Champions League Predictions > Oct 25th & 26th

[StevieDay1983]

The next round of the Champions League group stage games is up in a couple of weeks but it's never too soon to start chatting about the fixtures. Take a look at the odds and share your chosen bets with us for these crucial matches right here! 

[malabgd]

RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid

2022-10-25T21:00+02:00

 

RB Leipzig

Doubtful:

Out (injuries/other): Gulácsi (6/0 first goalkeeper, captain), Klostermann (1/0 d), Laimer (4/0 m), Halstenberg (7/0 d)

Suspended:

 

Real Madrid

Doubtful:

Out (injuries/other): Ceballos (7/0 m), Benzema (7/5 f, 2nd top scorer), Valverde (11/6 m, top scorer), Mariano Díaz (2/0 f), Modrić (10/2 m)

Suspended:

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more than 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[StefanBB]

Benfica vs Juventus

Benfica will be looking for a repeat result of the 1-0 Primeira Liga victory against Porto. That victory established them in the top spot of the Portuguese top flight, being six points ahead of their rivals. Things are going well for the Eagles in the Champions League as well, as Benfica is five points ahead of Juventus. Their latest results reveal that not much more can be done by the Benfica backline. Benfica has given the opposition little, seeing the number of goals that have gone in at their end over the course of their past six outings standing at 4. If the hosts don’t lose this game, they will secure the top-two finish in the group stage.

Juventus go into this game after a 4-0 Serie A win over Empoli in their last match. The trend of at least one team drawing a blank in games involving Juventus has become fairly consistent recently. Checking on their last six games shows that it has occurred five times. In these clashes, their opponents have hit a goal aggregate of 5 while Juventus have scored 11. However, the Bianconeri haven’t been very successful in the Champions League, as they have picked up only three points. Only two wins in the remaining two rounds, and with a lot of luck, will keep them in the competitions. Bremer (Biceps muscle injury), Mattia De Sciglio (Hamstring Injury), Federico Chiesa (Fitness), Paul Pogba (Knee Surgery), Ángel Di María (Biceps muscle injury), and Leandro Paredes (Biceps muscle injury) are names that won’t be on the team sheet.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Benfica has been in excellent form this season, and they are full of confidence after beating Porto. Therefore, we wouldn’t be surprised if the hosts book another victory on Tuesday evening.

Goals Market Prediction

Their head-to-head clashes in Lisbon have been pretty entertaining, going over a 2.5 margin and with both teams being able to score. Therefore, we expect at least three goals in total once again.  

Benfica to Win @ 2.00

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.95

Correct score 2:1 @ 8.50

[StefanBB]

Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester City

Borussia Dortmund, buoyed by their previous result, will be hoping for more of the same after a 5-0 Bundesliga victory versus Stuttgart. They are doing well in the Champions League, and one point from the remaining two rounds will see them going into the knockout round. Fixtures involving Borussia Dortmund have proved to be entertaining affairs recently, with plenty of scoring anticipated. Over their past six clashes alone, the sum of 20 goals has been scored for both sides combined (at an average of 3.33 goals per game), with 14 of them being chalked up by Borussia Dortmund. Mateu Morey Bauzà (Knee Surgery), Thomas Meunier (Cheekbone Fracture), Abdoulaye Kamara (Unknown Injury), Luca Unbehaun (Back trouble), Donyell Malen (Cold), Sébastien Haller (Testicular Cancer), Marco Reus (Ankle problems), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Shoulder Injury), and Mahmoud Dahoud (Shoulder Injury) won’t be available for Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić.

Manchester City will go into this game after a 3-1 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion in their most recent fixture. They managed to bounce back after a narrow defeat against Liverpool and want to continue in the same fashion. Demonstrating their penchant for action-packed matches, goals have been seen as many as 23 times in the last six matches in which Manchester City has taken to the field, yielding an average of 3.83 goals each clash. Opposing teams have managed five of this grand total. If they remain undefeated in this game, the Citizens will secure the 1^st spot in the group.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Dortmund has been inconsistent this season, and Manchester City is a favorite in this clash. Therefore, we think the visitors will return home with all three points.

Goals Market Prediction

Both teams have significant attacking potential, and we expect an efficient clash on Tuesday evening. That’s why these two sides should produce at least three goals in total.

