Olivier Giroud insists he will put Arsenal's push for silverware ahead of his own desire to hold down a first-team place - but believes his time will come.
The 30-year-old has yet to start a game for the Gunners this season but is in line to break that run when they face Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Tuesday night looking to seal a safe passage into the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Giroud came off the bench against Sunderland on Saturday with the game level, and he scored with his first two touches, his maiden goals of the campaign, to help Arsenal keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
But, with Alexis Sanchez also bagging a brace in the 4-1 win and flourishing since being moved into the central striker's position, Giroud's chances could be limited over the course of the campaign.
Despite that, the former Montpellier player feels he will get his opportunity after a frustrating opening to the season as he prepares for his first start, with Arsenal able to qualify if they win in Sofia and Basle fail to beat Paris St Germain in Switzerland.
"I'm just concentrating on what I have to do on the pitch. My time will come," he said.
"Obviously I'd prefer to be on the pitch, but I came back late from the Euros. I was not fit enough to play first and then, unfortunately, after I had an annoying injury I needed to take my time to come back as soon as possible. I'm very pleased to come back now."
A niggling toe injury had limited Giroud's minutes, but he did not help himself as he was sent off in the opening Champions League draw at PSG in September.
He has had to watch on as Sanchez has been in scintillating form - but he is currently only concerned about how the team is faring on the pitch, having not lost in any competition since an opening weekend defeat to Liverpool.
"In every big club you have a lot of good strikers, with different qualities," he said.
"We (he and Sanchez) can play together, we can play up front, or on our own. The team is doing very well, from the start of the season.
"I hope to come back and work hard at training. But I'm happy as long as we win. We have a very good team cohesion. I'm not questioning myself too much about my place. I'm focused on the team."
Asked what he must do to win his place back, the France international added: "As I said before, I just need to play and play more. With training, show I'm in good form.
"That's what I try and bring to the team. When I came on against Sunderland I tried to raise the team to come back into the game.
"It was 1-1 and we needed the win. Fortunately, I finished well the work of the team. I feel good on the pitch. My injury is now behind me and I want to look forward now and qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. There's also a big game on Sunday (against Tottenham)."
That game at home to north London rivals Spurs is why Giroud is likely to start in Sofia on Tuesday, where 5,000 Ludogorets fans are expected to make the 435-mile round-trip from Razgrad to cheer on the Bulgarian champions, with Arsene Wenger set to make several changes.
The Arsenal boss confirmed Nacho Monreal, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin have not travelled as all are carrying minor knocks, while Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny could all be handed a rest at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.
Meanwhile, Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendzhiev will approach Arsenal with more caution in an attempt to prevent another thrashing.
"We will probably be more cautious," he said.
"The difference will be that now we know better the way Arsenal play. We have seen it on the pitch and they know what to expect. We will do our best to try and play nice football.
"We have really good players, we conceded a lot of goals but some of that was because Arsenal have great players, some were because we made mistakes."
Charlie's CL predictions
Charlie Nicholas is back with his Champions League predictions for the fourth round of group stage fixtures.
The Soccer Saturday pundit is confident Arsenal will book their place in the last 16 on Tuesday but fears his other former club Celtic will have their qualification hopes ended, while he's tipping tipping a goal-fest in Group C's other game as Manchester City host Barcelona.
Then, on Wednesday night, Nicholas struggles to see Leicester or Tottenham enhancing their qualification chances despite recording positive results against the same opponents a fortnight ago.
Here's what Charlie's predicting in his Sky Bet tips...
Manchester City v Barcelona (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
What does Pep Guardiola do this time? Does he set up to deal with Barca's front three? Atletico do it, Real Madrid try to, I don't see how Manchester City can. They played pretty well at the Nou Camp but were undone by individual errors.
Guardiola's Barcelona were the best team I've ever seen but this Barca side are actually more dangerous on the counter-attack, they're just nowhere near as solid the back.
Everybody is making a big deal about the Sergio Aguero situation but Guardiola would play him in every match if he could. When you've got an injury problem you need to be managed properly.
It's a tough one to call but I can guarantee both teams will score here because City are nervous at the back, while Barca are also vulnerable and both sides are far better at attacking.
