Three English teams are in action on Wednesday evening, and two of those fixtures look set to be absolute crackers.
So where does the pick of this week’s Champions League betting value lie?
Liverpool vs Maribor (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Trying to find some value in this one is like sourcing the proverbial needle in a haystack. Liverpool are priced at 1/20 and Maribor 90/1 – such is the one-sided nature that the bookmakers are expecting!
It’s not hard to see why either as the Reds spanked the Slovenians 7-0 in the reverse fixture just a couple of weeks ago. They had some 15 shots on target too, which suggests the end result could have been even more disastrous for Maribor.
They also lost 0-3 at Sevilla, and so we are expecting a resounding Liverpool win here.
It’s quite possible that Jurgen Klopp will make some changes to his starting eleven. Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana are definitely out anyway, and he may well leave Philippe Coutinho in the stands after he was forced to miss out on Saturday through injury.
The Reds take on West Ham this week in the Premier League, and Klopp will be desperate to get his hands on three more points ahead of the international break.
So expect a changed Liverpool starting eleven, and that may just result in a disjointed attacking performance that is, ultimately, good enough to get the job done.
Recommended Bet
Liverpool to Win 3-0 or 4-0 (6/1 or 13/2 with Betfair)
Napoli vs Manchester City (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Let battle commence in round two of this fascinating fixture. Two attacking sides that play beautiful, expressive football meet in Naples on Wednesday, and we’d like to think that goals will duly follow.
The reverse fixture ended 2-1 in Manchester City’s favour, but lest we forget that Napoli did also miss a penalty, and with plenty of goalmouth action unfolding we can expect another entertaining clash in Manchester.
There are rumours circulating that Napoli are more focused on winning Serie A than a run in the Champions League, and that may manifest itself in other group games as it did in the defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.
But on home soil, against Manchester City, they will give it both barrels. Frankly, we can’t wait!
Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals (7/10 with BetFred)
Tottenham vs Real Madrid (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Punters who tune in to La Liga on a regular basis can only have been disappointed by what they’ve seen from Real Madrid this term.
The Galacticos lost 2-3 to minnows Girona at the weekend, and that is just the latest insipid performance from Cristiano Ronaldo and co. Even at this youthful stage of the campaign, they are already eight points behind Barcelona.
You would expect Real to raise their game at Wembley on Wednesday though, and Tottenham will need up to their performance level from Saturday’s 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
But they will, you would think, and with Harry Kane said to be winning the race for fitness the Spurs players will have an actual and psychological boost. After gaining and excellent point at the Bernabeu, they will have no fear.
Recommended Bet
Tottenham Draw No Bet (6/5 with William Hill)
Porto vs RB Leipzig (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Group G was always likely to be the ‘group of death’ for this year’s Champions League, but few could have predicted that it would be Besiktas that came out on top. But the Turks have already booked second place at the very least, leaving Porto, Leipzig and Monaco battling it out for the other qualification spot.
Porto still have two home matches to play, and that should make them favourites over the other pair to ascend to the last 16. They are a lovely side to watch, and continue to cut a swathe through the Primeira Liga: winning nine of their ten matches with a goal difference of +24.
Leipzig are making a good fist of their second season as what we might label an ‘elite side’, although their progress has been hampered by an apparent inability to defend.
They’ve shipped 12 in 10 Bundesliga matches and five in three Champions League outings, so Porto must be a decent favourite to get the win on home soil.
Recommended Bet
Porto to Win (11/10 with Paddy Power)
