Champions League Betting: Matchday 3
Champions League action resumes Tuesday and Wednesday with some great games to watch, including the all-British tie between Liverpool v Rangers. On Wednesday, Chelsea takes on AC Milan, seeking their first win in the Champions League this season.
There are eight games taking place on Tuesday. Our featured games are Liverpool v Ajax and Inter Milan v Barcelona
Champions League Matchday 3: Liverpool v Rangers
As we covered in this week’s Betting Week in Review, the hosts had a nightmare start in their Premier League clash with Brighton, behind by two goals after 17 minutes. However, they did show a good fighting spirit to battle back to make it 3-2 before conceding a third in a 3-3 draw.
Rangers had a much more leisurely afternoon, beating Heart of Midlothian 0-4. The impressive Antonio Colak scored a double and Ryan Kent finally ended his goal drought with a goal in stoppage time. The 25-year-old last scored 22 games before.
Liverpool has had a mixed Champions League campaign so far, hammered 4-1 by Napoli in game week 1, but bounced back with a 2-1 win against Ajax in their next match. Luis Díaz scored the consolation against Napoli, and Mohamed Salah and Joël Matip scored in the win against Ajax.
Rangers have had a much tougher time, hammered 4-0 by Ajax and 3-0 against Napoli at home, meaning they are yet to score a goal in the competition this season.
What are the odds for Liverpool v Rangers? – It’s no surprise that bet365 has Liverpool at 1/7 on for a Liverpool win, Rangers are 14/1 outsiders, and the draw is 15/2.
Players to watch – For Liverpool, two players stand out Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. A Bet Builder consisting of Liverpool to win and the duo to score is available at 7/2. For Rangers, Antonio Colak to score anytime is available at 9/2.
Bets to consider – Although we feel this should be a routine Liverpool win, Rangers to win either half. Alfredo Morelos to have over 0.5 shots on target and both teams to score at 10/1 appeals – watch the live betting markets for movement.
Champions League Matchday 2: Inter Milan v Barcelona
Two giants of European football go head-to-head in what could prove a vital game in Group C. Inter lost at the weekend against Roma, which means they have lost four of their last six games. Barcelona have won five of their last six games, but their one defeat came in the Champions League against Bayern Munich (2-0).
What are the odds for Inter Milan v Barcelona? – Inter are 7/2 outsiders for the clash, the draw is priced at 14/5, and it is 4/5 for a Barcelona win.
Players to watch – For Inter, their top-scorer in Serie A is the 25-year-old forward Lautaro Martínez, who has three goals and an assist in his 650 minutes of action. However, their only two goalscorers in the Champions League are Denzel Dumfries (1) and the former Manchester City man Edin Dzeko who is still finding the net at 36. For Barcelona, all eyes will again be on Robert Lewandowski, who has scored nine goals and provided two assists in 539 minutes of action. The 34-year-old scored a hattrick on match day 1, but was kept quiet in the 2-0 defeat against Bayern in their last Champions League game.
Bets to consider – bet365 are offering a Bet Boost on Lewandowski to score, more than three goals combined and the match result will be Barcelona at 9/2, a £5 bet would see returns of £27.50. Edin Dzeko and Martinez are the lowest-priced goalscorers for Inter, and both are priced at 5/2 to score anytime.
There are eight games taking place on Wednesday. Our featured game is Chelsea v AC Milan.
Champions League Matchday 2: Chelsea v AC Milan
Chelsea struggled at the weekend against Crystal Palace, and the game seemed destined for a 1-1 draw until a spectacular strike from Conor Gallagher, playing against his former side, stole the three points. Chelsea are yet to win a Champions League game this season, losing 1-0 against Dinamo Zagreb and a 1-1 draw with Salzburg. AC Milan has won four of the last six in all competitions (one draw, one loss). They drew their first Champions League game against Salzburg 1-1 and beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 last time out.
What are the odds for Chelsea v AC Milan? – Chelsea are heavy favourites at 7/10, the draw is 14/5, and an AC Milan win is 4/1.
Players to watch – Raheem Sterling is the London club’s top scorer in the league, with three goals in seven games. He is the only Chelsea player to have scored more than one. However, seven players have scored a goal, showing Chelsea’s danger throughout the squad. Sterling is also the only Chelsea player to score in this season’s Champions League. Interestingly, Olivier Giroud is AC Milan’s top scorer. The former Chelsea left Stamford Bridge two years ago.
Bets to consider – £5 deposit betting sites think that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the biggest threat on the pitch. The 33-year-old is 9/2 to open the scoring and 13/8 to score anytime. Some football betting fans might fancy him in the multi-scorer market, he is 10/1 to score two or more and 50/1 to claim a hat trick. Giroud is AC Milan’s biggest threat. He is priced 7/1 to open the scoring and 11/4 to score anytime. In the multi-scorer market, Giroud is 20/1 to score two or more and 100/1 for the hat trick.
Another match to look out for on Wednesday is Manchester City v Copenhagen. City thrashed Manchester United at the weekend 6-3, and Erland Haaland scored his third hat trick in three home games. Such is his stock right now that he is just 4/1 to score a hat trick, the lowest odds we’ve ever seen on a player. City is 1/20 favourites with Copenhagen 33/1 to pull off an almighty shock at the Etihad.
