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The action in the champions League this week focuses on the 2nd set of 2nd round 2nd leg matches & everything looks in place for another fantastic week of top european action.
All four 2nd round ties taking place this week are incredibly closely balanced with two of the ties level at 1-1 & only 1 goal separating the other games & all 4 teams playing this week will believe they have a chance to progress.

Every 2nd round 2nd leg match has it’s own fascinating story to tell & all the games look set to be fantastic, entertaining football so there is plenty for us all to get stuck into & here are our views on those matches with the value betting recommendations we feel are worth consideration.

Chelsea vs Inter Milan – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

This is what the Champions League is all about – Chelsea & Inter Milan going head-to-head in what looks certain to be a highly pressurised, intense battle with quality all the way.

Of course, the media focus of this match will be the return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea & while that does add something to the match in terms of profile, it is what happens on the pitch that will count & what will decide the match on the night.

Inter Milan travel to Stamford Bridge with the numerical advantage of a 2-1 lead from the 1st leg & the general feeling appears to be that this is going to be an incredibly tight, tense affair but we don’t see it that way.

Obviously the prize of place in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League is a massive prize & both Chelsea and Inter Milan desperately want that, but that did not stop the first game being an open, competitive battle & there is every reason to believe this 2nd leg will be the same.

The scenario with Chelsea having scored 1 away goal means Chelsea have to win & can go through with a 1-0 win or victory by 2 clear goals, while Inter Milan know that a draw will be enough for them so the relative tactical approaches will be what decide this match on the night.

Chelsea know they have to win & while that obviously brings pressure, we feel it is a massive bonus because it means Chelsea know exactly what they have to do & can plan for that.

Chelsea are incredibly strong at home & no matter who they are playing & no matter the situation, their approach will always be to go out & attack with the intention of winning the match & that is exactly what we expect here.

Of course Chelsea do have to be concerned about Inter Milan scoring but when you have got attacking talents that include Drogba, Anelka, Ballack, Lampard, Cole & Malouda then it is clear where their strength lies & where their best chance of qualifying lies.

Chelsea have the ability & experience to try and get a 1-0 win & look to hold on to that but Chelsea are at their best when the go for teams & they will know from the 1st leg they can do that.

Chelsea did lose 2-1 but they played very well & created a lot of goalscoring chances and could quite easily have won the match on the night so they should have no fear & certainly have confidence to go for Inter Milan back at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho will have everybody believe that this is Chelsea vs Mourinho and that Mourinho will conquer but a lot of that is his usual false bravado & he will know the task that Inter Milan face at Chelsea.

Tactically this match is a real test for Inter Milan because they can go into the game looking to keep it tight & hold on for a 0-0, 1-1 draw but that will prove pointless if Chelsea score early as they will come under immense pressure.

Also, it is doubtful that Inter Milan can actually go to Chelsea & keep it as tight as they want to because they looked vulnerable defensively at times in the San Siro & will come under far more pressure at Chelsea.

In our view, Inter Milan’s best chance of proagressing is to be positive & look to score early as they did at the San Siro but whatever happens they will face a really tough test here.

This is going to be an immense occasion & it should prove to be a fascinating, competitive match but Chelsea know what they have to & importantly they have the extra quality to do it & they look a great bet to show their class & win through with Drogba, Terry & Lampard leading the way.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score Options: Chelsea 3-0/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lampard/Drogba/Malouda

Scorecast options: Lampard/Drogba/Malouda score 1st & Chelsea win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T

Sevilla vs CSKA Moscow – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

Sevilla & CSKA Moscow shared a hard fought, competitive 1-1 draw which provided quality & entertainment in the first leg & this 2nd leg looks certain to be just as entertaining.

Sevilla are a fantastic, entertaining footballing side who thrive on playing positive, attacking football and we certainly expect them to go for the win here.

Sevilla are strong at home as they usually look to control their home matches by dominating possession & then relying on the attacking quality which the likes of Fabiano, Kanoute, Renato, Konko & Negredo bring to the side & they will firmly believe they can beat CSKA Moscow here.

The advantage of the away goal is a massive plus for Sevilla because CSKA Moscow have to score to go through & that will open the game up which will suit Sevilla’s passing game & from that they can create the chances & score the goals to win the tie.

CSKA Moscow are amongst the rank outsiders to win the Champions League & that is unsurprising when you compare their squad with others & there are no world stars amongst the CSKA squad.

What CSKA Moscow do have is a fantastic team work ethic & a determination to be positive in every match they play, perfectly illustrated by their incredible 3-3 draw away against Manchester United & they do deserve respect in this tie.