Charlie predicts: 2-2 and Raheem Sterling to score first (75/1 with Sky Bet)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Celtic (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
Celtic have blown everybody away in Scotland because they're miles better but this is their last chance of salvaging anything from their European campaign.
Gladbach ripped them apart in Glasgow and did it without four or five of their best players, so I fear the worst given they are woeful away from home.
I'm not sure what they can do now. Will they just sit in and rely on Moussa Dembele's pace on the counter-attack? Gladbach don't concede many so it looks a tough ask.
Thorgan Hazard and Raffael could come back in as well, but I'm looking at Mahmoud Dahoud as a really dangerous and unpredictable player who will trouble Celtic.
Charlie Predicts: 2-0 and Dahoud to score first (30/1 with Sky Bet)
Ludogorets v Arsenal (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
I was amazed how open Ludogorets were in the first leg. I thought they'd just come and park the bus but they actually had a few chances in the first 10 minutes and I was a bit concerned until Arsenal got the first goal.
I assume they'll be same at home, which plays into the hands of this Arsenal team, who have excellent movement in attack with Alexis Sanchez leading the line.
I think Arsene Wenger will make a few changes, which often unsettles me but seems warranted here with qualification all but assured. He'll change the goalkeeper as per usual but I'm not convinced he will start Olivier Giroud as he'll want to bed him in more gently.
I can't see Theo Walcott being risked with a hamstring problem ahead of the north London derby, so Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will get another chance to impress, while it would make sense for Granit Xhaka to come in as he serves his domestic ban.
Charlie predicts: 1-3 and Oxlade-Chamberlain to score first (45/1 with Sky Bet)
FC Copenhagen v Leicester (Wednesday, 7.45pm)
Leicester looked better at Tottenham, especially in the second half. Defensively they looked a lot more solid and they could have nicked it in the end.
They're in a great position and a draw would still leave them in total control. I know they want a win so they can relax but these games are awkward.
I've done a lot of like this, where you arrive at tricky little grounds with tight little pitches and you don't really feel the glamour of being in the Champions League.
This is a must-win for Copenhagen and I understand why Sky Bet make them favourites. I think they'll get the win to blow this group wide open.
If I'm looking at the goalscorer market then Leicester are still vulnerable from set-pieces. It looks a banker they'll concede from another one right now and Federico Santander is a real threat in the air.
Charlie predicts: 2-1 and Santander to score first (28/1 with Sky Bet)
Tottenham v Bayer Levekusen (Wednesday, 7.45pm)
Well what's going on with Tottenham? You could dismiss the Harry Kane theory because Vincent Janssen has scored a few goals but, while scoring from the spot still deserves credit, he doesn't get in the same areas as Kane.
When's the last time you saw these diagonal balls for Dele Alli to run on to round the back of Janssen? It seems to be effecting the way Spurs are playing, while Toby Alderweireld's contribution at the back has also be important.
They're still unbeaten but another draw isn't much help. You want to be going into the last two games in a qualification position because they've got a tough trip to Monaco next.
They can't be worrying about the north London derby right now because this is a huge game, but I would be amazed if Mauricio Pochettino was to throw Harry Kane straight in from the start. You can't rush players back after six weeks out.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him coming off the bench to save Spurs, who seem to being troubled by midfield runs at the moment, so I'm looking to Leverkusen's midfield for a first goalscorer.
Charlie predicts: 1-1 and Lars Bender to score first (95/1 with Sky Bet)
Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic will be a Champions League last-16 team in two or three years.
The Hoops take on Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany on Tuesday night looking to add to their solitary Group C point after three fixtures and knowing that realistically a win is needed to have any chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages.
After losing left-back Kieran Tierney last week with ankle ligament damage, they will have to do it without another three key players as Kolo Toure, Jozo Simunovic and Leigh Griffiths missed the trip with a combination of injury, fatigue and illness.
At the pre-match press conference in Telegen, Holland, the Northern Irishman was asked if would expect the Scottish Champions to be a last-16 side in that time period.
"I would hope so yes," he said. "That's the process we're beginning.
