Matchday four of the UEFA Champions League is upon us and as fans we will get to watch a repeat of the last round’s ties but this time around it will take place at the opposite home grounds as the previous matches.
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Paris Saint-Germain hosting RB Leipzig will headline the round of fixtures on Tuesday as both clubs will be looking to close the gap left by Manchester United when the Red Devils suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the home of the Turkish Super Lig champions Istanbul Basaksehir.
Wednesday evening all eyes will be on Real Madrid who travel to the iconic San Siro Stadium to lock horns with Inter Milan, who will be desperate to avenge the 3-2 defeat in Spain.
Tuesday 24 November
Rennes 29/10
Draw 11/4
Chelsea 17/20
Rennes will be looking to muster any sort
of result that will help them off the foot of the Group E standings and
challenge Krasnodar for the third spot that will secure their path to the UEFA
Europa League. The Red and Blacks were convincingly beaten in London by a 3-0
margin with Belgian speedster Jeremy Doku only coming on as a substitute for 30
minutes.
If Rennes are to stand any chance of upsetting the English giants,
Doku has to play from the start. Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech is finally in the first-team
and is already showing signs that he can replicate the form he showed in Ajax
colours for Frank Lampard’s Blues. The Moroccan international netted a brace
against Central African Republic and will be aiming to maintain his stellar
displays. Chelsea are the first team in my multiple at 17/20.
Krasnodar 7/2
Draw 29/10
Sevilla 7/10
Krasnodar come into the clash losing five
matches on the trot across all competitions, conceding more than twice for all
five games in this period. The Russians have little experience in this elite
league and realistically should be battling it out with Rennes for third spot
in the group.
Sevilla were given a scare in Spain coming from behind to claim a
3-2 victory thanks to Ivan Rakitic finding the net as well as a Youssef En-Nesyri
brace. Los Palanganas surely have learned from the mistakes made in the first
half of the previous encounter. Clean Sheet Away Team is worth a punt at
17/10; however, I’m going to keep it simple and back the away win at 7/10.
Borussia Dortmund 3/10
Draw 9/2
Club Brugge 15/2
Goals from Thorgan Hazard and Erling Haaland
secured an easy 3-0 victory for Borussia Dortmund in Belgium. The Yellow and
Blacks will be aiming for top spot in the group and Haaland will be trying to
add to his impressive tally of 14 UEFA Champions League goals from his first
eight appearances in the competition.
Club Brugge have won just once in five
games across all competitions which doesn’t bode well for their chances against
a team with such a powerful forward line. The Belgian champions are without
South African forward Percy Tau but will look to their previous meeting to Signal
Iduna Park where they held on for a goalless draw for belief that they could
come away with a positive result. Haaland Anytime Goalscorer will be
available closer to kick off, I also suggest backing Home to Win Both Halves
(Yes) at 33/20.
Lazio 19/20
Draw 51/20
Zenit St. Petersburg 51/20
Lazio will be rueing the opportunity missed
to go clear at the top of Group F by drawing with both Club Brugge (1-1) and
Zenit St. Petersburg (1-1) after beating Borussia Dortmund (3-1) in the opening
round of matches. Two weeks ago, Lazio shared the spoils in 1-1 draw with Serie
A champions Juventus thanks to Ecuadorian Felipe Caicedo who was also on target
in the reverse fixture against Zenit.
The Russian Lions will be looking to
replicate last season’s performances where they beat Benfica and Lyon in the
group stages – their only wins from their last nine Champions League matches. My
money is on Lazio to make home advantage count in Rome at 19/20.
Group G
Dynamo Kiev 57/10
Draw 17/4
Barcelona 7/20
Dynamo Kiev face an uphill task trying to
qualify from a group that consists of European giants Barcelona and Juventus.
The Ukrainians’ best finish will be beating Hungarian champions Ferencvaros to
third spot in order to join the UEFA Europa League. Barcelona doesn’t have the
fear factor that they previously boasted and Dynamo Kiev will be looking to
exploit their weaknesses.
The Catalans have put faith in a lot of young players
and could possibly suffer with fatigue after squaring off against the
hard-tackling Atletico Madrid in La Liga action. Ansu Fati is set for a
four-month spell on the sidelines and Sergio Busquets is also due for knee
surgery which will certainly leave Barca manager Ronald Koeman under pressure. I’m
going for Both Teams to Score (Yes) at 13/20.
