There are another eight fixtures coming your way in the Champions League this Wednesday!
We’ll hardly have time to catch our breath following Tuesday’s fixtures before the second half of match-day two’s Champions League matches get underway!
The pick of Wednesday’s action will see an ever-improving Napoli host Benfica while Arsenal welcome FC Basel to the Emirates. There’s plenty of value to be had, so let’s get to it!
Wednesday 28 September
Group A
Arsenal 9/20 | 7/2 | FC Basel 52/10 (20:45)
Arsenal come into this game high on confidence, winning three games in a row at the time of writing. The Gunners stole a point in their trip to Paris, but it was David Ospina who was the star of the show, keeping his team in the game. The Goalkeeper is likely to remain in goal with Arsene Wenger rotating his squad a bit, giving some players a bit of a break after the Chelsea game which takes place this weekend. Basel have been remarkable so far in their domestic league, winning all seven of their matches played. They did, however, fail to beat Ludogorets in their opener, snatching an equalizer in the 79th minute to end the game at 1-1. At 21/20, Arsenal are tipped to win on the Halftime/Fulltime Double.
Ludogorets 7/1 | Draw 36/10 | Paris Saint-Germain 7/20 (20:45)
Ludogorets almost held on to what would have been an excellent result, but conceded late to split the spoils with Basel in their Champions League opener. PSG were also held to a 1-1 draw in their first game, but showed that they are back to their best on the weekend. The Parisians won 6-0 at Caen, with Edinson Cavani netting four of those. The Uruguayan striker has been far from his very best for a while now and getting those goals last weekend will have given him the platform he needs to push on. Playing against a team that come off a 6-0 victory will always be tough. Especially when you’re Ludogorets and that team is PSG. The away win looks a banker at 7/20, but my money will be on PSG to Win + Over 2.5 Goals at even money.
Group B
Napoli 6/10 | Draw 3/1 | Benfica 17/4 (20:45)
Napoli, the only unbeaten team in the Italian Serie A, picked up where they left off last season despite the departure of Gonzalo Higuain. Maurizio Sarri’s men came from behind to pull off an impressive 2-1 win away to Dynamo Kyiv – both goals scored by Arkadiusz Milik. Benfica were so close to holding onto their 1-0 victory, but it was not to be against Besiktas who equalised deep into stoppage time. As great as the Naples have been this season, their defence has got me asking plenty questions. They should concede here. Back Napoli to Win + Both Teams To Score at a valuable 22/10.
Besiktas 11/10 | Draw 9/4 | Dynamo Kyiv 5/2 (20:45)
Turkish giants, Besiktas, who are doing well in the league, come off the back of an emphatic 2-0 away win against Akhisar Belediyespor. They left it late in their opening game against Benfica, but still claimed the point at the end, with Talisca scoring a superb free-kick in injury time. Dynamo Kyiv on the other hand, fell to pieces after their first goal. The Russian outfit are known for their resolute defence on their turf, but failed to live up to that. They should do better in this fixture, though. Besiktas certainly have the capability of bossing the game, but Dynamo should hold on. Back the draw at 9/4.
Group C
Monchengladbach 57/10 | Draw 4/1 | Barcelona 7/20 (20:45)
Monchengladbach face their biggest challenge yet when they host Barcelona at Borussia-Park. The hosts have been fairly decent this season, winning two of their three matches played in the German Bundesliga, but also got beat by Manchester City 4-0 in their opening Champions League game. Barcelona on the other hand, are usually on the joyful side of a 4-0 hammering. They put seven goals past Celtic in their opener and then went on to beat Leganes 5-1 away from home. The trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have been a nightmare for opposing defenders. I just don’t see them slowing down here. Back Barcelona to Win + Over 3.5 Goals at 27/20.
Celtic 15/2 | Draw 9/2 | Manchester City 3/10 (20:45)
It’s looking like the dark days are near for Celtic. Pitted in the so-called ‘Group of Death’, and arguably the weakest team out of the lot, the Hoops will need a miracle to get something out of their home fixtures – at least. They go up against a Manchester City side who look unstoppable at the moment. Since Pep Guardiola took charge of the Sky Blues, they have been a joy to watch. Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne look more of themselves now. That said, this could be another routine victory for Pep’s side. Back City to win on the Halftime/Fulltime Double at 15/20.
Group D
FC Rostov 39/20 | Draw 22/10 | PSV Eindhoven 14/10 (20:45)
FC Rostov, despite a 5-0 hammering against Bayern Munich, will look to punch above their weight against PSV. Ivan Daniliants’ side have already beaten Dutch opposition this season, overcoming Ajax in the qualifying round, winning 4-1 at home. PSV, though, were unfortunate to get something from their opening game against Atletico Madrid. The Peasants scored a disallowed goal (which was wrongly decided by the ref) and missed a penalty. They will be more confident against weaker opposition now and should come away with something. At 14/10, PSV look too good to pass up.
Atletico Madrid 2/1 | Draw 43/20 | Bayern Munich 14/10 (20:45)
This is arguably the best game that the Champions League group stages will see in a very long time. In a repeat of last season’s semi-finals, Bayern Munich face Diego Simeone’s vicious Atletico Madrid side. Since then, the Bavarians have been tidier in defence. It will be a clash of tactics with Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti setting up their teams not to concede. Bayern have conceded just once in their opening six games, while Atleti have kept four consecutive clean sheets at the time of writing. This is certainly the trickiest fixture to take a bet on, but there’s loads of value on offer. If any team can break down Los Colchoneros, it’s Bayern. Having said that, if any team can shut out the Bavarians, its Cholo’s team. My money is on the draw here at 43/20.
Wednesday TREBLE @ 15/2
PSV Win 14/10
PSG Win + Over 2.5 Goals 1/1
Man City HT/FT Win 15/20
Written by Jesse Nagel @Hollywoodbets
