UEFA Champions League HALLOWEEN Discussion

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

Therx.com Soccer forummers had a brilliant Chamions League Matchday 3.

Let's see if we can do it again. Share your picks, news, and views.

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"><td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 1</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Spartak M.</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_0" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_0"> <option value="0">OVER 1.5 and 2 1.599 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 1.781 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2 and 2.5 2.080 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 2.360 </option><option value="4">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.800 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 2</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Inter Milan</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_0" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_0"> <option value="0">UNDER 1.5 and 2 2.480 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 2.130 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2 and 2.5 1.847 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 1.671 </option><option value="4">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.495 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 4</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Barcelona</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_1" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_1"> <option value="0">OVER 1.5 and 2 1.629 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 1.826 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2 and 2.5 2.130 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 2.420 </option><option value="4">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.890 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 5</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Chelsea</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_1" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_1"> <option value="0">UNDER 1.5 and 2 2.420 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 2.080 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2 and 2.5 1.813 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 1.645 </option><option value="4">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.474 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 7</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Levski Sofia</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_2" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_2"> <option value="0">OVER 2 and 2.5 1.510 </option><option value="1">OVER 2.5 1.735 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2.5 and 3 1.901 </option><option value="3">OVER 3 2.150 </option><option value="4">OVER 3 and 3.5 2.420 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 8</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> SV Werder Bremen</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_2" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_2"> <option value="0">UNDER 2 and 2.5 2.720 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2.5 2.230 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2.5 and 3 2.01 </option><option value="3">UNDER 3 1.769 </option><option value="4">UNDER 3 and 3.5 1.621 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 10</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Bayern München</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_3" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_3"> <option value="0">OVER 2 1.508 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 and 2.5 1.763 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2.5 2.020 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.280 </option><option value="4">OVER 3 2.740 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Sporting Lisbon</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_3" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_3"> <option value="0">UNDER 2 2.680 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 and 2.5 2.160 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2.5 1.893 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.694 </option><option value="4">UNDER 3 1.495 </option></select> </td></tr></tbody></table>

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

Groups C & D

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"><td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 13</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Liverpool</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_4" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_4"> <option value="0">OVER 1.5 and 2 1.541 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 1.694 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2 and 2.5 1.980 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 2.250 </option><option value="4">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.620 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 14</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Girondins Bordeaux</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_4" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_4"> <option value="0">UNDER 1.5 and 2 2.630 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 2.260 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2 and 2.5 1.926 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 1.725 </option><option value="4">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.543 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 16</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> PSV</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_5" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_5"> <option value="0">OVER 2 1.485 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 and 2.5 1.735 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2.5 1.990 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.230 </option><option value="4">OVER 3 2.670 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 17</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Galatasaray</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_5" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_5"> <option value="0">UNDER 2 2.750 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 and 2.5 2.190 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2.5 1.917 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.714 </option><option value="4">UNDER 3 1.513 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 19</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Shakhtar Donetsk</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_6" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_6"> <option value="0">OVER 1.5 and 2 1.606 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 1.787 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2 and 2.5 2.090 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 2.370 </option><option value="4">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.810 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 20</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Valencia</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_6" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_6"> <option value="0">UNDER 1.5 and 2 2.470 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 2.120 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2 and 2.5 1.840 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 1.662 </option><option value="4">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.490 </option></select> </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Tue 10/31</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 22</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Roma</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S1_7" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS1_7"> <option value="0">OVER 2 1.465 </option><option value="1">OVER 2 and 2.5 1.714 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">OVER 2.5 1.962 </option><option value="3">OVER 2.5 and 3 2.190 </option><option value="4">OVER 3 2.600 </option></select> </td><td rowspan="2" valign="middle">
</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#d0d0d0"> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 11:44 AM</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> 23</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> Olympiakos</td> <td class="main_body_blk" nowrap="nowrap"> <input class="main_body_blk" name="S2_7" size="6" maxlength="7" type="text">

<select class="main_body_blk" name="LS2_7"> <option value="0">UNDER 2 2.820 </option><option value="1">UNDER 2 and 2.5 2.230 </option><option value="2" selected="selected">UNDER 2.5 1.943 </option><option value="3">UNDER 2.5 and 3 1.735 </option><option value="4">UNDER 3 1.535 </option></select> </td></tr></tbody></table>

