The second round of group stage matches is upon us, and Europe’s top teams will continue to battle it out for the coveted Champions League trophy. There are plenty of lopsided matchups and toss-ups alike, but it’s my job to try and find where the best value for bettors lies.
Today, I’ll be previewing all 16 of this week’s matchups and looking for the bets with the most upside. Let’s head right on into it!
Tottenham have had a good start to the league, earning 15 points in their first 7 league matches – including an impressive 3-0 win away at Manchester United. However, they dropped their first Champions League match in a late collapse to Inter, and after suffering a scare from Watford in the EFL Cup, the Spurs are looking increasingly vulnerable.
Barcelona started the season off strong, and they took care of business in the first Champions League game, easily dispatching of PSV 4-0. However, they’ve seriously struggled lately, earning just three points in their last three La Liga games against some weaker opponents.
Nevertheless, I think the Blaugranes are the huge favorites in this matchup. In my opinion, Barcelona is the best club in the world. They have all the talent in the world – Messi, Suarez, Dembele, Coutinho – and they have plenty of experience in big matches. Tottenham haven’t been stellar, and I think Barca should win this one pretty comfortably.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-3 Barcelonai
After finishing second in the league last year, CSKA Moscow have struggled a bit this year in the Russian Premier League. They’ve failed to capitalize against the lower tier teams, and they can’t seem to break through against other top contenders like Zenit and Lokomotiv.
Despite losing Ronaldo, Real Madrid have been performing relatively well so far this year. They’re tied atop La Liga with Barcelona, and they were more than impressive in a 3-0 drubbing of Roma. They have the best midfield in the world – filled with young Spanish talent like Isco and Asensio.
I think Real Madrid are severely underrated in this matchup. With the odds at 1.6, this could be great value for bettors. Los Blancos are huge favorites against CSKA Moscow, and I don’t think this one will even be close.
Prediction: CSKA Moscow 0-2 Real Madridi
PSV have been perfect in the Eredevisie, quite literally. In their first seven matches, PSV have been more than dominant; they’ve earned all 21 points in their first 7 games, scoring 26 goals while only conceding 3. Their immortality was crumbled by Barcelona, and the Dutch team suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of the Blaugranes.
Inter started the season off struggling, but they’ve recently found their form, winning their last four matches. They have plenty of talent and one of the best strike forces in Italian football; Icardi is the most lethal striker in the world. They also come into this matchup with plenty of momentum, having stolen a late win against Tottenham in their first Champions League game.
Priced at 2.3, an Inter win more than doubles your original bet. There’s no doubt that Inter is the better team of the two, and I think that PSV will struggle to acclimate to the Serie A’s slower paced style of play. The Nerazzuri are a great bet for this week, and they could find themselves atop Group B after this week’s matches.
Prediction: PSV 1-2 Interi
Schalke have been far from convincing so far this year. They find themselves 17th in the Champions League, an incredibly disappointing result for the German club. They simply haven’t been able to get anything going on the offensive side of things, only scoring three goals in their first six matches.
Lokomotiv have performed considerably better; while they got blown out in their game against Galatasaray, they are still a solid team, and they remain a threat in the Russian Premier League.
Neither team has had the start they were looking for. Nevertheless, Lokomotiv have proven to be far more consistent than Schalke. The Russian Premier League is arguably the fifth best league in Europe, and Lokomotiv should not be taken for granted. I think the team from Moscow could certainly take this one, and Schalke will need to be ready when they head into Russia.
Prediction: Lokomotiv 2-1 Schalkei
Napoli were less than impressive in their last Champions League game, gaining just one point against Red Star Belgrade. In the toughest group in the Champions League, the Partenopei need all the points they can get, and this will be a crucial match for them.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have started off strong. Fresh off a showing in the Champions League final, the Reds followed it up with a win against PSG in their first match, and they’ve performed exceptionally well in the Premier League, finding themselves tied for first with City.
This is without a doubt the most exciting game this week. Both teams have stellar attacks, and battles between Italian and English clubs always seem to provide some entertainment. Despite Liverpool’s blistering form recently, I still think Napoli are a great pick here. The Partenopei have one of the best attacks in the world, and Liverpool’s front three could have some trouble against a sturdy Italian backline.
This one isn’t nearly as clear cut as the odds suggest, and Napoli can certainly pull out the win here, especially at home in Naples.
Prediction: Napoli 1-0 Liverpooli
If you’re interested in betting on the other matchups, I’ve listed my picks below. These games also offer interesting opportunities, and Benfica could offer sneakily good upside.
Prediction: Lyon 2-0 Shakhtar Donetski
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Valenciai
Prediction: AEK Athens 0-2 Benficai
Prediction: Hoffenheim 0-3 Manchester Cityi
Prediction: Juventus 4-0 Young Boysi
Prediction: Bayern 4-1 Ajaxi
Prediction: Roma 3-1 Viktoria Plzeni
Prediction: PSG 5-0 Red Star Belgradei
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Club Bruggei
Prediction: Porto 3-1 Galatasarayi
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Monacoi
As noted before, I think Barcelona are huge favorites for this matchup. A handicap is equivalent to subtracting/adding the amount of goals to that team’s total. For example, a handicap of -1 on Barcelona would subtract a goal from Barcelona; a draw would turn into a loss, a one-goal win would turn into a draw, and so on.
Barcelona has the best group of forwards in the world, and when Messi is on form, he can single-handedly win Barca the game. The Blaugranes have plenty of weapons to work with, and Tottenham’s defense can be leaky at times, evidenced by the Spurs’ loss to Inter in the last series of group stage matches.
If Barcelona win by two goals, they’ll more than triple your investment. I see no reason why this couldn’t be a blowout; the Catalonian club is hungry for another Champions League trophy, and when they’re playing well, they’re almost unbeatable.
Fekir is one of the most highly coveted transfer targets in Europe and rightfully so. Fekir is an incredible young talent; at just 25 years of age, Fekir is remarkably agile and quick, and he is a lethal finisher. Fekir already scored in Lyon’s surprising win against Manchester City, and he should have plenty of chances to add to his tally when Lyon take on Shakhtar Donetsk. The Ukrainian team doesn’t have the greatest defense, and the game should become a battle of offense.
One goal from the Frenchman would more than double your original bet, and I think Fekir has a great shot at scoring on Tuesday.
Bayern and Ajax are not teams particularly known for their defense. While Bayern is still home to most of Germany’s star defenders, their backline is far from impenetrable, and the Dutch side’s defense is lackluster to say the least, having conceded thrice against PSV Eindhoven.
But what makes the over/under so appealing for this matchup is the high-powered attacks that both teams sport. Bayern, while certainly an older team, still have an excellent attack; Lewandowski leads the Bavarian’s offense, and he is a natural goalscorer, having already scored three in the Bundesliga.
I think this game will end up being a battle of the offense; both teams should get off to a fast start, and it’ll be hard to contain either side’s attacking corps.
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