FA Cup Final 2018 – Chelsea Vs Manchester United Betting Preview

What day, Harry and Meghan getting married in Windsor, but the attention now shifts to North London today, with London v Manchester, Chelsea v Manchester United in the FA Cup final. The final pitches ex Chelsea manager Mourinho taking on current chelsea manager Conte in a match which is touted as his last game in charge of the Blues if rumours are to be believed.

Chelsea finished the season out of the top 4 and will be looking towin the FA Cup to salvage something from their woeful defence of their League title.

The FA Cup final kick off is at 17:15 BST and will be shown live on BBC1 and BT Sport.

Surely Manchester United with all their experience should be the favoured team, as their squad has depth, and they finished 2nd in the Premier league on Saturday. Chelsea finished the premier league in 5th and ther last game ended in defeat, with them losing 3-0 at Newcastle.

Let us look at the Opta statistics for the game courtesy of optasports.com

  • Man Utd could equal Arsenal’s record 13 FA Cup wins
  • Chelsea beat Man United 1-0 last time they met in a FA Cup final winning 1-0
  • Man Utd will be playing their 20th FA Cup Final a record held jointly with Arsenal
  • Chelsea’s have 13 appearances in the final with them losing last years final v Arsenal and if they lose today they will be the first team to lose consecutive cup finals since newcastle in 1998 and 1999
  • Chelsea v Man Utd has happened 3 times as a final
  • Romelu Lukaku has scored 12 goals in his last 12 FA Cup appearances, including five in five for Manchester United.

Chelsea (from): Courtois, Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Drinkwater, Kante, Barkley, Morata, Hazard, Pedro, Bakayoko, Moses, Giroud, Zappacosta, Willian, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Eduardo.

Manchester United (from): De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Darmian, Shaw, Young, Lindelof, Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Bailly, Matic, Pogba, McTominay, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Lingard, Martial, Sanchez, Rashford, Lukaku.

Head to Head Man Utd v Chelsea

Games won: 77
Games drawn: 49
Games lost: 53

    Arsenal Vs Liverpool Preview 2 November 2013

    Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats at The Emirates in the late kick off on Saturday against Liverpool.
    Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 clashes with Liverpool, winning four and drawing seven and will be aiming to extend this run.

    Match Odds


    Arsenal – 13/10 Bet Victor
    Draw – 5/2 William Hill
    Liverpool – 12/5 Betfred

    If Liverpool win on Saturday it will be the first time Arsenal will have lost three consecutive home games since their move to The Emirates stadium.
    The last time the both sides met at The Emirates the points were shared as Arsenal came from 2-0 down to get a draw. If you fancy history to repeat itself you can get 13/1 (Bet Victor) for a 2-2 draw.
    Both teams have been in excellent form in the league coming into this game. With Arsenal adding to bottom of the league Crystal Palace’s woes with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park and Liverpool’s strike force seeing off West Brom 4-1 at Anfield.

    History proves that November is Arsenal’s least productive month in Premier League so Liverpool will be hoping this continues.

    Arsene Wenger made a number of changes for the midweek clash against Chelsea as they crashed out of the Capital One cup. So the regular first teamers should not be tired for the game against Liverpool.

    By contrast Liverpool had a break midweek as they were knocked out of the Capital One cup in the previous round and will have a fresh squad and will also welcome back Phillipe Coutinho from injury.

    Arsenal will bring back their big hitters like Mesut Ozil back into the side as well as Olivier Giroud, (11/2 first scorer Coral) after Nicklas Bendtner put in a lacklustre performance in the midweek defeat to Chelsea.

    Liverpool’s front two will be looking to continue their impressive form this season. Suarez (11/2 first scorer Skybet) and Sturridge (6/1first scorer Ladbrokes) have netted 14 times between themselves this season, with Sturridge scoring in all but one league game for The Reds.