"This is what this experience of this competition has given us - the chance to build towards that.
"The huge improvement that's been made domestically is a huge credit to the players and how well they've worked and how hard they've worked. And it's step by step.
"They've arrived into this level, in the toughest group in the competition and of course it's been difficult for them. We don't see it as a threat.
"It's a major challenge for us but it's a great challenge to have.
"Each year we can arrive here we can improve on it and hopefully get to the latter stages consistently.
"Let's see how the next game goes and take it from there."
Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach coach Andre Schubert says everybody knows the importance of the game as his team look to beat Celtic.
"It's going to be a difficult but at the same time a wonderful challenge for us," he said at a press conference on Monday. "None of my players need any extra motivation.
"We want to take control of the game and then see if we can get one, two or three goals."
The Gladbach coach is nevertheless not reading too much into his side's win in Scotland, saying that Celtic are equally dangerous away from home, even if it is they who will face a hostile home crowd at Borussia-Park.
"Celtic are a dangerous team because they have nothing to lose," Schubert said. "They can afford to take risks.
"They have players like (Mousa) Dembele who we need to keep a close eye on. I'm confident, though, that we have the quality in our side to beat them again tomorrow."
The Foals could have Raffael back after he took part in what was a light training session on Monday.
"We didn't do an awful lot in training, but it's great to have Raffael and (Thorgan) Hazard back," he said. "We'll see how they're feeling tomorrow, then decide how big a role they can play in tomorrow's match."
What Happens Next?
Our new Monday column looking for ante-post value suggests Eden Hazard and Cue Card could be worth a second glance following the weekend's action.
Football
It's been a fine week for Chelsea with a thumping victory over Manchester United followed by another convincing success over a well-respected Southampton side on Sunday.
They are now just a point off the pace in the Premier League and into a best price of 6/1.
However, it is in the Golden Boot market where there could be some decent value to be had at this stage with Eden Hazard looking like he's very much on the way back to the form which saw him crowned PFA Player of the Year in 2014/15.
Hazard got 14 in that title-winning campaign and already has five in 10 games this term, all of which makes his 50/1 current quote (Sky Bet) of some interest.
His five goals have him three off the Golden Boot leader, team-mate Diego Costa, with Romelu Lukaku, Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez the other players ahead of him.
While Hazard may not be seen as an out-and-out striker, it's been interesting to see that in some games under Antonio Conte his average position on the pitch has been even higher than Costa's.
The layers are still betting to four places (a quarter of the odds) at present which make the Belgian a real each-way prospect.
His current strike-rate of one in two puts him on course of a 19-goal haul. Premier League history shows that 13 can be enough to get you a place in the market, while the average goal tally of someone finishing fourth in the standings is 17.7.
With Chelsea not in Europe and now also out of the EFL Cup, he's likely to play in every game unless he picks up an injury (unlike some of his market rivals) so, for me, 50/1 may well be worth a play.
Andy Schooler
Click here for Sky Bet's latest Premier League odds
Racing
Cue Card was on the drift for next month's Betfair Chase following his defeat at Wetherby on Saturday but that may well have been an over-reaction to the performance. Colin Tizzard's star was carrying a 10lb penalty and only two horses have managed to defy that extra burden in the Charlie Hall Chase, while he can be expected to improve for the outing.
Connections were at pains to say that he was straight enough for his reappearance but there is no substitute for match practice and I believe that he will be better for the run and it wasn't as if he ran at all badly.
He still had every chance at the final fence and shaped very much like a horse who was short of a run. A defence of his Haydock crown has always been the plan so he will be lining up on Merseyside - accidents aside - whereas the same cannot be said of some of those closest to him in the market so it is perfectly feasible that his odds - current best price of 11/4 - will contract significantly after declarations and leave his backers sitting in an attractive position having secured the price.
Ian Ogg
Click here for Sky Bet's latest Betfair Chase odds
Cricket
England's Hallowe'en horror show of a batting collapse in Dhaka handed Bangladesh their biggest ever Test-match victory and sent the bookies scurrying for cover in the upcoming India v England series.
