Dear Members,

One official Champions League selection for Tuesday. I also lean Barcelona but im not happy laying -2.5 goals at odds of around 1.82 so I will skip that selection. Onto the selection,

Liverpool Vs Atletico Madrid

I backed Atletico at the weekend to get the job done and they did. But for me, this is a different game and im not convinced they have the defensive stability to deal with this Liverpool side.

Liverpool lost at the weekend after probably playing some of their best football of the season and creating a whole host of chances which they missed. They then got done with a couple of sucker punch's and Spurs took the three points. But from the Reds point of view I think it's encouraging that they are actually starting to play well. The likes of Gerrard and Alonso are getting on the ball and making things happen. Riera has given them an extra option out wide on the left and provides width which they have been lacking over the past few seasons. Kuyt is scoring goals which is rare in it's self. Keane makes the intelligent runs off of the last defender and im sure that the goals will come for him in the end if he keeps playing the way he is. All of this and their main man Fernando Torres is likely to return in some capacity today. If he would have been on the pitch on Saturday perhaps the result would have been different.

Whilst I really do rate this Atleti side, they have shown on more than one occasion that they are vulnerable at the back and do look like they will concede goals. At Villareal they have shown just how weak they can be with 4 goals in the second half of that game despite showing character to fight back to draw the game with ten men. I can't deny the attacking ability of this side. Simao, Maniche, Aguero (If he's fit and plays), Pongolle and Forlan all provide a threat but I think this Liverpool backline is very strong and able to resist them. Also worth a note is how this Liverpool side have controlled proceedings in the 1st game. They were solid again and Atleti didn't really offer much of a threat before their equaliser.

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Selection: Liverpool(-1)@Pinnacle Odds: 2.15. 7/10

Regards
Barty
www.Sports-Analyst.net Manager