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Man Utd v Lyon betting: United progress far from being child's play

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"Mystical" Mike Norman looks into his crystal ball to try to predict what will happen as the likes of Juninho Pernambucano and Benzema vist a packed Old Trafford for a place in the quarter-finals

It's amazing how the whole complexion of a season can change on just one or two incidents. Two weeks ago Manchester United were not at their fluent best and were trailing Lyon 1-0 in their Champions League encounter, while domestically they were a huge-looking five points behind Premiership leaders Arsenal.

A late Carlos Tevez goal against Lyon meant United were now strong favourites to progress in Europe, while in England they were putting a total of eight goals past Newcastle and Fulham and collecting maximum points. At the same time Arsenal seem to have been rocked by Eduardo's injury, and they have failed to beat both Birmingham and Aston Villa in the Premiership, meaning their lead is now down to just a single point.

Manchester United are available at [1.76] to win the Premiership - Arsenal are next in at [3.6].

It's back to the Champions League for Manchester United on Tuesday evening as they attempt to finish the job off against a skilful looking Lyon side. Sir Alex Ferguson's men are worthy favourites at [1.41] after their 1-1 draw in Lyon, but the French outfit will be no pushovers and can be backed at a tasty looking [11.5], with the draw being available at [4.7].

There are few better places to be than a packed Old Trafford on a European night, and with this being United's 250th European match, a vibrant party atmosphere should be guaranteed. Sir Alex has virtually a fully fit squad to choose from and he should recall Nemanja Vidic to partner Rio Ferdinand at the back, but Ryan Giggs is likely to miss out as Nani continues in great form. Anthony Reveillere is Lyon's only absentee (through suspension) and Alain Perrin will also be able to field a strong looking line-up.

There was more than enough evidence at Stade de Gerland a fortnight ago that Lyon can cause United problems and I think the outcome will be a lot closer than some may expect it to be. Yes it would be a surprise if Manchester United are not in the last eight come the end of the game, but at the current prices I will be treading carefully in the 'Match Odds' market. For this reason I will be looking at Betfair's wide range of betting opportunities on this game to try and guarantee a profit - and that profit may well come from GOALS!

Lyon need to score if they are to progress and will therefore attack with regularity, it's that simple - but this presents danger to both teams. If Lyon get it right, then Ben Arfa, Fred, Juninho and Benzema are capable of giving United a very uncomfortable evening, but defensively they will be vulnerable..... and who better than Ronaldo, Nani, Tevez and Rooney to exploit a vulnerable defence? This game really does have the potential to be an absolute classic.

You get the feeling that the very capable French holding midfielder Jeremy Toulalan will have a pivotal role to play in thwarting United's attacks, while full-backs Francois Clerc and Fabio Grosso will have to be more patient at getting forward than what they usually are if Lyon are to reach their fourth quarter-final in five years.

So with two great attacking teams on show, lots of world class individuals, a less than convincing Lyon defence and the knowledge that the away team must score, it's easy to see why 'Over 2.5 Goals' is my strong selection at odds of [2.12]. Throw in United's ability to have a stinker from time to time (home to Man City if any evidence is needed) then 'Over 3.5 Goals' becomes appealing at [3.75] or even 'Over 4.5 Goals' at [8.2]. I can see Lyon scoring at Old Trafford, so backing the 'No' option about a 'Manchester United Clean Sheet' is advisable - the odds on offer being [2.12].

Finally, if you're interested in having a punt on a certain player to score at any time, then with so many dead ball experts on the pitch, it wouldn't surprise me if a goal was scored from a set-piece aimed at the tall central defenders. For that reason, I will definitely be interested in backing Vidic, and he should be available at around [12] once this market takes shape.