    This will be the toughest test yet for the Arsenal defence as they come up against the two inform strikers in the Premier League.
    The draw at 5/2 with William Hill looks a good bet at the price it is. All three results are possible but going into the game both sides would settle for a draw and with seven draws in the last 12 meetings between the teams then 5/2 is good value.

    Recommendation

    Olivier Giroud and Luis Suarez both to score @ 11/2 Skybet

      Capital one cup first round

      With the midweek comes the league cup and the Capital one cup is back upon us and the early rounds up to the third round is identifying games where the prices are too short and the basis of which teams will and will not take the cup seriously.

      Swansea City won the title last season in an encounter with Bradford. Their reward was a ticket into Europe, but a lot of the teams in round one may have renewed motivation for a cup run as Bradford made the final from League two in a big money spinner.

      Some reminder of what happened last season:

      • Biggest win in a final: Swansea City 5–0 Bradford, 24 February 2013
      • Highest scoring game: Reading 5–7 Arsenal, fourth round, 30 October 2012

      Betting odds for the 2013/14 competition:

      • Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – 7/1 general
      • Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs – 10/1 BetVictor
      • Everton – 20/1 bookies
      • Villa and Newcastle – 40/1 BetVictor
      • Southampton, Swansea, Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham – 50/1 Coral
      • The rest – 66/1 and above

      Brentford are placed at 4/6 to win against Dagenham, who in our opinion were all over the place last season and lost 3-1 at Fleetwood on Saturday. Brentford scored a respectable score draw with Port Vale in a 1-1 draw. Watford will want to maintain their winning start and are even money to beat a Bristol Rovers side that slide out on the first hurdle last year and take on promotion contenders Watford. I am sure the manager of Watford will see this competition as seriously as the league and early into the season can use the cup as extra competitive match practice and are evens with Skybet.

      Looking at the qualifying markets, Oxford could be a shade of at 11/4 to qualify to take Charlton out. They came from behind to put four past Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday. Charlton lost 2-1 to Bournemouth and could be the case that their priorities will not be on the league cup and more so in the league.

      We cannot avoid looking at Bradford that have the energy in their promotion status after a very respectable 2-2 draw with league favourite Bristol City. Again Bradford have been to the final and got the t-shirt and at 7/4 to qualify will raise some interest, especially knowing that Bradford are very successful in penalty shootouts.

       

      League cup recommendations:

      • Brentford to beat Dagenham and Oxford +2 – 2.26 Boylesports
      • Crawley to qualify – 8/11 Paddy Power
      • Wolves/Leicester and Watford all to qualify – 2.55 Paddy Power

        Wigan Vs Millwall – Live on ESPN 17:15

        In what will be overshadowed by the Sunday game between Chelsea and Manchester City is the tie between Wigan and Millwall.

        They want to win this:

        Best match odds:

        • Wigan – 17/20 William Hill
        • Draw – 29/10 bookies
        • Millwall – 19/5 BetVictor

        Millwall will be able to treat this more like a home game, having to travel to the other side of London. Wigan had not sold all their ticket allocation, suggesting a few extra Millwall fans potentially getting in.

        Millwall are no strangers to Wembley having been in the 2004 final as beaten finalists to Manchester United. They have a similar tough task to lift the silverware and am sure their fans are enjoying every moment of this. Wigan have relegation issues, which could pose as a distraction, and were lucky to nick a draw off QPR last weekend. We were watching the game, and Wigan were not the best during this game playing against ten men QPR for much of the game.

