Champions League / James Eastham / 12 April 2009 / Leave a comment

James Eastham talks us through the biggest football matches of the next five days where there's plenty of English football on the Monday and it's do-or-die time in the Champions League and UEFA Cup on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Monday 13th April

Easter in England is characterised by two things: overpriced eggs with a low cocoa content topped off by extra helpings of football on what's normally a gloriously sunny Easter Monday.

You'll be pleased to know that this year's no exception - all 72 Football League teams are in action on a day that marks the start of a thrilling climax to the season.

Cardiff v Burnley is a highlight in the Championship, while fellow promotion chasers Reading face a potentially tricky trip to Blackpool, who are fresh from a 1-0 win over local rivals Preston.

QPR continue life without sacked manager Paulo Sousa at home to mid-table Sheffield Wednesday but a bigger occasion occurs at Bramall Lane where Sheffield United will look to improve their play-off challenge at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

Tuesday 14th April

What price Bayern Munich to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League? The Germans are [70], with the Catalans an unbackable [1.01] following their coruscating 4-0 first-leg win last week. Bayern have to play competitively, however, to appease club president Franz Beckenbauer, who labelled the first-leg, first-half performance "the worst 45 minutes in Bayern's history".

Liverpool's chances of overcoming their deficit against Chelsea are marginally better - the market rates them at [14.0] to get through at Stamford Bridge. But the best option is to lay the [2.42] on Chelsea to win on the night - that's the sort of price you would expect to find if they needed to win.

Wednesday 15th April

Arsenal are [1.28] favourites to knock out Villarreal, but if you're betting on the 90-minute markets, bear in mind the Spanish side have drawn five of 10 away games in the Champions League. If Villarreal are to progress, they will have to do it without inspirational skipper Marcos Senna who will be sidelined after picking up an injury on Saturday night.

The only evenly-weighted quarter-final pitches FC Porto ([1.99]) against Manchester United ([2.0]), those being the prices to go through. United will almost certainly have to become the first English side to win on Porto soil to maintain their defence of the trophy - but Sir Alex Ferguson's side have made a virtue of triumphing in adversity in this competition.

Thursday 16th April

Manchester City are staring into the abyss following a 3-1 first-leg defeat to Hamburg in the Uefa Cup quarter-finals. Given how poorly they played against Martin Jol's far more convincing hosts, it's difficult to see Robinho et al reaching the last four. City are an unappealingly short [2.02] to win at Eastlands and a more realistic [3.95] to qualify.

Tournament jollies Werder Bremen ([4.1] to lift he trophy) are [1.24] to eliminate Udinese after beating the Italians 3-1 last week, while Dinamo Kiev are [1.72] favourites against PSG to qualify following their 0-0 draw at Parc des Princes last week. Paris have excelled on the road, however, so a lay of Kiev at [1.89] on the match odds market is the astute bet.

Marseille's 2-0 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk last week means the French side are [5.1] to get through. The home side's big striker Brandao is ineligible, just as he was last week, but he's a useful spy in the camp as he spent six-and-a-half seasons at Shakhtar.

Friday 17th April

A night of intriguing clashes awaits: Schalke host relegation candidates Energie Cottbus in the Bundesliga, while Dutch side Heracles - just four points off the bottom - desperately need points when they travel to eighth-placed NEC in the Eredivisie.

Over in Turkey, Trabzonspor are only six points behind leaders Sivasspor, so have everything to play for at home to struggling Genclerbirligi.