UEFA Champions League

Bet on These…

The Champions League is back, and so is the Europa League. There is also the small matter of a first versus second clash when Arsenal play Manchester City on Wednesday in the Premier League.

All these fixtures present a feast of football action and opportunities to win big by betting on these matches.

Our Daily Specials Bets and Kings Combo provide unique betting combos with huge odds, so do check them out.

AC Milan vs Tottenham

Both teams need a good showing in the Champions League if they are going to salvage a season that has not gone well for them domestically.

AC Milan picked up a first win in eight games with a slender 1-0 victory over Torino on Friday, while Tottenham were trashed 4-1 by Leicester on Saturday.

Their reaction in this champions league clash could set the tone for the rest of the season for both teams.

Form Guide

AC Milan

Milan have only two league wins in 2023; in between, they were eliminated from the Coppa Italia, lost the SuperCoppa Italiana final to Inter Milan, and also lost the Milan derby to Inter.

They trail league leaders Napoli by 18 points and will see the Champions League as their only chance for silverware this season.

(D-L-L-L-L-W)

Tottenham

Spurs followed up a gusty 1-0 win over Manchester City with a tepid display against Leicester that ended 4-1 in favour of the Foxes.

This has been consistent with the sort of season Tottenham have had this year, producing an impressive one match, then following it with the opposite.

Tottenham were knocked out at this stage by RB Leipzig last time they got this far and will hope for a better away performance than they managed last time.

(L-L-W-W-W-L)

Prediction

As if the defeat Tottenham suffered against Leicester was not enough punishment, midfielder Rodrigo Bentacur has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury. They are also missing Hugo Lloris in goal and will have to rely on Fraser Forster to shut out the Milan attack.

Milan have had a poor run of results too, but will be buoyed by the league win against Torino, however, they will struggle to break down a Tottenham team that are likely going to sit deep and hit on the counter.

A draw seems the most likely result in this contest.

Our betting picks

Milan to win or draw @ 1.41
Over 2.5 @ 1.99
Both teams score @ 1.73
Over 3.5 bookings @ 1.25

Bayern Munich vs PSG

In the first leg of the Champions League match between PSG and Bayern on Tuesday at Parc des Princes, it will be a clash between the French and German champions.

PSG are hopeful 2023 will be the year they finally win the Champions League trophy, while Bayern are looking to win the title of European champions for the seventh time.

Form Guide

PSG

Christophe Galtier’s PSG team have lost back-to-back matches going into this fixture. They were knocked out of the French Cup by Marseille and then lost 3-1 in the league to Monaco on Saturday.

Far from ideal preparation for the visit of Bayern Munich, PSG’s preparations were further disrupted by fans who showed up to boo players at their training session ahead of this Champions League fixture.

However, PSG still have a healthy 5-point lead at the summit of Ligue 1 and can be confident of their past Champions League results at the Parc des Princes where they have defeated the likes of Juventus, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

(W-D-W-W-L-L)

Bayern Munich

The Bavarians set themselves up for the trip to France with a 3-0 win over Bochum that keeps them ahead of the chasing pack of Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund.

As they turn their attention to the Champions League, they can draw confidence from their last trip to the Parc des Princes in April 2021, when they pulled off a 1-0 win against PSG. The German champions usually progress beyond this stage of the competition, qualifying for the quarter-finals in nine of their last 10 last-16 appearances.

(D-D-D-W-W-W)

Prediction

Lionel Messi was unavailable for the match against Monaco due to a hamstring injury, but could be fit to play against Bayern on Tuesday. However, Kylian Mbappe is still out injured and could be a key absence for the Parisiens.

For Bayern, Sadio Mane is still out, while Joshua Kimmich returns from suspension.

Despite the absence of some key players, this will be a blockbuster fixture with Bayern the team with the momentum going into the clash.

Our betting picks

Draw @ 3.55
Over 2.5 @ 1.54
Both teams score @ 1.43
Over 3.5 bookings @ 1.16

Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea

Two teams of contrasting forms clash in the Champions League when Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea play on Wednesday in the round of 16.

Dortmund have won five straight league matches to move into third place in the Bundesliga and are only three points behind Bayern.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have only won one match in the Premier League this year, picking up just 7 points from a possible 18.

Form Guide

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund are a team in form. They have won 6 matches on the bounce and lost only once in the group stage of the Champions League this year.

Edin Terzic’s squad are full of confidence as they look to take advantage of playing on their home turf in their first-ever meeting with Chelsea in Europe.

They will need to proceed with caution as they are without a win in their last 10 games against English opposition in European competitions

(W-W-W-W-W-W)

Chelsea

The Blues’ last three games have ended in a draw, they will look to return to winning ways when they face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.

Chelsea are currently 10 points off the Premier League top four, and face the possibility of needing to win the Champions League if they are to be a part of next season’s competition.

Graham Potter has fared better in Europe than he has in the Premier League, he has won all five European games he has been in charge of and will be keen to keep this run going against Borussia Dortmund.

(D-D-D-W-W-W)

Prediction

Dortmund qualified in second place from a group that included Manchester City, Fc Copenhagen and Sevilla. They have improved since then, winning all five successive Bundesliga matches. They have been boosted by the return of Sebastian Haller and have Jude Bellingham playing some of the best football of his still young career.

Chelsea, conversely, have been without an identity this season, with an influx of exciting talent, it seems they will have to wait a while before Potter’s team begins to play like a team and this test against Borussia Dortmund looks like one they will flunk

Our betting picks

Dortmund win @ 2.47
Under 2.5 @ 1.89
Both teams score @ 1.66
Over 3.5 bookings @ 1.49

Arsenal vs Manchester City

Manchester City secured a 3-1 win over Aston Villa which puts them in a good position to usurp Arsenal at the top of the table. The Gunners have only a 3-point lead over Manchester City following their 1-1 draw against Brentford and could find themselves down in second if they lose to City at the Emirates on Wednesday.

Form Guide

Arsenal

A brilliant start to the season for Arsenal has been shaky in recent times. A 1-0 loss to Everton last week was followed by a draw with Brentford on Saturday. Those dropped points have meant that Manchester City are within touching distance of Arsenal.

However, Arsenal have played one match less than Manchester City, and have yet to lose at the Emirates this season, dropping points only twice – against Newcastle and Brentford.

(W-D-W-W-L-D)

Manchester City

Despite pulling within touching distance of Arsenal, Manchester City have hardly seemed like their vintage selves. They have lost twice in their last away matches to teams in the top 5 (Manchester United and Tottenham) and could be without the services of Erling Haaland for the trip to London.

However, they have beaten Arsenal in their last 6 meetings against the Gunners, with the most recent victory coming a couple of weeks ago in the FA Cup.

Prediction

Mikel Arteta and his players have spoken about how they need to show an improved performance after the disappointment of dropping points against Brentford. They will have to step up the level of their performance if they are going to get a positive result against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola will be keen to get another one over his protege and will have the mental advantage coming into this match; his team has greater depth and seem to be getting better as the season has progressed, while Arsenal’s vim might be starting to wane a bit.

Manchester City with or without Haaland, have too much quality for Arsenal and should edge this contest.

Our betting picks

Manchester City win @ 2.43
Both teams score @ 1.65
Over 2.5 @ 1.83
Over 3.5 bookings @ 1.38

Real Madrid vs Elche

Real Madrid, fresh off winning the FIFA Club World Cup, will host Elche on Wednesday in a La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Elche, who had lost 13 of their previous 19 games, defeated Villarreal last time out to pick up their first league victory of the year.

Form Guide

Real Madrid

Real Madrid head into Wednesday’s clash after winning their fifth Club World Cup trophy.

With that trophy added to their already bulging cabinet, attention will return to the La Liga title race as they look to catch up to Barcelona.

Real Madrid now trail Barcelona by 11 points in the table after recording three wins, one draw, and two losses since the resumption of action after the World Cup break.

Last time out, they suffered a shock loss at Mallorca and will aim for a reaction following that result.

Elche

Elche won their first match of the season thanks to a Pere Milla hat-trick in the 3-1 win against Villarreal.

Despite that win, Elche still are 10 points behind Getafe in the La Liga table, having played six draws and suffered 13 defeats this season.

Most worryingly, Elche are the joint-lowest scorers in La Liga, scoring only 15 goals all season with 40 conceded.

Prediction

For Carlos Ancelloti, this fixture is the perfect opportunity for his side to bounce back from that loss to Mallorca and maybe make a title charge.

Elche have not won away from home this season and lost 3-0 to Real Madrid in the reverse fixture back in October.

However, that first win of the season is a good foundation for Elche to build on and will come into this fixture with more confidence than they previously had.

Our betting picks

Madrid win @ 1.16
Over 2.5 @ 1.49
One or both teams don’t score @ 1.63

Barcelona vs Manchester United

Barcelona and Manchester United clash this Thursday at Camp Nou in a match that seems more suited for the Champions League final than the Europa League knockout round playoffs.

Between both teams, they have won eight Champions League titles and 46 domestic league titles.

Form Guide

Barcelona

Xavi’s team have set the pace in La Liga and have an 11-point lead over Real Madrid. They are nearly guaranteed Champions League football next season, but will count this as a chance to win more silverware this season.

Barcelona have won all their league matches in 2023 and have not lost a game since losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Manchester United

United are only two points behind second-place Manchester City and have salvaged a poor start to the season to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Premier League this season.

They responded to a 2-2 draw with Leeds on Wednesday with a 2-0 win against the same rivals at Elland Road.

Erik Ten Hag’s team have won nine out of 12 matches in the new year, losing only once and drawing twice.

Prediction

Both teams have been solid defensively, especially Barcelona, who have made slim victories a hallmark of the Xavi era. They are also stingy at the back, they have the joint-fewest goals conceded after 21 games in La Liga this season.

With a second leg still to play at Old Trafford, expect a more cautious approach from Erik ten Hag, with a stalemate the likely result.

Our betting picks