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

I feel these are a hard set of fixtures. I guess an obvious pick would be Werder. They are in outstanding form, after winning 6-1 away to Mainz, and a 3-1 defeat of Bayern. They are currently on 4pts with Barcelona. Their next two matches are away to Barcelona and home to Chelsea. They must win this match to realistically stand a chance of qualifying. They're against a poor team in Levski Sofia. Levski will be without their first team keeper once again. Werder -1.5 has odds of 2.180. However, my hesitancy lies in this being an away fixture. Will Levski be playing for pride with their supporters cheering them home? I can't seet Levski taking a point. So, I'll look into this a bit more.

For Liverpool to be given a -1 handicap and still be overwhelming favourites seems very misguided. Granted, their home form is very good, and Bordeaux aren't exactly worldbeaters. But, Liverpool struggled to beat them away. Bordeaux are having an inconsistent season, but are off a morale-boosting 3-1 comeback win over lowly Sedan. So, I'll be looking into this.

Sticking with the same match. The under was a banker in this game 2 weeks ago. Liverpool away play with great efficiency and reliance on defensive solidity.Everyone recognises however that Liverpool have defensive frailties this season. They seem to be scoring a lot at home. They beat Galatasaray 3-2. They defeated Aston Villa 3-1. They beat Reading 4-3 in the Carling Cup (albeit a different team). Bordeaux are conceding quite a few goals in the French league, whilst also scoring. The over 2.5 is priced at 2.250. I think this could be a very valuable bet.

LarryTalbot · Oct 30, 2006

I think PSV is the best side of the card. They are really turning it upin the Eredivisie and I'm not sure if the Turkish club has it in them for even a draw.

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

wildemu said:
I think PSV is the best side of the card. They are really turning it upin the Eredivisie and I'm not sure if the Turkish club has it in them for even a draw.

Yeah, PSV seem to be on fire recently. Some very convincing and highscoring wins. Seems a good pick. Will definitely look into this one a bit more.

COYOTEBLUE · Oct 30, 2006

HAVENT FINALIZED ANY PICKS YET BUT EARLY LOOK I LIKE WERDER AND THE OVER ... 3-1 FINAL SCORE

:think2:

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

UEFA.COM Preview - Levski Sofia vs. Werder Bremen

Levski aim to play it cool

Monday, 30 October 2006

Stanimir Stoilov has called on his PFC Levski Sofia team to play with "cool heads and hot hearts" when they try to keep their UEFA Champions League ambitions alive against Werder Bremen - but he has received a double blow with injuries to key players and knows a fourth successive defeat would freeze their hopes for another year.

Lagging behind
Should Bremen record a second successive victory over the Bulgarian champions and FC Barcelona beat Chelsea FC in Group A's heavyweight clash, then Levski will only be playing for pride and experience in their final two group fixtures, unable to improve upon last position in a competitive section.

Father and son
It is the kind of life-or-death scenario which demands your strongest lineup. Yet the coach has had to adjust his preparations following a training injury to goalkeeper Georgi Petkov. In his place comes Nikolay Mihaylov, the 18-year-old son of Bulgarian goalkeeping legend Borislav Mihaylov who is now president of the Bulgarian Football Union.

Striking injuries
In addition, Levski's star forward Valeri Domovchiyski has suffered the recurrence of an adductor injury so Stoilov must rule out a total of three strikers with Georgi Ivanov and Milan Koprivarov also unavailable. At least Emil Angelov, last season's leading scorer as Levski reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, has recovered from a groin problem although a lack of match sharpness means he is expected to start on the bench.

Cool heads
The Sofia giants conceded two goals in Bremen to add to the five they leaked on Matchday 1 in Barcelona and the three that Chelsea put past them, yet the coach is optimistic his team can start making amends. "We realise we still have a relative chance to go through and we will go for the win," he said. "Against Bremen we have to show our real abilities and I hope that will happen. My desire is to play with cool heads and hot hearts. There is no place for emotions or nerves."

