When you’re analysing the Champions League form over the past few seasons there’s one resounding trend that you’ll keep coming beck to - bet on the English team.
All four of the Champions League qualifiers have made it to the last eight of the competition for the second consecutive year and you have to go all the way back to 1996 to find a Champions League quarter final that didn’t involve any English clubs at all.
Tonight, this season’s quarter-finals kick off in Manchester and Villareal, with the holders welcoming Porto to Old Trafford.
Fresh from Frederico Macheda’s heroics at home to Villa at the weekend Manchester United can welcome back Messrs Vidic and Rooney, which should go some way to bolster up a wobbly looking United in recent weeks. United are however unbeaten at home in Europe in nineteen consecutive matches and it will be a shock if Porto can pull off a win here tonight.
Porto do actually have the better head to head record between the two clubs in Europe, with two wins against United’s one, but the 15/2 about their chances tonight with totesport say it all. United are a 2/5 shot with the draw 10/3.
Tonight’s other quarter-final sees a repeat of the 2006 semi final as Arsenal travel to Spain to face Villareal. Arsenal won that tie 1-0 on aggregate after taking a narrow lead to Spain for the second leg and heroics from Jens Lehman, saving a last minute penalty from Argentine play-maker Juan Roman Riquelme at the El Stadio Madrigan.
Of course, Lehman went on to be the villain in the final after being sent off for a professional foul early in the match against Barcelona. The sacrificial lamb on that night was Robert Pires who was substituted for reserve goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and he lines up for Villareal tonight to face his old team.
Villareal are currently fourth in La Liga and have already played out two goalless draws with Man United in the group stages of this years competition. In fact, in all of the Spanish sides matches with English opposition, there have been only nine goals. The nine matches include four goalless draws with United, a 0-1 loss against Arsenal, two 2-1 wins over Everton and a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough.
Goals may well be at a premium again tonight as Arsenal hit-man Robin Van Persie sits this one out with injury. In the betting, totesport cannot split the teams as they go e13/8 each a two with the draw a 9/4 shot.
Totesport will be betting live in-running on both of these matches tonight.
