Wednesday Champions League Betting Preview Part 1

There is some fascinating clashes developing on Matchday 2 of the Champions League as the Wednesday fixtures are set to unfold. There is a lot to like about several of these match-ups and some of the biggest names in Europe are going to be matching up, while a few bigger sides face tricky away draws that could easily turn into a banana peel if they aren’t handled correctly. 

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Manchester United head to Shakhtar Donetsk in near crisis-mode after dropping a 2-1 result to West Brom (of all teams) at the weekend. This has now seen United become mired in mid-table as David Moyes looks devoid of ideas. It’s not so much the management style as the choice of players that he has at his disposal. 

As Shinji Kagawa gets increasingly frustrated behind confined to the bench, United continue to miss that link between the midfield and the strikeforce - continually forcing Wayne Rooney to drop deep to pick up the ball when he should be leading the line up front. With Rooney in a good run of form at the moment - and he is a player who enjoys his purple patches - you have to wonder whether Moyes will figure out how to actually line up this team. 

Antonio Valencia has not been putting in good performances and Ashley Young continues to underwhelm by a considerable margin. With Nani looking a bit more lively and Wilfred Zaha able to offer something a bit different down the flanks, you have to assume we will be seeing these two and Kagawa drafted in for what could be a tricky European fixture for the Premier League Champions. 

Donetsk are the outright favourites for this one - not a position United are used to being in. They are trading at a 6/4 price while the draw sits at 23/10 and United can be backed at a 2/1 listing. For those who truly believe - or those who think they can replicate their victory over Bayer Leverkusen - the only real feather in Moyes’ cap so far - it may prove to be a worthwhile wager.