Return of the UEFA Cup
The UEFA Cup swings back into action this week and although some of the spread betting public would consider this to be a poor relative of the Champions League, the tournament looks very open this year, giving spread punters the chance to unearth some value. Sporting Index have AC Milan as the 24-27 point favourites in their tournament win index (60 points for the winners, 40 for runners up, 30 beaten semi-finalists, 20 beaten quarter-finalists and 10 last 16), but the Milanese would have to become the first Italian team to lift the trophy since Parma in 1999. Valencia are next best with a spread of 22-25 and they will be hoping to repeat their win in 2004.
Spread bettors who like to follow recent trends will be narrowing down their selections to just a handful, as Spain and Russia have won this trophy in all of the past five years. Sevilla in 2007 became the first team to win back-to-back tournaments since Real Madrid in 1985 and 86, so those hoping that lightning will strike twice may be tempted by Sporting Indexs quote of 9-12 for current champions Zenit St Petersburg to prove successful once again. However, spread bettors looking to oppose Zenit will be encouraged that, apart from Sevilla, no other team has appeared in the UEFA Cup final twice in the past nine years.
English sides have a fairly strong hand with Man City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all in the top seven in the win index. Patriotic spread punters will look at the draw and think that all three sides should be able to negotiate safely through to the last 16, although Spurs and Villa will meet each other in that round if they both progress. Of the three sides, Tottenham have easily the best record in the tournament having won it twice (72 and 84) and finishing runner-up in 74. Buyers of Harry Redknapps side in the outright index, as well as the match supremacy spreads against Shakhtar Donetsk, will be hoping that the North London side become the fourth side in Europe to win the tournament three times and the third British side to make it to the final in the past four seasons.
Aston Villa have been many spread punters friends this season, but they face a stern test against 2005 champions CSKA Moscow in the first knockout round. Martin ONeills side started the UEFA Cup in excellent style, but those buying them on the spreads will be worried that theyve lost their past two games in the competition against Zilina and Hamburg. The same cannot be said of their opponents unfortunately, as they have won all of their last six in the competition, scoring seven goals in their last two away games.
The UEFA Cup is Man Citys only chance of lifting a trophy this season and they have much the easiest draw of the three English sides. They play FC Copenhagen on Thursday night in Denmark, but spread bettors have become accustomed to Citys poor record on the road and with Copenhagen suffering just one home defeat all season across all competitions, City buyers on the Sporting Index outright market will be praying for a better showing on the road.
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