Features

Real target winning start

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 14/09/2009
Football betting

The Champions League kicks off again this week with the usual European giants ready to lock horns for the most coveted prize on the continent.

Ciro Ferrara's Juventus tackle Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux on matchday one in Turin and the former defensive greats will be looking to get their respective campaigns off to a positive start.

The Old Lady are overwhelming online favourites to win the game as they have Diego, Fabio Cannavaro and David Trzeguet to call on but the French side have threats of their own in Marouane Chamakh and Yoann Gourcuff.

Bayern Munich travel to Israel to face Maccabi Haifa in a tricky looking contest but, with Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Luca Toni in their arsenal, Louis van Gaal's men should overpower the Israeli minnows.

Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg host CSKA Moscow in an opening game they should take maximum points from. Armin Veh has a strong forward line to choose from, including Obafemi Martins, Edin Dzeko and last season's Bundesliga top scorer Grafite.

Former Sevilla and Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is the current manager of the side from the Russian capital and Daniel Carvalho and Guilherme could cause problems to Wolfsburg.

Last season's losing finalists Manchester United travel to the intimidating Sukru Saracoglu stadium to face Christoph Daum's Fenerbahce.

Despite losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the summer, the Red Devils still have immense talent in Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov and should leave Turkey with three points.

FC Zurich have the daunting prospect of facing big-spending Real Madrid on the opening day of the group stage.

The plucky Swiss side shouldn't be able to come anywhere close to the Spanish giants who can boast of having new boys Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaka and Xabi Alonso in their ranks. Their new 'galacticos' side will be aiming to win the competition this term.

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Marseille entertain AC Milan at Stade Velodrome in what is a re-run of the first Champions League final in 1993 which the French side won 1-0.

Milan are a shadow of their former selves although they have precocious talents such as Pato and Ronaldinho to call upon. Marseille boss Didier Deschamps will need Hatem Ben Arfa and Mamadou Niang to be firing on all cylinders if they are to gain a favourable result.

London giants Chelsea entertain FC Porto, two teams that have been managed by Jose Mourinho in the past.

However, Mourinho is long gone and Carlo Ancelotti is now in charge at Stamford Bridge. His side are looking formidable as they stamp their mark on the Premier League with Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard all in exceptional form.

Jesualdo Ferreira will have his work cut out if his outfit are to return home with anything other than a defeat. Strikers Hulk and Mariano Gonzalez are their likely goal threats but they may come unstuck against John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.

Atletico Madrid face APOEL from the city of Nicosia in Cyprus. The Cypriots are making their debut in the grandest European competition and could have a baptism of fire in front of them when they travel to the Vicente Calderon stadium in Spain's capital.

With Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero being the strike pairing for the hosts, they will set out on shooting their side to opening day honours.

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