Elaine Gardiner's Blog

Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid The Copa del Rey quarter finals feature a clash between the two Madrilenian powerhouses, Real and Atlético. Who will be among the final four? Pick your winner here .

Manchester United moved further clear in the Barclays Premier League last night with a 2-1 victory over Stoke. Tonight, two of their main challengers face off at the Emirates as Arsenal take on Manchester City. Arsenal looked genuine contenders when beating Chelsea here recently, and the 1.80 on offer at youwin.com is worth a bet. Elsewhere on the Premier League card, Aston Villa had a confidence boosting draw at Stamford Bridge last time out and are worth a punt at home to Sunderland, 2.0 with youwin.com.

The final round of group games in the UEFA Champions League is upon us, and with only two dead rubbers it promises to be two nights of tension and excitement for football punters. A few teams have been completely out of their depth in this year's competition, none more so than MSK Zilina. They have to be one of the weakest teams I have ever seen play in the Champions League , and while their game against Spartak Moscow is one of the matches that has no bearing on qualification, I can't see them picking up a point. Wait for the team news from Moscow, but if McGeady and Ari take the field they should slice through Zilina's leaky defence. Spartak are 2.38 with youwin.com - that's a bet. This stage of the group stages always throws up value in the draw, many teams will be going out knowing that a stalemate will achieve as much as a win, and that can change the pattern of play considerably when it comes to the final quarter of a game. Two matches in this category are Manchester ...

The Champions League was a benefit for favourite backers in midweek, but one result might have thrown up a bet for the weekend. Tottenham flopped at home to Wigan after their Champions League qualification was secured against Young Boys, and now that they have guaranteed their passage through to the knockout stages, they may be vulnerable again. They host Liverpool in Sunday's evening game, and even though Liverpool are without Steven Gerrard, take the 3.60 with youwin.com about them taking advantage of the Spurs hangover. Schalke had a fine win over Lyon to follow on from their recent improved form in the Bundesliga. They had a shocking start to the season, but look to be getting themselves together. They travel to Kaiserslautern and are a tasty 2.25 with youwin.com to make their class pay. Seven of the youwin.com enhanced multiples hit for the punters over the Champions League nights, and there is more massive value to be had for next week's Europa League games . Getafe, Villarreal ...

After the midweek action, the focus turns to the weekend's football. The Premier League betting throws up a couple of interesting opportunities that could line the punters' pockets. Blackpool controversially made 10 changes in their 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa, but that move may pay off for Ian Holloway's men when they travel to West Ham on Saturday. Blackpool have shown the spirit and commitment many expected, but they have also shown that they have enough skill to trouble any side on their day. West Ham in contrast have been disappointing by anyone's standards, but have been priced up as much the stronger side. Blackpool are definitely worth a wager at 4.0 with youwin.com to secure their fourth away win of the season. The other bet that stands out in the Premier League is Stoke at home to Liverpool . The Reds have had something of a revival, with Torres coming back to form, but Stoke are a tough outfit and have recorded wins against Aston Villa, Blackburn and Birmingham ...

Usually they say what a difference a week makes, but in the case of Wayne Rooney and Manchester United, it was, what a difference a couple of days makes! Just as it looked like the United front man was on his way out of Old Trafford, blasting the clubs lack of ambition as his main reason for wanting to leave, Master Rooney performed a u-turn and pledged his future to the Reds. So what happened to the lack of ambition? Maybe it had something to do with the vast sums of money he is reportedly going to be pocketing per week, anyhow, I am sure Rooney , Sir Alex and his team mates will want to put this episode in the past and get back to business. So where does that leave Manchester United in the title race? They have already struggled so far this season and there is no doubt that the poor form and speculation that had been surrounding Rooney has had an overall effect on the team. United will still be involved in the title race come the end of the season but they will surely drift further behind ...

With this Summer's World Cup not long over, we haven't had to survive long without top level football. The Premier League season kicks off at White Hart Lane between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City . These two teams fought to the end to claim the final Champions League berth last season, but City fans will be setting their sights a little higher than fourth place this season. With top names being linked to the Eastlands outfit on an almost daily basis, its sure to be an exciting 9 months for the sky blues. Whether they can claim the title remains to be seen, but this fixture not only marks the return of Premier League action, it also offers one of the best pieces of value for the weekend. Spurs have looked a little further forward than City in pre season friendlies and at 2.4 are overpriced to get off to a winning start. Another team who have impressed recently are Everton. Unlucky to have been hit badly by injuries in the first half of last season, the Toffees really got ...