Why Arsenal may need to score again to eliminate Roma

Roma/Arsenal, 7.45pm, Sky Sports Xtra, Free Bets, Best Odds

Arsenal will take confidence from the fact Chelsea completed their job in Italy having arrived with a 1-0 advantage but will also be aware how hard Juventus made things for the Blues. Roma are even better at home than Claudio Ranieri’s side so Arsenal may need to score and force their opponents to score three. Sometimes they find that easy - Cardiff, Burnley - but sometimes they make things really difficult for themselves - West Ham, Sunderland, Fulham. Here are some interesting stats about tonight’s match:

» Roma are unbeaten in twelve home matches and have won ten of them.

» The Italian side have only failed to score once at the Stadio Olimpico since Manchester United won 2-0 there on April 1 last year and that was against league leaders Inter.

Posted: March 11th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Will Chelsea be able to finish the job in Turin?

Juventus/Chelsea, 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

Only 58% of teams who win the home leg of a Champions League knockout clash 1-0 have progressed to the next round, meaning that Juventus are priced far too high at 3/1 with 888sport to qualify. But while the hosts may offer good value, is Guus Hiddink’s honeymoon period really going to end in the worst way imaginable? Here are all the key statistics:

THE FORM GUIDE
Chelsea have won six successive games since sacking Luiz Felipe Scolari. The wins since Hiddink took charge have come by narrow margins though, with three of the last five finishing 1-0, one ending 2-1 and the other being their 2-0 triumph away to Coventry at the weekend. Since losing the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Juventus have beaten both Napoli and Torino 1-0 in Serie A. However, a reasonably weakened Bianconeri side lost 2-1 away to Lazio last week in their Coppa Italia semi-final.

CHELSEA IN ITALY
The Blues hadn’t played away to Italian opposition for five seasons before their 3-1 defeat to Roma in November. What made the manner of the loss even more surprising was that their previous match in Italy had been played at the same ground and they had thrashed Lazio 4-0 on that occasion. Chelsea have made five trips to Italy in the Premier League era and have a mixed record: winning one, drawing two and losing two.

JUVENTUS AGAINST ENGLISH OPPOSITION

Posted: March 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Chelsea should win but need to be wary of away goals

Chelsea/Juventus, 7.45pm, Sky Sports Xtra, Free Bets, Best Odds

Juventus have waited three years to return to the knockout stages of the Champions League but must have been cursing their luck when they drew British opposition, considering their record is ever worse than Roma’s.

Claudio Ranieri has already suggested that Chelsea’s decision to change managers has hindered his chances of a victorious return to Stamford Bridge but the odds were stacked from the outset because of their recent results in England and Scotland.

One positive for the Bianconeri is that on six of their last eight visits they have scored, which means that even if they lose, they stand a strong chance of taking an away goal back to Turin with them and Chelsea have already been humbled in Italy once already this season.

Posted: February 24th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Manchester United get one of the worst draws possible

All the statistics for the Champions League second round

When you’re already battling a trend where the last four Champions League winners have been knocked out in the first knockout stage, the last thing you want is to draw a team managed by someone who took you out at this stage five years ago. That’s exactly what has happened to Manchester United though, who have been drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

Chelsea received a tough draw against former manager Claudio Ranieri’s side Juventus, where they will have to travel away for the second leg. The Italian side have reached the last eight of the Champions League in their last two campaigns but the positive is that their last two runs were ended by English opposition - Liverpool and Arsenal.

Arsenal will be pleased to have drawn Roma, who haven’t won on their last seven visits to England and have lost five while Liverpool will hope to repeat their triumph over Barcelona at this stage two years ago when they face Juande Ramos’ Real Madrid. Ramos lost his only meeting with Liverpool while managing Tottenham.

The full draw is available after the jump, with the first leg hosts listed first:

Posted: December 19th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment