Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen (Arsenal win after 90 minutes)
Arsenal’s journey towards an unprecedented quadruple
(Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup) this season is firmly on track and the next step involves overcoming German cracks Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates.
Although Arsenal’s approach this season has been rather more functional than the purists might like, the blend of defensive solidity and set piece dominance has been very effective all year. It is perhaps ironic, then, that the first leg was drawn 1-1, with Bayer’s equaliser coming from an Arsenalesque corner kick. Bayer’s tall players (Andrich, Schick) will be the main danger again, with the service coming from the incredible forward runs and crosses of Grimaldo (who is surely destined for Barcelona this summer).
Assuming Arsenal can tighten up at the back, then they should have enough up front to outscore Leverkusen in London. Saka, Gyokeres and Eze are all hitting top form at just the right time, and with Declan Rice making those driving runs from midfield, then they should be getting something from open play. And then there is Arsenal’s much documented set piece plays. A decent side bet would either be for Arsenal to score from a corner, or for a goal by the likes of Gabriel.
The big risk here is that Bayer takes Arsenal to extra time, as that would not be a terrible 90 minute result for the Gunners, so that raises the odds somewhat. However, Arsenal are the superior team, and it’s worth the risk for the first leg of this accumulator.
Click here to bet Arsenal to win after 90 minutes on LiveScoreBet
Barcelona v Newcastle (Barcelona win after 90 minutes)
Newcastle were desperately unlucky to miss out on a win in the first leg at St James Park, but that game showed just how Barcelona are always dangerous when getting a goal. In the return at Camp Nou, the Catalans are likely to press for a couple of early goals to put this tie to bed. Can Newcastle withstand the early pressure and build up a base to nick a goal for themselves?
If so, they will have to do it without their best player, Bruno Guimaraes, who is expected to move to Barcelona in the summer. But Newcastle still have plenty of defensive solidity at the back and in midfield, and if they were facing any other side than Barca, then they could feel confident that they could close the gaps in midfield. But, Newcastle’s fate is to face Barca, who specialize in breaking down low blocks every week in La Liga.
At the weekend, it was the turn of Sevilla, who were dispatched 5-2 in this stadium, to keep Barcelona top of the table. While it’s all going smoothly for the Spanish league leaders, Newcastle have endured a rather inconsistent season, where rumours of coach Eddie Howe’s imminent sacking seem to be raised most weeks.
But Newcastle did win at Chelsea at the weekend, following on from their last minute victory against Man United, so their form is on the up, and Tonali and Gordon will surely test Barca’s high line. This game looks nailed on as a BTTS=yes betting opportunity, but we prefer to include the game as part of an ACCA bet, specifically a Barca win over 90 minutes.
Click here to bet Barcelona to win after 90 minutes on LiveScoreBet
Sporting v Bodo/Glimt (Sporting win over 90 minutes)
The fairy tale that has been Bodo’s Champions League campaign continues on Tuesday night, as they carry what is surely an unassailable lead to the Jose Alvalde stadium in Lisbon. While 3-0 is surely too much of a mountain to climb for Sporting, the green and white hoops should be good for a win over the 90 minutes.
They have barely missed the loss of Gyokeres to Arsenal in the summer, and in Luis Suarez they have the man who can score the goals against Bodo, ably supported by Trincao in midfield.
Bodo will be a danger on the break and have surprised often enough this season to be a real danger over the 90 minutes, but we foresee this game as being a step too far for the Norwegians, still in their winter break. Sporting are used to facing a low block in the Primeira Liga most weeks, which will stand them in good stead for the second leg of this tie.
Both sides have a clear injury list and this looks a good open game which will favour the over goals market, or even a BTTS. Sporting will need to press for goals, and leave space at the back that the likes of Hogh and Hauge will enjoy, so if you insist on taking the exact goals market, then a cheeky 2:1 Sporting win should be good value.
But our favourite option is to include a full time win for Sporting as part of an ACCA, which we price around 3.0 or thereabouts for the 3 games.
Click here to bet Sporting win over 90 minutes on LiveScoreBet
