Defeat here for sides who lost in the opening round of fixtures could prove catastrophic, and so there will be an element of desperation even at this early stage of the competition.
So who make up the pick of Wednesday’s Champions League betting tips?
Qarabag vs Roma (Wednesday, 5pm)
The hosts were well beaten by Chelsea in their first Champions League outing, and the 6-0 scoreline could have been even more humiliating had the Blues not hit the woodwork and mossed two other glorious chances.
After a ropey start to the season, Roma are starting to find their feet and have won their last three Serie A matches 3-1, 4-0 and 3-0.
With Atletico and Chelsea taking each other on, Roma will be looking to steal a march on their Group C rivals here.
Recommended Bet
Roma -1 Handicap (5/4 with Betfair)
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Diego Simeone is the master at setting his Atletico Madrid side up to keep things tight and testy, and 15 of the Spaniards’ last 20 Champions League matches have witnessed two or fewer goals.
Chelsea won 4-0 at Stoke on Saturday but there was an element of good fortune to that; they scored with all of their shots on target. That, the stats community will tell you, is lucky.
Both teams to score has landed in just four of Atleti’s last twenty home Champions League matches – there’s no need to bet against that here.
Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score – No (4/5 with 888 Sport)
CSKA Moscow vs Manchester United (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Manchester United’s victory over Basel was wholly expected, but CSKA were rather more surprising in their 2-1 win at Benfica.
They played the perfect ‘rope-a-dope’ style game, enjoying just 29% possession but counter-attacking at will. Jose Mourinho’s side cannot afford to rest on their laurels in the Russian capital.
CSKA have drawn with Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen at the Arena CSKA in the past year, and they really will make life difficult for their opponents. All five of their Champions League games at this newish ground have gone under the 2.5 goal mark.
Recommended Bet
Under 2.5 Goals (4/5 with Betfair)
