Football Betting System, Predictions and Tips

FA Cup Quarter Final – Free Betting Tip

The previous ten encounters between Manchester United and Chelsea (in all competitions) have produced 41 goals, an average of 4.1 goals per game. This weekend they meet at Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarter-final, and if it resembles anything like their last meeting in a cup competition (a 9 goal thriller in the League Cup 4th round back in late October) then we could be in for a real classic, swashbuckling cup tie.

Only one of those ten games mentioned above ended with under 2.5 goals being scored (a cagey Champions League quarter-final 1st leg at Stamford Bridge that finished 0-1 to United back in April 2011), and I can see the match on Sunday being a very open, attacking contest that should produce an over 2.5 goal result at 1.75 euro odds or 3/4 normal odds.

The impact of European competition will determine the approach of both clubs but for different reasons; United need to bounce back from the pain of being eliminated from the Champions League knockout stages, while Chelsea will have a fully rested Demba Ba available for Sunday as Fernando Torres stands in for the cup-tied Senegalese in the Europa League against Bucharest on Thursday evening.

Chelsea have a fully fit squad at present, and will probably rest Ashley Cole, Ramires and Juan Mata for the trip to Romania, with Sunday’s game at Old Trafford in mind. The Chelsea coach, Rafa Benitez, was heavily criticized for his negative approach at Champions Manchester City, when his team lost 2-0 trying to play an unadventurous counter-attacking style; when ironically, the cumbersome midfield stopper Jon Obi Mikel was the person at fault for City’s opening goal, with some very docile defending.

In one-off games such as an FA Cup quarter-final, and in light of how fragile Man Utd’s defence looked when Real Madrid decided to attack them with full force on Tuesday night, Benitez may well adopt a more front-footed approach to this game, with possibly the effervescent David Luiz sitting at the base of midfield.

Alec Ferguson will still be reeling from the perceived injustice of Nani’s red card, and will surely send out a very attacking team that will include a similarly peeved Wayne Rooney who will be looking to prove a point about his exclusion from the starting line-up against Real Madrid.

Recommended Bet
English FA Cup
Man Utd v Chelsea, Sunday 10 Mar 2013, 16:30
50 points over 2.5 goals, best odds 1.75 @ Ladbrokes 

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