Russian sides may not have been the best travellers over the years, but it would be wrong to assume that a simple change of venue will be enough to reverse the result. Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and, most recently, Everton have all thwarted the Gunners there so far (all left with a point). Wenger was left moaning about Everton's negative tactics at the weekend, but it doesn't take a genius to work out if you try to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal you are asking for trouble - just ask Reading.
That point won't be lost on Valery Gazzaev, whose side have already shown their defensive solidity, not only against Arsenal but also in those other CL games. CSKA (+1.25) are 41/40 wth .
A draw sees a full pay out, while a one-goal win for Arsenal still earns a profit at half the odds. However, with Arsenal usually able to find the net at home - all those aforementioned draws have been 1-1 - we'll leave this alone. Celtic look more of a proposition, but they have the weight of history against them.
In fact they've lost nine of the 10 games they've played away from Parkhead in this competition, hence Benfica's odds-on quote. However, the Bhoys have been pretty impressive in Group F so far, winning against Copenhagen and Benfica - 3-0 in the reverse fixture. They were also slightly unfortunate to leave Old Trafford on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline, so it's certainly possible that duck could be broken in Lisbon, scene of the club's famous 1967 European Cup triumph.
Gordon Strachan's side know a win will almost certainly put them into the knockout stages for the first time, so the 10/3 looks worth a nibble. Finally, we turn to Lyon, who look our bankers of the evening. They've won three out of three so far in this competiton, including a home win over Real Madrid, scoring eight goals in the process while conceding none.
Throw in their Ligue 1 record and it's now 13 straight wins for Gerard Houllier's men. With whipping boys Dynamo Kiev arriving at the Stade Gerland, it looks to be a case of how many, so for us it's about finding the right market to produce a profit. Lyon (-1.
75) are 4/5. A two-goal win will pay out at half the odds, but we expect a rout. Kiev have shipped 12 goals in three games so far and lost the reverse fixture 3-0.
For those still not convinced, a look further back shows they have managed just two draws from their previous 16 away games in this competition. It would be no surprise to see that 3-0 scoreline matched or surpassed given Lyon's form, so wade into this bet. Critics may suggest that Lyon can win this one without their full side, but Houllier says this won't happen, describing the match as "crucial" and saying it was "very important" to top the group.
Also in this match, consider backing Juninho to net at any time. There is simply no better dead-ball specialist around, while he'll also get forward plenty in open play - especially against weak opposition such as this. It's the second round of Uefa Cup group games on Thursday night with Lens taking on Osasuna and we can guarantee you a profit on the match, whatever the result.
You won't be able to do this if you already have accounts with one or more of the bookies we are using for this bet but if that is the case, and let us know which accounts you have and we'll send you an alternative bet. What we are going to do is back the draw with in the hope of gathering a decent win. We are also going to back both Lens and Osasuna so that we ensure that we end up in profit on this bet, whatever the result.
Read on and you will find out how.
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