CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SHOOT-OUT

The PUNTERS GUIDE returned yet again to the winners enclosure yet again  this season after getting the Scottish Cup final predictions spot on.

We urged punters to lump on Dundee Utd striker David Goodwillie for first goal at 5/1 and we thought the Tannadice team would win it 3-0 at 8/1 and they did just that, and quite a few punters out there were wise enough to put the two together for a scorecast that paid a handsome 28/1.

So on to this weekend’s action and we start with the big one of the season – the Champions League Final which takes place at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night.

Well, it's the one we've been waiting for. Italian League and Cup champions Inter Milan, led by the confident Jose Mourinho, against German League and Cup champions Bayern Munich, led by his mentor Louis Van Gaal.

After coming second in the group stages to Barcelona, Inter made their way to the final by beating Chelsea home and away (3-1) in the second round, beating CSKA Moscow home and away (2-0) in the quarter finals and then beating Barcelona in the semi finals 3-2 on aggregate (3-1, 0-1).

Munich also came second in their group, to Lyon, and made it by beating Juventus 4-1 on Matchday 6. They then made their way through to the semi finals by beating Fiorentina and Manchester United in the second round and quarter finals. Both were on the away goals rule as well (2-1, 2-3) before Munich crushed Lyon in the semi finals 4-0 on aggregate.

Inter haven't won the Champions League since 1965, which was their second in a row after they won it in 1964 as well. 

As for Bayern, they last won it in 2001, beating Valencia in the final. For both sides on Saturday evening, this is their first chance at an historic treble, which has only been achieved five times (Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Manchester United and Barcelona).

 I was more than surprised when I saw the Sean Grahams betting coupon for this one. The Belfast firm make Inter Milan their 5/4 favourites in 90 minutes with Bayern Munich a tempting 21/10 and 21/10 the draw – in my head I had both down as 6/4 in 90 minutes play – I think it’s that hard to call.

Inter Milan have had the hardest route to the final, beating Chelsea and then dismantling champions Barcelona in the semi-finals while Bayern knocked out Man Utd in the quarters and then took Lyon apart in the semi-finals.

They will miss the suspended Franck Ribery on Saturday night but they are  still are a team to be feared, with Dutch maestro Arjen Robben having the season of his life while livewire Croatian striker Ivica Olic could well cause the Inter backline all sorts of problems. He needs one goal to join Lionel Messi on eight in the race for the Golden Boot. For me, Wesley Sneijder will be the key for Inter on Saturday night; if he has a good game then so will his team, and striker Diego Milito has been a revelation since his move from Genoa and will be a handful for Munich.

WEEKEND Bets:

Inter and Munich (both) to win on penalties at 9/1

CL First Goal: Olic at 13/2

CL Correct Score: 2-2 at 14/1

CL Scorecast: Olic and 2-2 at 50/1

Weekend Double: Inter Milan draw (21/10) and Cardiff (6/5)

DOLLY TO TAKE THE LOLLY

We have Irish Guineas weekend at the Curragh and what a cracking pair of races we have lined up as we try and keep the winning machine going after handing out two winners last weekend.

We start with the 2,000 Guineas and on Monday Aidan  O’Brien left in NINE horses for Saturday’s race, but what one Johnny Murtagh jumps on is another story as the duo chase their third consecutive 2,000 Guineas after  Henrythenavigator  won in 2008 and Mastercraftsman won last year.

According to Sean Graham bookmakers and whispers from around the country, Steinbeck could be the one for Murtagh, but for us the best Irish challenge could be Noll Wollop from the Tommy Stack yard who impressed at Leopardstown

Overall we think the English challengers Canford Cliffs and Xtension, third and fourth behind Makfi in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, are the ones to beat.

Dick Turpin, who finished second in the race, just missed out on the French equivalent last Sunday and we are going take another chance with his stablemate Canford Cliffs.

PG Selections 1. Canford Cliffs 2. Xtension 3. Noll Wollop

On to the ladies and the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday when the Mick Channon-trained filly Music Show, who was sixth behind the promoted Special Duty in the Newmarket equivalent after winning the Nell Gwyn Stakes on her seasonal debut, is the early-week market leader for this one.

We have a liking for the unbeaten LOLLY FOR DOLLY in this one  – she fairly bolted up on her last start at the Curragh to make it two out of two for the Tommy Stack filly.

Lolly’s around 4/1 for Sunday’s race and for us is the one to beat, with Kevin Prendergast's filly Termagant being a danger on her seasonal debut.

We have the Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday and we are expecting BORDERLESCOTT to go one better than last year when he finished second to Look Busy, and he can gain revenge on favourite Equiano who beat him at Newmarket a few weeks back.

We also have the ultra-competitive Silver Bowl at Haydock and we have opted for COLONEL CARTER who won at Doncaster on Saturday evening and is now on a hat-trick – 12/1 looks rather good value for the Brian Meehan horse.

Punter scores BIG with £1 FIRST GOALSCORER BET

YOU’LL RECALL that cracking £2 bet last week and we have a gem of a £1 bet to tell PG readers about this week.

RVH worker Martin Miller is not a big-hitting punter by any means. He enjoys a flutter but spends only what he can afford – that’s a rule we should all live by.

At the weekend he placed a first goalscorer bet on the cup finals and the League Two play-offs, and boy did it pay off.

He placed 4 x 20p trebles and a 20p quad – a modest £1 bet.

The bet got off to a flyer when David Goodwillie got the ball rolling for Dundee Utd in the Scottish Cup final on  Saturday at rewarding odds of 5/1, and a few minutes later Didier Drogba made it two from two at odds of 11/4 when he curled in that free-kick to put Chelsea one up at Wembley.

The League Two play-off at Aldershot was the next port of call for our punter and he took Rotherham’s Adam Le Fondre for first goal and the bet looked beaten until the striker popped up in the 89th minute with the winner, priced at 11/2.

Martin had banked £30 going into his last selection, which was the other live League Two clash on the Sunday.

He didn’t even get a sweat. He turned the match on and Dagenham were 1-0 up and his man Paul Benson had just scored from two yards out. 

He picked up £309 for that modest outlay of a £1 with his quad working out at a massive 866/1 and that for me deserves a mention on these pages.

A North Belfast punter who also merits a mention is Joe Greene who touched with a £50 fourteen-timer.

He took short-odds French, Spanish and Italian teams in his bet and had 11 up going into Sunday. Inter Milan won 1-0 and Sampdoria won 1-0 which left Joe waiting on Palermo, who scored the winner in the 94th minute to secure him a bumper £3,435 pay-out – great punting by both guys, who end the season on a high.