Champions League Betting Preview: Inter Milan v Werder Bremen

Champions League / Dave Farrar / 30 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Jose Mourinho's until now "untouchable" status is in doubt after an insipid derby display. Can an attacking Werder Bremen side pile on the pressure and send the Italian press reaching for their hatchets?

Jose Mourinho is finding out about the pressure of being a Serie A coach after Inter's desperate display in the Milan derby on Sunday night.

It wasn't the fact that Inter lost, as that can happen to anyone, but the manner of their defeat was surprising and disappointing. They adopted a safety first policy, and failed to trouble a shaky Milan defence. Given that Milan had struggled to contain Reggina the previous week, this was a real indictment of the uneasy way that Inter are carrying the weight of expectation this season. If Mourinho doesn't get a result on Wednesday, then the hyper analytical Italian TV shows will have a field day and Mourinho's previously untouchable reputation will start to be seriously questioned. It might not be fair, but that's the way of things in Italy.

It's almost impossible to make any sense of Werder's recent form. Thomas Schaaf's team have been the great entertainers of recent European seasons but appeared to have tightened up this year, with their 0-0 draw at home against Anorthosis Famagusta on Matchday 1 confirming the apparent fact that they're a little more tentative going forward. Having banked that information, and considered Werder as a value under 2.5 goals pick for the first half of this season, they then proceeded to win their next two Bundesliga games by scorelines of 5-2 and 5-4.

The 19 year old Mezut Ozil has been in destructive form, and Bremen's attacking policy away from home sets this game up nicely. They have scored at least twice away in each of their competitive games this season, and they are as likely as any team in Europe to take advantage of Inter's defensive weaknesses. There's a perception that Mourinho's teams defend particularly well, but Inter have kept only one clean sheet this season, and that was at home against a poor Lecce team. At the prices, Bremen are value to get an unlikely win and pile the pressure on the Special One.

Recommendations: Werder Bremen to score at Inter at [1.6]

Werder Bremen to beat Inter at [7.2]