Jenson Button has accepted he must be “quick out of the blocks” in Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix to stand any chance of successfully defending his drivers’ crown (Formula One betting).

The world champion is well-placed to make such as assertion given that he won six of the opening seven races last season on his way to securing a maiden championship with Brawn GP.

The 30-year-old survived an end-of-season wobble – in which he managed only two podium finishes in the final 10 grands prix - and late surge from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to take the crown, so knows the importance of a strong start to 2010.

Now with 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, Button expects competition to be “electric” and is realistic about his chances of repeat glory.

He said: “I feel I’ll need a dominant start again this weekend.

“I think every championship, for any champion, it’s important to be quick out of the blocks.

“So yes, it is important for all of us to be up there at the front here in Bahrain.”

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AC Milan boss Leonardo is remaining tight-lipped about whether David Beckham will start against his old club Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Italians are trailing 3-2 from the first leg and need to score at least twice to secure progression. They are 25/1 with totesport.com to make history by winning 2-0 at Old Trafford as United have never been knocked out of European competition after winning an away first leg.

Beckham will add another attacking dimension to the Milan side and the 34-year-old is expected to make an appearance against the club he left in 2003 at some point. This makes the 11/1 Last Goalscorer about Beckham tempting, particularly if Milan are forced to go all guns blazing to secure the goals they need.

If Milan are to succeed, they will need to keep Wayne Rooney quiet. He will return to the United side after missing the weekend’s Premier League trip to Wolves with a minor knee injury. Despite the absence, the England striker will be fresh and determined to prevail against his international team-mate. Rooney is the 7/2 favourite to be first scorer.

Ronaldinho has expressed his concern over Rooney, confidently suggesting “if we can stop him our own options soar”.

The Milan star is predicting “a very attacking game with many goals” and Totesport are offering 3/1 for 3 goals and 9/2 for 4 goals this evening.

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Wayne Bridge will have no problem facing Chelsea and John Terry when Manchester City travel to take on the Premier League leaders on Saturday, according to team-mate Shay Given (Chelsea 4/9 draw 11/4 Man City 11/2 - match betting).

City full-back Bridge announced on Thursday he did not wish to be considered for England’s World Cup squad because he felt his presence would be “untenable and potentially divisive” in the wake of allegations about former Stamford Bridge team-mate Terry and his ex-partner Vanessa Perroncel.

Terry, who who stripped of the captaincy by Fabio Capello, will come face-to-face with Bridge for the first time on Saturday since his private life hit the front pages.

Given says Bridge (40/1 First and Last Goalscorer) will handle the situation and is in no doubt his focus will be on the job of returning City to winning ways following their FA Cup exit.

“He’s fine and he’s looking forward to the game and hopefully getting a good result,” said Given.

“It’s a massive game for everyone at the club, including Wayne. Shaun Wright-Phillips is going back to his old club as well and they are both looking forward to it.”

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Jose Mourinho will tell his Internazionale players they have to believe his old club Chelsea are not untouchable ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 showdown (Inter 13/8 draw 2/1 Chelsea 6/4 Champions League match betting).

Chelsea will arrive at the San Siro four point clear of champions Manchester United in the race for the Premier League table, but Stamford Bridge favourite Mourinho is convinced the west Londoners are not the war machine they were when he guided them to consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006.

The Blues have drawn four and lost four of their 27 Premier League matches under new manager Carlo Ancelotti and Mourinho feels they can be got at (Chelsea 4/9 Inter 13/8 - To Qualify).

The Portuguese coach, who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, said: “The Premier League is never easy - every game normally is difficult.

“But when a team is strong, strong, strong, strong, strong, it doesn’t lose so many matches, so many points.”

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Andres Iniesta has warned holders Barcelona have no intention of relinquishing their Champions League crown (Barcelona 3/1 Champions League - Outright).

Barca bounced back from their first defeat in La Liga by beating Racing Santander 4-0 on Saturday without a host of senior first-team players, although Xavi and Dani Alves are expected to return on Tuesday against Stuttgart (Stuttgart 7/2 draw 12/5 Barcelona 4/6 Champions League - match betting) in the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.

Iniesta, who was making his 300th appearance for the Catalan giants, said Barca were over their blip and ready to move into top gear for the defence of their European title.

“When you lose what you want is to play again quickly and win, and this gives us confidence for Tuesday’s game,” said the Spain international.

He added: “The Champions League is a competition we like a lot and on Tuesday we have to get a good result.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who missed Saturday night’s 4-0 win over Racing because of an ankle problem, has also been included in the trip to Germany along with youngsters Jonathan dos Santos and Marc Bartra, but Seydou Keita and Eric Abidal are out.