Tactically it is easy for CSKA Moscow because they know they have to score at least once to win the game & will probably need at least 2 goals so they have to come into this game, be positive & look to attack whenever they can.

Krasic, Gonzalez, Dzagoev & Berezutsky are the stars amongst the CSKA Moscow squad & they all carry a live goal threat to Sevilla but whether they will get enough opportunities to show their quality is another matter entirely.

This should prove to be a fascinating & indeed entertaining match because both Sevilla & CSKA Moscow will look to play positive, attacking football & given their strength at home & their extra over all quality, we like the look of Sevilla as a solid bet to win this with Kanoute & Fabiano likely to be the inspirations.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Sevilla to win

Correct Score Options: Sevilla to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Kanoute/Fabiano/Konko

Scorecast options: Kanoute/Fabiano/Konko score 1st & Sevilla win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Sevilla H/T & F/T

Barcelona vs VFB Stuttgart – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

Reigning Champions League holders Barcelona take centre stage here as they welcome Stuttgart to the Nou Camp & hopefully this 2nd leg proves to be as entertaining as the 1st leg was.

When this tie was announced at the draw, it was widely expected that Barcelona would win through with great comfort & that Stuttgart would have no chance at all but they certainly showed otherwise in the 1st leg.

Stuttgart were fantastic in the 1st leg, taking the game to Barcelona, deservedly going in front before holding onto a well deserved 1-1 draw.

That result was not perfect for Stuttgart as Barcelona have the away goal but they would have accepted the draw before the match & will be incredibly pleased they are very much in the tie and they know what they have to do so that should suit them.

Stuttgart have to score in this match to have any chance so that forces their hand & how they will play so positive, fluent passing football is what we expect from Stuttgart here.

Stuttgart are massive underdogs to get anything at Barcelona so they can go to Barcelona & play without fear which will suit them & their attacking style gives them a chance.

Obviously teams that go to Barcelona committed to attacking have to be defensively solid & that is a concern for Stuttgart given the attacking talent of Barcelona but we still expect Stuttgart to have a go.

Barcelona have been there & done it many, many times before so they can certainly handle the pressure of Champions League football but having witnessed the expensive demise of arch rivals Real Madrid, they will be fully aware of what has to be done.

Being the reigning Champions of the Champions League does bring pressure but Barcelona have handled that very well & will certainly expect to qualify through this tie given their strength at home.

Barcelona will have great respect for what Stuttgart can do given they had to fight for a 1-1 draw in the 1st leg but Barcelona will also be aware the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta & Ibrahimovic have more than enough skill & quality to take the Stuttgart defence apart on their best form.

Barcelona & Stuttgart both believe in playing positive, attacking football so this should be a really open match and the goals can flow but we expect Barcelona to do the scoring & they look a rock solid bet to win this with Messi’s magic the key to it all.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Barcelona to win

Correct Score Options: Barcelona to win 3-0/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Messi/Ibrahimovic/Xavi

Scorecast options: Messi/Ibrahimovic/Xavi score 1st & Barcelona win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Barcelona H/T & F/T

Bordeaux vs Olympiacos – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

Without doubt, Bordeaux vs Olympiacos is the lowest profile of all the 2nd round ties but that won’t concern either set of players as they look set to do battle in another competitive contest to replicate what happened in the first leg.

Bordeaux took the honours in the first leg with a deserved 1-0 away win but the game was incredibly tight & this looks likely to be exactly the same as both Bordeaux & Olympiacos know they both have a big chance to qualify through.

The first game saw a few goalscoring opportunities for both sides, but primarily it was a close match as both teams enjoyed spells of possession without quite having enough attacking quality to make the most of that.

Bordeaux have the advantage of being in front from the first leg & of course the away goal but they won’t sit on that here & their style is all about being positive & playing attacking football.

Laurent Blanc & his players know that this is a massive chance for Bordeaux so we expect them to really go for it here with the likes of Chamakh & Chiani there to provide the quality & goal threat.

Olympiacos are a well organised side who compete very well physically & they had chances in the first leg so should go into this game positive of achieving a result.

The major weakness in Olympiacos’s set-up is their failure to score enough goals & also their away form in this competition is a big concern and does certainly make this a tough test.

Now this match will slip under the radar of many fans because of bigger matches elsewhere but Bordeaux & Olympiacos should put on a decent, competitive show & it is likely to be tight but we expect Bordeaux to have the edge again & they look a really solid bet to get another massive win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Bordeaux win

Correct Score Options: Bordeaux win 1-0/2-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Chamakh/Ciani

Scorecast options: Chamakh/Ciani score 1st & Bordeaux win 1-0/2-0

Double Result: Bordeaux Half Time & Full Time