My pick will still remain as Internaz ionale to beat either Barcelona or an English team in the Final in Moscow.
Group A
Bookies favourite Liverpool
stuttered but qualified second and the bookies second favourite; Porto topped the group ensuring an easier game in the KO
stages.
Marseille drop into the UEFA Cup.
Liverpool
**Win it all –
Ladbrokes 9/1 – 11/1 – after a poor start to the Group Stage the odds have
lengthened on the reds.
Porto
Win
it all – Ladbrokes 9/1 – 50/1 – now they are rank outsiders?
This is what I said in August:
“Liverpool look group favourites
but Porto will be tough.”
Group B
Bookies favourite Chelsea won the group
comfortably but the bookies other pick goes home. Schalke did well to finish second and
Rosenborg can be thankful for UEFA Cup football in the New Year.
Chelsea
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 6/1 – 8/1 – despite dominance in the group the odds go out – maybe
it’s Mr. Grant?
Schalke 04
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 40/1 – 40/1 – not quite the rank outsiders anymore.
This is what I said in August:
“Chelsea should be pushed by Schalke in this
group.”
Group C
Bookies picked correctly again
with Real topping the group. Olympiakos
confounded the bookies with a second place finish and Werder Bremen drop into the UEFA Cup.
Real Madrid
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 9/1 – 8/1 – shortened with a decent showing in the Group Stages.
Olympiakos
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 150/1 – 50/1 – Rank outsiders.
This is what I said in August:
“Real Madrid clear favourites in Group C.”
Group D
Bookies favourite AC Milan topped
the group with Celtic, finishing above Benfica to confound the bookies. The Portuguese side drop into the UEFA
Cup.
AC Milan
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 8/1 – 10/1 – Maybe their Serie A form can explain the lengthening of
the odds.
Celtic
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 100/1 – 50/1 – rank outsiders.
This is what I said in August:
“AC Milan is clear favourites in
this group.”
Group E
Bookies do it again with the
correct pick of Barcelona
to top the group and Lyon to come second; they are confounded with a Rangers
third place and the Scottish side can look forward to the UEFA Cup in the New
Year.
Barcelona
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 9/2 – 4/1 – shortened but not too significantly.
Lyon
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 18/1 – 20/1 – lengthened to a team with a puncher’s chance.
This is what I said in August:
“Barcelona
could be pushed hard by Lyon.”
Group F
Manchester United did the bookies
proud with a comfortable win as did AS Roma with a second place. Sporting drop into the UEFA Cup in a perfect
group for the bookies.
Manchester United
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 6/1 – 5/1 – significantly shortened after going unbeaten in the Group
Stage
Roma
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 21/10 – 16/1 – shortened a touch.
This is what I said in August:
“Possibly the toughest
group. The Mancs to scrape in.”
Group G
A topsy turvey group for the
bookies, they got Inter spot on but gaffed with Fenerbache coming second and
PSV going into the UEFA Cup.
Internaz ionale
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 8/1 – 9/1 – surprisingly lengthened.
That’s a really odd one.
Fenerbache
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 200/1 – 50/1 – rank outsiders.
This is what I said in August:
“Internaz ionale are clear
favourites.”
Group H
The Bookies favourite finished
second with the bookies third favourite winning the group. One for the punter. Slavia Prague gets a shot at the UEFA
Cup.
Arsenal
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 18/1 – 8/1 – Seriously shortened.
Sevilla
Win it all -
Ladbrokes 20/1 – 10/1 – A bet now is not as good value as a bet in August.
This is what I said in August:
“Arsenal are favourites but will
be pushed if Sevilla beat AEK.”
So how will the draw work and how will the odds change?
Group winners become the Seeded
clubs:
AC Milan, Barcelona,
Internaz ionale, Real, Chelsea, Manchester
United, Porto, Sevilla.
Two English (or other nations)
sides to play each other.
Two sides who have met in the
group stages to play each other.
Winners don’t play winners and
second place finishers don’t play each other.
