Champions League betting for Group A and B

Its time for Champions League again and this is the second round of the group stage. As usual the games are divided up in two days.

Yesterday was an interesting day with results that I hadn’t counted with. Fiorentina bet Liverpool with 2 – 0 and it should be said that it was a well deserved victory. It was the Italian side that showed most of the attacking will in the first half, and then they defended very well in the second half.

Even Inter Milan was close to loose away against Russian Rubin Kazan, but just got a draw. Kazan had most of the chances and it was even them who stood for the attacking football.

Yesterday it was the teams in group E – H that played their matches and today, Wednesday, it’s of course group A – D.

And now over to todays games. In this text I am going to give you my analyze from the four matches in group A and B and present the odds from these matches. Some of the matches are valuable bets and the in the others I will just share my thoughts and maybe you can have my input when you make your own choice of bets.

Group A

FC Bayern München 2.05 draw 3.40 Juventus 3.10

Girondins de Bordeaux 1.25 draw 5.00 Maccabi Haifa 10.00

Group B

CSKA Moskva 1.62 draw 3.50 Besiktas 5.00

Manchester United 1.30 draw 4.50 VfL Wolfsburg 9.00

Please note that the game CSKA Moskva vs. Besiktas is an early game and starts 18:30 CET.

My best pick of these matches:

B München vs Juventus, Draw @ 3.40

Bayern M started their Champions League season really god with an away win against Maccabi H with whole 0 – 3. They really impressed on me in that game and my feeling is that they will prior Champions League in front of the German Bundesliga this year. It has gone several years since the German side was far in Champions League, and after have missed that place last year they look hungry.

It should be said that their start of the league is less impressive with 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 looses in their first 7 matches. But the league season is long and they are still in the fight there as well.

Juventus disappointed me a bit when they only managed to get a draw home against Bordeaux. They had the lead and are normally very comfortable in that position. But Bordeaux was just as god as Juve and the draw was a pretty fair result.

B München has a strong side this year and their strongest positions are the wingers with Arjen Robben (new this year from Real Madrid) and their star player Franck Ribery. There were lots of speculations about Ribery’s future before this season. But after it was declared that he was going to stay I think that Bayern chances to go far in Champions League increased a lot.

But Juventus is always Juventus and they know how to play tactically and defensive perfect football to take points from these kinds of matches in Europe. But it also so that Juventus isn’t where they where before their Moggi-scandal. Of course they are able to threat B München even though the match is played in Germany. My feeling is that Bayern is the stronger side here, but that the Italian defence-wall will make a draw, 0-0?

Analyzes from the rest of the matches:

CSKA Moskva vs Besiktas

As we have seen the last years and as we saw yesterday the Russian teams are going great in European cups.

They are way better then a couple of years ago and they even have an economic prerequisite to really challenge the bigger teams now.

This is two teams that are going to take most of the points in their own home ground. That’s why I hold CSKA as favourites here, but not so big that I can bet on them to 1.62 in odds.

Bordeaux vs Maccabi Haifa

Bordeaux are, and should be, big favourites against Israeli side Maccabi from Haifa. And after their draw away against Juventus I think that they can threat Juventus in the battle of one of two places that gives a ticket to the knockout stage.

I think that Bordeaux will take three points in this game and win pretty comfortably. But the odds don’t fit me.

Manchester United vs Wolfsburg

Manchester United is always strong home at the theatre of dreams, officially Old Trafford. Or actually they are often always strong where ever they play.

But they are to big favourites if one compares the odds (1.30) with their opponents. Wolfsburg has a great attacking side and is German Champions. With players like Dzeko and Grafite on top they can beat any team when they are having a perfect day.

I let united stay big favourites here, but not that big that they would win 3 out of 4 matches.

Football betting odds from bwin.

Best regards

/Amrish