Uefa Cup winners

Having already previewed the eight groups in the Uefa Cup and found several value bets there is only one wager to be had in the winner market, even when you consider that eight unknown Champions League teams will enter at the start of the knockout phase, and I make Valencia excellent value at 13.0 with Coral to lift the trophy.

In a season when Barcelona and Real Madrid look beatable, the Spanish side will not only fancy their chances in Europe but also in La Liga. They have a fabulously talented squad, and a big one at that, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Valencia have been crowned champions of Spain twice in the last six years. They have also reached a Champions League final twice in the last decade, victims of Real Madrid in Paris and beaten by Bayern Munich on penalties, and are a club of the highest calibre.

This season couldn’t have started any better for new manager Unai Emry and his side, unbeaten in six matches and top of the table, and he can call upon a host of attacking talent. David Villa is arguably the best striker in Europe, he certainly was during the summer in Austria-Switzerland, but he is superbly backed up by the versatile David Silva and they also boast a wealth of experience. Carlos Marchena, the captain, marshals a well-drilled defence, while Albelda, Baraja, Angulo and Vicente can all be relied upon.

Valencia could also not have asked for a kinder draw on Tuesday and Rosenborg, Copenhagen, Brugge and St Etienne will hold no fears. They could progress fielding a virtual entire reserve team and should certainly not be double the price of favourites AC Milan for glory.

There’s no doubt Valencia will be taking this competition seriously once it really gets going and the Uefa Cup has been won by some classy sides in the recent past. They wouldn’t look out of place in the Champions League, in fact Valencia would be among the top half dozen or so in the betting, and look a league apart from all but the Italians at this stage. I’ll be amazed if they don’t go a very long well and will surely trade at a much shorter price over the coming months.