Alastair Cook's side slumped from 100-0 to 164 all out in an astonishing final session as Bangladesh won the second Test by 108 runs inside three days to earn a 1-1 draw in the two-match series.
England's inability to handle Bangladesh's spinners makes the prospect of the five-Test series in India kicking off a fortnight from now a daunting one. And that is more than reflected in the prices, with India now 1/7 to win the series and no bigger than Sky Bet's 4/1 to win the series 5-0. For comparison, Bangladesh were 6/1 best price to win in Dhaka.
The craziest thing about that 4/1? It's probably the right price, and, even though I've never seen an ante-post five-Test whitewash anything like that short, I'm still giving it a second look. Bangladesh's 19-year-old off-spinner Mehedi Hasan took 19 wickets in the series - his first two Test matches - and England now have to face the best off-spinner in the world, Ravi Ashwin, who must be positively salivating at the prospect. Since England's 2-1 victory in India four years ago, India have played 13 home Tests and won 12 of them. The other was a draw in Bangalore when it rained for four days. In those 13 matches, Ashwin has taken 99 wickets at 16.5 each.
It might seem crazy, but the 4/1 might actually be value.
Dave Tickner
Click here for the latest India v England series odds
Conte resists early predictions
Antonio Conte says he will know whether Chelsea are title contenders after Christmas.
The Blues have hit a purple patch with four straight Premier League wins, scoring 11 goals in the process while conceding none.
The latest, Sunday's 2-0 victory at Southampton, came thanks to strikes from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, a pairing that did so much to fire Chelsea to title glory two seasons ago.
But Conte has also sorted out the defence which let them down so often last term, having kept four clean sheets since reverting to a back three.
Victory meant Chelsea stay on the shoulders of the top three, just a point behind table-toppers Manchester City.
However, Stamford Bridge boss Conte said: "In this moment it's not important to look at the table. If you ask me a prediction of our championship now, it's very difficult to talk about.
"Now we must continue in this way. To stay close to first place is good, and gives us great confidence.
"I think game by game. I'm seeing a lot of positive things. Many games must pass before you can see whether you can fight for the title.
"Then you can see if you can stay up there in the title race. When you start the second part of the season, our ideas will be clearer."
Costa killed Saints off in the 55th minute with a superb curler after Hazard, reinvigorated following last season's misery under Jose Mourinho, opened the scoring with an angled drive after just six minutes.
Saints manager Claude Puel, whose side fell to their first home defeat of the season, gave Hazard his senior debut when he was in charge at Lille in 2007.
"I spoke with him after the game," he said. "He's come back perhaps after a difficult season at a good level, and when he plays with this level it's difficult, of course.
"He's a very good player, like Costa. They didn't have a lot of chances, but the chances they did have fell to those players."
Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City they will need to keep their discipline to have a chance of beating Barcelona on Tuesday.
City have lost all five of their games against the Catalan giants in the past two-and-a-half years and had a man sent off in four of them.
The most recent was goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in City's 4-0 loss in their first Champions League Group C meeting at the Nou Camp a fortnight ago.
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola, well aware of how ruthless his old club can be, knows they must avoid a repeat as the sides meet again at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola said: "Yes, you have to learn. It's always difficult to win Champions League games and it's always difficult against Barcelona 11 v 11, but when it's 10 v 11 it's almost impossible.
"Sometimes (they were) unfair and last time it was from a mistake, but at that level it's impossible to achieve your targets (without discipline)."
Guardiola could have been aiming his words at the player who joined him for pre-match media duties, Nolito.
The Spain forward was sent off against Bournemouth in September for aiming a headbutt at an opponent and was booked following a similar incident at West Brom on Saturday.
Asked about the matter, Nolito said: "I had no intention to hurt any other player but I have to show an example for children and other players. Hopefully it will not happen again."
Bravo's red card - following Martin Demichelis, Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy in being sent off against Barca - means he is suspended for the return clash and Willy Caballero will take his place.
Caballero was preferred to Joe Hart in the early weeks of the season as City conducted the search for a better ball-playing keeper that led them to Bravo and Guardiola is confident he can deliver.
He said: "He's helped me very much from the very first few games and I like him on a personal level.
