Real Madrid vs AC Milan
Group G, UEFA Champions League
Santiago Bernabue Stadium, Madrid
Tuesday, 19th October 2010
20:45 GMT

When Milan last visited Bernabeu, they grasped a late winner but things are different this time around. Madrid now have Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo has started clicking with Gonzalo Higuain. Whereas Milan’s manager, Massimilano Allegri, is relatively quite inexperienced in the Champions League.

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Mourinho will also have some of the tips he picked up in the two years he spent at the same stadium coaching Inter Milan. While at Inter, Mourinho won three out of the four Milan derbies.

Real Madrid

Coming in to this game, Madrid will be high on confident after thrashing Malaga 4-1 at their home and they now have a one point lead over Barcelona and Valencia at the top of the La Liga table.

The other Portuguese ‘celebrity’ at the club, Cristiano Ronaldo, is back and connecting well with Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain. Although he still has to score in the Champions League this season – he has played two games.

Nailing nine goals in oppositions like Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna is one thing but a new manager and a relatively new-er team are only tested by the biggest powers of European football.

Injuries & Suspensions
Kaka, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago are out with injury still. Sergio Ramos’s knee ligament is still strained. However Pedro Leon, Raul Albiol and Sergio Canales have made it back to the first team this weekend.

AC Milan

AC Milan are also coming in to this game on top of a convincing 3-1 win over Chievo. The only goal against Milan in that game was scored of the head of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Alexandre Pato (2) and Robinho (1) scored for Milan.

Pato has displayed amazing form recently and he will definitely the one troubling Real’s back-four. Ibra is still finding his way back to his rhythm but he is capable of holding the ball and creating room for Pato. Supporting the attack will be the wingbacks.

Milan are visiting Madrid with a number of familiar faces like their former striker Robinho, former Barcelona men Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Of course, Ibra has played under Mourinho at Inter before he was sold to Barca.

Injuries & Suspensions
Massimo Ambrosini and Marek Jankulovski are both out, Massimo Oddo has been left out of the squad and Thiago Silva is duobtful after injuring his ankle against Chievo.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Update: Manchester United won 1-0 thanks to an Antonio Valencia goal (Video).

CSKA Moscow v Manchester United
Wednesday 21 October 2009, Luzhniki Stadium
UEFA Champions League
Kick-Off: 17:30 UK (18:30 CET)

With Juande Ramos managing CSKA Moscow and United returning to the scene of their last European triumph, you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s 2007/2008 all over again.

The two sides have changed noticeably over the last couple of years – United are now, like other Premier League teams, finding it hard to hold on to a clean sheet but true to their nature they have manufactured wins despite being second-best in several games.

Moscow have changed too and it’ll be interesting to see how they leverage their home advantage and United’s injury list to gain a valuable 3 points heading into the final 3 group stage games.

You can watch CSKA Moscow v Manchester United Live online here.

CSKA Moscow Preview

Juande Ramos has done a decent job for CSKA Moscow since taking over from Zico, though with five games remaining in the Russian Premier League, the army club will have to finish strongly if they are to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Focusing on Wednesday night’s clash with Manchester United, CSKA Moscow find themselves in a respectable position after two games played.

Their most recent victory over Besiktas was much needed in their attempt to stay in the hunt for advancement.

Gone are the days when Wagner Love’s blue braids led the way up front for CSKA Moskva, but with Tomas Necid and Alan Dzagoev in attack, CSKA still pose a real threat to opposing teams, even against the likes of Man Utd.

The cold weather in Russia usually makes playing conditions less than ideal for visiting clubs, and if the hosts are able to capture anything from Wednesday night’s CSKA vs Manchester United meeting, the Russians would need to be in good shape at the halfway point.

Manchester United Preview

Life is good for Manchester United as they sit top of the table in the Premier League and top of Group B in the Champions League ahead of this Man Utd vs CSKA match on Wednesday night.

Man Utd have been steady in recent weeks and have won both of their Group B matches despite not overly impressing. In the opening match against Besiktas Sir Alex Ferguson’s men required a late goal from Paul Scholes to seal the victory, while in the second match, Man United had to come from behind to beat a feisty Wolfsburg 2-1.

Wayne Rooney, who has been in fantastic form, is doubtful for this Manchester United v CSKA Moscow fixture with an injury. But with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen available, Man Utd has more than enough striking power to cause problems to the CSKA defence.

CSKA Moscow v Manchester United Prediction

There are no previous head-to-head Man Utd v CSKA Moscow meetings, but the Russian side holds an impressive record against Premier League sides at home, with two wins and one loss.

Traveling to Russia has proven to be anything other than pleasurable for foreign teams in recent years. The cold weather and lousy pitch conditions, combined with the long travel, play into the hands of the Russian teams.