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Leonardo has warned “nothing is finished” and said his AC Milan players are determined to end the Champions League dream for Manchester United (Man United 1/10 AC Milan 11/2 - To Qualify).

A see-saw last-16 first-leg clash at the San Siro ended in a 3-2 victory for 2008 winners United but it could have been so much different had the Serie A title-chasers converted numerous chances.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were in a position of control at 3-1 - helped by two headed goals from in-form Wayne Rooney (14/1 Champions League Top Goalscorer) - but a late goal from substitute Clarence Seedorf has given the seven-time winners hope of an upset at Old Trafford.

Leonardo felt Milan were good value for a win on home soil and is convinced the tie is still alive.

“We did not deserve to lose this match,” said Leonardo.

“But nothing is finished. We have to win 2-0 in England, which is certainly not beyond us.

“When we got into our stride, we dominated United.

“Indeed the first half could have ended 3-0 in our favour.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo has warned long-suffering Real Madrid fans they may have to face more agony before dreaming of a return to Champions League glory days (Real Madrid 8/13 Lyon 6/5 - To Qualify).

Spain’s big-spending capital club slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Lyon on Tuesday - Madrid’s third successive loss at the Stade Gerland – and now face the unenviable task of avoiding a last-16 exit for the sixth successive year when they host the French side at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Jean Makoun struck a brilliant 25-yard drive to settle the first-leg but is could have been a lot worse for the La Liga title-chasers.

Portugal superstar Ronaldo said Real still believe they can turn the tie on its head and make the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition, which they last won in 2002 (6/1 Real Madrid - Champions League Outright).

“In football anything is possible. We’ve lost here but we have a game at home in which we can repeat what they did here,” said Ronaldo, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008.

“I’m calm. In this competition you have to suffer. I’m sure that we will give a good answer in the return game and that we will win.

“The Bernabeu will help us. We will have to give to give it everything from the first minute until the last. The tie is not lost.”

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Sir Alex Ferguson believes having the weekend off will give Manchester United the advantage when they travel to take on AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday (AC Milan 8/5 draw 11/5 Man United 7/5 Champions League - match betting).

An early exit from the FA Cup at the hands of bitter rivals Leeds meant the Premier League champions (Man United 13/10 Premier League - Outright) could rest ahead of the last-16 first-leg at the San Siro.

Milan beat Udinese 3-2 on Friday in Serie A and Ferguson is convinced the extra time off will give his players the edge.

The Scot has also suggested the Serie A title-chasers have been weakened by the loss of Brazil superstar Kaka to Real Madrid.

“It’s a good time for us to be going to Milan,” said Ferguson.

“They played this weekend (beating Udinese 3-2 on Friday night), they’ve lost Kaka and have a few injuries, whereas we aren’t playing this weekend and we have had a good rest.”

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David Beckham has admitted he will find it difficult to completely shut out his emotions when AC Milan face his old club Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday (AC Milan 8/5 draw 11/5 Man United 7/5 Champions League - match betting).

The 34-year-old England midfielder, who won Europe’s elite club competition with United in 1999, comes up against his former employers in a competitive game for the first time since leaving them in 2003 when the sides meet in the last 16 at the San Siro.

The World Cup hopeful (8/1 First and Last Goalscorer) has said for all his emotional ties to the Premier League champions that Milan must come first in a game of huge importance.

He told the Sunday Times: “Obviously there will be emotions but I don’t think it will be a problem. I’ve played in many big games.”

Beckham, who is likely to start on the bench in Italy, added: “There has been so much talk about me going back to Manchester United in the second leg, because it will be my first time playing for a club there in seven years. But this tie is not just about me playing against United, it’s about AC Milan. It’s about two great clubs coming together, and that’s what makes it such a big game, for the teams, for the fans.”

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Andy Murray (7/4 ‘Yes’ - Murray Wins A Grand Slam In 2010) is expected to return from an extended rest break at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, starting on February 22.

The British number one decided not to defend his title in Rotterdam this week and wants more time to rest up in the wake of his gruelling run to the final of the Australian Open.

The world number three has also decided to pull out of next week’s ATP World Tour event in Marseille.

A statement on the 22-year-old’s official website said: “After playing in Australia for five weeks, Andy has taken an extra week off to recuperate and recover for the long season ahead.”

Murray was beaten 6-3 6-4 7-6 (13/11) by world number one and four-time winner Roger Federer in Melbourne last month and remains in search of his first Grand Slam victory (Murray 10/3 2010 Wimbledon Men’s Outright).

US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro will also miss next week’s Marseille tournament because of an ongoing wrist injury.

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