"Every time he's played he's played well, he gives me a lot of confidence. If he plays well we're happy. If he doesn't we will try and help him but we have no doubts about him."
After drawing with Celtic, the loss to Barcelona has left City in a fight for second place in the group with the Scottish champions and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Guardiola is aware of the importance of the fixture, but knows just how well City will need to play to get anything from it.
He said: "We have to play like a final. It's not a final for them, it is a final for us. There are just three games left and we dropped two points in Glasgow, so we have to recover those points in the next two games.
"I have never entered a match thinking we can't win but we have to play almost perfectly."
Top scorer Sergio Aguero seems likely to start after being surprisingly left out at the Nou Camp in a tactical move to bolster the midfield that backfired.
Guardiola said: "I think we know what we have to do to beat them. They know us but hopefully our quality up front will make a difference."
The Premier League leaders also go into the game with confidence restored having ended a six-match winless sequence with an emphatic 4-0 defeat of West Brom at the weekend.
"Winning the last game will help us a lot," said Guardiola. "When you play a game having won the previous one the feeling is much better. We play the best tomorrow and we're going to try to win."
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique admits Barcelona are wary of Guardiola and his City side.
The 46-year-old said: "I expect the same type of game as the last one. That result really didn't reflect the way the match went.
"I don't think they can be any more aggressive in terms of pressure. They were pressing us up to the stand almost.
"I think Pep's Man City have a lot of things going for them, they can do many things. I think you need to adapt to their __football so you can press them.
"We know Pep and we know his ideas. We have to be very attentive to what they do because Pep will try to touch the correct key to get the result.
"We can be impressed by what he has done in three months at Manchester City. They are a team that go to play on any pitch in the world and try to get the ball. I love the philosophy, I love his ideas.
"He has had his impact and I am sure the team will get better and better with every month that goes by. I think the future for City is bright and attractive."
Barca go into the game with a maximum nine points from three games and needing just a draw to secure a place in the knockout stages for a 13th successive year. They could even win the group with a victory if Borussia Monchengladbach fail to beat Celtic.
Enrique said: "It is a great opportunity for us to qualify here. Obviously it won't be easy. We want to be first in the group, that is our objective, but to do that we will have to play at our top level.
"Whatever happens, there are still two match days left but we want to win here and finish first in the group."
UEFA concerns on United clash
UEFA has contacted the Turkish police and __football federation to seek assurances over the safety of Manchester United fans in Istanbul.
United play their latest Europa League match on Thursday night when they face Group A counterparts Fenerbahce.
On Saturday, the US government asked some of its nationals to leave Istanbul, and Turkey, immediately following 'security concerns'.
"Whilst there is no information that the threat to US citizens in Turkey also extends to UK citizens, UEFA has today sought the necessary security guarantees from the Turkish __football Federation and the local public authorities regarding the visit of Manchester United and their supporters to Istanbul," UEFA told Sky Sports News HQ.
"Since the recent military coup and increased terrorist attacks in Turkey, such guarantees have been requested for all UEFA matches organised in Turkey.
"To date all matches have taken place without security incidents. UEFA will continue to monitor the situation and provide advice and support to clubs as required."
Foreign Office advice to Manchester United fans (and all UK nationals) remained unchanged on Monday morning - "You should remain vigilant and monitor travel advice. The threat from terrorism remains high."Italian side Napoli are also in Istanbul for their Champions League Group B encounter with Besiktas on Tuesday.
Super 6 - latest fixtures!
Man City v Middlesbrough is one of the matches selected in the latest round of the free-to-play Soccer Saturday Super 6 game.
The Soccer Saturday Super 6 game offers you the chance to win £250,000 if you can correctly predict the scores of six selected matches.
If the jackpot isn't won then the next highest player in the competition will get £5,000.
The top three players in the Sporting Life League at the end of the new season of the Soccer Saturday Super 6 game will win a pair of VIP tickets to a Premier League match in the 2017/18 season.
Simply sign up, click on leagues and then select the join a league option and use the code 1BLZDC! The Sporting Life League is starting again from scratch so those of you who signed up to play last season will have to register again.