Someone high up in UEFA will draw
some balls from a bowl and pick the runners up names first. then someone will work out who they can play
and someone else high up in UEFA will pick from those team using a bowl and
some balls. All really high tech and glamorous.
The second placed teams play at
home first and the ties are two legged.
I’ll check the Ladbrokes odds
after the draw and we’ll see how they’ll change.
**All
Ladbrokes odds are from 31/08/2007 and then 20/12/2007.
UEFA CUP DRAW
No predictions from me for this
season’s UEFA Cup. I am proud and happy
to see the Toffees won out in their group and that despite qualifying top of
their group in only three games managed to travel to Holland and win without a number of senior
players. Bordeaux were the other team to win all four
games in their group. Bayern Munich qualified
top of their group but did it with the least amount of points for a group
winner.
Group Winners:-
A – Everton FC
B – Atletico Madrid (Good Old
Mattress Makers!)
C – Villarreal
D – Hamburg
E – Bayer Leverkusen
F – Bayern Munich
G – Getafe
H – Bordeaux
Second place sides:-
A – Nurnberg
B – Panathinaikos
C - Fiorentina
D – Basle
E – Spartak Moscow
F – Braga
G – Tottenham
H – Helsingborgs
Third place teams:
A – Zenit St Petersburg
B – Aberdeen (Go The Dons!)
C – AEK Athens
D – SK Brann
E – Zurich
F – Bolton
Wanderers
G – Anderlecht
H – Galatasaray
Champions League Losers:
It
must be noted that I think the practice of rewarding these teams that are
basically losers with a berth in the UEFA Cup to be utterly stupid. I loathe the practice and would love Monsieur
Platini to just stop it.
Marseille
Rosenborg
Werder Bremen
Benfica
Rangers
Sporting Lisbon
PSV Eindhoven
Slavia Prague
So how will the draw work?
The process is much simpler than
the other competition. The only caveat
is that same associations won’t play each other in the first KO stage. Winners play third places teams (matches 1
through 8) and second placed teams play Champions League Losers (matches 9
through 16).
Group Winners and Champions
League Losers play the first game of the two legged tie away from home.
THEN…
For some reason UEFA pick the
teams for the next KO stage. winner
match X will play winner match Y with the first team drawn getting to play the
first leg of a two legged tie at home.
They will pull paper from a bowl until all eight ties are sorted
out.
Current Odds. (As given by
Ladbrokes on 20/12/2007)
The odds are clearly not just
based on group performance – but note that no Champions League Loser gets a
spot in the top six. I’ll update the
odds after the draw has been made.
Bayern Munich 3/1
Tottenham 9/1
Atletico Madrid
8/1
Villarreal 12/1
Everton FC 12/1 – below Spurs?–
flying below the radar again.
One wonder goal, a sniff of a comeback but the Toffees show Liverpool
how to win in Europe, 3-1 home win against AE Larissa.
A return to a European night at Goodison Park.
Wide eyed and expectant fans braved the chills to give their all on this
most special of occasions. The pressure
is off a little as this isn’t a must win game, the players should relax and the
fans will certainly get behind their team.
With a fuller squad to pick from
Moyes’ first eleven is a surprise.
Howard stays in goal behind a familiar back four of Hibbert, Yobo
Lescott and Baines. A five man midfield;
at home in Europe?; sees Arteta on the right,
Osman, Carsley, Cahill; back from injury; and Pienaar supporting McFadden as
the lone striker.
Donis stays with a useful looking
4 5 1 away from home. Bakayoko makes a
return to Everton as the lone front man supported by a five man midfield;
Parra, Sarmiento, Fotakis, Cleyton and Venetidis. The back four is Galitsios, Dabizas, Foerster
and Kiriakidis protecting Kotsolis in goal.
Osman and Hibbert make the first
foray forward and get a throw on the right, the ball in is cleared and Hibbert
crosses in again, a second clearance comes back to the home side and Arteta
gets a free kick.