Planet Bremen
Bremen are riding a wave of fantastic form, scoring six for the second time in three Bundesliga games as they won 6-1 at 1. FSV Mainz 05 last Friday - provoking Mainz president Christian Heidel to describe their display as "football from another planet". Not surprisingly, coach Thomas Schaaf is happy with performances and believes that, even without the injured Tim Borowski, Christian Schulz, Mohamed Zidan and Patrick Owomoyela, Bremen are good enough to get a result here.

Chase for second
"We expect them to be at their best and they will have the crowd behind them, but we are in good form and our aim is to finish in the top two," Schaaf said. Another victory will put pressure on Barcelona and enable Bremen to leapfrog the reigning champions into second place, assuming Barça do not beat Chelsea at home. Bremen end the section with a visit to the Catalan capital on Matchday 6 for what could potentially be a decisive clash.

Probable teams
Levski: Nikolay Mihaylov; Zhivko Milanov, Elin Topuzakov, Igor Tomašić, Lucio Wagner; Richard Eromoigbe, Daniel Borimirov, Dimitar Telkiyski, Stanislav Angelov, Cédric Bardon; Hristo Yovov.

Bremen: Tim Wiese; Clemens Fritz, Per Mertesacker, Naldo, Pierre Wome; Frank Baumann, Diego, Torsten Frings, Jurica Vranješ; Aaron Hunt, Miroslav Klose.

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

On-form Werder Bremen against a poor Levski Sofia side without FOUR of their strikers, and a 2nd choice 18-year old goalkeeper. Is this too good to be true?

rhinooooo · Oct 30, 2006

Here's a decent article from the Guardian Football website. For non-Europeans, The Guardian is a well-respected UK newspaper. Their football section is great. Good articles and news, and a great podcast if you're interested. You can check it at
http://football.guardian.co.uk

The article is at:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/10/30/perfect_10.html

Anyway, it's highlighting that Diego has been the inspiration for Werder's attacking excellence, and that strike partnership of Aaron Hunt and Klose has been brilliant so far. They're all definite starters tomorrow (barring injury). Also, good news is that Werder's next match is at home against Energie Cottbus. So, there's no extra pressure of travelling away against a title rival. Werder -1.5 is looking better and better.

Dazzling Diego the inspiration for relentless Werder
A brilliant Brazilian is inspiring Werder Bremen's swashbuckling Bundesliga challenge - and prompting tentative comparisons with you-know-who.

Matt Hermann
October 30, 2006 11:18 AM

When Diego Ribas da Cunha, Werder Bremen's midfield orchestrator and top scorer, watched his latest goal skid into the net against Mainz on Friday night, he did something curious. He raised his hands in delight, as he's done so many times lately, and then after a split-second lowered them with a blasé push, as if to say: "Aw, phooey." His team-mates Ivan Klasnic and Jurica Vranjes gathered around him for hugs and hair ruffles but even these were half-hearted. This was no sign of rifts in the side or a dangerous complacency, however, just a physical acknowledgment that Diego and company are not surprised anymore. Not surprised to win, not surprised to be top, not surprised to drop a sixth goal on somebody as they'd just done in Mainz, and had done at Bochum two weeks earlier.

For everyone else, too, last week's surprise - Werder's comprehensive 3-1 beating of Bayern Munich - is beginning to look like it was not such a shock after all. When with each passing week Werder deal out another righteous shellacking, Bayern might be remembered as just another dazed victim.

After an early-season flirtation with a great-in-attack-but-suspect-at-the-back reputation, Bremen's defenders have suddenly become miserly, and the front men have carried on in as daring and deadly a fashion as ever. On Friday night they won 6-1 in Mainz; over the last four matches Werder have outscored their opponents 18-2. They aren't messing about.

For most sides, a fixture in Mainz can be a tricky one. The little club from the outskirts of Frankfurt might run on a budget that would struggle to cover Bayern's catering services tab and field a line-up that, aside from occasional nationalspieler (occasional German international) and ex-Bremen player Manuel Friedrich, is of the no-name variety, but they get excellent home support in their little shed of a stadium, play a physical game, and are coached by one of Germany's rising managerial stars, Jürgen Klopp.