The winners can choose their choice of game and are responsible for covering the cost of travel and accommodation. You must give at least one month's notice to go to the selected match.
PLAY SUPER 6 NOW!
Here are Saturday's selected matches...
- Bournemouth v Sunderland (Premier League)
- Burnley v Crystal Palace (Premier League)
- Manchester City v Middlesbrough (Premier League)
- West Ham v Stoke (Premier League)
- Huddersfield v Birmingham (Premier League)
- Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich (Sky Bet Championship)
Moyes admits record is 'damning'
David Moyes admits his record as Sunderland boss so far is "damning" after they reached Halloween with just two points.
The Black Cats were thrashed 4-1 at home by Arsenal on Saturday - their eighth defeat of the season - and they remain winless from their opening 10 games.
Moyes has overseen their worst start to a Premier League season since they were promoted in 2007, and he said: "It's damning, I agree.
"It does make me feel lousy, and I do. I don't feel good about it but you've got to take it. I probably spend Saturday night, and quite often, in a darkened room somewhere.
"Sunday gets a wee bit better, but not much, and hopefully by the time Monday morning comes, you are ready to go again.
"You've got to get it out of the system and you are up and running again. And I'll do that again on Monday."
Moyes is understood to have an excellent relationship with Sunderland's new chief executive Martin Bain and says he does not feel pressure over his job.
"We need results to show that things are going in the right direction," he said. "Everybody is judging by results. I don't feel that pressure from the people I work with."
Sunderland are seven points adrift of 17th-placed Stoke, who host 19th-placed Swansea on Monday night. Moyes takes his men to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Carrasco a cracking bet
Goals are on the agenda when Man City host Barcelona but backing Atletico's Yannick Carrasco to score looks Tuesday's best bet.
Recommended bets:
2pts Yannick Ferreira Carrasco to score antime in Atletico Madrid v Rostov
0.5pt Yannick Ferreira Carrasco to score two or more goals in Atletico Madrid v Rostov
0.5pt Manchester City to draw 2-2 v Barcelona
Having liked the chances of Manchester City getting some kind of result at Barcelona two weeks ago, a 4-0 scoreline for the home side was something of an unwelcome sight.
However, before you stop reading/lambast me, there were mitigating circumstances.
City were very much in the game at only 1-0 down and should have been level (John Stones having missed a free header) when keeper Claudio Bravo was sent off.
The floodgates duly opened.
I'm therefore not about to switch horses for the return game at the Etihad, although whether the City price is now as tempting is certainly open to question. They were 6/1 to win in the Nou Camp but now are just 19/10.
Still, a case for the hosts can certainly still be made.
After six games without a victory, they returned to winning ways at West Brom on Saturday in convincing fashion and now come up against a side shorn of two of the defence which started in the Nou Camp, namely Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba, due to injury, while Jeremy Mathieu is suspended. Further forward, Andres Iniesta is also injured.
That's a situation which the likes of Sergio Aguero (surely he'll start this time) and Kevin de Bruyne should relish.
It is also worth pointing out that Barca's away record in this competition is probably not what you'd expect it to be - last season they drew at both Roma and Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage before losing at Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.
The problem for City is they still have to deal with the famous MSN frontline of Messi, Suarez and Neymar and they will have to do so without a recognised right-back with both Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta injured, not to mention suspended keeper Bravo.
I'm not thoroughly convinced by either side's victory claims here but what I do think, especially with those defensive problems, that there will be goals.
Sadly the layers are very much clued up on that front with both teams to score around the 4/9 mark and over 3.5 goals at 11/8.
If you are having a bet on either side to win the game I'd suggest pumping the odds up by backing them to win with both teams scoring - going down this route you can get City at 18/5 and Barca at 14/5.
However, personally I'd rather back the draw and the 2-2 version of that result is on offer at 11/1 which may be worth some small change.
Sky Bet's Manchester City v Barcelona odds!
Celtic, who are in the same group, also let us down last time out, or rather Kolo Toure did.
His two errors saw the Scots beaten 2-0 at home by Borussia Monchengladbach and it's hard to see then reversing the result in Germany where the hosts have been far stronger than on their travels.