Everton are pressing well in
midfield but neither side is able to put its foot on the ball and play in the
first few minutes.
Another free kick is cleared,
Hibbert send it back in for Lescott to head on but Larissa scramble clear. The Greek side has definitely come to Goodison Park to play.
Larissa plays the ball forward to
Bakayoko who has the ball stolen from him by Baines. Foerster comes out from the back and plays a
great ball down the touchline, Hibbert can’t get past Fotakis but the Greek’s
touch takes the ball behind. Cleyton
almost finds Bakayoko with a neat through ball.
Sarmiento runs down the right and plays in Kiriakidis whose cross is well
cleared ahead of Cleyton by Hibbert at the far post. Then Osman puts Lescott into trouble with a
shoddy back pass but Baines comes over and clears.
Everton get back into the game
with some sweet passing, Baines, Pienaar and Carsley combine and Baines’s
overlapping run earns the home side a free kick which Arteta whips in
dangerously but the ‘keeper claims from a defensive header. Arteta wins a corner on the left with some
strong running, he plays it short to Osman who turns, cuts to the byline, beats
his man and whips the ball across the box, an unmarked Cahill sneaks between
three Larissa defenders stooping low to head in the opener.
Larissa has plenty of fight and
look to get back into the game. Fotakis
gets forward on the left and crosses for Bakayoko only to see the ball half
cleared to Kiriakidis whose long range shot goes well wide.
Hibbert does well to keep a loose
ball in on the right, it comes to Pienaar who whips in a cross to Cahill at the
near post, the Australian doesn’t shoot and lays the ball off for McFadden, a
move which surprises the Scot who toe pokes the ball tamely at Kotsolis. McFadden almost plays in Pienaar, McFadden
knocks on for Cahill, and Arteta gets a soft free kick for going down easy off
a Kiriakidis challenge as Everton pressure starts to mount on Larissa. Dabizas concedes a foul and gets yellow then
Lescott’s reputation precedes him as he gets a yellow from a horrendous Greek
dive. The centre back goes on a
tremendous run upfield after being set free by Baines; he goes deep into the
Greek half but is well tackled by Foerster, perhaps the German’s best play of
the entire game.
Parra gets forward for Larissa,
he lays the ball off to his right and the shot takes a deflection, Howard
watched it go for corner kick. This move
announces the Greek’s intent and prompts a scrappy spell of pressure from the
visitors.
Another Arteta free kick almost
reaches Lescott at the back post, a long clearance finds McFadden who head down
for Cahill, the diminutive Australian has his shot well saved by Kotsolis. Pienaar can’t find Baines after some neat
forward play by the left back; the South African hasn’t played well all this
half.
Neither manager makes any
changes, tactically or personnel wise, at the half.
The second half start with some
open play, Larissa sees Venetidis have a good effort from range then the ball
breaks and McFadden beats the poor offside trap, one on one with Kotsolis his
low shot can only fond the keeper’s legs.
An open midfield and Larissa
looking for the equalizer opens the door for Everton’s second, a total stunner
on the break.
Baines picks up a short
clearance, he finds Cahill on the right flank and gets the ball after his
overlapping run, he looks up and crosses to the onrushing Pienaar who shows
great vision with an outrageous back heel into space, perfect for Osman to run
onto and calmly rifle his low shot into the corner past a disbelieving
Kotsolis. The players settle down and
start to look more confident on the ball and with their passing, the defending
is very solid with Howard rarely called upon to do more than claim high balls
in.
Foerster makes a run upfield and
finds Bakayoko on the edge of the box, the Ivorian’s turn is neat but his shot
is poor. Lescott clears from Cleyton;
who gets more involved in the second half.
Arteta starts a move on the right and ends up on the left laying a ball
back for Hibbert to shank badly and end up with a poor cross. McFadden, playing the lone role well twists
and turns his way forward; Kiriakidis tracks him well and denies him the shot
with a clearance behind, the corner kick is well cleared by Parra in front of a
leaping Cahill.
