Champions League Betting: Man Utd v Besiktas

Champions League / Mike Norman / 25 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

Can Michael Owen put fear into the heart of Besiktas' defence on Wednesday?

Best Bet: Back Any Unquoted Score @ [5.8]

Also: Back Yes in Man Utd Clean Sheet market @ [2.0]; Back Man Utd to beat Besiktas @ [1.4]

"Mystical" Mike Norman is of the opinion that people are reading too much into the fact that United have already qualified from Group B, and thinks Sir Alex's men will win easy on Wednesday. Best Bet: Back Any Unquoted Score at [5.8].

United have already qualified to the knock-out stages of the competition but they will want to finish top of Group B; and they can go a long way to achieving this by beating Besiktas on Wednesday night.

A few weeks back United were available to back at around [1.38] at home to CSKA Moscow who, as they proved on the night, are no slouches. I'm quite staggered (and delighted) then, that Sir Alex Ferguson's men are available to back at [1.4] to beat the Turkish side who are quite easily the worst team in the group. Besiktas can be backed at [10.0] for victory whist The Draw is available to back at [5.0].

True, United haven't been at their best recently but they were very impressive in beating Everton at the weekend, and with Nemanja Vidic back to full fitness they look far more assured at the back. Again, I'm quite surprised to find the Yes option in the Man Utd Clean Sheet market available to back at [2.0]. That looks rather generous to me.

Perhaps I am reading too much into the Turkish side's last visit to the North West of England, when they were humiliated 8-0 at the hands of a not-so-great Liverpool side. But Besiktas are one of the lowest scoring sides in Turkish football (just 16 goals scored in 13 games) and they have lost five and drawn two of their last seven Champions League away fixtures.

Whatever side Sir Alex chooses to field tonight doesn't concern me, it should be far too strong for Besiktas, and as such I'm recommending backing Man Utd/Man Utd at [2.08] in the Half Time/Full Time market.

I got United's clash with Moscow completely wrong (apart from the number of goals scored that was) but I really can't see Besiktas putting up much resistance on Wednesday. The home side should run out easy winners, so in the Correct Score market I'm keen to back the 3-0 scoreline at [11.0] and the Any Unquoted option (any team to score at least four) - available to back at [5.8]. In fact, at that price, I'm making the latter my best bet of the game. I can't help but feel that people are reading too much into the fact that United have already qualified and are therefore underestimating their desire/need/motivation (call it what you like) to win this one comfortably.

I've got a little hunch that Ferguson will opt to start with Michael Owen and Federico Macheda for this match, and therefore wouldn't put anyone off backing these two (at around [6.0] and [7.0] respectively) in the First Goalscorer market.


*Man Utd v Besiktas is live on ITV1, Kick-off 19:45