Gladbach can really turn the pressure on City if they win - they could end the night two points clear of the Premier League side with a home game against them still to come.
Lars Strindl caught the eye in the game at Parkhead and he could be of some interest at 7/4 in the anytime scorer market, especially if Brendan Rodgers' side decide to defend in the way they did two weeks ago.
Arsenal are the other British side in action and there are a lot of short prices about regarding the Gunners following their 6-0 drubbing of the Bulgarians a fortnight back.
Ludogorets were outclassed at the Emirates and Arsenal really should pick up the win they need to book their place in the knockout stages.
However, to get a decent price you're going to need to go specific with a big away win the obvious option.
I'd be wary of getting involved there though. With a North London derby with Spurs looming at the weekend, Arsene Wenger has already hinted that this game could see team changes.
Aaron Ramsey returned as a sub at the weekend, while Granit Xhaka is available again after suspension.
Speaking about the possibility of Ramsey playing on Tuesday, Wenger said: "I will have to analyse all that now, with Xhaka back. We play now in the Champions League and then we play Tottenham.
"So I have to see who I rest and who I play without diminishing the chance of the team to win the game."
Those comments are enough for me to leave that one well alone and I'm instead much more interested in the Atletico Madrid v Rostov clash.
Last season's beaten finalists are, like Arsenal, short-priced favourites who know a victory will take them into the last 16, but there does appear to be a decent way of getting them on side.
It's not in the win-to-nil market. Seven of their nine wins have come this way although, interestingly, they have kept just one clean sheet in their last four games.
Such a stat actually made me look at the both team to score 'no' option. It's 21/10 but Rostov have failed to find the net in any of their last four matches.
My angle is instead to back Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, the Belgian winger who looks a big price in the scorer markets given his form.
He's often forced to live in the shadows of the better-known Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres but his goal stats of late have been superb.
His last four starts have brought six goals and while some will point out the majority of those came against sides in the bottom half of the Spanish league, it's also worth noting he's already scored against Bayern Munich and these opponents in this competition.
I also don't think Rostov can be considered of considerably greater quality than some of Atletico's domestic rivals and it's easy to see them scoring a few more here; for the record they put seven past Granada, four past Malaga and five past Sporting Gijon in recent games at the Vicente Calderon.
Carrasco is around 6/4 to add to his tally which looks a bet, while I'm going to also have a small dabble on him netting a brace at a tasty 17/2.
Posted at 1710 GMT on 31/10/16.
Ref Watch: Ander Herrera should not have seen red; but penalty appeals were right
Ander Herrera should not have been sent off during Manchester United's goalless draw with Burnley.
That's the view of former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, who says Mark Clattenburg got that decision wrong, but he was absolutely right not to award any penalties to United during the game at Old Trafford.
More than 2,700 decisions were made by top-flight referees this weekend. Here's Gallagher's verdict on some of the controversial ones, including some big penalty decisions in the Sunderland v Arsenal clash, Crystal Palace's game with Liverpool and Middlesbrough's win over Bournemouth.
MATCH: Man Utd 0-0 Burnley, Premier League, Saturday
INCIDENT: Ander Herrera is sent off
SCENARIO: Herrera was awarded a second yellow card for a foul on Matthew Lowton, but he appeared to slip before clattering into the Burnley player.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision
DERMOT SAYS: I think the player is unlucky. He has slipped. It looks as though it is reckless, but he tries to pull out. Mark Clattenburg has seen the follow-through and sees the impact and he gives a second yellow card. It's unfortunate, but that's how he's seen it. He put himself at risk with the way he went into the tackle, but unfortunately for him I don't think he followed through. It is very, very harsh.
INCIDENT: Jon Flanagan's trip on Matteo Darmian
SCENARIO: Darmian ran into the side of the penalty area and went down under a challenge from Flanagan. No penalty was awarded and after raging on the touchline, Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands at half-time for complaining to Mark Clattenburg.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: I don't think it was a foul. There has to be physical contact to make it a foul and this, to me, is no more than a coming-together. I can't see that's enough to put a player down. I'm not trying to defend the referee, I genuinely don't think it's a foul. I didn't think it was on the day when I watched it live and I've watched it over and over again and I don't think it is a foul now. On Saturday, different pundits thought it was a foul and other pundits thought it wasn't. That's the difficulty of this decision and you have to support the referee.
