Champions League: Wednesday's Preview and Picks
By SHAWN YOUNG
INTER MILAN (-0.5 -135; 2.5 ov-135) vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Inter beat Cagliari 1-0 away Sunday. Spurs beat Fulham 2-1 away through a dodgy offside goal Saturday.
Defending champion Inter should be giving up a full goal in this spot. Since that’s not happening, Inter’s the bet.
This team is still loaded and tough as nails at home. In four games at the San Siro this year, Inter has scored 10 goals while conceding only one. Striker Samuel Eto’o is on fire and will give a makeshift Spurs defence fits all night.
There were lots of talking points in Spurs’ game Saturday. Aside from the winner, a Bill Shankly offside special, the biggest one was the surprise start of brittle captain Ledley King. While I’m usually a huge fan of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, ‘Appy Arry’s stated plan was to rest King Saturday for this clash with Inter. King played against Fulham and hobbled off after 40 minutes, reaggravating his trick knee or his groin or whatever. King will not play here. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
If you need to bet the total, I think it’s a coin flip.
Inter expect Esteban Cambiasso, Goran Pandev and Ivan Cordoba to all pass late fitness tests.
Rafael v. d. Vaart is suspended for Spurs. Tom Huddlestone’s errant elbow has gone unpunished and he’ll start in midfield. Sebastien Bassong will partnber William Gallas in defense. Spurs have used 11 different centreback pairings in 13 matches this season.
Pick: Inter 2, Spurs 0
MANCHESTER UNITED (-2 +130; 3 ov-115) vs. BURSASPOR
MU was shockingly held 2-2 by West Brom Saturday. Bursaspor were held to the same score by Karabukspor Friday.
It’s official, Wayne Rooney wants out of Manchester United.
Whether it’s a move across town to Man City or to a new land with new challenges and new hookers, it appears Looney Rooney is done at Old Trafford. Used as a late sub in Saturday’s draw with the Baggies, Rooney sits out here against Bursaspor with that phantom ankle injury that started it all.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson will have had the rest of the troops under his infamous “hair dryer” of screaming for four days. They’ll be fired up to win this game and will win big. There’s a huge gap in quality between these teams.
Bursaspor started the Turkish league season really well, but has found the Champions’ League to be tougher sledding. A 4-0 home loss to Valencia was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox. It gets no easier here on a second UK trip. With two losses already, Bursaspor needs a win out of this game. The Turks are in for a thrashing at Old Trafford.
So the question is: how to play it?
If you pencil the Turks in for 0.5 goals themselves, the spread is slightly more attractive than the total. If you can find MU -1.5 there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m only interested at -125 or better and wouldn’t lay more than -135 under any circumstances.
This is a game where Bursaspor has to open up and 4-0 or 5-0 is just as likely as 2-0, so laying two goals and taking a nice chunk of plus money is no big deal. The Asian price of -1.75 goals at even money might be ideal.
Pick: MU 4, Bursaspor 0