Champions League: Tuesday Preview and Picks
By Shawn Young
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (pick -115; 2.5 goals ov-115) vs INTER MILAN
Inter beat Genoa 1-0 away on Friday; Spurs lost 2-0 away to Manchester United on Saturday. Inter beat Spurs 4-3 at the San Siro on Oct. 20.
The match two weeks ago between these teams was a wild one. Inter Milan was up 4-0 and up a man at the half before Gareth Bale notched a hat-trick to make the final score respectable.
Over goals is the play here, largely based on Spurs’ and Bale’s swashbuckling style. Spurs were second-best on Saturday at Old Trafford, but they came out attacking. They’ve not beaten MU away since 1989, but showed themselves to be fearless.
Totty won’t be afraid of Inter, either, given the second-half fight in the earlier game. Picking a winner is a toss-up but this game should easily be good for three or four goals with Spurs coming forward in waves and leaving plenty of holes in the back for Inter to exploit.
Rafael van der Vaart and Tom Huddlestone are good to go for Spurs after training Monday. First choice goalkeeper Huurelho Gomes is suspended. First choice Inter keeper Julio Cesar and defensive midfielder Esteban Cambiasso are each doubtful with hamstring injuries—all the better to bet over goals.
Pick: Spurs 2, Inter 2.
BURSASPOR vs. MANCHESTER UNITED (-0.5, -125; 2.5 goals un-135)
Bursaspor drew Fenerbahce 1-1 on Friday; MU beat Spurs 2-0 on Saturday. MU edged Bursaspor 1-0 at Old Trafford on October 20.
The price is juicier than it might be on MU as manager Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to leave centre-back Rio Ferdinand home to rest. MU won’t need him: Bursaspor managed only one attempt on target when these teams played two weeks ago, and only had 40 percent possession of the ball.
MU is a better side and the players actually on display will want to ensure passage to the next round with an emphatic win. I don’t know that it’ll be emphatic, but it’ll be enough.
One other reason this game isn’t a full-goal’s spread is that there is some sort of mystique about teams travelling to play in big, bad Turkey. The generic Turk extra home field advantage, however, is an idea that’s five years past its sell date.
Wayne Rooney(ankle) and Ryan Giggs (hamstring) remain sidelined for MU. The travelers still have plenty of firepower, however, with Dimitar Berbatov and Chicarito locked and loaded up front, Park Ji-Sung and Nani eager to support, and Scholes and Carrick ready to win balls.
Pick: Bursaspor 0, MU 2.