Champions League Betting: Tottenham Hotspur v Real Madrid

Champions League / Tobias Gourlay / 12 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

Cristiano Ronaldo always needs something to shout about

"Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are exactly the sort of player to fly out of the traps and help Spurs make an early breakthrough in their quest for the unprecedented"

Tobias Gourlay identifies the individual players with the motivation to do well in a game that may or may not mean very much to the clubs involved

Tottenham must overturn a four-goal deficit if they are to go through to the semi-finals. No team has ever done that in the Champions League era.

Real Madrid rested the stars of their 4-0 first-leg win at the weekend - Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil, Emmanuel Adebayor and Ricardo Carvalho all started on the bench. Karim Benzema and Kaka missed the first leg, but are now fit enough to play.

Harry Redknapp could have done with resting his stars at home to Stoke City on Saturday, but everyone is needed if Spurs must now qualify for next season's Champions League via this season's Premier League. Aaron Lennon is feeling better; otherwise, the injury list is much as it was for the first leg. Peter Crouch, of course, is suspended.

Match Odds

Real Madrid are [2.66] to win at White Hart Lane. Jose Mourinho built this team to counter-attack and presumably that is exactly what they will be allowed to do as Spurs search for their four goals.

Spurs' recent tired performances and Mourinho's apparent desire to put on a good show in England make it hard to argue with Real's status as favourites, but Matthew Walton has done some analysis that might raise a concern. And with Real perhaps thinking already about Saturday's el Clasico, this market should probably be left alone.

Over / Under Goals

Over 2.5 Goals is a [1.73] favourite for this game. It paid out in three group-stage matches at White Hart Lane, then there was a goalless draw with AC Milan.

This season, Real have played a couple of games in France, a place of few goals, but a couple of other European away matches have broken the 2.5-goal barrier.

With the two teams' motivations and priorities not clear, this market is not very enticing either.

To Score

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken more shots than any other player in the Champions League this season, including 14 at the Bernabeu last week. He is embroiled in a personal battle with Leo Messi to prove himself the world's best player and is thus keen to play every game and to play it hard. If Mourinho names a strong team and Ronaldo is available at [2.5] or more To Score, he will be your best bet.

Karim Benzema is actually Real's top-scorer in the Champions League this season with six goals in his last four appearances. He has not played since appearing for France three and a half weeks ago, but until then he had scored in nine of his most recent 11 games for Real. If Mourinho rests Ronaldo for this match so he's fresh for el Clasico and Benzema starts, [3.0] or more would be a tempting price at which to back the Frenchman To Score anytime, not least because competition for a starting place is hotting up as Gonzalo Higuain and Emmanuel Adebayor find fitness and form.

Half Time / Full Time

Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are exactly the sort of players to fly out of the traps and help Spurs make an early breakthrough in their quest for the unprecedented. Initially, Real will probably be content to defend their aggregate lead and they might not be roused until Mourinho's half-time team talk.

Twelve of Real's 23 Champions League goals this season have come in the final 30 minutes of their matches and it could be that their speedy counter-attacks only break through when the home side gets desperate and starts to tire.

It is very speculative, but you might fancy a punt on Tottenham to be ahead at half-time and Real to be winning at full-time at [34.0] in the Half Time / Full Time market.

Top Stat: Cristiano Ronaldo is averaging seven shots a match in the Champions League this season
Best Bet: Back Cristiano Ronaldo @ [2.5] To Score*
Recommended Bet: Back Tottenham/Real Madrid @ [34.0] Half Time/Full Time

You can now follow Tobias on Twitter: @tobiasgourlay

*If he starts and Real play their first XI

After rightly opposing Chelsea in last week's first leg, James Eastham picks out the best bets on the all-English quarter-final return fixture at Old Trafford on Tuesday night....

Rooney on target again as United are backed at [5.0] for rare win at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Barca put Shakhtar to the sword at the Nou Camp......

Peter Crouch was the villain on the night as Real scored four whilst over in Milan, the hosts took a drubbing against Schalke....

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FA Cup Betting: Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur

FA Cup / Feizal Rahman / 29 January 2011 / Leave a Comment

Former Tottenham favourite Simon Davies should figure against his old side

"Four of the last six meetings at Craven Cottage have seen three goals or more and taking into consideration that this is both a London derby and a cup tie, Over 2.5 Goals can be backed before going In-Play at around [2.0]."

Feizal Rahman foresees goals in this London derby under the floodlights at Craven Cottage

Fulham welcome fellow Londoners Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday for their fourth round FA Cup clash. Few clubs can match Spurs' rich history in this competition and having won in 1921, 1961, 1981 and 1991, the Lilywhites will be looking for similar success in this particular year ending in '1'.

Manager Harry Redknapp will have to do without his star of the season, Gareth Bale, who is out with a back injury while Wilson Palacios is a doubt. However, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Heurelho Gomes and Roman Pavlyuchenko are expected to return to the squad.

Fulham may start with new addition Steve Sidwell though loan signing Gael Kakuta is cup tied having already appeared for Chelsea in the previous round. Long term absentees Bobby Zamora and Philippe Senderos are still working their way back to full fitness while Mark Schwarzer remains on international duty.

Match Odds - Fulham [3.1], Tottenham [2.5], Draw [3.5]
Fulham have recently improved upon their shoddy pre-Christmas form with four wins in the last seven in all competitions, though they have suffered two away defeats since the turn of the year. At home this season, the Cottagers have been beaten by Premier League opposition on just three occasions - one of which was a 2-1 loss to Spurs back in October - but have won only a third of their 12 games at Craven Cottage.

Spurs, meanwhile, are on a solid run with just one loss in the last 15 domestically and in Europe. Redknapp's side have made a concerted effort this season to strengthen their once feeble away performances but four wins on the road in all competitions, with six losses, still leaves much room for improvement. Yet, victories at Arsenal and Aston Villa in adverse circumstances hinted at what this current team is capable of.

In completing a league double over their opponents this season, Spurs extended Fulham's winless run against them to seven games. Yet, at Craven Cottage, the home side have won six of 14 encounters dating back to 1998, losing just four. However, in cup competition, Spurs have the upper hand winning four of the last five meetings. .

Under/Over 2.5 Goals
Fulham have failed to score in just two home matches this term while Tottenham have been shut out on their travels twice. Yet, having seen the goals fly in during their first half of the season, six of Tottenham's last eight league matches have seen two goals or fewer - a statistic that has been replicated by Fulham. However, four of the last six meetings at Craven Cottage have seen three goals or more and taking into consideration that this is both a London derby and a cup tie, Over 2.5 Goals can be backed before going In-Play at around [2.0].

First Goalscorer
Fulham have taken the lead in seven home games this season. Clint Dempsey has three in his last five and seven in total at the Cottage this season, while Diomansy Kamara netted a hat-trick in the third round win over Peterborough. Each is around [8.0] to be First Goalscorer. Meanwhile, Rafael Van der Vaart has four goals from his last four away appearances and the Dutch midfielder is around [3.0] To Score at any time.

Bookings Odds
Mark Hughes' men are the best behaved team in the Premier League this season and there have been just 13 yellows shown in total in the last 10 games at Craven Cottage. To their credit, Tottenham have received only 5 cautions in their last six away games so it may pay to back 5 pts and Under in the Booking Odds market at around [2.7].

Best Bet: Over 2.5 Goals @ [2.0]
Recommended Bet: 5 pts and Under Bookings Odds @ [2.7]

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