        Opta facts going into this game courtesy of optasports.com

         

        • Wigan have reached the last four of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.
        • The Latics are the 78th different team to reach the semi-final stage of the FA Cup.
        • Millwall were last in the semi-finals in 2004 when they made it to the final before losing to Manchester United.
        • The one and only meeting between Millwall and Wigan in the FA Cup was back in 1935. Millwall won a third round tie 4-1.
        • Wigan are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Millwall in all competitions, without conceding a goal (W2 D1).
        • The Lions have won just one of their last 13 clashes with top flight opposition in the FA Cup (D4 L8). However, that victory came in this year’s competition when they eliminated Aston Villa.
        • Wigan have failed to score just once in their last 11 FA Cup matches against opponents from lower divisions.
        • Of those 11 matches, Wigan have lost just two, winning five and drawing four.
        • Millwall have won four and lost just one of their last six FA Cup matches played at a neutral venue.
        • This will be Wigan’s first game at Wembley since 2000 when they lost 3-2 to Gillingham in the then Football League Second Division Play-Off.
        • Millwall have conceded just one goal in their five FA Cup matches so far this season.
        • Jordi Gomez has scored three goals and assisted two more in the FA Cup this season. The Spaniard played a part in two of their three goals against Everton in the quarter-final.

         

        Both teams come into this, with just one defeat in six games each. Millwall’s season is effectively over, so they can concentrate all their energies for this game. Both teams will attack, but expect it to take a while to break the deadlock, so could anticipate a few corners in the game.

        We will expect a low scoring affair from the game, as both teams play with pride, with bookies hedging around 5/6 on this outcome, especially at Boylesports. I do not expect this game to be settled in 90 minutes and am inclined to not ignore the 21/20 on offer from bookies, that Millwall will win or draw the game, in the double chance market.

         

        Recommended betting:

        • Time of first goal – after 27 minutes – 1/1 Betfred
        • Under 2.5 goals and over 10 corners – 11/5 Paddy Power
        • Millwall or draw – 21/20 bookies

          Chelsea Vs Manchester United – FA Cup replay

          RVP was stated in a red top tabloid stating for the fans not to expect a classic seeing as the FA Cup replay is being replayed historically not on a Tuesday or Wednesday night? Why is this?

           

          We suspect that ITV did not want the game on the Tuesday due to Champions League, and Wednesday was not an option because of Chelsea’s commitment in the Europa League, so Monday was the only real option. What are the best betting odds for the match?

           

          • Chelsea – 6/4 BetVictor
          • Draw – 47/18 Pinnacle
          • Man U – 23/12 Pinnacle

          Surely Manchester United with all their experience should be the favoured team, as their squad has depth, and they beat Sunderland on Saturday. Chelsea went to a 2-1 defeat to the Saints, so what did that say? 6/4 is too short?

          Let us look at the Opta statistics for the game courtesy of optasports.com

           

          • This is the eleventh FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Chelsea; The Red Devils lead the head-to-head record by eight wins to two, although Chelsea did win the last meeting (the 2007 final).
          • The only previous sixth round meeting between United and Chelsea in the FA Cup is also the only previous tie between the sides to go to a replay; after a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, the Red Devils won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to progress in their treble winning season (1998/99).
          • The Red Devils have won their last two FA Cup games at Stamford Bridge (2-0 in 1999 and 5-3 in 1998); they last lost there in this competition in March 1950.
          • The last seven meetings between these sides in all competitions have seen 34 goals scored, with 18 netted in just two meetings so far this term.
          • Javier Hernandez has scored in six of the last seven meetings between the Red Devils and the Blues.
          • Chelsea have only lost one of their last 39 FA Cup games outright, winning 31 and drawing seven.
          • Indeed, the Blues are now unbeaten in 28 FA Cup games (excluding penalty shootouts), the longest ever run without defeat by a single side.
          • Juan Mata has scored five goals and assisted eight in just 11 appearances in the FA Cup.
          • Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have scored in each of their last 10 away FA Cup games, netting more than once in nine of those outings (26 in total).
          • The Blues have not lost an FA Cup game at Stamford Bridge since March 2003 (W20 D4) and have scored in each of their last 33. However, this last defeat (versus Arsenal) was the last quarter-final replay that they played at home.
          • Indeed, Manchester United were the last team to prevent Chelsea from scoring in an FA Cup game on their own patch, beating them 2-0 in a sixth round replay in 1999.

