This weekend’s big super Sunday clash pits together England’s elite mega-rich club sides, as Premier League Champions Manchester City visit the European Cup holders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. An already important fixture has been bathed in even more media glare by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic’s decision to sack his Champions League winning manager, Roberto Di Matteo, on Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat in Turin to Juventus has left The Blues teetering on the edge of Champions League elimination and heading for the humiliation of competing in the Europa League. Roberto Mancini is still in a job, despite his City outfit crashing out of the CL on Wednesday night, and he may yet avoid the abyss of the Europa League altogether if City fail to beat Ajax in the final round of group games.
The match on Sunday is a tough one to call; of the six most recent League meetings, City have won four while Chelsea have come out on top twice, but all have been tight encounters, apart from the shock 4-2 away win City got in February 2010.
This fixture is due for a draw, and it also actually presents the best betting value at 3.64 euro odds or 29/11 normal odds. The Bookmakers seem certain that we will see over 2.5 goals scored, reflected in the poor odds, and a bet on over 3.5 goals could prove foolhardy considering this fixture has only produced that outcome once in the last three years.
When you factor Chelsea’s new defensively minded coach Rafael Benitez into the equation, then this game increasingly seems to appear like it will be a highly tactical, chess-like battle of managerial wits. Benitez has been brought in to provide a more structured solidity to the Chelsea ranks, and to hopefully ignite the career of Fernando Torres while he’s at it.
Mancini is well known for his unadventurous approach away from home; City have drawn three out of the their five away matches this season, and they will undoubtedly adopt a cautious style in West London against the attacking threat of Mata, Hazard and Oscar.
Benitez’s former club Liverpool managed a 1-1 draw in Chelsea’s last home game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a similar type of result on Sunday evening.
Recommended Bet
English Premier League
Chelsea v Manchester City, Sunday, 25 Nov 2012, 17:00
10 points on a draw, best odds 3.5 at Ladbrokes
