Champions League: Tuesday Match Analysis & Picks
By SHAWN YOUNG
Lyon (-0.5 +120, 2 goals over -125) vs. Bordeaux
Lyon won 2-0 at home over Grenoble, and Bordeaux lost the League Cup final 3-1 to OM in Paris on Saturday.
The all-French quarterfinal gives us a rare form sheet for the Champions League: Bordeaux won this season’s first meeting 1-0 in Lyon; last season each team won its home game.
Both these teams come in with tepid form. Each has won only once in its last four matches. The French league is Europe’s tightest with six teams still chasing the title. Neither of these clubs inspires confidence.
So, when in doubt, take the dog. Bordeaux have already won at Lyon’s ground this year and have seven wins and two draws from 13 road games in the league. Lyon has won only nine of its 15 home games, and has coughed up 15 goals along the way. Bordeaux wants the away goal, and they’ll get it.
Lyon have game-time decisions on Caesar Delgado and Jean-Alain Boumsong. Delgado came off the bench as a sub on Saturday; Boumsong could not. Francois Clerc is training fully again after knee surgery in December, but likely misses this one.
Bordeaux is without Marc Planus (knee) and Abou Diarra (suspension), but looks set to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation that has carried the team this far.
Pick: Lyon 1, Bordeaux 1
Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United (pick -135, 2.5 under -130)
Bayern lost 2-1 at home to Stuttgart and Man United hammered Bolton 4-0 away on Saturday.
I got the Bolton game wrong and it’s time to get back onboard Red Devils’ train here. It’s tough to bet an away team in the Champions League quarterfinals but I just can’t see Alex Ferguson’s side losing.
The club has won seven in a row and has lost only once since Jan. 19 in all competitions.
Bayern had a four-month unbeaten streak of their own, but have now lost three of their last five matches. Bayern sneaked past Fiorentina on away goals to get here, but the offside goal in the home leg is what gives the Germans this undeserved clash with MU.
The key is to get this game at pick. Under no circumstances do we want the draw too be a loser. We’re taking the road team: if it finishes in a tie, we need to walk away unscathed.
Taking the over seems interesting as well, but it’s Man United for me. You have the edge betting over getting plus money I think, but it’s still a bet you might lose 45-50 percent of the time. I think Manchester United are very unlikely to lose the match outright.
Arjen Robben (calf) is a serious doubt for Bayern. Bastian Schweinsteiger is suspended.
Sir Alex has virtually a full team to choose from: Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand are both fit.
Pick: Bayern 1, MU 2