons finalists to make it through to this years quarter final stage. If the hosts concede tonight they will need 3 and that could be a big problem but either way, i expect them to win the leg, if not the tie and you can back them to qualify at slightly bigger odds of 6/5. I am quite torn on this one and feel that it is almost too close to call given the first leg scoreline and the respective form of both sides so perhaps I will give this one a miss in my best bets for tonight. Championship Preview There are a host of games and I don't have the time to preview them all so I will instead write a short review, highlighting my suggested bets and posting my final selections around 8.00pm CET. With 9 fixtures to consider, and it being a midweek, goals are the safest way to go and I like the looks of Cardiff's match with Bournemouth as a possible BTTS selection but there are also some possible away day "bankers" to consider. The last meeting between those two produced 8 goals with Bournemouth winning 5.3 and given that Cardiff’s last three have seen both score including last weekend’s win at Brentford and with six of Bournemouth’s last eight having resulted in BTTS then surely this one has a good chance as well tonight. My old friend Mrfixit of the Daily Record is having a poor month with his super single in much the same way I have suffered with my sexy single this month and he is really going for it today with a 10 point gamble on Watford to beat Wigan at 7/5 odds. For me this is too big a gamble on a midweek Championship match even if the stats do suggest an away victory. My main worry would be that the midweek games seem to attract more surprise results while the Championship itself is a real minefield of a league. I'm not saying they won't win but you won't see Bobookies making gambles like that and I have a feeling Mrfixit is chasing his lossess just a little too eagerly here. Theres a top of the table clash that could see BTTS as Derby host in form Middlesbrough while I expect promotion chasing Norwich to continue their charge by winning at Huddersfield. I will continue to study the Championship this afternoon and post my final bets at 2000 CET Championship 20:45 Blackpool vs Charlton 20:45 Blackburn vs Brentford 20:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Sheffield Wednesday 20:45 Ipswich vs Bolton 20:45 Huddersfield vs Norwich 20:45 Cardiff vs Bournemouth 20:45 Millwall vs Brighton 20:45 Wigan vs Watford 20:45 Derby vs Middlesbrough UEFA Champions League 20:45 Monaco vs Arsenal 20:45 Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen Comments are closed.
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