Football betting: Champions League - Arsenal vs AC Milan

Arsenal against AC Milan this Wednesday (live on SS1) is undoubtedly the plum tie of the Champions League Round of 16 as two of Europe's most exciting sides clash in what promises to be a feast of free-flowing football.

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The Gunners have surprised many this season by opening up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League (apart from this column which tipped them at the start of the campaign at odds of 12/1), and they will relish the prospect of taking on the European champions at the Emirates.

While the hosts boast just two players over the age of 30, Milan have just two under that milestone, and consequently the match has been billed as the young guns against the past masters; the new kids versus the old hands. It will be fascinating to see whether or not Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have had another disappointing league campaign, can use the experience that has seen them through to three final appearances in the last five years against the young pretenders to their crown.

Arsenal will not fear Milan. They fear no-one. And neither are they too inexperienced - Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas and Jens Lehmann were all present in the side that overcame Fabio Capello's experienced Juventus side and Real Madrid on the way to the 2006 final. And in William Gallas they have a captain who has seen it all.

However, they will need to bounce back from the morale-sapping 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Saturday and hope that hammering was down to many first-team regulars being rested – much as was their 4-1 Carling Cup defeat to Tottenham was last month. Wenger's wunderkinds responded well to that Spurs reverse, responding with four straight wins and they remain unbeaten at home.

Milan, meanwhile, have arrested a slide towards mid-table and bounced back to fifth place in Serie A, although their 0-0 draw against lowly Parma on Saturday was disappointing. The Rossoneri also have mounting problems with Ronaldo out for the rest of the season after snapping a knee tendon, and both goalkeepers Nelson Dida and Zeljko Kalac sidelined with respective back and finger injuries. It looks like 38-year-old Valerio Fiori may feature between the posts for the first time since 1993.

Nonetheless, Arsenal know well that Milan's threat lies in the damage they can do at the other end of the pitch with Kaka the obvious danger man. He scored ten goals in this competition last year and if Gallas and Toure defend as they did against United on Saturday, the World Player of the Year or his 18-year-old Brazilian protégé Pato, will take full advantage.

Arsenal will throw everything they have at Milan, but the Rossoneri have seen it all before and Ancelotti will look to outthink Wenger, who is sometimes tactically naive. So will speed, endurance and courage triumph over experience and class?

The Gunners are 23/20 favourites, with Milan at 11/5 with Canbet – suggesting the bookmaker agrees that Arsenal will lower the colours of the Rossoneri. Canbet's Asian Handicap markets offer great value (remember Handicaps eliminate the possibility of a draw, increasing your chances to win by 50% over traditional odds). Arsenal are at 1.90 (-0/-0.5) and AC Milan at 2.03 (+0/+0.5) in this fascinating contest.

Verdict: 2pts Arsenal @ 23/20 (Canbet)

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