Still, with the amount of class United possess, one would have to give them the slight edge over CSKA Moskva heading in to the match.

CSKA Moscow v Manchester United Prediction: CSKA Moscow 0-1 Manchester United

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More Champions League Games

CSKA Moscow v Manchester United
Real Madrid v AC Milan
Chelsea v Atletico Madrid
Wolfsburg v Besiktas
Bordeaux v Bayern Munich
FC Porto v APOEL Nicosa
Juventus v Maccabi Haifa
FC Zurich v Marseille

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Update: Chelsea thumped Atletico Madrid 4-0 – here are all the goals.

Chelsea v Atletico Madrid
Wednesday 21 October 2009, Stamford Bridge
UEFA Champions League
Kick-Off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

After a night of ‘upsets’ where only 1 out of 8 home teams managed to win their Champions League games (and 5 of them lost), Chelsea fans will be hoping that Wednesday night brings better luck to the home side. They’ve lost two games that they perhaps shouldn’t have due to shaky defensive performances and the pace and aggression of the Atletico Madrid side will be a worry.

On the other hand, Atleti are serious contenders only on paper – on the pitch they have been abject this season, leaking goals and failing to score at the opposite end. If Chelsea are uncharacteristically poor, Atletico Madrid are as bad as they’ve ever feared their team to be in recent years.

If the game opens up – it should be a goal-scoring thriller, but it might not be pretty viewing for Atletico fans…

You can watch Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Live online here.

Chelsea Preview

Chelsea welcome Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday hoping for a quick response to Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.

Carlo Ancelotti will be furious with the way his team have defended set pieces recently, as two headed goals from corners were enough to give Aston Villa a somewhat underserved victory over Chelsea.

Chelsea have now lost two consecutive away matches in the Premiership, but are still sitting snug and comfy in the Champions League after two matches played. Ancelotti’s men have done the bare minimum to get by against Apoel Nicosia and Porto as two 1-0 victories have Chelsea on six points with a chance to extend their lead in Wednesday night’s Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid match.

Didier Drogba, who had given Chelsea the lead against Aston Villa before the collapse, has now recorded seven goals in the Premier League this season, but will miss this match as he serves to last of his three-match suspension.

Nicolas Anelka has scored both Champions League goals for the Blues.

Atletico Madrid Preview

Abel Resino will lead Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge for this Chelsea v Atletico Madrid fixture knowing this his side are in real need of not only a victory, but a morale boost, as well.

Midway through October, Atletico Madrid, who have been tipped for success yet again this season, have only won one match in all competitions. That match? A less-than-impressive 2-1 home victory over La Liga newcomers Real Zaragoza. Atletico Madrid have struggled to find the net this season, but have also struggled to keep opposing teams out, conceding two or more goals in six matches already this season.

Injuries have plagued Atletico in the early stage of the season, but the recent return of Sergio Asenjo, Juan Valera and Ignacio Camacho will give Resino a few more options for Chelsea – Atletico Madrid. However, Mariano Pernia is still struggling after injuries received in a car accident this summer.

Chelsea v Atletico Madrid Prediction

The two teams have not met before, so there are no past Chelsea v Atletico Madrid head-to-head results.

Atletico Madrid have been a real disappointment in La Liga this season. The Spanish side have been La Liga’s version of AC Milan this year and a loss against Chelsea on Wednesday would leave them gasping for air in the Champions League with only three matches remaining.

Against a rock-solid Chelsea, the light at the end of the tunnel could quickly be dimming for the visitors.

Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid Prediction: Chelsea 2 – Atletico Madrid 0

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More Champions League Games

CSKA Moscow v Manchester United
Real Madrid v AC Milan
Chelsea v Atletico Madrid
Wolfsburg v Besiktas
Bordeaux v Bayern Munich
FC Porto v APOEL Nicosa
Juventus v Maccabi Haifa
FC Zurich v Marseille

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Inter Milan vs Dynamo Kiev
Tuesday 20 October 2009, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
UEFA Champions League
Kick-Off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Inter go into this midweek game against Dynamo Kyiv on a high – having thrashed Genoa 5-0. They’re unbeatable in Italy but will Inter be able to break their European hoodoo? They’ve drawn their first two group games and need to start winning games just to qualify for the next stage.

Dynamo are underdogs but a point here will keep them in second place in the group and also play in their favour with Inter due to visit Dynamo in two weeks’ time. 4 points out of these 6, and Dynamo could potentially knock Inter out of the Champions League.

You can watch Inter Milan v Dynamo Kiev Live online by signing up with us here on Live Sport Network, the leading source to watch live football online.

Inter Milan Preview

Inter Milan play host to Dynamo Kiev after thrashing Genoa 5-0 on Saturday. Jose Mourinho will feel over the moon after Inter put on the performance of the season against a very competent Genoa side. The hosts struggled to get out of the gates and were eventually reduced to ten men on the stroke of halftime. Still, by that point, Inter Milan had a firm grip on the match.

