Manchester United vs Rangers – Smith heads back to Old Trafford
Published:Walter Smith and Sir Alex Ferguson will put their friendship aside when Manchester United host Rangers in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Rangers make the trip south for the match naturally dubbed ‘Battle of Britain’, but with the Glaswegian’s money woes and their diabolical record in England, Sir Alex’s men are 1/5 to emerge victorious.
Smith first became Ferguson’s understudy when the Manchester United boss stepped in to manage Scotland after Jock Stein’s death in 1985, the two guided Scotland through an abysmal World Cup campaign in Mexico 1986.
After an unsuccessful foray into English management, Ferguson offered Smith the assistant managerial position at United which he took for a season in 2004 and Smith will return to Old Trafford hoping to topple his old friend – the odds on him doing so are 12/1.
The Gers have failed to score in six of their 12 European trips to England, their last victory in a Champions League match was against Lyon in October 2007 which would explain their long odds.
Sir Alex will recall Wayne Rooney and the striker will have a point to prove after being the scourge of the tabloids and he will hope that Old Trafford continues to be a fortress – they have only lost once at home in 26 matches.
Both previous meetings between these two have ended with United winning and keeping a clean sheet, at Old Trafford it finished 3-0, and it’s 6/1 for the same score line on Tuesday.
Bursaspor vs Valencia
Bursaspor are making their Champions League debut but will be up against it as Valencia have lost just the once in six games against Turkish opposition, and just the once in their last 24 European games.
Valencia are 5/4 to beat Bursaspor while the home side can be backed at 9/4.
United are 1/4 to finish top of Group C. See the full UEFA Champions League betting market here.
