Champions League Betting: Tips galore from four of the week's top matches

Champions League / Ben Lyttleton / 25 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Ben Lyttleton has the pick of the bets across the Champions League fixtures.

Rarely will the names on an Arsenal team-sheet be so eagerly-awaited as before tonight¹s Group G home match against Dynamo Kiev.

William Gallas lost the captaincy last week but is expected to regain his place in a side that have conceded five and scored none in their last two games. For all his comments and antics off the pitch, Gallas remains Arsenal's best centre-back and the defence is stronger when he is playing - not forgetting that it was the Frenchman who scored Arsenal's late equaliser in Kiev on Matchday One. That's why Arsene Wenger will probably bite the bullet and select Gallas against the Ukrainian champions, who would be knocked out if they lose and Porto beat Fenerbahce.

Dynamo's ten-game winning run in Ukraine ended ten days ago with defeat to Shakhtar and while Arsenal were losing at Manchester City, the Ukrainians were given the weekend off as their match with Illitchivets Mariupol was postponed. That has allowed Carlos Correa, Oleg Gusev and Artem Milevskiy, the international whose party-trick is the Panenka penalty-kick, to return from injury but Dynamo's assistant coach Oleg Luzhny, a former Gunner, may not enjoy his return to north London.

Cesc Fabregas will take the armband as Arsenal's new captain, and he will expect a positive response from his new charges. Arsenal's game seems more suited to Europe this season and, with Dynamo needing a result to stay alive in the competition, the hosts could finish the game off on the counter-attack before half-time. Gallas is ([10.5]) in the To Score market, which might also be worth a look.

Franck Ribery has not taken long to rediscover his form since returning from injury and the Frenchman has scored in Bayern's last six matches. That's more than can be said for their Group F opponents Steaua Bucharest, who have not won a match since beating Gaz Metan on September 21, drawing seven and losing four of their last 11 games. Dorinel Munteanu, installed as coach after Marius Lacatus resigned after Steaua let slip a 2-0 lead to lose 5-3 at home to Lyon last month, is already fighting for his job and a defeat at Bayern, who have scored 14 in their last four home games, will not help his cause.

There is a phoenix overlooking Anorthosis Famagusta's stadium in Larnaca, and the club emblem perfectly symbolises the way the club is emerging from the ashes of its past. The original Famagusta stadium is sealed off with barbed wire, in a military zone, unused since 1974, when the Turkish invasion forced out 30,000 residents. "We have a duty to represent those people who were forced to abandon everything they had," explained vice-president Savvas Kakos. "We now tell everyone about the unfortunate ghost-town of Famagusta."

The Cypriot team have been writing quite a story too, following up their qualifying win over Olympiacos with an away draw at Bremen, home win over Panathinaikos and a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan. A win over Werder Bremen, if Inter beat Pana, would secure a historic qualification to the last 16, and though the teams drew 0-0 on Matchday One, at home Famagusta are a different proposition, with ten in their last three European ties.

"Temuri Ketsbaia is a coach who likes attacking football and is a natural leader," said midfielder Cedric Bardon. The same could be said of his Bremen counterpart Thomas Schaaf and a repeat of the Matchday One results seems extremely unlikely.

Two teams already through to the last 16 play off in Group C, with Barcelona needing to beat Sporting in Lisbon to be sure of finishing in top spot. This is the first time in five attempts that Sporting have reached the knock-out stage and Paulo Bento's side have yet to concede since their 3-1 defeat to Barcelona on Matchday One.

They may be tired after being reduced to nine men in their 1-0 weekend win over Naval, a result which secured thanks to some superb goalkeeping by Rui Patricio. Tonel may be missing from the Sporting defence, but Bento' side are always tricky to break down at home - they have conceded two goals in their last eight games in all competitions - and it could be a frustrating night for the visitors.

Recommendations:

Arsenal/Arsenal in the Half-Time/Full-time market at ([2.2])
Franck Ribery as First Goalscorer in Bayern-Steaua at ([5.9])
Over 2.5 and 3.5 goals in Anorthosis-Bremen at ([1.73]) and ([2.84])
Under 2.5 goals in Sporting-Barcelona at ([1.95])