Klopp, once a serviceable striker who played all 11 of his professional seasons with Mainz, took over in 2001. After two promotion near misses he took them up to the top flight for the 2005-06 campaign - and surprised nearly everyone by keeping them there with an impressive 11th-place finish. Klopp's stock in the media rose further this summer when he excelled as the lead tactical analyst on the German broadcaster ZDF's World Cup coverage. The 39-year-old Klopp, who gives the impression of a junior professor popular with female students (floppy blond hair, rimless glasses, painstakingly unshaven cheeks), appeared and digitally scribbled day after day for the duration of the tournament and talked such little rubbish that the TV industry gave him a share of their Deutscher Fernsehpreis for sports coverage last week.

But Klopp's dab hand with the telestrator was as good as tied once his team took the field against Diego and company, and when the visitors were three up after 21 minutes you got the feeling that the professor might as well cancel his half-time tactics lecture in favour of popping in a video and grading papers.

If Klopp truly wanted to keep the class quiet - dumbfounded, even - he could've done worse than pick a Diego highlights reel. With his no-look flick passes, storming forward runs, improbable heads of steam and gaudy five-goal, eight-assist record in the first nine matches, the one-time Santos midfield partner of Robinho has electrified German football.
Diego has won fans throughout the league (Franz Beckenbauer called him "a beautiful player" in the wake of the Bayern win) and drawn predictable comparisons to his Argentine namesake. Diego the younger gave the obligatory pooh-pooh to such comparisons in Kicker a few weeks back: "I'm flattered naturally, but ..."

But what? He's no World Cup-winner but he's taking on defenders, and their wicked knocks, with the fearlessness of El Pibe and looks to have Maradona's knack for inspiring his team-mates as well. Torsten Frings, now able to rove and pick out colleagues in the acres of space opened by Diego, has scarcely looked better, and Miroslav Klose, who broke out of a long scoring drought against Mainz, has built a brilliant understanding with his strike partner Aaron Hunt. Each laid on a brace for the other on Friday and the national red top Bild - along with Berlin's Sport B. Z. - suggested they continue their partnership in the Mannschaft starting line-up at the struggling Lukas Podolski's expense.

Podolski didn't make the bench in Munich, where Bayern faced Eintracht Frankfurt, having picked up a knock in training - or so the story went. He wasn't missed. Against a side whose goal thus far this season had been perfecting the art of the bore draw - seven in eight games - Bayern banged in two goals before half-time and Frankfurt had no hope of a response. Indeed, Bild devoted the bulk of its match report to a fleeting spat between Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro over who would take a penalty. Pizarro won the argument, and the Frankfurt keeper Oka Nikolov parried wide.

Elsewhere Schalke 04, who were level on points with Bremen going into the weekend even though they had not been particularly convincing, travelled south to VfB Stuttgart - and the same direction in the table, down to third after losing 3-0. Meanwhile former-GDR standard-bearers (or "Stolz des Ostens", as one fan's sign had it) Energie Cottbus continued their role as the season's surprise package, defeating their visiting rivals Hertha Berlin 2-0 and setting up unrealistic expectations among their support ahead of next week's trip to Bremen and the gallows.

snoop · Oct 30, 2006

Liverpool and Barcelona for me.

quantumleap · Oct 30, 2006

wildemu said:
I think PSV is the best side of the card. They are really turning it upin the Eredivisie and I'm not sure if the Turkish club has it in them for even a draw.

I agree. I don't believe Turkish clubs ever do well in European competition.

themadactuarian · Oct 30, 2006

wildemu said:
I think PSV is the best side of the card. They are really turning it upin the Eredivisie and I'm not sure if the Turkish club has it in them for even a draw.

you are indeed correct. Nonetheless, flying just below the radar, is Inter
to Win at -115. Make no mistake about it, the Milan trashing, yes..don't let the 4-3 final fool you, may serve as the wake-up call for these perrenial "Euro" underachievers.
The variables:
-Must win
-CAN WIN, against inferior opposition.
-Focused and determined
-Perrenial "Euro" underachievers, as justified by weak line, should finally
emerge. If performance is anything close to AC Milan game, Spartak is toast.
-Spartak, will have extreme difficulty defending. IMO, the second half meltdown is inevitable. I am going to be very disappointed (5.5 units),
if Inter loses this game.