Manchester City to Win @ 1.60

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.50

Correct score 1:3 @ 12.00

[StevieDay1983]

FC Salzburg vs Chelsea

It's the penultimate round of Champions League games coming up this week and we take a look at the 5:45pm BST kick-off between Austrian Bundesliga leaders FC Salzburg and Premier League club Chelsea on Tuesday afternoon from the Stadion Salzburg. Group E is still wide open so the result of this game will have a major influence on who is qualifying for the last 16.

FC Salzburg continue to lead the way in the Austrian Bundesliga and it's also looking positive on the European front with the team in 2nd place in the group heading into these final two group games. Head coach Matthias Jaissle has led his team to an unbeaten run of 4 games having won 1 and drawn 3 of their group matches so far. It's been a fascinating campaign for the Red Bulls so far with the team scoring just 4 goals but only conceding 3 goals. Noah Okafor has bagged 3 goals in their 4 group games with his goals helping to deliver 5 of the 6 points they have earned up to this point. The club have now scored exactly 1 goal in each of their last 7 Champions League games. It goes without saying that backing less than 2.5 goals to be scored looks like the obvious choice given the average goals scored in Salzburg games in the Champions League this season is just 1.75 goals per game. The team are also undefeated in 9 home games across all competitions so far this season making the Stadion Salzburg a proper fortress.

Chelsea are showing what a resilient side they have become under Graham Potter. The 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on the weekend was a disappointing result given that the Red Devils equalised in the fourth minute of added-on time. It was especially frustrating given it appeared that Jorginho had bagged the winner from the penalty spot in the 87th minute. The Blues are now unbeaten in 8 matches in all competitions under Potter. This run of results had moved the Londoners up to 5th position in the Premier League and put them top of their group in the Champions League. A victory here would move Chelsea onto the magic 10 points mark and book their place in the last 16. One of the key foundations of Potter's short reign with the club so far has been the resolute approach of the defence. Chelsea have only conceded 1 goal across their last 6 matches. It was also clear to see the difference in performance between their disappointing 1-0 loss away to Dinamo Zagreb at the start of the group under Thomas Tuchel and the efficient display in the 2-0 away win over AC Milan under Potter.

The game was tightly-contested when these two clubs met earlier in the group with a 1-1 draw played out at Stamford Bridge. That game came less than a week after Potter was appointed as Chelsea boss so the players were still getting to grips with his new style. Weeks down the line and you have to feel that Chelsea are looking more comfortable under Potter's management and they'll be a tougher proposition for FC Salzburg this time around, even on Salzburg's own patch. When a team's defence is as solid as Chelsea's is right now you have to back them to keep a clean sheet at the value being offered. Salzburg have been far from prolific in the Champions League over the past couple of seasons so this won't be a goal fest and that will play into Chelsea's hands as they look to grab the win that will send them into the knockout phase.

Chelsea to Win to Nil @ 3.00 with Boylesports

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.98 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester City

The Champions League is now entering that stage of the group phase where there is a lot riding on each game. This 8pm BST clash on Tuesday night between German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at the Westfalenstadion is a prime example of that. Group G is looking fairly cut and dry but top spot and a last 16 seeding place is still up for grabs. Dare we say that defeat for the home side could also let Sevilla or FC Copenhagen back in with a chance of qualification for the knockout phase.

Borussia Dortmund will feel that they have one foot in the Champions League knockout stages with the team in 2nd place in the group and 5 points clear of 3rd place. However, everything can change in the space of 90 minutes. A loss here and victory for either side in the group's other game would leave the German side likely needing a result away against FC Copenhagen next week to secure their qualification spot. Head coach Edin Terzic might be struggling to find consistency with his team on the domestic front with the Yellow and Blacks down in 5th in the Bundesliga but it's looking decent in Europe so far. A narrow 2-1 loss away to Manchester City earlier in the group phase has been their only defeat in the Champions League this season. A win here would put them in with a fantastic chance of finishing top of the group. Particularly if they can win by more than a one goal margin so they have the head-to-head advantage over City. The team is free-scoring right now having won their last two games by an aggregate of 7-0. Jude Bellingham has been crucial in those games bagging 3 goals and proving exactly why he's rated as one of the best young midfielders in European football right now. The team are also unbeaten in their last 6 home games across all competitions.

Manchester City were looking unstoppable earlier this season but something strange has happened. Erling Haaland had a brief dry patch of two games without scoring. Fortunately, the end isn't nigh because the Norwegian front man bagged two goals against Brighton on the weekend in a 3-1 win for the Citizens but it just goes to show that teams can shut him out. If Liverpool and FC Copenhagen can do it then why can't Borussia Dortmund? Pep Guardiola's side have already booked their place in the last 16 so it'll be interesting to see what line-up Guardiola chooses for this game. The team are still in 2nd place in the Premier League but only 2 points behind league leaders Arsenal so Guardiola may feel he wants to rest key players in order for them to end this pre-World Cup period on a high in the league. However, Guardiola is also well aware of how problematic failing to top the group can be regarding a last 16 tie. Finishing 2nd would leave City open to having to potentially face the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and PSG in the next round. 

It was a late winner from Haaland that was the difference between these two sides in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium earlier in this group and that shows how finely-matched these two clubs are. Manchester City may well want to rest players but simply qualifying for the last 16 isn't a job complete. Borussia Dortmund know they need something here to take the pressure off the final group game. I think backing the home team to get something at the value offered is tempting given they have more motivation, have only lost 2 of their last 14 home games in this competition, and could possibly be facing a weakened City side. I wouldn't be surprised to see over 2.5 goals scored again with both teams boasting a wealth of attacking options in great depth.

Borussia Dortmund Double Chance @ 2.48 with Unibet

Total Corners Over 9.5 @ 2.00 with SportNation

[StefanBB]

Ajax vs Liverpool

Ajax fans will want a repeat of their previous result, being the 4-1 Eredivisie success versus RKC Waalwijk. However, they are not so happy after three straight losses in the Champions League. Ajax seeks the way back to the winning track, but the Reds come to town. Three or more goals per match have been seen in 5 of the last six fixtures in which Ajax has taken part. Opposing sides scored 15 of them in these games, whereas Ajax managed a tally of 19. Ahmetcan Kaplan (Partial damage to the cruciate ligament) and Mohamed Ihattaren (Fitness) will be missing for Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder.

Since tasting defeat last time out to Nottingham Forest in Premier League competition, Liverpool will be aiming to make amends here. If they don’t lose here, the Reds will secure a place in the knockout round since they have already collected nine points. Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool has managed to stick the ball in the net 13 times throughout their latest sextet of matches. The total of goals that have been scored against them during that same period adds up to 5. Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has to choose a team with limited availability. Naby Keïta (Hamstring Injury), Joel Matip (Calf Injury), Luis Díaz (Knee Injury), Diogo Jota (Calf Injury), and Arthur Melo (Surgery) will miss out on this game. The player ineligible for this match because of suspension is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Liverpool hasn’t impressed so far in the season, and the visitors won’t have an easy job in Amsterdam. We don’t think Ajax will lose this game, and they could keep the top-two finish battle interesting.

Goals Market Prediction

Ajax has been involved in many high-scoring games recently, and this one shouldn’t be much different. That’s why we think the crowd will enjoy at least four goals in this encounter.

Ajax AH +1 @ 1.55

Over 3.5 FT @ 2.20

Correct score 3:2 @ 23.00

[StefanBB]

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich

Barcelona, who won their previous game, will hope for a similar result following a 4-0 La Liga triumph against Athletic Bilbao. It was Barcelona's second straight win, but they would need to repeat that to remain in the top-two race. Xavi Hernández's Barcelona has scored 12 times over their prior six outings. The tally of goals that have been scored against them in those fixtures amounts to 7. Nevertheless, Barca needs to put an excellent display to beat Bayern after losing its last five games against this opponent. Andreas Christensen (Sprained ankle), Memphis Depay (Thigh Problems), and Ronald Araújo (Adductors avulsion) are not available for Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández.

Bayern Munich will go into the game after a 2-0 Bundesliga win in the defeat of Hoffenheim in their last outing. The Bavarians celebrated their fourth straight win and want to pick up where they left off. Indicating their penchant for eventful matches, we've had goals 29 times in the previous six games in which Bayern Munich has played, making it an average of 4.83 goals in each meeting. Opposing teams have hit 6 of these goals. Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann has a number of players out of action. Lucas Hernández (Torn muscle bundle), Bouna Sarr (Knee Surgery), Manuel Neuer (Bruised Acromioclavicular), and Leroy Sané (Torn Muscle Fibre) won't be making appearances.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

It is an important game for Barcelona, but the match can easily go either way. We think Bayern will remain undefeated in this outing, and Barcelona won't manage to beat their rivals.

Goals Market Prediction

Although Barcelona failed to score against this rival three times in a row, we think it is time for Robert Lewandowski and the lads to find Bayern's back of the net. Therefore, neither team should keep a clean sheet here.  

Bayern Munich AH +0.5 @ 1.70

BTTS Yes @ 1.43

Correct score 1:2 @ 11.00

[StevieDay1983]

Ajax vs Liverpool

The second night of Champions League action from the penultimate round of group stage games is heading our way on Wednesday evening. Group A is the focus here as Ajax host Liverpool in an 8pm BST kick-off from the Johan Cruyff Arena in what can only be described as a do-or-die encounter for the Dutch Eredivisie side with the Premier League club simply needing to avoid defeat to progress to the last 16. Let's take a look at the betting ahead of this clash.

Ajax are on the brink of failing to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League for a third time in four seasons. The Sons of the Gods are in 3rd place but 6 points behind 2nd placed Liverpool with just 2 group games remaining. Head coach Alfred Schreuder has led his team to the top of the table in the top flight of Dutch football but he's not been able to replicate Erik ten Hag's success on the European front thus far. It's been just 1 win from their 4 group games so far but home form across all competitions has been positive with the team winning 5 of their previous 7 home games. Unfortunately, their last home game in the Champions League saw them suffer a humiliating 6-1 loss against group leaders Napoli. Even so, Ajax have scored 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 8 games played at home in all competitions. Striker Brian Brobbey is looking like the next top talent to come through the Ajax youth production line. The front man has scored 8 goals in 16 competitive games including bagging 4 goals in his last 2 appearances.

Liverpool might be shaky on the domestic front but the team is fairing slightly better in European competition. The Reds experienced a humbling result last Saturday lunch time when they lost 1-0 away to relegation favourites Nottingham Forest. That loss left the team down in 8th position in the Premier League at the end of that game week with the critics howling at the door. Jurgen Klopp has a chance to keep the doubters at bay for a little longer here though. If he can guide his team to a draw or win then the Merseysiders will be confirmed in the last 16 of the Champions League for a sixth consecutive season. The statistics make for some dour reading though with Liverpool only winning 1 of their 7 away games played across all competitions so far. That win did come in a convincing 7-1 thrashing of Scottish Premiership club Rangers in their most recent game in this competition though. Scoring goals remains a threat that Klopp's men still possess. The team have only failed to score in 1 of their previous 9 matches. The club have also won 3 on the bounce in this group and have already put Ajax to the sword once this season.

It's fair to say that all the impetus lies with Ajax here. The reigning Dutch champions are the ones that need the victory here so we can fully expect them to come charging out of the blocks. That could play into Liverpool's hands. If Klopp's side can keep their discipline and hit the hosts on the counter then they can pick away at their defence. My only worry is that Klopp's team doesn't have a different gear to the full blown intensity they adopt in each game. I think Klopp will enter this with the mindset that he wants to blow Ajax away with a high press. The reverse fixture showed that there is not a lot separating these two teams. Give Ajax a partisan crowd behind them and additional motivation then we could see a much tougher opponent for Liverpool here.

Ajax Double Chance @ 1.90 with Sporting Index

Anytime Scorer: Brian Brobbey @ 3.40 with William Hill

[StevieDay1983]

Tottenham vs Sporting CP

The Group D action takes centre focus for this Champions League preview where Premier League club Tottenham host Portuguese Primeira Liga side Sporting CP in an 8pm BST kick-off from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night. In what has become one of the tightest groups of this stage, there is everything to play for and the difference between winning and losing could also mean the difference between qualifying for the last 16 and exiting European competition altogether.

Tottenham come into this game sitting proudly on top of the group. It's probably not a scenario that most fans of the team would have anticipated after their start to the group that saw them fail to even score in 2 of their first 3 group matches. Still, here we are. Antonio Conte has been facing some tough questions recently with the team suffering back-to-back league defeats in the Premier League leaving the club in 3rd position in the table but dropping off the title pace. In Europe, it's a little bit more optimistic. Spurs pulled off a vital 3-2 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt in their most recent Champions League encounter to help them move top of the group. It was far from easy though with Tottenham needing to hold off a late surge of pressure from the Bundesliga team. It's 7 wins from 8 home games for Tottenham in all competitions but they were humbled 2-1 at home against Newcastle in league action on the weekend. The team have conceded in 6 of their 8 home matches so the defensive line could do with some tightening. However, striker Harry Kane has bagged 4 goals in his last 5 matches. This combination makes both teams scoring look particular appetising.

Sporting CP had been looking like they might be one of the success stories of this season's Champions League. The Portuguese side stormed to back-to-back victories against Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham to kick start their European campaign. Unfortunately, form has tailed off in Europe after that with the team suffering consecutive defeats to Marseille both home and away. Was it simply a case of horses for courses and Sporting CP encountering a bogey team that exploited their system? Or was the fact that head coach Ruben Amorim has been linked with some big job vacancies across Europe over the past couple of months got something to do with this drop in form? The team have won 5 of their last 6 league games on the domestic front putting the club into 4th in the table so it's not all bad news. It is 3 losses from their last 4 away games in all competitions though and this is not exactly an ideal trip for a travelling team out of form to make. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 7 of their last 10 matches in all competitions as well so goals are surely inbound.

The situation is very clear for Tottenham here. The North Londoners need a win to book their place in the last 16 with a group game to spare. Sporting CP could be staring at elimination from the competition if they lose here and Marseille pick up a win away to Eintracht Frankfurt. Either way, the stats show that both of these teams are capable of scoring but the defences are also prone to conceding. I fully expect Tottenham to hit back with a victory but it could be a rollercoaster similar to the Eintracht Frankfurt game in their last Champions League outing.

Tottenham to Win & BTTS @ 3.25 with William Hill

Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

[Heisenberg68]

1 hour ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Tottenham vs Sporting CP

The Group D action takes centre focus for this Champions League preview where Premier League club Tottenham host Portuguese Primeira Liga side Sporting CP in an 8pm BST kick-off from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night. In what has become one of the tightest groups of this stage, there is everything to play for and the difference between winning and losing could also mean the difference between qualifying for the last 16 and exiting European competition altogether.

Tottenham come into this game sitting proudly on top of the group. It's probably not a scenario that most fans of the team would have anticipated after their start to the group that saw them fail to even score in 2 of their first 3 group matches. Still, here we are. Antonio Conte has been facing some tough questions recently with the team suffering back-to-back league defeats in the Premier League leaving the club in 3rd position in the table but dropping off the title pace. In Europe, it's a little bit more optimistic. Spurs pulled off a vital 3-2 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt in their most recent Champions League encounter to help them move top of the group. It was far from easy though with Tottenham needing to hold off a late surge of pressure from the Bundesliga team. It's 7 wins from 8 home games for Tottenham in all competitions but they were humbled 2-1 at home against Newcastle in league action on the weekend. The team have conceded in 6 of their 8 home matches so the defensive line could do with some tightening. However, striker Harry Kane has bagged 4 goals in his last 5 matches. This combination makes both teams scoring look particular appetising.

Sporting CP had been looking like they might be one of the success stories of this season's Champions League. The Portuguese side stormed to back-to-back victories against Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham to kick start their European campaign. Unfortunately, form has tailed off in Europe after that with the team suffering consecutive defeats to Marseille both home and away. Was it simply a case of horses for courses and Sporting CP encountering a bogey team that exploited their system? Or was the fact that head coach Ruben Amorim has been linked with some big job vacancies across Europe over the past couple of months got something to do with this drop in form? The team have won 5 of their last 6 league games on the domestic front putting the club into 4th in the table so it's not all bad news. It is 3 losses from their last 4 away games in all competitions though and this is not exactly an ideal trip for a travelling team out of form to make. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 7 of their last 10 matches in all competitions as well so goals are surely inbound.

The situation is very clear for Tottenham here. The North Londoners need a win to book their place in the last 16 with a group game to spare. Sporting CP could be staring at elimination from the competition if they lose here and Marseille pick up a win away to Eintracht Frankfurt. Either way, the stats show that both of these teams are capable of scoring but the defences are also prone to conceding. I fully expect Tottenham to hit back with a victory but it could be a rollercoaster similar to the Eintracht Frankfurt game in their last Champions League outing.

Tottenham to Win & BTTS @ 3.25 with William Hill

Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

 

I think the asian handicap over 3 goals is a good compromise.

Over 3 Goals @2,26