UEFA CUP BETTING TIPS
Tonight is the turn of the UEFA Cup to take centre stage, and the match that interests me is the clash between Panathinaikos and Rangers. The first leg in Glasgow finished in a 0-0 draw and the winners of this tie will face the winner of the Werder Bremen v. Braga game (which is likely to be Bremen who hold a 3-0 lead from the first leg) in the next round.
Panathinaikos are currently 2nd in the Greek league 1 point behind Olympiakos and are unbeaten in home games in the league this season with 8 wins and 2 draws scoring 14 goals and conceding only 2.
They have looked comfortable in Europe this season beating Artmedia 5-1 on aggregate in the first round before finishing 2nd in their group to Atletico Madrid. The group also included Aberdeen, FC Copenhagen and Lokomotiv Moscow. They won both their home games in the group stage against Aberdeen and Lokomotiv without conceding a goal so this gives a clue to the task Rangers face today.
Rangers are top of the Scottish Premier league 4 points ahead of Celtic and themselves are in fine form.
On the road in the league they have won 7 drawn 2 lost 2 scored 20 and conceded 12. They entered the UEFA Cup courtesy of finishing 3rd in their Champions League group which included Barcelona, Lyon and Stuttgart during which they recorded a fine 3-0 win in Lyon.
I think Rangers may well pay the price for not scoring in the first leg at Ibrox as Panathinaikos have only conceded 2 goals at home in 13 games in all competitions going back to the start of the season and they offer a goal threat in the form of Salpigidis who has scored 11 league goals so far this season as well as the 4 he has hit in the UEFA Cup run.
Panathinaikos are at full strength for tonight's game whilst Rangers will be without the injured Beasley and Whittaker as well as the suspended Darcheville.
The 42/41 with Pinnacle is worth me putting my money on a Panathinaikos win tonight and hopefully keeps the current run of good form going.
Silverfox.