Tomorrow's card, is extremely strong. Much to be said about Home favs.
Olympiakos will not score a legit goal (unless handed by ref via PK). Time
to win is now for Roma...too many cheap ties given to inferior Serie A
opponents might just keep them focused.. in attacking mode. Will take the risk at -1 -160 (3.5 units).

And what can be said for "DISORIENTED" Sporting..to earn to DRAW at +300...hmmm...good enough for me (at 1.5 units).

PS. November 1st card....much tougher!... Nonetheless, values on the total are on this card....hmm, can you spell Benfica.

Cheers

LogansRun · Oct 30, 2006

Don't underestimate Gala playing for the tie which of course kills the next stage of CL. However a tie keeps their chances alive for UEFA and will force Bordeaux to play for a win in the next match. They could play all out for a win to keep their CL hopes alive and risk losing or they could play it safe and shoot for the UEFA. I would reckon on the latter as being a very realistic goal at this point.

LarryTalbot · Oct 31, 2006

You can't overlook any team in this sport, but the only Turkish team that actually produces anything is Fenerbahce maybe in UEFA. PSV is clicking on all cylinders but a 2 goal win is asking a lot. I rarely say this but their money line of -220 has some good value. A lot of -1 handicaps get juiced even more with the ml so they are still low.

quantumleap · Oct 31, 2006

Take a look at PSV's record at home last season. Except for the last couple matches when the league was decided they had 1 draw to Twente and 1 loss to Lyon in the Champions League. All other matches were wins!

Fast forward to 2006. They have only had 1 draw this season at home which was to Liverpool in the Champions League. All other matches were wins. They are a winning machine at home. They do not settle for draws at home.

dmmd98 · Oct 31, 2006

Sporting +1 & +1.5 -130 looks great.

a) Portugese teams are always better when there the underdog and have little expections going into a contest.

b) Bayern won 1-0 in Lisboa a couple of weeks ago who now have 9 points thru 3 games, it's now time for them to ease up a bit. Mentally they know that there looking good so even if they say the right things going into the game it isn't like they need the win a tie would do just fine where as this game means more to Sporting who want to stay ahead of Inter.

I can't see Bayern winning by 2 goals, sure it could happen but i'd side heavily with Sporting keeping it a close game so this is going to be a nice size bet for me personally.

Seahawks · Oct 31, 2006

quantumleap said:
Take a look at PSV's record at home last season. Except for the last couple matches when the league was decided they had 1 draw to Twente and 1 loss to Lyon in the Champions League. All other matches were wins!

Fast forward to 2006. They have only had 1 draw this season at home which was to Liverpool in the Champions League. All other matches were wins. They are a winning machine at home. They do not settle for draws at home.

Don't overestimate them. PSV likes to position themselves in an underdog position for european games. They were the underdog in all 3 CL-matches so far and the dutch media didn't have high expectations. Everyone expects PSV to win big tonight and some media guy already said that PSV has a chance at winning the Champion's League this season. They are now in a position where everyone expects them to win a Champion's League match. A draw could be enough for PSV to advance to next round if Liverpool wins or draws against Bordeaux.

PSV have a great home record but keep in mind that the dutch league has alot of very weak teams and PSV usually wins it's home matches with relative ease.

MadCapper · Oct 31, 2006

Inter Milan and PSV look good....right?

MadCapper · Oct 31, 2006

What do you guys think about Inter Milan?

COYOTEBLUE · Oct 31, 2006

THE HARDER I LOOK AT THIS THE TOUGHER IT BECOMES. IF THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THEY ARE "SUPPOSED TO" MANY OF THE FAVORITES SHOULD COVER.

INITIALLY BAYERN,WERDER,LIVERPOOL,PSV AND ROMA LOOKED LIKE STANDOUT SELECTIONS FOR TUESDAY. THEY ALL SHOULD WIN BY AT LEAST ONE GOAL EASILY ... SHOULDN'T THEY??? ... HMMMMMMMM.........

I AM STILL STRUGGLING WITH FINAL SELECTIONS AS I THINK THE SPORTSBOOKS HAVE SET OUT A TOUGH SET OF LINES FOR US ALL. I JUST DONT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE I HAD THE LAST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHDAYS WHEN THE FORUM AS A WHOLE WAS IN EXCELLENT FORM.

WELL ... BACK TO THE STRUGGLE:smoking: :icon_conf