Cleyton makes a deep run and lays
the ball off to Sarmiento who has makes space to shoot but can only fire wide
and high.
The first change of the night is
for Larissa, Kalantzis comes on for Parra.
Lescott and Baines take advantage
of the change in personnel with some forceful running down the left; Lescott is
bustled off the ball which falls easily for the ‘keeper. Yobo slips running for a through ball and
Kalantzis is away, the ####ian recovers well with a stunning tackle which is
lamely rewarded with a soft yellow, nice dive from the Greek who was hardly
touched after he lost the ball.
Venetidis hits the free kick straight at the wall and it fall nicely for
Howard to claim.
The American has his moment of
madness when he rolls the ball out to Lescott, the ex-Wolves defender isn’t
quick to read his ‘keepers atrocious clearance and Cleyton nips in for the
ball, the Brazilian rounds Yobo and slots one past a painfully embarrassed
Howard for a Larissa lifeline.
Moyes decides to change things
around with the introduction of Anichebe and Gravesen for McFadden and
Cahill.
The crowd and the players of
Everton are a bit jittery now, Larissa sense this and attack. Lescott’s clearance finds Gravesen and the
Dane gets the ball out quickly to Anichebe, the young ####ian is denied by a
good sprawling save fro Kotsolis. With
Larissa’s tails up the game is open, free flowing and almost end to end. Pienaar loses the ball which allows Bakayoko
to get in and cross low to the near post, Cleyton beats his marker to the ball
but his touch is unsure and the ball spoons up and over the crossbar. Dabizas, making more runs upfield, finds Cleyton
but the resultant pass only find Howard.
Larissa withdraw Kiriakidis for
the more attack minded Labropoulos.
Arteta wins the ball on the right
and plays in Anichebe, the run is good but the cross sails way over the head of
the incoming Pienaar. Yobo clears from
Bakayoko but the ball comes out only as far as Kalantzis, the Greek’s cross
flashes through the six yard box.
Bakayoko finds Cleyton who wastes the ball with an aimless pass
forward.
Foerster is sacrificed for Venetis.
Anichebe does well to get the
ball into Pienaar, the South African’s run ends in a good cross which Dabizas
does well to clear.
Everton are nervy, Larissa sense
this and press forward. Bakayoko gets
onto a knockdown in the area but the Everton defence holds and concedes the
corner. Venetis works the ball down the
left for Bakayoko but the Ivorian’s cross is poor.
Baines clears the next Larissa
attack and finds Gravesen in the middle, a quality through ball finds Anichebe,
whose pace takes him between two defenders, and he lucks out with a poor final
Greek challenge and keeps his head to slot the ball past the grounded ‘keeper.
The tension on the players, staff
and supporters is palpable, even through the TV screen.
Larissa is still game but the
introduction of Stubbs for Pienaar signifies the home intent.
A cross comes in for Kalantzis
who heads marginally wide. An Arteta
free kick is met by Anichebe and claimed well by Kotsolis. A Greek break near the death finds Howard in
good form to keep the advantage at two.
Moyes will be delighted, he got
the squad right tactically and despite some shaky moments came through with a
fine win. The 4 5 1 wasn’t expected and
the team took a while to get used to the formation. The midfield is a strong one and the defence
held firm limiting Larissa to a few chances throughout the game. The goals were all well crafted; the second
being an absolute peach. A Howard
blunder gifted Larissa a goal but the defence held against the renewed vigour
of the away side. Topping the group will
help Liverpool’s premier team rest easy
tonight. Arteta went down too many times
far too easy. Pienaar had one moment of
genius but didn’t play well for the other 93 minutes.
Larissa acquitted themselves
well. They came to play but their
attacks lacked a cutting edge. They came
at Everton throughout the match and always looked capable of doing
something. But they just got outplayed
by Everton in key moments during the game.
Mostly the referee was good, he
missed the chance to play advantage a few times and Lescott’s yellow was
atrocious. But overall he allowed the
game to flow and was miserly with his cards.