           

          Where do we go from here?

           

          Of course last time they played, Manchester United went to a comfortable 2-0 lead before blowing the game and drawing the game 2-2.

           

          In their entire hisory they have played 51 times, with Man U edging it 18 wins, to Chelsea’s 17 and 16 draws. In the last five games alone Chelsea have been unable to beat United in normal time. On the over 2.5 statistics, 56.7% of Chelsea’s games have gone above 2 goals, with United standing on 63.3% of the 30 games played this season.

          Man U are unmissable at 8/15 double chance or +1 goal handicap, with Man U at evens with Paddy Power to set up a showdown with Manchester City by reigning supreme! Seeing as the teams may not be all at 100%, why not consider under 2.5 goals at 11/8 with BetVictor.

           

          Recommended betting:

          • Manchester United – To qualify: 1/1 Paddy Power

            World Cup Qualifiers – Tuesday 26 March 2013

            We are delighted to be previewing a couple of games this midweek, followed by general tips during the international fixtures.

            Wales Vs Croatia

            The Welsh will have some renewed confidence after beating the Scots on Friday evening and play a Croatia team that have conceded just two goals in their last 6 internationals.

            Best match odds

             

            • Wales – 9/2 bookies
            • Draw – 27/10 Bwin
            • Croatia – 8/11 Blue Square

             

            Croatia are head to head with Belgium for first place in the league, and at 8/11 is too good to miss for them to maintain the pressure of winning group a. Croatia have won the last four in all competitions, so will mean business this midweek. The last four wins have come at the expense of conceding a single goal, and they beat Wales in their other meeting 2-0.

             

            A repeat scoreline of 2-0 is 7/1 at William Hill and both teams not to score is 10/11 with Blue Square. Our tip must take this safe on the away win, as Croatia have the momentum and resilience and the Welsh have little more than pride to play for.

             

            Recommended betting:

             

            • Croatia – 8/11 Blue Square

             

            Serbia Vs Scotland

             

            The Scots lost against Wales 2-1 and the Serbians are just 8/13 for the match, which is short considering neither have much to play for.

             

            Best match odds:

             

            • Serbia – 8/13 Coral
            • Draw – 3/1 BetVictor
            • Scotland – 5/1 Paddy Power

             

            Excluding games played as Yugoslavia, the 0-0 between these sides in September 2012 was the first ever clash. Scotland are now without a win in six competitive games (D2 L4). Scotland have only failed to score in one of their last eight away internationals (all competitions). Gordon Strachan’s side have only mustered one clean sheet in 11 games on the road. Serbia have lost their last three qualifiers without scoring a single goal, conceding six themselves. Serbia lost 0-3 against Belgium in their last home game, ending a run of five unbeaten games on home soil (W3 D2).

             

             

            Taking into account that the game has little to yield from, you have to look from the perspective of the Scottish boss Gordon Strachan trying to rebuild the team for Euro 2016 qualification starting in September 2014. This is a long time away, but no time like the present. The 3/1 on the draw is no unreasonable to suggest, with Scotland as BIG as 7/5 with Paddy Power with a goal start.

             

            Boylesports go 20/21 for the time of first goal after 27:01, and Blue Square take the same market at 5/6 for no goal until after 34 minutes, which is quite a contrast in respect.

             

            Recommended betting:

             

            • First goal after 27 minutes – 20/21 Boylesports

             

             

            Other bets:

             

            Banker treble:

             

            • Australia, Portugal and Egypt pays 2.03 at Blue Square

             

            Small ACCA:

             

            • Estonia, Germany only to score in their game, Belgium, Netherlands and Ukraine to win pays 2.33 at Bwin

             

            Lockup Single of the day:

            • England to beat Montenegro – 13/16 at Pinnacle

              FA Cup Quarter Finals Preview 2013

              We have two games today in the FA cup and two on Sunday. Previewing each game starts with Everton who entertain Wigan at Goodison Park.

