After all the excitement of the Ryder Cup this weekend, when the winner is announced on Sunday, attention will turn back to European football’s premier competition as the Champions League resumes on Tuesday night for the second matches in the group stage and already, all four English teams remaining in the competition face a test of their resolve.
In Group B, Liverpool got off to a winning start against Ludogorets of Bulgaria, however the 2-1 scoreline barely does justice to a game that the reds could easily have lost.
Denied by the doughty resolve of their opponents, who always looked dangerous on the counter-attack, Liverpool went in front late on thanks to Mario Balotelli’s first goal for the club. In injury time, however, Ludogorets snatched an equaliser, only for Liverpool to snatch the win in the final minute of added time through a Steven Gerrard penalty.
Such a result was vital for Liverpool as they now head to Switzerland to take on FC Basel on Wednesday night, a team that has already managed to eliminate them from the competition before now and who themselves must get a result after a 5-1 thrashing at Real Madrid on the opening night of Champions League action.
Arsenal’s Champions League adventure got off to a desperately disappointing start with a 2-0 defeat in Dortmund, and in truth it could have been considerably more for the home side with the Gunners completely out of sorts and putting in a well below-par performance. It doesn’t get much easier for Arsenal as although their next game is at home, they face a tough task against Turkish side Galatasaray.
Emmanuel Eboue will make a return to Arsenal and Cesare Prandelli’s team will be looking to get something from the game after a somewhat disappointing 1-1 last gasp home draw with Anderlecht on the opening night of the Champions League. Chelsea will have been disappointed with a 1-1 home draw with Schalke on the opening night and in a group that also consists of Sporting Lisbon, who also took a point from their 1-1 draw with Maribor, Chelsea’s trip on Tuesday to Lisbon to face the Portuguese side takes on added significance.
Defeat there for Jose Mourinho’s men would be a serious blow to reaching the knockout stages, especially if Schalke can follow up their point at Stamford Bridge with a win at home to Maribor. This is a crucial game for Chelsea and the results on Tuesday could be integral in deciding who qualifies from the group and in what position.
Finally, Manchester City were somewhat unlucky to lose 1-0 away to Bayern Munich on the opening night in Group E, but lose they did and now Manuel Pellegrini’s men face a huge game on Tuesday at home to Italian side AS Roma. Anything less than three points in a group that sees City also facing a tough trip to Moscow to take on CSKA, could be fatal to City’s hopes of progressing from the group, with two very tough away games left, as well as a home game against the 2012 winners of the Champions League.
As such, this is a game that City will know nothing less than three points will suffice, but Roma are an improving team and perhaps the only genuine contenders alongside Juventus in Serie A for the title, so this will not be an easy task for the home side. It’s a big night in other groups too with some huge games. On Tuesday night, Paris St-Germain welcome Barcelona to the Parc des Princes in what promises to be a clash between two of European football’s wealthiest and most star-studded sides.
Wednesday night’s biggest match arguably comes in Madrid where runners up last season Atletico welcome Serie A champions Juventus in what is a clash between the current Champions of Spain and Italy. Let’s take a look at some of the best betting markets available on these games, as well as some tips about what to back across the two nights of major European football action.
Before we delve into our picks, just a quick reminder that if you are new to the site, you can make the most of your punting with $100 in free bets from Bet365 Sports – all new signups are eligible.
Tip 1: Bet365 Euro Soccer Bonus Champions League Acca
If you bet with Bet365 Sports on soccer, then you’ll already know they offer a Euro Soccer Bonus for the top European Leagues, but it is less well known that this offer extends into Champions League games (from the group stages onwards).
So with that in mind, why not take advantage of the bonus available by picking a nice four or five-fold acca each night?
Here’s my acca tips for Tuesday and Wednesday’s nights games.
Tuesday 30th September
- CSKA Moscow v Bayern Munich Away Win @ 1/3
- Apoel Nicosia v Ajax Away Win @ 6/4
- Manchester City v Roma Home Win @ 4/6
- Paris St Germain v Barcelona Draw @ 12/5
This fourfold bet when placed with Bet365 offers a return of £178.80 for a £10 bet, however with Bet365’s Euro Soccer Bonus, you’ll earn 10% more, for a an extra £17.88 for a total win of £196.68.
Wednesday 1st October
- Zenit St Peterburg v AS Monaco Home Win @ 13/20
- Arsenal v Galatasaray Home Win @ 4/9
- Atletico Madrid v Juventus Home Win @ 11/10
- Ludogorets v Real Madrid Away Win @ 1/5
This fourfold bet offers odds of 4/1 meaning a £10 bet would return £50. However with Bet365 Euro Soccer Bonus, you’d earn 10% extra for a total return of £55.
Tip 2: Top Correct Score Selections
Correct Score bets are beguilingly simple. They look great value bets and look highly probable but actually landing one spot on is relatively tough, hence the great odds usually available on these bets. Paddy Power offer some great deals on soccer betting throughout the year, including their famous money back specials. However, they are also one of the best for prices on correct score bets, so why not have a punt on some of my top tips outlined below?
- Manchester City v AS Roma – Manchester City to win 2-1 is 7/1 with Paddy Power
- Paris St Germain v Barcelona – A 2-2 draw is 11/1 with Paddy Power
- Atletico Madrid v Juventus – Atletico Madrid to win 2-0 is 9/1 with Paddy Power
Good luck with any bets you make on what promises to be an exciting two nights of Champions League football!