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Santiago Bernabeu Stadium Madrid, Saturday 22nd May is the location & date for this years UEFA Champions League Final with 8 teams now left & set do to battle to reach the ultimate dream.
Manchester United, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Lyon, Bordeaux & Arsenal are the teams that have made it through to the Quarter Final stages & now they all know that they are only a matter of 4 games away & this is when the pressure really starts to rise.

All 8 teams have had to show a combination of quality, determination, fighting spirit & consistency to get through to this stage & whichever team can continue that the best over the next 2 months will be the team crowned Champions of Europe.

The Quarter Final 1st leg matches where really interesting & fascinating and there really is still everything to play for so let’s hope the matches provide the quality & entertainment we as football fans crave for.

We have had a good look at the all 4 Quarter Final 2nd leg matches & here are our views on the games with the value betting options we feel are worth consideration:

CSKA Moscow vs Inter Milan – (Tuesday 5.30pm)

Can CSKA Moscow overturn the 1-0 defeat they suffered at the San Siro?? Will Inter Milan go to CSKA Moscow & repeat what they did to Chelsea in the last round?

For us those are those are the key questions to answer ahead of this 2nd leg which is finely balanced after Inter Milan’s 1-0 win in the first leg in Milan.

The 1st leg was a fascinating game with CSKA Moscow playing well & giving a very good account of themselves without quite having enough to score & in the end the extra strength & quality of Inter Milan won through & they got the vital goal but it was quite close on the night & is likely to be again here.

CSKA Moscow know that they have to win so we know they will look to take the game to Inter Milan & have a go but what they will also know is that Chelsea faced the same task in the last round & where ultimately beaten by a better, stronger Inter Milan side on the night and that is the danger here.

CSKA Moscow have players who can cause Inter Milan damage & who can score but whether they can also stop Inter Milan scoring is doubtful & that could ultimately prove to be the key to the whole game.

Inter Milan have great quality & experience in this situation and they proved with their fantastic performance at Chelsea that they have what is required to get the job done whether that be through getting a draw or another win and they will feel very confident of doing that here.

Inter Milan can adapt to the situation & play it defensively tight if they have to or use their extra attacking quality to counter attack and we do expect Inter Milan to get a positive result of some king from this match.

It’s all set up to be a fascinating game as CSKA Moscow have to go for the win & Inter Milan know exactly what they have do as well so it’s a tight call & we are going to take a punt on this match being a competitive, low scoring draw with honours shared on the night but with Inter Milan taking the glory of a place in the Semi Finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1

Player to score 1st each way/Player to score anytime: Krasic/E’too/Sneijder

Scorecast options: Krasic/E’too/Sneijder score 1st & 1-1 draw

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Barcelona vs Arsenal – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

The starting point to looking at this match has to evolve around trying to work out just how Arsenal are still alive in this tie after what was surely the most one sided 2-2 draw in history.

The scoreline for the 1st leg reads Arsenal 2 – Barcelona 2 which sounds like an entertaining, competitive match and yes while was really entertaining, it was certainly not competitive for most of the match & how Arsenal came out of the match level at 2-2 will remain always remain a mystery to anybody who witnessed it.

Barcelona absolutely destroyed Arsenal in the 1st half with their supreme control, passing & pressing game that just left Arsenal nowhere to go & somehow clinging on to what was an incredible half time scoreline of 0-0.

0-0 was a great injustice to Barcelona as they should have been 6-0 up but it did not take them long in the 2nd half to put that right & they quickly went 2-0 up & in total control of the match.

Barcelona looked comfortable at 2-0 & the tie looked over already but Arsenal somehow found the courage & ability to get 2 goals back and that alone gives them a chance they should not have had.

So how will this fascinating 2nd leg go with Barcelona having the massive advantage of 2 away goals but also knowing that Arsenal have the natural ability to get a win in Barcelona.

Tactically both Barcelona & Arsenal never change and we expect them both to play in a similar fashion which is ominous for Arsenal because Barcelona will be at home & be even more confident in possession & more determined to show their quality.

Arsenal are always committed to playing their positive, fluent passing game & although they were totally outplayed by Barcelona, the fact they scraped a 2-2 draw from a game that should have been a heavy defeat will give them confidence & belief.

In terms of personnel then both Barcelona & Arsenal have big players missing from the match so that adds an interesting element to it with Barcelona missing their main central defenders plus goalscorer Ibrahimovic.

Those losses of big ones for Barcelona but they have quality in depth & the loss of defenders will not hurt them as much as the loss of Fabregas, Gallas & Arshavin will hurt Arsenal who are much weaker without those three star players.

Barcelona are a very short price to win the game & even shorter price to qualify and those odds are justified because the 1st leg showed that Barcelona are superior to Arsenal & if both teams play to their best then Barcelona should win this time.

Clearly Arsene Wenger will feel Arsenal still have every chance of getting the goals & win they need to progress but to it is tough to envisage Arsenal doing it.

Arsenal know that a 1-0 win will do it or indeed that any win will do it but whether they truly believe they have enough to go & win in Barcelona is an entirely different matter & a much tougher task.

The first leg was brilliant entertainment & this 2nd leg promises to be the same with goals likely again but in terms of the result we cannot look beyond Barcelona who should have too much class & we like the look of Messi & Henry to lead Barcelona to another victory.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Barcelona to win

Correct Score options: Barcelona to win 2-1/3-1

Player to score 1st each way/Player to score anytime: Messi/Henry/Pedro

Scorecast options: Messi/Henry/Pedro score 1st & Barcelona win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Barcelona H/T & F/T

Bordeaux vs Lyon – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

After what has been fantastic Champions League campaign for Bordeaux so far this season, it has now reached do or die point as they look to overturn a daunting 3-1 deficit after being outplayed by arch rivals Lyon in the first leg.

This all french battle was largely expected to be a close, intensely competitive affair with both Bordeaux & Lyon so closely matched in terms of quality & form but that 3-1 defeat in the first leg was a huge blow for Bordeaux & a massive success for Lyon.

Psychologically, that result from the 1st leg makes this 2nd leg incredibly tough for Bordeaux because they come into the match knowing that they have to score at least 2 goals without conceding and judged on their first leg performance & current form that looks incredibly tough.

Bordeaux have been very strong at home in this competition but they come into this match having lost their last 3 games & importantly they have begun to develop a fragility & weakness in defence which is making it tough for them to get draws let alone wins.

There is no doubt Bordeaux have the talent with the likes of Gourcuff & Chamakh to creat the chances and score the goals they need but whether then can crucially stop Lyon scoring is doubtful & that looks likely to be the whole key to this match because if Lyon score then the tie will almost certainly be over.

Lyon were excellent in the first leg & had the quality with Lisandro Lopez leading the way to take advantage of Bordeaux’s defensive problems & that 3-1 win was a truly massive result which has filled the Lyon side with huge confidence ahead of this match.

Lyon know that a draw will be good enough or even 1-0 or 2-1 defeats so they have no real pressure on them but Lyon always look to be positive & we expect them to go to Bordeaux determined to get another win & deliver another huge blow to their rivals.

Another goal from Lyon will completely kill off this tie & Lyon will certainly go to Bordeaux believing they will score so with Bordeaux also having to go for it this should turn out be another exciting & entertaining match.

Bordeaux have to be positive & go for the win while Lyon will want to show their quality as well so it’s a tight game to call & we are tempted by a scoring draw but we are more tempted by a value punt on Lyon winning this & that looks a bet worth having here with Lisandro Lopez to lead the way.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Lyon

Correct Score options: Lyon to win 2-0/2-1

Player to score 1st each way/Player to score anytime: Lopez/Delgado/Bastos

Scorecast options: Lopez/Delgado/Bastos to score 1st & Lyon win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Lyon to win H/T & F/T

Manchester United vs Bayern Munich – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

A truly massive game which is certainly to have incredibly intensity & pressure with it being so finely balanced after Bayern Munich’s dramatic but deserved 2-1 win against Man United in the first leg.

European nights at Old Trafford in this competition are always massive events that promise so much & this match definitely fits into that but what effect will the huge pressure have on the outcome of the game.

When we say huge pressure, the truth is that all the pressure is fully on Manchester United now because they have to win the match 1-0 or by two clear goals to go through & failure is something that cannot be contemplated again after the first leg defeat & the desperate blow of losing to Chelsea in the league.

Those two massively important defeats against Bayern Munich & Chelsea have left Manchester United in a desperate, intense situation as they know they face the facts they are now unlikely to win the Premier & more immediately face being knocked out of the Champions League.

Is it possible for Manchester United to lose 3 matches of this magnitude & importance in succession?- a few weeks ago we would have answered no to that question but now things are very different & the answer is definitely yes if they are not careful & don’t perform again.

The loss of key influence & goalscorer Wayne Rooney has been the biggest blow to Manchester United & the fact he won’t be playing in this match has to be seen as an absolutely vital & key element because Manchester United do not play well without him.

The fighting spirit, the determination & team ethics of Manchester United don’t change when Rooney is missing & we fully expect Manchester United to have a real go here but the fact he is missing really does make it hard for Manchester United to win games at this level & under this much pressure.

More worryingly, the performances against Bayern Munich & Chelsea have not been good to suggest that Manchester United warrant being odds on shots to win this match but then again opposing them completely at home is incredibly tough to do.

Bayern Munich come here know that a draw will be good enough but having that mentality when going to Old Trafford is a very dangerous policy & indeed one that Bayern Munich are unlikely to adopt.

Bayern Munich presented their case in the 1st leg & their strengths lie in being positive & attacking and that is the way we expect Bayern Munich to play here.

With Manchester United needing a win, Bayern Munich know they will get the chances to play their own attacking football & that first leg win will give them huge confidence to do so.

Importantly for Bayern Munich they are likely to have important attacking players such as Gomez, Robben & Schweinsteiger back & they really could make a huge difference and certainly present even more problems to Manchester United.

This is a truly fascinating match & indeed should be really entertaining one as Manchester United face the pressure of having to win & Bayern Munich will do their very best to inflict more misery on United so anything is possible here.

It is hard to oppose Manchester United at home given their quality & strength at Old Trafford but the pressure they are under is a massive factor & Bayern Munich have the ability & confidence to get a positive result so wer are going to take a punt on this being an intensely competitive, scoring draw & ultimately add more frustration & disappointment for Manchester United.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

Player to score 1st each way/Player to score anytime: Gomez/Olic/Berbatov

Scorecast options: Gomez/Olic/Berbatov score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T