              Everton must really fancy themselves to win the FA cup, seeing Manchester united or Chelsea will be eliminated this weekend. Everton are overdue since last lifting the trophy in 1995, when they beat Manchester United 1-0!

              Best match odds:

              • Everton – 5/11 Bwin
              • Draw – 42/11 Pinnacle
              • Wigan – 15/2 bookies

               

              Some facts between the two sides, courtesty of Optasports.com

               

              Everton v Wigan Athletic

              • This is only the second time these North West rivals have been drawn together in the FA Cup; in round four of the 1980 competition, Everton defeated the Latics 3-0 at Goodison Park.
              • The Toffees have both scored and conceded in 13 of their last 17 FA Cup games.
              • Wigan have only won two of their last 12 FA Cup games against top-flight sides (D2 L8).
              • On the road, the Latics have only ever won once in the FA Cup against a side from the top tier (3-0 at Sunderland in January 2008).
              • Everton have only lost two of their last 12 FA Cup games on home soil (W8 D2).
              • Wigan have won three consecutive away games in the FA Cup (all this season); already their best ever run of wins on the road in the competition.
              • This is only the second time Wigan have made the sixth round of the FA Cup; in 1986/87, they lost 2-0 to Leeds United.
              • In contrast, this will be Everton’s 28th appearance in the FA Cup sixth round (only four teams have made more); they have progressed through 17 of the previous 27.
              • Arouna Kone has already scored in both league meetings with Everton this season.
              • The Latics have not won at Goodison Park since their first ever trip there in September 2005 (1-0); since then, they have lost five and drawn two.

               

              What do we reckon?

              • Everton to win by 2 or more (-1) – 13/10 Stan James
              • Highest scoring half – second – 15/13 Bwin

              Manchester City face Barnsley in which, City must attempt to win the FA Cup as a consolation, if the league is out of reach, which it appears to be now!

              Best match odds:

              • Manchester City – 1/7 Coral
              • Draw – 87/10 Pinnacle
              • Barnsley – 22/1 Betfred

               

              Opta facts:

              Manchester City v Barnsley

              • The Citizens have won both previous FA Cup meetings with Barnsley (both on home soil), winning 2-1 in 1947/48 (round three) and 2-0 in 1992/93 (round five).
              • Barnsley have only won two of their last 11 FA Cup games against Premier League sides, though those victories did come in successive games v Liverpool and Chelsea in 2007/08.
              • The Tykes have not won three straight away games on the road in the FA Cup proper since January 1957.
              • City have failed to score in only one of their last 18 FA Cup games on home soil, netting 39 goals in total in that run.
              • Roberto Mancini’s side are unbeaten in nine games against lower ranked sides in the FA Cup, winning their last four in a row without conceding (13 goals scored).
              • Carlos Tevez has scored in three successive games in all competitions.
              • The Citizens have lost four of their last five FA Cup quarter-finals, though they did win their last one in 2011 (1-0 v Reading).
              • This is Barnsley’s seventh appearance in round six of the competition; they were knocked out in the first five before eliminating Chelsea in 2007/08.
              • City have won their last three against Barnsley in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and conceding just two.
              • The Citizens have kept six clean sheets in their last seven games in all competitions at the Etihad.

               

              What do we think?

              • Barnsley +3 8/11 Paddy Power
              • Over 11 corners – 4/5 888sport

               

              We move to Sunday, and kick off with the all championship tie between Millwall and Blackburn.

              Best match odds:

              • Millwall – 6/4 BetVictor
              • Draw – 37/15 Pinnacle
              • Blackburn – 85/40 Stan James

               

              Some opta facts on the match:

               

              Millwall v Blackburn Rovers

              • This is the first FA Cup quarter-final not to feature a Premier League side since 2008, when West Brom thumped Bristol Rovers 5-1.
              • Rovers have won both previous FA Cup meetings with Millwall; they won 2-1 in Round Three of the 1978/79 competition and 1-0 in Round Four back in 2001/02.
              • The Lions have not won four successive FA Cup games outright On home soil, Millwall have lost just two of their last 18 FA Cup games (W11 D5).
              • since January 1957.
              • Rovers are one of only two teams (with Man City) yet to concede a goal in the FA Cup proper this season.
              • This is will be Millwall’s sixth appearance in round six of the FA Cup; they have progressed through two of the previous five, including the last one (2003/04 v Tranmere).
              • Rovers, meanwhile, are appearing at this stage for the sixteenth time; they have progressed through eight of the previous 15, including the last two.
              • Blackburn have only lost one of their last six trips to Millwall in all competitions (W4 D1), though they did lose at home to the Lions earlier this season.
              • Colin Kazim-Richards has scored the opening goal in each of Rovers’ last two FA Cup games.
              • Millwall have only failed to score in one of their last 15 FA Cup games at the New Den.

               

              What do we think?

              • Both teams to score – 3/4 BetVictor

               

              Our last game will be a cracker, between Manchester United and Chelsea. Manchester United have just been knocked out in emotional fashion, from the champions league, whereas Chelsea have a 1 goal deficit to claw back in their Europa league second leg next Thursday.

              Best match odds:

              • Manchester United – 5/6 Coral
              • Draw – 124/41 Pinnacle
              • Chelsea – 19/5 Will Hill

              Opta facts

              Manchester United v Chelsea

              • This will be the eleventh FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Chelsea; The Red Devils lead the head-to-head record by eight wins to two, although Chelsea did win the last meeting (the 2007 final).
              • The only previous sixth round meeting between United and Chelsea in the FA Cup is also the only previous tie between the sides to go to a replay; After a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, the Red Devils won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to progress in their treble winning season (1998/99).
              • Chelsea have never won in five previous FA Cup games at Old Trafford, losing four, drawing one and scoring just one goal in total.
              • The last six meetings between these sides in all competitions have seen 30 goals scored, with 14 netted in just two meetings so far this term.
              • Javier Hernandez has netted in five of his last six games against the Blues in all competitions.
              • Chelsea have only lost one of their last 38 FA Cup games outright, winning 31 and drawing six.
              • Indeed, the Blues are now unbeaten in 27 cup games (excluding penalty shootouts), the longest ever run without defeat by a single side.
              • The Red Devils have only lost two of their last 18 FA Cup away games, with both of those defeats coming at Anfield against Liverpool.
              • Juan Mata has scored five goals and assisted seven in just 10 appearances in the FA Cup.
              • This will be Manchester United’s 34th appearance in the FA Cup sixth round; only Arsenal (36) have made this round more often.

              What do we think?

              • Both teams to score – 7/10 Ladbrokes
              • Manchester United – 5/6 Coral

                Man Utd v Everton Match Preview 2013

                Man Utd v EvertonManchester United take on Everton at Old Trafford aiming to go 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League after Manchester City’s defeat at Southampton yesterday. Many say the title race could well be over already, but Everton have proved their quality and last seasons 4-4 draw was the game Ferguson felt his team had lost out on the title.

                It is difficult to predict the Manchester United side today with the opportunity to go 12 points clear but with Real Madrid away on Wednesday. Ashley Young is set to return after five games out with a knee injury. Phil Jones is also set to return after his reported shingles was not as serious as first feared when the defender pulled out of the England under 21 squad. Michael Carrick has also recovered from a hip injury which saw him withdraw from England duty.

                Everton are hoping Marouane Fellaini, often the thorn in United’s side, will be fit to play after he missed out playing for Belgium with a hip injury. Phil Jagielka is also set to return but Tony Hibbert and Seamus Coleman are still out for the Toffees.

                Everton are high on confidence after losing just three games this season and will be aiming to do the double over Manchester United for the first time since the 1969-1970 season. While Manchester United have narrowly won games against Southampton and Fulham, this is also a key quote from the footballing book of clichés that it is a ‘sign of champions’. However, they are also on a run which has seen them collect 35 points from a possible 39 in the last 13 matches.

                Manchester United have struggled to keep clean sheets this season but have excelled with their striking talents scoring at least 2 in every home game but the 1-0 victory over West Ham. While I think Everton will push them close I think Manchester United will take advantage of Manchester City’s slip-up and win 2-1.

                  England Vs Brazil – Live on ITV

                  England v Brazil
                  England have the Brazilians in a friendly international this wednesday, with the Brazilians more than capable of taking the victory, even though the game is just for bragging rights!

                  Best match odds:

                  • Brazil – 7/5 Boylesports
                  • Draw – 5/2 Stan James
                  • England – 9/4 Coral

                  One thing that seems likely is a tight game, but what do the Opta facts state?

                  • England have won just three of their 23 previous internationals against Brazil, drawing nine and losing 11.
                  • England’s 13% win percentage over Brazil is their worst against any nation they have faced more than twice in international matches.
                  • The Three Lions are without a win in eight against Brazil (D4 L4), with Bobby Robson the last England manager to oversee a victory against them back in March 1990 (1-0, Gary Lineker with the goal).
                  • This run of eight without a win against Brazil is also England’s longest current run without a victory against any side.
                  • Brazil have only won two of their 10 games against England at Wembley, however, though six of these games have ended level (two England wins).
                  • England have only lost two of their last 22 internationals in all competitions (W13 D7) and have only been defeated once in 12 under Roy Hodgson (W7 D4, including one defeat after penalties).
                  • England have scored at least one goal in all but one of their 31 internationals at the new Wembley, with Montenegro the only side to prevent them from scoring back in October 2010.
                  • Brazil were the last team to prevent England from scoring in a friendly match, beating them 1-0 in Doha in November 2009.
                  • Danny Welbeck, who finished last year as England’s top scorer, scored with all five of his shots on target for Roy Hodgson’s side in the year 2012.
                  • Brazil have won 15 and lost just two of their last 18 internationals (all friendlies), with both defeats coming in the space of a week back in June 2012 against Mexico and Argentina.
                  • Neymar has scored eight goals in his last six appearances for A Seleção.

                   

                  England do not have the best record against Brazil. Despite the world ranking difference, we view the Brazilians are more of a team than the English have been for years. Under 2.5 goals is 17/20 with BetVictor, and knowing the game is pretty point less, and England’s style of keep games tight, you anticipate this could be a stalemate.

                  Backing total goal minutes is another market worth a look, with 888sport and Blue Square going 5/6 on 135 more or less. We will recommend less, as being an international is reasonable to say the game may not be eventful.

                  Recommended betting:

                  • Under 2.5 goals – 17/20 Betvictor
                  • Under 135 goal minutes – 5/6 Blue Square
                  • Time of 1st goal over 27 minutes – 21/20 BetVictor

                    Capital one cup Semi Final second legs Preview 2013

                    Capital One Cup

                    Capital one cup Semi Final second legs Betting Preview

                    Aston Villa v Bradford City

                    Aston Villa have the tall task of turning around a 3-1 defeat in the first leg:

                    Best match odds:

                    • Villa – 7/17 Pinnacle
                    • Draw – 9/2 Betfred
                    • Bradford – 41/5 Pinnacle

