Champions League: bruised Man Utd poised to batter Basel
Published:Manchester United’s Champions League group looked straightforward when it was first drawn and nothing so far suggests they will even have to break a sweat to qualify for the knockout stages.
They have already negotiated their toughest game by drawing away at Benfica and everything from here on in should be a procession.
Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez will be missing through injury but, even with a depleted forward line, United will be confident of recording a comfortable victory…
Match odds
Unsurprisingly, United head into this game as overwhelming 1/5 favourites, with Basel out at 14/1 to win.
They have met in the Champions League before back during the 2002/03 season with United winning 3-1 in Switzerland and drawing at Old Trafford.
United are a different proposition now though, having made three Champions League finals in the previous four years.
Incredibly they have won all of their last 20 competitive home games and should see off a side whose previous European away game was a 3-0 hammering at Bayern Munich last season.
Goal markets
All of United’s previous six games at Old Trafford have yielded at least three goals, with four of them seeing a minimum of four scored.
With Basel keeping only one clean sheet in their last seven Champions League matches, backing over 2.5 goals looks worth a punt at 2/5, while over 3.5 is also tempting at 11/10.
Rooney may have been getting the headlines, but Nani has found the net three times in six Premier League games this season and can be backed at 6/4 to score at any time.
Otelul Galati v Benfica
Otelul Galati play only their second ever Champions League game and face a tough task against the experienced Benfica.
The Portuguese outfit are 11/2 favourites and should get a straightforward victory having not lost a game since early May last season.