Juventus 1/11
Draw 8/1
Ferencvaros 23/1
Cristiano Ronaldo will be targeting a few
goals to extend his record as the top-goalscorer in the history of the
competition when the Old Lady host the Hungarian champions, who are minnows in
the UEFA Champions League. The bookies give Ferencvaros no chance whatsoever at
odds of 23/1 for a win.
Ferencvaros have scored in each of their three games so
Both Teams to Score (Yes) is a good option to look at with odds of 27/20. Ronaldo
anytime goalscorer is worth a punt as well, but I suggest selecting Home to Win
Both Halves (Yes) at 8/10 as the best option when looking for value in this
match.
Group H
Paris Saint-Germain 6/10
Draw 34/10
RB Leipzig 7/2
Paris Saint-Germain were without star
forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe when the Parisians fell to a 2-1 defeat in
Germany and also ended the game with nine men as Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimpembe
were shown red cards. Thomas Tuchel will be sweating on the fitness of his €400
million duo, Mbappe and Neymar, but will be happy with Moise Kean who has
stepped up by scoring five times in his last five appearances. RB Leipzig
manager Julian Nagelsmann will be desperate to do the double over his German
counterpart Tuchel to give Leipzig the upper hand in this “group of death” and
avenge last season’s semi-final loss to PSG.
Dayot Upamecano will be the key
player if RB Leipzig are to come away with a favourable result. The young
French central defender allows Nagelsmann to employ outlandish tactics to catch
the opponent unaware because he has a player that can successfully fulfil two
positions on the field at the same time. Upamecano is dominant at the heart of
defence and drives with the ball at his feet very well into the deeper-lying
midfield areas. If the defender can pocket Neymar and Mbappe, his stock will continue
to rise and have a successful outing in his homeland France. I strongly feel
RB Leipzig won’t lose this one and I’ll be backing them on the Double Chance at
12/10.
Manchester United 1/4
Draw 47/10
Istanbul Basaksehir 9/1
Manchester United will be hoping for a draw
in Paris to regain a stronghold on Group H and can’t afford to drop points to
Istanbul Basaksehir again when the Turkish Super Lig champions visit Old
Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to set his team up to play on the
front foot on home soil which will surely reap goals. Scott McTominay and Fred
have been used as a double-pivot midfield in recent games but Paul Pogba will
be knocking on the manager’s door after a few decent performances for France.
Pogba has underwhelmed in a United shirt but will be aiming to prove his
doubters wrong. Istanbul Basaksehir took advantage of comical mistakes made by
the United defence and Solskjaer has surely learnt his lesson from the
humiliating defeat last time out. The hosts should be considered bankers but
if you’re searching for more value select Home To Win To Nil at even money.
Wednesday 25 November
Group A
Bayern Munich 1/5
Draw 6/1
Salzburg 17/2
Bayern Munich were put on the back foot by
Salzburg during the last meeting. The Bavarians needed to come from behind
twice but displayed their class in the final 10 minutes by scoring four times,
leaving Austria’s Red Bull Arena as 6-2 winners. The youthful Salzburg
frontline of Sekou Koita, Patson Daka, Noah Okafor and Mergim Berisha will
cherish this opportunity at the grand stage against the champions and play with
no fear, but I can’t see Bayern Munich losing this one as they target their
15th straight UEFA Champions League victory. There’s little value on the
home win, go into the Multiscores market and select 1:0, 2:0 OR 3:0 at 15/4.
Atletico Madrid 1/4
Draw 9/2
Lokomotiv Moscow 10/1
Atletico Madrid put most punters out of their multiples in Tuesday’s early kick-off last time out as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow. Los Rojiblancos are a serious threat to any opposition with Luis Suarez leading the line and Joao Felix enjoying a rich vein of form.
Atleti host Barcelona in La Liga action prior to this match and won’t have the task of traveling to Russia this time around. Diego Simeone’s troops have only tasted defeat twice (Real Madrid & Barcelona) at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano from their last 55 clashes across all competitions. Lokomotiv Moscow are priced at 10/1 for the win because they come into the clash winless in six games, where they’ve suffered four losses. Atletico Madrid look a banker at 1/4, however, I suggest taking Home To Win To Nil at 8/10.
Group B
Borussia Monchengladbach 5/10
Draw 7/2
Shakhtar Donetsk 9/2
Borussia Monchengladbach were absolutely
dominant in their 6-0 victory in Kiev. Alassane Plea netted himself a UEFA
Champions League hat-trick in Ukraine a week after Marcus Thuram’s brace
against Real Madrid, so, head coach Marco Rose will be confident his strikers
will deliver when it counts most. Swiss international Breel Embolo also
provides a huge threat to defenders with his scintillating speed and trickery
on the ball.
