Uefa Cup

It looked like an easy bet on paper and so it proved as AC Milan won 3-1 in Thursday’s Uefa Cup for some steady profits

There’s normally any number of value bets floating around in the Uefa Cup but they appear thin on the ground this week and only one wager stands out.

It remains to be seen just how seriously AC Milan, the favourites in the outright, take the Uefa Cup this season as it progresses, having not qualified for the Champions League, but in any case they probably have two first elevens good enough to go a very long way and I can’t help but think that this uncertainty is built into their price to beat Heerenveen on Thursday night. the 1.83 available looks big, and I suggest a small play.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side started the season pretty slowly, his job was under threat, but they have put together a very decent run of results and really got things going with a 1-0 victory over Inter in the derby. Ronaldinho got the winner that day and he seems to have settled in better than could have been expected at the San Siro. His partnership with fellow Brazilian Kaka is one to savour and the goalless draw that followed in Cagliari next time was built upon with a fine 3-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday.

Kaka started on the bench against FC Zurich in the first round, when Milan eased through 4-1 on aggregate, but even if he remains there this evening the visitors should have too much for a pretty average Dutch side that only managed 5th place in the Eredevisie last season. Andriy Shevchenko is back at his spiritual home, and finding the net again, and with the defence seemingly back to its meanest one goal could be enough to take all three points.

Any two from Gattuso, Seedorf and Flamini are likely to form the midfield axis, further underlining the Italians strength in depth, and they will be keen to get off to a good start in Group E that also features Portsmouth, Wolfsburg and Braga. Trond Sollied, Heerenveen’s Norwegian coach, will never have encountered opposition of this quality and Milan can inflict Heerenveen’s first defeat of the season at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.