Chelsea vs Manchester City – Match Preview and Betting Tip Online Sport Betting

Posted on March 21 2011 by Aidan Opas

Chelsea vs Manchester City – Match Preview and Betting Tip

Chelsea didn’t change too much since Mourinho departed, and they are still the very effective and pragmatic side that knows how to preserve a one goal lead. Having won the first leg of the Champions League with Copenhagen, they took no chances and simply waited for the final whistle to move further in the competition. No injuries were risked and no mistakes committed by the rock solid defense, which is exact what they try to achieve again this afternoon.

Match Preview for Chelsea vs Manchester City

Chelsea need a victory against Manchester City, if they are to leapfrog them in the standings, but the first concern will be not to concede a goal. The offensive looks great on paper, with Anelka and Torres upfront, but they are still waiting for the Spaniard to have his big break. Since being traded from Liverpool he didn’t shine too bright and a goal scored against a direct rival will finally break the ice. The home record is nothing short of impressive and has a deterring effect on any visiting team, who will be less concerned about how to push forward and focus mainly on defense.

Only 24 goals has Chelsea conceded this year and just 9 were allowed at Stamford Bridge, which makes them a formidable opponent. Manchester City is fully aware of the hosts’ defensive capabilities, but they shouldn’t be ashamed by their own backline, which conceded 25 goals so far in the Premier League. The pressure is higher on the visitors, as they’ve just been eliminated from the Europa League, following a dismal first leg in Ukraine against Dynamo Kyiv.

The visitors will field a 4-5-1 starting formation with Carlos Tevez being the only striker, which clearly suggests that they are trying not to concede a goal. It is not going to be a very opened match, and if they get the chance to settle with a draw, it is most likely that the visitors will take it gladly. This being said, they still have the upper hand when it comes to morale, following the narrow victory achieved in the first half of the season, thanks to Tevez’s goal. Furthermore, they took three out of the last three direct games and they have the means to break Chelsea’s defense.

What makes the hosts such a formidable football team is their ability to quickly rebound after conceding a goal, regardless of the team they face. Manchester United is a class above their city rivals and still went down to Chelsea after scoring early. In addition the hosts are increasingly confident in their abilities to secure another spot in the most important European competition following the Champions League success this week.

Betting Tip for Chelsea vs Manchester City

It might seem like they are under pressure, but Chelsea is a team that will start as overwhelming favorites, if they have to play in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, against any team. In these circumstances, the hosts will be patient and remain calm the entire 90 minutes, pushing just as mush as it is required to win the match and less than 2.5 goals will be scored.

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