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Tuesdays Soccer – By Chris.

Champions League

Liverpool   -   Inter       2.72   -   3.00
These two sides have had very different seasons so far. The Inter season has been like a Mediterranean cruise while Liverpool have been on a bumpy mule ride. The loss at Fenerbahce aside, it has looked so easy for Inter this season, but we should remember that Serie A is a very comfortable league for a big club like Inter as 60-70% of the their rivals offer very little resistance. I will not deny however that it is definitely a sign of character and quality to remain unbeaten after Twenty three league rounds. Ibrahimovic and J Cruz will be back for Inter and Stankovic is available again. They only really miss the injured L Jimenez.

My guess is that the Liverpool manager Benitez has to go if Liverpool do not qualify for the quarter final. A club like Liverpool should be winning more games but they have only won three of their last eleven matches and two of these wins have been against two monster clubs Luton and Havant. I have said it before. Liverpool, like Milan, cannot handle the low profile fixtures these days. However this is Champions League, Anfield on a Tuesday night. Benitez will have his players fired up and we will most likely see a very improved Liverpool side tomorrow. S Gerrard, Mascherano, F Torres and Reina will all be back for this match. I wonder if the Inter players will be prepared for the expected Liverpool onslaught? Backing the home win (2.72).

Liverpool 2 Inter 0

Olympiakos   -   Chelsea        4.33  -   2.05
To give some perspective on this match I recall the Olympiakos - Real Madrid encounter in November 2007. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but it was really a match between Real Madrid and the Olympiakos keeper Nikopolidis. Olympiakos look much the same today and the conclusion has to be that Chelsea will not lose this game. Olympiakos will definitely be without their defender Pantos with new signing, the Brazilian Leonardo, playing instead. Lua Lua is considered an injury doubt.

Terrific bench players at the weekend when Chelsea played a FA Cup game. Shevchenko, Essien, Carvalho and Anelka all started on the bench and Drogba did not feature at all. Apart from Shevchenko they have all gone to Greece and coach Grant almost has too many players at his disposal. X2 then!

Olympiakos 0 Chelsea 0

Roma   -  Real Madrid        2.62   -   3.12
Disappointing Roma performance at the weekend and their opponents tomorrow, Real Madrid, were not much better, losing to Betis. I have problems with these cool coaches like the Real boss Schuster. Real (read Guti) were wasting every corner kick and free kick during the whole of the game, but no reaction. It was almost like it did not matter. I cannot figure out why.

Robinho, the best Real player this season, is on the injury list as well as Sneijder, Marcelo and Pepe. Van Nistelrooy and Raul up front and then it remains to be seen if Robben will start in their midfield. I should think that Schuster will pick Guti, Diarra,Baptista and Robben (or Gago) from the start. Not my favourite Real midfield and it is a big difference if Robinho and Sneijder should be playing. Totti and Perrotta continue to perform way below their best level and maybe that is why Roma are looking rather lifeless at the moment. I had expected an improved Roma performance against Juventus, but it was nowhere to be found. "My players were already focusing on the Real fixture",  explained their coach Spalletti afterwards. Yeah, yeah, that is what they are supposed to say. In fighting between Aquliani and Panucci in training, but both are included in tomorrow's squad. The outcome? I have no strong feeling and maybe I am naive enough to believe that Roma will pick up their game tomorrow. OK, the home win! (2.62).

Roma 2 Real Madrid 1

Schalke 04   -   Porto         2.27   -   3.65
One thing is sure. Schalke need to make the most of their chances tomorrow. They cannot be as wasteful this time as they were last Friday at home to Wolfsburg (1-2 loss). Expect the same Schalke squad, plus the returning J Jones and Grossmuller. Still no C Pander. One slight doubt and that is Krstajic. Their key player is their German international striker Kuranyi.

Porto have sent a nineteen man squad to Germany, missing Bosingwa, Bolatti and Adriano. Only their defender Bosingwa played from the start in their last Ch ampions League game vs. Besiktas. They also have their Kuranyi and his name is Lisandro Lopez.

Schalke lost to Valencia in one of their home group games last autumn. Their home game with Chelsea ended in a 0-0 draw despite Schalke dominating from start to finish but Chelsea’s motivation was not 100%, if my memory serves me right. Over the two legs Porto should be the stronger side but I will not bet on it. Home win by the odd goal (2.27) or the draw (3.20) looks like the only alternatives in my opinion.

Schalke 1 Porto 0

The Championship

Sheffield Wednesday   -   Coventry        2.20  -   3.40
Opposing Coventry at the weekend was a good choice and I will do it again tomorrow (2.20). They lost big to WBA again (0-5) and incredibly enough they had a player sent off this time as well, just the same was the case in their previous 0-4 loss vs WBA. The red carded M Doyle will be suspended tomorrow but both S Dann and Daniel Fox will be available again. Chris Coleman will be the new Coventry boss but tomorrow their interim coach will lead the team.

From what I understood Wednesday were quite superior to Charlton, one of the strongest sides in the Championship, in their last home game. Only some inspired performance by the Charlton keeper prevented them from winning the match (0-0). Tomorrow Wednesday have one injury doubt, G Kavanagh, and he could be replaced again by R Wallwork. Sheffield to win (2.20).

Match Postponed.

Chris.