Away wins are a rarity in UEFA Cup semi-final first-legs

Dynamo Kiev/Shakhtar Donetsk, 5.30pm, ITV4, Best Odds
Werder Bremen/Hamburg, 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

While the Big Four have dominated the Champions League for two successive seasons, the Premier League’s claim to the “best league in the world” moniker is brought into question by the fact that none of the not-so-big 16 have won the UEFA Cup in the last 25 years. We’ve grown accustomed to all-English Champions League semi-finals but tonight teams from the Bundesliga and the Ukranian Premier League fight it out for the right to represent their country in a guaranteed Germany v Ukraine final:

SEMI-FINAL STATS

» The away side haven’t won a UEFA Cup semi-final first-leg in any of the last six seasons and only one of the last 18 have ended in the visitors’ favour.

» There has only been one goal in this week’s three big televised games this week and there is a danger that the drought could continue - only eight of the last 24 UEFA Cup semi-finals have broken the 2.5 goal barrier.

Posted: April 30th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Man City are 3/1 to qualify but the signs aren’t too promising

Manchester City/Hamburg, 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

Paddy Power and Bet365 are offering 3/1 on Manchester City overcoming their 3-1 deficit and knocking out Hamburg tonight but the statistics suggest that they will have to perform out of their skins to do so:

» Hamburg have only won five of their 14 away league games and have drawn one and lost four of their five visits to fellow Bundesliga top six sides.

» Despite this, their European record is amazing. The German side have won all five of their UEFA Cup away games, scoring 12 and conceding just three. They have scored at least two in every game and kept three clean sheets.

Posted: April 16th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Hamburg’s strong home form isn’t good news for Man City

Hamburg/Man City, Thurs 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

Martin Jol’s Hamburg are available at 11/10 with Boylesports to win the home leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester City. A glance at their home record suggests that those odds are very generous:

» Hamburg have played 21 matches at the HSH Nordbank Arena, winning 16 of those, drawing three and losing just two.

» In contrast, Manchester City have won just one of their last 19 on the road, drawing seven and losing 11 of those games.

» Only five of the last 14 English UEFA Cup quarter-finalists have progressed through to the final four. Even more significantly, only one won the away leg, with nine losing it.

Posted: April 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Tottenham’s revival under Redknapp could be finished

The stats show alarming similarities with twelve months ago

chickendinner thought that after ten Premier League games at White Hart Lane, it was a good time to examine Harry Redknapp’s performance as Tottenham manager and we were shocked by what we found.

Redknapp’s record from his first ten league games for the club reads five wins, two draws and three defeats, which is identical to Juande Ramos’ performance when he first arrived in North London.

Posted: December 22nd, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

It’s the UEFA Cup version of Champions League week six

Aston Villa and Portsmouth play without having much to gain

Aston Villa already know without doubt that they have qualified for the next stage of the UEFA Cup while Portsmouth know without doubt that they can’t qualify, meaning that they both go into their final group games with little to play for against, you’ve guessed it, teams with little to play for. Here’s our preview of tonight’s run out for the reserves:

Hamburg v Aston Villa
Both of Aston Villa and Martin Jol’s side are guaranteed a place in the next round so are just fighting it out to win the group tonight, unless Ajax beat Slavia Prague by a bigger margin than the winner of this match. At Tottenham, Jol enjoyed a six game unbeaten streak against Aston Villa, including a comeback from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 at home last season while since he has left Spurs have lost both matches against Martin O’Neill’s side, whose reserves lost at home to Zilina a fortnight ago. Hamburg have lost just once at home this season but haven’t won a home game in the UEFA Cup yet under Jol’s guidance.

Portsmouth v Heerenveen

Posted: December 17th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment