ZGlmZnVzaW9uLXY2LWZhbm91dC5yYWNpbmdwb3N0LmNvbQ==NDQzdHJ1ZQ==U29jY2VyYmFzZVVzZXI=YVc4N1Z4NDFiNGgybTc4UTRpT1ZvZmhxM0RENHphQVM=

Champions League ties leave me feeling cold

ANOTHER hugely competitive Champions League card on Wednesday with six of the eight games featuring a side at 2-5 or shorter. Yippee.

So let’s tick ‘em off one by one and see if we can make a case for opposing any of them.

Barcelona first. They’re at Ajax, a team they beat 3-1 last time round. Barca have got Messi, Ajax don’t have Cruyff, so we’ll give that one to the Spaniards.

Chelsea are at Maribor after putting six past them two weeks ago and Shakhtar entertain a Borisov mob who were hit for seven in the reverse fixture.

Roma have got a seven-goal drubbing to erase from their systems as well as they head for Bayern.
I can’t see a surprise in any of those – but I might do over 3.5 goals in all three, mind – and no matter how modest Man City’s form is, they should waltz past a CSKA side who only seem capable of performing in a funereal atmosphere. Shame they didn’t draw Arsenal, eh?

A start for Eliaquim Mangala might change my thought process but that basically leaves PSG against Apoel which doesn’t even need discussing.

So I either lump on the six-fold or take a bit of time out to ponder the events that are going to unfold in Bilbao and Lisbon.

And actually there are a couple of decent bets to be had in those two.

First, Porto are a winning machine, home or away, and will do the double over Athletic. Second, Schalke are finding their feet after a poor start to the season and can win at Sporting, who they beat 4-3 last time out.

Or you can just ignore the whole lot and stick to Fulham walloping Blackpool.

Teams

Agonising over Aberdeen?
Yearning for Yeovil? Our database is crammed with every football club you could possibly wish for

Players

A plethora of players ranging from Adebayor to Zamora. All you need to know to find out who is the best bet to score next

Competitions

Whether it's the Johnstone's Paint Trophy or the Champions League, Soccerbase will ensure you don't experience a big cup upset

Referees

Card-happy control freak?
Astute arbiter? Make the right decision on any referee with the help of our specialist pages

Managers

From Allardyce to Zola, our massive manager database, with histories and win ratios, is sure to get your vote of confidence