Midweek Premiership Preview
Pinnacle Sports have priced Barcelona as marginal favourites - 1.806 (0/scratch & -0.5) - reflecting their greater motivation to win the tie, with Chelsea - who have failed to win three Champions League encounters at the Nou Camp - 2.14 (0/scratch & +0.5).
Things should be rosy at Liverpool. On Saturday, the Reds enjoyed a comfortable home win over Aston Villa - who arrived as the Premiership's only unbeaten side - and on Tuesday night against Bordeaux, they can ensure progression in the Champions League with two games in hand. However, with doubts over captain, Steven Gerrard's future at the club resurfacing, and Rafa 'the Rotator' drawing growing criticism for constant tinkering with formations, all is not well at Anfield.
Leading online sportsbook Pinnacle Sports doesn't see these issues spoiling Liverpool's chances on the pitch against the Ligue 1 visitors, rating the Pool as one goal favourites on the Asian Handicap - 1.769 (-1), with the French opponents - 2.20 (+1). With just one point from three games, this becomes a must-win game for Bordeaux, but fortress-Anfield is one of the last places Ricardo Gomes would want to come chasing a win, particularly with an injury list running to five key players. Liverpool have lost just once in 28 home games in all competitions in front of the Kop.
Alex Ferguson was probably the happiest Premiership manager on Saturday night. Manchester United produced one of their most polished performances for a long time, brushing aside third placed Bolton 4-0 with consummate ease. Key to the victory was Wayne Rooney's hat-trick, his first goals since the opening game of the season. The Red Devils, therefore, travel to Copenhagen on a high, looking to wrap up qualification, which they are widely expected to achieve with some ease, rated 1.877 (-1) by Pinnacle Sports.
Though Copenhagen (2.05, +1) are a stronger proposition on home soil, they are Champions League rookies, who showed their inexperience at home to United, where the 3-0 defeat could have been much worse. The Danish side have failed to score in their three Group F games to date, illustrating a lack of quality in the final third, which could well be their undoing again on Wednesday night.
Last year's beaten finalists, Arsenal, still have work to do to ensure qualification from Group G, following a 1-0 defeat to CSKA Moscow in the Russian capital. The Gunners were hard done by, as Thierry Henry had a perfectly good equaliser ruled out, but they have the perfect opportunity for revenge on Wednesday night. CSKA are yet to concede from three Champions League games, but are still rated considerable under-dogs, 2.03 (+1 & +1.5), with the Londoners 1.901 (-1 & -1.5). The match odds are a reflection of the strength of Arsenal's reputation at home, consistently one of the Premiership's most prolific attacking sides, along with the generally held perception that Russian teams are weak on the road.
