Champions League Review

Champions League play in the group stages round match day 4 has come to an end. There have been some uncharacteristic results; Barcelona tied FC Kopenhagen 1-1, Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Arsenal 1-0, and Tottenham dominated opponent Inter. Despite these results who is going to go on to the knockout stages? Lets take a look group by group.

Group A 

Currently Tottenham have the lead in this group but by merely one goal, while Inter are close behind in second. The Hotspurs next match will be against Bremen, a team they previously tied 2-2, while Inter takes on Twente who they tied 2-2.

Group B
Olympique Lyonnais currently holds the top spot ahead of FC Schalke 04 by two points despite Lyon's recent loss to Benefica who sits only one point behind Schalke, and closing. Lyon faces Schalke in their next match, a game which could determine the groups final outcome. If Benefica can defeat Hapoel Tel-Aviv earning three points, then they would have 9, in which case a tie or defeat would place all three of the leaders in a close competition for the right to move on.

Group C
Manchester United sit comfortable atop the group standings with ten points dropping only one point in a tie to the Rangers. Valencia CF sits 3 points behind the league leaders. Manchester takes on the Rangers in their next fixture while Valencia take on Buraspor, a team that has yet to earn a point. I would wager Manchester United and Valencia see themselves through to the next stage, unless the Rangers can pull off a huge win against the Manchester United Reds.

Group D
FC Barcelona sit atop Group D by a single point as Kopenhagen attempts to hold the number two spot. Panathinaikos take on Barcelona in their next fixture, the early match Barcelona produced 5 goals in a 5-1 win. Ruben takes on Kopenhagen a fixture which will likely determine the second spot in this group unless Barcelona losses unexpectedly.

Group E
FC Bayern Munich who has not dropped a point in solid form, won group E.  The second spot in this group is really up for grabs, either AS Roma could hold their current form and wither tie or defeat Bayern in their next fixture. Both FC Basel and CFR Cluj play each other in their next match a  game which will determine whether or not one of these teams will contest AS Roma for the second spot.

Group F
Chelsea has not dropped a point in this group. Zilina has not earned a point. While Chelsea won the league the real battle will be between Moskow and Marseille in their next match they battle for second place.

Group G
Real Madrid have proven too much for AC Milan as they sit atop this group with Milan in a close second. Only a couple of points separate AC Milan, AJ Auxerre, and AFC Ajax the next few games will decide who takes second place. Ajax hosts Real Madrid in the next round of matches while AC Milan takes on Auxerre.

Group H
Arsenal and FC Shakhtar Donetsk each have 9 points to lead this group. Arsenal takes on FC Braga a team which they defeated 6-0 in the first match, while FC Shakhtar Donetsk takes on FK Partizan. This group will likely be Arsenal as the number one seed on goal differential while FC Shakhtar Donetsk will take the second spot into the round of 16.

Champions League Review Bet Smart

Wayne Rooney Sinful Futbol God

When it comes to Football (soccer) none other than Wayne Rooney can be viewed as one of the best footballers of the game today. However his clean image of a great footballer was caught paying for sex, essentially cheating on his wife Colleen. His great reputation somewhat in disarray.
Its then no surprise that trouble on the pitch soon followed as Wayne Rooney submitted a transfer request to Manchester United. After much debate it is believed that Sir Alex Ferguson had much to do with his staying with the club. All the commotion saw non other than Rooney coming away with a 5 Year contract worth 200,000 to 280,000 pounds a week. Is he better than the team? How will this effect the play of the dominant Manchester United squad that hasn't been so dominant this season? Are you going to change your betting system based on this disruption?
Actually, were going to give you 5 reasons why Manchester United was able to keep Rooney:
1. Arsene Wenger made a great point when he said that he's seen it before, and knows that ultimately the clubs decide what to do with their property.
2. Manchester United seemed to have won the press battle, an uphill battle that saw an already unpopular Rooney losing a popularity battle due to the before mentioned scandal.
3. He just wanted more money and he got it. Manchester United thinks he is worth every penny, and despite all allegations you had better bet he is.
4. Letting Rooney go for the remaining 18months of his contract would be like giving away 10million euros. Financial suicide for any club.
5. It is also reported that a huge NIKE advertisement was vandalized with threatening statements made towards Rooney and his leaving of the club. Thugs, hooligans may have had a part in Rooney staying.

This doesn't change anything for the Manchester United squad, they are winning with serious players and a deep bench. Don't change your betting system just yet.

Barcelona V Valencia Without Xavi!

Don't bet on Barcelona regaining their spot on top of laLiga just yet.The Reigning Spanish Premier League Champions will have to play against the current league leaders without star player Xavi Alonso. The Great midfielder will miss Saturday's match due to an Achilles tendon problem. Xavi also missed international duties as Spain defeated Lithuania and Scotland in Euro 2012 qualifying. The teams specialist says that Xavi will be available for Barcelona's Champion League Match agains FC Copenhagen. Star striker also recieved a knee problem and will also be unavailable for the Barcelona side Saturday.