The win must be considered especially impressive due to the lack of striking options available to Mourinho ahead of the match.
Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito were both ruled out through injury and Mario Balotelli, who has featured mainly as a winger this season, was asked to spearhead the attack.

With Balotelli suspended for Tuesday’s match following a red card against Rubin Kazan on matchday two and Eto’o and Milito again questionable, Mourinho may opt to go with David Suazo up front in this pivotal Inter vs Dynamo Kiev match for the Italians.

After drawing both of their opening matches, Inter will desperately need a win on Tuesday against Dynamo Kyiv to avoid a sticky situation.

Inter Milan v Dynamo Kyiv Betting

The Winning Goal market, set at 33-36 by Sporting Index, is potentially a money-maker with this game expected to be a tight affair and goals hard to come by at the start of the game. We’re expecting Inter to win but not with an early goal, and if Inter score early there’s a good chance Dynamo can claw back into the game and make it interesting.

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Dynamo Kyiv Preview

Dynamo Kiev travel to Italy to face Inter Milan in what could prove to be an essential match for the Ukrainians.

With two matches played, Valery Gazzayev’s side have won one and lost one. After a 3-1 victory over Kazan on matchday one, Dynamo Kyev were left helpless in a 2-0 defeat against Barcelona in a match they failed to own more than 24% of possession.

Still, Dinamo Kyiv lie second in the group and a victory in this Inter Milan vs Dynamo Kiev match would strongly boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout phase of the tournament.

Andriy Shevchenko knows Mourinho well from his days at Chelsea and will hope to get the last laugh on Tuesday. The Ukrainian striker has been in fine form in recent weeks and partnered with Artem Milevskiy in attack, could cause problems for the Inter defence.

Inter Milan v Dynamo Kyiv Prediction

As far as past Inter v Dinamo Kiev meetings go, the two sides met twice in the 2003/04 Champions League competition. Inter won 2-1 at home, whilst the reverse fixture in Kiev ended in a 1-1 draw.

This is a must win match for Inter who lack attacking options. The match could be ugly, but the home side must be considered the favourites.

Inter vs Dynamo Kiev Prediction: Inter Milan 1 – Dinamo Kiev 0

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan
Tuesday 20 October 2009, Camp Nou
UEFA Champions League
Kick-Off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Barcelona will be expected to take three points from this easy Champions League home game – while Valencia’s performance would have given other teams in Spain hope that Barcelona can be beaten, Rubin Kazan aren’t in the same class as Valencia and home advantage should nullify any hopes they might have had of causing an upset.

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Barcelona Preview

Barcelona welcome Rubin Kazan to the Nou Camp having taken four points from their opening two Champions League matches. Still, Pep Guardiola will be hoping for an improvement in play for Tuesday night’s Barcelona vs Rubin Kazan clash following Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Valencia.

Barcelona have brightly outshone opposing teams to start the season, both domestically and in the Champions League. However, after a busy week of internationals, the Blaugrana lacked the cutting edge in front of net when they traveled to the Mestalla on Saturday. The draw marks the first time this season that Barcelona have failed to take three points from a league match.

Pedro started in place of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack for Barca on Saturday after the Swedish international picked up a knock while on international duty, though it is believed that the tall Swede will be fit in time for Tuesday’s Barcelona – Rubin Kazan clash.

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan Betting

With Barcelona expected to dominate, buying the HT/FT Barcelona double (67-69) is your best bet for making sizeable profits from betting on this game. The 1st Barcelona Goal and 1st Barcelona Corner spreads are also enticing options at Sporting Index.

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Rubin Kazan Preview

Rubin Kazan is a relatively new name on the tips of tongues across Europe this season. However, Gurban Berdiyew’s men are proving that they belong in Champions League discussions in seasons to come.

The 2008 Russian League winners have followed up their success from a year ago and currently top the domestic table with five games remaining.

Still, as they travel to Spain, Berdiyew will know the quality of football played by Barcelona is a quality unparalleled by any team Rubin Kazan has faced in the domestic league this season.

With the likes of Barcelona and Inter in their group, Kazan are not expected to advance from the group stage. But, with the pressure off, Berdiyew’s men will look to build off a strong 1-1 draw with Inter on matchday two and give Barca all they can handle in this Barcelona v Rubin Kazan fixture.

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan Prediction

This is the first Barcelona vs Rubin Kazan meeting to date, so there are no past results to analyse. Barca have won three of their last four matches against Russian sides at the Camp Nou.

While Kazan have a number of interesting players, most of whom are still relatively unknown, Barcelona should recover quickly from the 0-0 draw with Valencia on Saturday and return to their winning ways.