INCIDENT: Jose Mourinho passes messages to his bench
SCENARIO: After Mourinho was sent to the stands, he was pictured on camera giving written notes to a colleague to take down to his assistants in the dugout.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: No rules have been broken
DERMOT SAYS: There's nothing to stop it at the moment. For want of a better word, it's un-policeable. The fourth official has to be in the technical area to control that and can't be sat next to Jose Mourinho in the stand. He hasn't contravened any law, as we saw earlier in the season with Mark Hughes on his mobile phone. It's not something that is prohibited at the moment. Until someone comes in hard and fast and says you have to sit in the stand and not make contact then that is where we are.
INCIDENT: Ashley Barnes' challenge on Matteo Darmian
SCENARIO: Burnley's Barnes took the ball, but also the man and once again no penalty was awarded.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: He definitely gets the ball, there's no doubt about that. I think he runs a massive, massive risk because if he doesn't get the ball it's definitely a penalty.
Watch NOW TV
Watch Sky Sports for just £6.99. No contract.
MATCH: Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal, Premier League, Saturday
INCIDENT: Lamine Kone's challenge on Alexis Sanchez
SCENARIO: With the score at 0-1, Arsenal's Sanchez was astonished not to be awarded a 62nd-minute penalty when he went down under Kone's challenge - just two minutes before Sunderland were awarded a penalty of their own.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: I don't think this was a foul. There's minimal contact and he [Sanchez] exaggerates it. I don't think a player that strong and that good should go down that easily and in that way. I think the referee got that right.
INCIDENT: Petr Cech is booked, not sent off
SCENARIO: Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech brought down the onrushing Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore and a penalty was awarded. The goalkeeper, who was the last man, was booked and Jermain Defoe scored to make it 1-1.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: It's going to be very hard to send a goalkeeper off this season because the new rule says if he makes any attempt to go for the ball, which he has with his hands, he is only going to get a yellow card. A goalkeeper has really got to commit an act of serious foul play to get sent off now.
MATCH: Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool, Premier League, Saturday
INCIDENT: Yohan Cabaye appears to stand on Philippe Coutinho
SCENARIO: Near the touchline, Crystal Palace midfielder Cabaye challenged for the ball with Coutinho and stood on the Brazilian's ankle when he was down on the floor. No action was taken by the referee or the assistant who was standing next to the incident.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Impossible decision
DERMOT SAYS: The key issue is you can't read what's in his mind. It doesn't look good. Coutinho made nothing of it and maybe he realised the player was close to him and has gone over him accidentally. Only Cabaye knows if he could have avoided him.
INCIDENT: Crystal Palace are not awarded a penalty
SCENARIO: Wilfried Zaha rushed into the penalty area and went down under a challenge from Emre Can, but no action was taken by the officials.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: I don't think this is a penalty. Both players are running for the ball and there is reasonable physical contact, as you would expect in a __football match. I just think he bounces off him. I don't think a footballer would bounce off like that and I don't think it's a foul.
Liverpool vs Watford
November 6, 2016, 1:30pm
Live on
MATCH: Middlesbrough 2-0 Bournemouth, Premier League, Saturday
INCIDENT: Victor Valdes jumps into Joshua King
SCENARIO: Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes rushes off his line and clatters into the Bournemouth man, catching him in the face with his knee. No penalty is awarded and therefore no cards are shown.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision. A penalty should be awarded and a red card should be shown.
DERMOT SAYS: I'm in the minority here. I saw this on Saturday and my immediate reaction was 'penalty'. I also think it was a red card because I think it's serious foul play. The goalkeeper cannot possibly play that ball and his knee is up and hits him high up. I think it's minimum a penalty and a red card.
Leicester vs W Brom
November 6, 2016, 4:15pm
Live on
Also See:
- Premier League goals
- Mourinho awaits FA action
- Pardew: Why was Marriner ref?
- Moyes: Scoreline harsh