Man Utd v Portsmouth, Betting Analysis, Pompey, Manchester Utd, Free bets

BETTING ANALYSIS

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MATCH ANALYSIS

Well, its been a pretty disappointing week for Man Utd. Although they are on an amazing run in the Premiership, they could not take it into their CL game midweek with AC Milan, and they eventually lost 1-0 at home. They will be boosted by the return of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who came on in the second half. Sir Alex Ferguson's side are still unbeaten at home in the top flight and head the Premiership Form table. Utd have actually won their last five games in the league. In Portsmouth, they face a team at the foot of that table. But Pompey are also the last club to beat United in the League, since when the Red Devils have claimed 42 points from a possible 48.

Portsmouth are in a dreadful run of form, and they have lost five of their last six League games, and 19 of their last 29 top flight matches away from home. Another reverse here for Velimir Zajec's side could see them slip to within three places of the relegation zone,and the pressure is now mounting on them.

Of course I'm expecting Man Utd to come away with another home win today and close the gap with Chelsea, who are in the Carling Cup Final this weekend. But the odds of 1.27 hold little appeal for me today. Pompey are on a downward spiral and I'm not expecting them to cause Utd many problems today. Instead I'm going for Utd on the handicap -1 @ 8/11 with Bluesq [£25 Free Bet]. The Red Devils are boosted by the return of Van Nistelrooy and he will start today - they simply have way too much firepower for a Portsmouth side that has never really recovered from the loss of former boss Harry Redknapp.

Recommendation:	MAN UTD -1 @ 8/11 with BLUESQ
		[£25 Free Bet]

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MATCH OUTCOME

Manchester United 2 Portsmouth 1
Saturday February 26 2005
Wayne Rooney single-handedly dragged Manchester United back into the Premiership title race just as Portsmouth threatened to push Chelsea even closer to the finishing line.

Had it not been for Rooney's late winner at Old Trafford, United would have been trailing Jose Mourinho's men by eight points with time fast running out in their bold bid to catch the league leaders.

As it is, the gap could be down to just three points if United win at Crystal Palace next Saturday before Chelsea visit Norwich in the evening kick-off.

And it was all thanks to Rooney, who had seen his seventh-minute opener cancelled out by a superb volley from Portsmouth's Gary O'Neil 90 seconds after the restart.

He refused to let the visitors interrupt United's dogged chase of the leaders and, nine minutes from the end, delivered a blow which will have caused Portsmouth and Chelsea equal pain.

After cutting inside Dejan Stefanovic with a magnificent first touch as he strode onto Ruud van Nistelrooy's through-ball, Rooney refused to panic as he charged into the area.

Instead, it was Pompey keeper Kostas Chalkias who blinked first, losing his balance as Rooney raced towards him. By the time the striker was ready to shoot, Chalkias was on his backside and Rooney simply rolled the ball past him.

On the United bench, Sir Alex Ferguson must have breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After Wednesday's loss to AC Milan, a defeat which cost beleaguered keeper Roy Carroll his place, anything other than victory would have been a disaster for United.

Arsenal had already provided some concrete evidence for Mourinho's bullish attitude to his team's position by failing to dispatch Southampton at St Mary's, so United headed into battle knowing they were the only team left who can topple Chelsea from their lofty perch.

A fast start was not strictly essential, and might not have been expected given Ferguson's five changes, but after the midweek heartbreak to Milan, when it came it should have provided a galvanising effect on the home troops.

Van Nistelrooy wasted little time in making his presence felt on his first league start since the win at West Brom on November 27 and the prolific Dutchman was heavily involved in Rooney's opener even though he did not actually touch the ball.

So desperate was Pompey skipper Arjen de Zeeuw to snuff out van Nistelrooy's threat when Gary Neville swung over his right-wing cross that he leapt straight over the striker, flattening him completely, a move which totally backfired as the ball drifted over both of them and landed straight at Rooney's feet.

With the swiftness of someone in red-hot form, the £27million former Everton man swept home a first-time shot to launch what should have been a one-sided canter to victory.

But it did not materialise, partly because United inexplicably took their foot off the pedal and also because Portsmouth bravely refused to subside.

They should still have been two goals adrift by the break though as Rooney delivered a superb far-post cross to Neville, who teed up Cristiano Ronaldo with a perfect lay-off.

For all his many talents, Ronaldo has not yet - unlike Rooney - discovered the art of a clinical finish and could only balloon his volley high into the Stretford End.

It was a miss which would come back to haunt Ferguson's men within 90 seconds of the restart.

By that time United had lost Neville to an ankle injury sustained in a heavy but legal challenge with Matthew Taylor.

Ferguson's side were still readjusting to the switch which saw Alan Smith introduced and Phil Neville slot into the vacant full-back berth when O'Neil struck.

After complaining at the way his defence stood off Clarence Seedorf in the build-up to Milan's winner on Wednesday, Ferguson must have been aghast to see Steve Stone afforded the same treatment as he advanced towards the United box.

Stone was eventually stopped but as the ball bobbled around, Wes Brown could only knee it into O'Neil's path. The England Under-21 skipper will probably never hit a volley as well again, the curl off the outside of his right boot taking it well out of Tim Howard's reach as the American desperately tried to keep it out.

It should have been the catalyst for United to shrug off their lethargy and rip Portsmouth apart.

Instead it brought only frustration, which increased by the minute as their title hopes began to drip agonisingly away.

It appears however that United's youngest player possesses in abundance the never-say-die spirit which has typified his manager's 18 years at the Old Trafford helm.

Mourinho might still have the air of a man who can feel destiny approaching but in his Cardiff hotel, with his side's lead cut to six points, he probably shifted uncomfortably in his seat as United's ecstatic players submerged their newest hero