Barcelona vs Rubin Kazan Prediction: Barcelona 3 – Kazan 0

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal
Tuesday 20th October 2009
DS Stadium – Alkmaar
UEFA Champions League
Kick-off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Champions vs 4th placed team games are rarely this mismatched – the Dutch champions go into this game as underdogs despite playing at home (courtesy of a poor start to the season) while England’s fourth-best team have punters and pundits salivating over another potential European master-class from Wenger’s men.

Alkmaar won’t park the bus but their best chance might be to weather Arsenal’s initial storm before foraying out – Fabregas, Arshavin and Robin van Persie all expected to start the going will be tough, although there’s always the chance that given Arsenal’s list of injuries (and a slightly weak bench) a spiky performance from the Dutch could change the complexion of this group (yea right).

You can watch Alkmaar v Arsenal Live online by signing up with us here on Live Sport Network, the leading source to live football streams.

Team news after the jump.

AZ Alkmaar Preview

Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar have struggled mightily in the opening months of the season and are yet to record their first victory in the Champions League.

After blowing a 1-0 lead over Standard Liege in the dying moments on matchday two, AZ will have a mountain to climb if they are to progress in the Champions League. A difficult Arsenal v AZ tie is the last thing that the side will want whilst their form is this inconsistent.

The Dutch side who were almost untouchable in last season’s Eredivisie have struggled domestically, as well. After ten matches played, AZ Alkmaar have an even record at five games won and five lost.

AZ’s rise to stardom in recent years has been a thing of beauty, though with the troubles the team has displayed in the early stages of the present campaign, perhaps the glory days are quickly coming to an end for Ronaldo Koeman’s side. Another possibility is that Koeman himself is the problem after failing miserably at Valencia last season and continuing the trend with AZ after taking over for Louis van Gaal who departed for Bayern Munich after the 2008/09 season.

AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal Betting

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Also see: AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal Betting Tips

Arsenal Preview

Arsenal face the struggling AZ Alkmaar side on Tuesday night having won their last six matches in all competitions, including their opening two matches in the Champions League.

Saturday’s 3-1 victory for Arsenal over Birmingham was the latest in a string of impressive performances, as Arsene Wenger has his team firing on all cylinders. The Frenchman will know that a victory in Holland on Tuesday night in this Arsenal vs AZ Alkmaar match should be enough to see his side through to the knockout phase after only three games played.

In their most recent Champions League match, Arsenal scored two late goals to beat Olympiakos at the Emirates Stadium. The scoreline could have been far greater had it not been for a dazzling performance by the “grey wonder”, Antonis Nikopolidis, in net for the visitors.

AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal Predictions

There are no official AZ vs Arsenal head-to-head results to speak of, with the only past Arsenal – AZ Alkmaar meeting coming in a 2006 friendly in which the Gunners triumphed 3-0.

Even if AZ were in top form, a result here would be a tall order for the Dutch club. Given that they aren’t, there’s a risk that the score could grow quickly against the in-form Arsenal side.

AZ vs Arsenal Prediction: AZ Alkmaar 0 – Arsenal 3

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Liverpool v Lyon
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Anfield, Liverpool
UEFA Champions League
Kick-off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Liverpool go into this Champions League game on the back of three consecutive defeats and are looking rattled. Lyon too suffered their first defeat of the season but seem to be in better shape mentally than their more illustrious Champions League opponents.

With injury doubts over Gerrard and Torres, a shaky backline and even fans working against them, Rafa Benitez’s team have a real fight on their hands. You can expect the Kop to step up and play the role of the 12th man, but will the real first XI show up?

You can watch Liverpool v Lyon Live online by signing up with us here on Live Sport Network, the leading source to watch live football online.

Team news after the jump.

Liverpool Preview

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back after Saturday’s loss against Sunderland as they welcome Lyon to Anfield on Tuesday.

In fact, Liverpool have lost their last three competitive matches and will be hoping for a good response despite being without the services of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, both of whom were absent when Rafa Benitez’s men made the trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Both players are struggling to return from groin injuries following last week’s international matches.

Liverpool could certainly have used the support of their captain and Spanish striker, but the loss to Sunderland came down to one of the more bizarre goals of the season. A balloon from the stands had found its way onto the pitch following a Liverpool corner, and when Sunderland hit back on the counter attack, Darren Bent’s effort deflected off the balloon and left Pepe Reina helpless in Liverpool’s goal.

Having recently lost to Fiorentina in the Champions League, Benitez will know the importance of three points in Tuesday night’s Liverpool vs Lyon clash.

Liverpool v Lyon Betting

Games at this level, especially with opposition closely matched in ability, mean very few goals at either end of the pitch. Sporting Index have the goals spread for this game at 2.4 to 2.6 – we’re selling the spread and expecting a 1-0 or 1-1 result.