Shakhtar Donetsk are priced as huge outsiders following the 6-0
defeat but could surprise everyone and turn the group on its head again.
Shakhtar are capable of playing brilliant, attacking football that could punish
any team on their day. Taras Stepanenko and Junior Moraes were left out of the
starting eleven and the lack of experience was there to be seen. Both Teams
to Score (Yes) is my banker from Wednesday’s fixtures at 6/10.
Inter Milan 27/20
Draw 51/20
Real Madrid 7/4
Inter Milan have failed to win seven of their last eight matches and questions have started being asked about manager Antonio Conte and why he isn’t displaying his usual enthusiastic personality on the touchline. Conte’s fired back and told the media to “lay off the wine”. The Nerazzurri coach is definitely under pressure with the current results, but he is a class manager and has the tools to get back to winning ways. Romelu Lukaku will return to the team after missing the clash in Spain which will be a huge lift to his teammates, especially Lautaro Martinez with both strikers sharing a wonderful understanding as strike partners.
Real Madrid gave away three penalties and scored an own goal which helped Valencia beat Zinedine Zidane’s men 4-1 before the international break in La Liga action. Los Blancos have been inconsistent this season and have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven matches. Inter Milan are tipped to prey on Madrid’s weaknesses and edge this encounter at 27/20.
Group C
Olympiacos 13/2
Draw 39/10
Manchester City 7/20
Olympiacos arguably have talent and
experience within their squad but it’s difficult for anyone to match Manchester
City’s depth with the likes of Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Joao
Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias on the bench, the Citizens still ran
out 3-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium. The last time the Greek club hosted
English opposition, the Red-Whites held Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw with
Daniel Podence who now represents Wolves finding the net on the night. City
aren’t at their majestic best but have lost just twice during their UEFA
Champions League travels in three seasons. Select Pep Guardiola’s team on
the (-1) Handicap for a convincing win at 9/10.
Marseille 16/10
Draw 43/20
Porto 17/10
Marseille have suffered three losses on the
bounce which leaves them rooted to the bottom of Group C. Dimitri Payet wasted
his opportunity to draw the Olympians level by blazing his penalty over the
crossbar without testing the goalkeeper which would have been the biggest
disappointment. Andre Villas-Boas is under pressure to deliver the goods and
recently hit back at his critics by saying if he had Guardiola’s players, he
would play attractive, possession-based football but explained he has to use
his current tactics because of the quality or lack thereof in his Marseille
squad. Porto are in a great position to secure qualification to the round-of-16
stage. If the Dragons manage to claim maximum points in this encounter, they’d
just have to avoid defeat to Olympiacos to qualify. Porto’s midfield has some
brilliant players who are gifted in one-on-one situations and frequently
dribble passed their opponents to provide service to the target men strikers up
top. It’s a bold call but my money will be on Porto at 17/10.
Group D
Liverpool 7/10
Draw 32/10
Atalanta 32/10
Liverpool’s injury crisis in defence was
non-existent as the Reds pulled off an incredible 5-0 win over Atalanta in
Italy thanks to a Diogo Jota hat-trick. The Portuguese forward has been on fire
since his Liverpool debut but now the pressure will be on his shoulders to
deliver with Mohamed Salah still recovering from Covid-19.
Roberto Firmino has
been questioned in recent weeks and with Salah’s absence Firmino has the
perfect opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. Atalanta take chances with
their football and leave space in behind that was exploited by Jota, Salah and
Sadio Mane. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men can’t afford to make those mistakes
again if they’re to have any chance of beating Ajax to a round-of-16 slot. Instead
of picking a winner, take Both Halves Over 1.5 Goals at 43/20.
Ajax Amsterdam 3/10
Draw 9/2
Midtjylland 7/1
Ajax come into the clash as huge favourites
despite only beating Midtjylland 2-1 in the reverse fixture in Denmark. The
hosts clearly have more experience and quality in their ranks to play in this
competition with Midtjylland’s main threat being Pione Sisto who is gifted with
amazing speed. Erik Ten Hag’s men will claim maximum points but with their
tendency of scoring goals very early in matches I’ve decided against picking a
winner. Go with Over 2.5 Goals at 7/20.
TUESDAY’S TREBLE @ 7/1
Chelsea Win 17/20
Lazio Win 19/20
RB Leipzig Win/Draw 12/10
WEDNESDAY’S TREBLE @ 11/1
Manchester City (-1) Handicap 9/10
Inter Milan Win 27/20
Porto Win 17/10
Written by Bryan Naicker
