Seeley’s Selections – Tuesday’s Champions League Last 16

It’s Mission Impossible IV this midweek for Arsenal in their quest to make it through to the Champions League quarter-finals against Monaco.

Monaco v Arsenal, Tuesday 7:45, Live on ITV & TV3
BoyleSports make the Gunners 13/2 to pull off “Mission Monaco” and turn around a 3-1 first leg deficit, but really I can’t see much hope for even the most faithful of Arsenal supporters. For Arsene Wenger’s side to make it through, they need to do something that no team has done for five years and score three goals in the principality, that isn’t going to happen and when you consider the Ligue 1 side have only conceded two goals in the whole Champions League, you can see why I don’t fancy their chances.

I do think they will win this game though, and I’m very confident of them scoring and at BoyleSports’ 13/10, I’m taking the Premier League side to win this second leg. Confidence is high at the Emirates ahead of this one and so it should be, with six victories in their last eight matches away from home since Christmas including wins at Manchester City and Manchester United and I think their good away form will continue.

The first leg did flatter the visitors slightly and it would have been a very different story if Olivier Giroud had taken one of his many chances and he will be keen to make amends on Tuesday. The Gunners have only lost once in their last eight matches, which was the first leg of this clash, with the other games all wins and I’m very optimistic and confident of an away win.

The Wenger Boys have failed to score in just one of their last 31 games and despite the home sides’ incredible defensive record, I’m sure they will score.

In the last 13 home matches for Monaco at the fortress Stade Louis II, they’ve kept a clean sheet in 12 of them and conceded just one goal.

The Gunners have been in this position before, two years ago they lost their home leg with Bayern Munich 3-1 and made the trip to German with nothing to lose and won 2-0, that was a tougher ask than in this one and that Munich side went on to win the Champions League and a 2-0 Gunners win again on Tuesday at 10/1 with BoyleSports is the scoreline I like.

There is something very typical about a plucky Arsenal narrow defeat in the last 16 of the Champions League and that last minute third goal at the Emirates will prove costly. No Arsenal player will be looking forward to this one more than French striker Giroud and the 5/1 with BoyleSports on the striker to make amends with the opening goal has to be taken.

Since the first leg the Frenchman has started three games and opened the scoring in all them and with something to prove in this one, I’m taking him to make it four from four.

Seeley’s Selections:
Arsenal To Win @ 13/10
Correct Score: Arsenal 2-0 @ 10/1
Olivier Giroud First Goalscorer @ 5/1 (10/1 Double Bubble)

Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen, Tuesday 7:45, Live on Sjy Sports 5 & Sky Sports 1

In the night’s other Champions League last 16 clash, Atletico Madrid are heavy favourites at 4/6 with BoyleSports to beat Bayer Leverkusen. There is a lot to like about last season’s Champions League runners-up even at those shorts odds and I really can’t see much of a shock in this one.

The Germans hold a slender 1-0 win from the first leg but a trip to the Spanish capital is about as tough as it gets in this competition and I can’t see them producing a 5/1 upset in this one.

Atletico have won 20 of their last 22 European matches and that great winning record is going to continue on Tuesday.

If you don’t really want to back the odds-on for the Spanish champions, a win to nil at 29/20 with BoyleSports is a bet I like strongly. Leverkusen are a very strong defensive unit and have kept five consecutive clean sheets, so goals could be at a premium and both teams not to score at 7/10 is also a bet for the BoyleSports midweek multiples.

The Vincent Calderon stadium is one of the most intimidating venues in European football and I can see it rocking with the home side making it through to the last eight with a 2-0 win at BoyleSports 6/1.

B Lucky!

Seeley’s Selections:
Atletico Madrid To Win @ 7/10
Atletico Madrid To Win To Nil @ 29/20
Both Teams To Score – No @ 7/10
Correct Score: Atletico Madrid 2-0 @ 6/1