It is getting down to the nitty gritty in the Champions League and just a couple of rounds left in the group phase with Chelsea and Manchester United well on course for the knockout stage.
The latter are in an extremely healthy position ahead of a trip to Basel as just a point will secure top spot in Group A following a pretty flawless campaign so far with just one goal conceded away at Moscow in their four victories.
They may not even need a stalemate if CSKA fail to beat whipping boys Benfica in an early kick-off in the Russian capital but I fully expect Jose Mourinho’s side to be fully focused whatever the situation when they take to the pitch.
This is a United side in rude health currently, buoyed as they were at the weekend by an impressive come-from-behind success over Newcastle which saw a return for Paul Pogba and old warhorse Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Pogba’s influence given a run of games will be huge from a playing perspective but don’t underestimate Zlatan’s presence in and around the first-team dressing room once again on match days.
It was probably no surprise then to see Romelu Lukaku end his goal-scoring drought with the ominous shadow of the big Swede waiting in the wings to give a nudge in the right direction to the £75m striker.
Mourinho’s side were ready 3-0 winners when they met Basel on Match Day One at Old Trafford and a serious chasm in class remains between the pair.
Basel ended a three-match spell without a victory by beating FC Sion 5-1 at the weekend having trailed at half-time but I seriously doubt they are going to trouble the visitors to St. Jakob-Park and a sort of stats-based, trends-type wager appeals to me as the best bet.
The much-maligned Victor Lindelof’s unfortunate slip in the penalty area allowed Dwight Gayle to fire Newcastle in front but I reckon Zlatan’s compatriot will be far more at home coping with this rival if, as it seems, he will team up once more with Chris Smalling at the heart of defence.
It is a good opportunity for Mourinho to let him regain some confidence and you have to remember he managed to help keep Italy at bay over 180 minutes in their recent World Cup play-off showdown.
That trends angle I mentioned comes from the fact United have kept a clean sheet following on from the fairly rare occasion they have conceded this season so although the 21/20 in an odd place for victory is tempting, I am more than happy to boost that up on the visitors with a victory to nil.
Chelsea’s fixture has an early start of 1700GMT in Baku with manager Antonio Conte labelling it "their biggest game of the season".
They hit a major bump in the road last time out in the competition with an abysmal 3-0 defeat to Roma which threw Group C wide open once more but beating Qarabag would ensure qualification at the very least.
The latter should not be taken too lightly as they have improved as the competition has progressed, claiming back-to-back draws against Atletico Madrid after a spirited 2-1 home defeat to the Romans.
Chelsea crushed Qarabag 6-0 at Stamford Bridge and are certainly getting back towards that sort of level once more as Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante and Alvaro Morata find peak form having run rings around a hapless, and now managerless, West Brom at the weekend.
Weather conditions on the Caspian Sea are set fair too for the reigning Premier League champions to continue on an upward curve and land a fairly prohibitive odds-on quote with the minimum of fuss.
Recommended bet: Wednesday Champions League
1pt Manchester United to beat Basel to nil at 23/10
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Posted at 1200 GMT on 21/11/17.
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