                    Opta facts:
                    • Villa’s defeat away at Bradford in the first leg was their first-ever League Cup defeat to a side from the fourth tier (W23, D4).
                    • In the first leg Villa racked up 11 shots on target, more than they have managed in any other game (in all competitions this season) but could only score one goal (Bradford had eight on target and bagged three).
                    • The Bantams have a fine record in penalty shootouts in recent cup and knock-out competitions, winning their last nine shootouts, notably defeating Arsenal and Wigan in this year’s Capital One Cup.
                    • If Bradford can progress to the final, they will be the first fourth-tier side to defeat three top-flight teams in the same League Cup competition.
                    • Villa have one victory in five home games in all competitions (L3 D1).
                    • The Bantams are without a win in five away games, losing three and drawing two.
                    • Only Theo Walcott has scored more goals in the League Cup this season than the in form Bradford striker Nahki Wells (three goals), he also has 13 in League Two this season.
                    • Should Bradford progress it will be their first major cup final since 1911, when they managed to win the FA Cup beating Newcastle 1-0 when the final was replayed after a 0-0 draw.
                    • Villa last reached the League Cup final in 2010, eventually losing 2-1 to Manchester United. It was the eighth time the Villans have made it to the final.
                    • Villa have never been knocked out at this stage by lower league opposition, winning all three previous ties against lower league sides.
                    We are shocked to see that Villa are just 6/5 to qualify and are no less than evens at Stan James. They will need to win at least 2-0 to force extra time. This could be a layers paradise, as we need to establish are Villa good enough to be in the final?
                    Bookies are adamaent the game will go over 2.5 goals, which we wont touch, as Bradford will do their best to see the 90 minutes out!
                    Blue Square go total goal minutes at 150 minutes with 5/6 on offer. This is better than the spread of bookies and BetVictor.

                    Swansea City v Chelsea

                    The tall task is whether Chelsea could also overturn a 2-0 deficit, especially being away at Swansea?

                    You will get 6/1 that Chelsea face Villa in the final with Ladbrokes!

                    Best match odds:

                    • Swansea – 3/1 bookies
                    • Draw – 32/11 Pinnacle
                    • Chelsea – 1/1 Paddy Power

                    Opta facts supplied by Opta and http://news.williamhill.com/a/football/league-cup-opta-facts-semi-final-second-legs/
                    • Swansea’s 2-0 victory in the first leg ended a run of five games without a win over the Blues in all competitions.
                    • It was also Swansea’s first clean sheet in the League Cup away from home since 1993/94, a run of 19 games.
                    • Should Swansea reach the final it will be the first time in their history. Before this season, the Swans had never progressed past the fourth round.
                    • The last time Chelsea trailed by two goals going into the second leg of a League Cup semi-final was against Sheffield Wednesday in 1991 (lost 2-0) and they were eliminated 5-1 on aggregate.
                    • The Blues have scored three or more goals in five of their last eight away games in all competitions.
                    • Chelsea have a great history in this competition, reaching the final on six occasions, winning four times, two of which triumphs have come since 2007.
                    • Juan Mata has scored two goals and assisted four more in just five League Cup appearances for Chelsea.
                    Anyone believing Chelsea will qualify can trouser a 5/2 bet with Ladbrokes, so get on quick. The even money shot looks nailed on, seeing as they controlled the game versus Arsenal, and we believe that 90 minutes is all they need to make the final, and guaranteed European competition next season… in the event they have a shocker in the league.

                    The 1/1 is nailed on and we expect bookmakers to slash this overnight. With Chelsea pocketing two first half goals in the Arsenal match can see the highest scoring half at 9/4 with Fred. You could back the draw also for goals in which half at 11/4 to give you that double chance.

                    Chelsea are 7/10 to net first, and I have never seen a better bet in this game, so lets drain Betway of their revenues! Chelsea can also be backed at 2/1 with Blue Square to score in both halves, which could well be required!

                    Recommended betting:

                    • Bradford to qualify – 4/5 Coral
                    • Over 150 goal minutes – Villa/Bradford – 5/6 Blue Square
                    • Chelsea to score in both halves – 2/1 Blue Square
                    • Chelsea to score first – 7/10 Betway