Tag: champions league odds

Goals Expected In The Spanish Capital

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

THE Champions League returns this week and one of the biggest matches of the round is at the Bernabeu Stadium where 11-time champions of Europe Real Madrid host Napoli in the Spanish capital.

Madrid is a very heavy 1.57 favourite to take a first leg lead to southern Italy in a fortnight’s time, and with them sitting pretty at the top of La Liga, favourite backers will be out in force, but I am not so sure it’s the right thing to do.

Zinedine Zidane’s side hasn’t been in the best of form recently with just three wins in their last seven matches and this might not be as one-sided as the bookies will have you believe.

Madrid is unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season, but they’ve conceded in every match and they have also conceded in every one of their six group matches in this year’s Champions League and getting with goals looks the way to profit.

In those six matches not only did both teams score, but everyone featured more than 2.5 goals and the best bets in this first leg is the 1.62 on “yes” for both teams to score that is available with most bookies and 1.55 on over 2.5 goals in the match which is pretty general as well.

It’s the same story in Napoli games with both teams scoring in nine of the last ten and over 2.5 goals have come in as a winning bet in 11 of the Italian giants last 13 games and goals look a certainty.

Can we See a Shock?

The rule when Napoli play is to usually get with them at their Stadio San Paolo and oppose them away from home, but this season they’ve turned that away form on its head having only lost twice on their travels and just three times all season.

The Ciucciarelli have been totally overlooked to win this one at the 6.50 with Bet365 and Maurizio Sarri’s side has got a much better chance than those odds suggest.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last 18 matches and they offer a massive goal threat with 40 goals scored in their last 13, including SEVEN in their last away match at Bologna; Serie A’s top goal scorers can get something from this and I am taking the draw at the general 4.50.

Unlike Spanish v Italian European match-ups of yesteryear, this will be an entertaining end-to-end thriller, and at 15.00 I am going to have a very small bet on the game to end 2-2 in the correct score markets.

Benfica vs. Dortmund – Goal Fest on the Cards?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Champions League returns this Tuesday with a raft of exciting match-ups. While we have seen teams like Bayern and Arsenal play each other almost too frequently in recent years, this is the first time we have seen these two titans of European football coming together in a UEFA Champions League game. An intense, high-scoring game seems likely.

Dortmund

Despite a challenging ongoing domestic campaign, fourth in the Bundesliga, Dortmund were successful in powering through a group seemingly dominated by champions Real Madrid. A brace of 2:2 draws against the Spanish Giants, 14 goals in two games against Legia Warsaw and a double over Sporting Lisbon saw them top their group by away goal differential. Unlike some, Dortmund was actually rewarded for finishing top of their group with a draw against an opposition who they will feel they have every chance of progressing against.

Dortmund will again be looking to frontman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to provide the impetus for a win against the Portuguese champions. With 15 goals 13 matches, Aubameyang is one of the form strikers currently playing in Europe; his combination of speed, strength and skill is proving to be all but unstoppable. Any chance of a result for Benfica will rely on their ability to frustrate him.

While Aubameyang will almost certainly start next Tuesday, Borussia will potentially have to deal with a number of key absences: Sven Bender, Lukasz Piszczek, Marco Reus, Marcel Schmelzer and Mario Gotze are all in doubt, while Nuri Sahin may be fit to make a return.

Benfica

Currently sitting top of Primeira Liga and looking to defend their title, Benfica has been enjoying some quality form this season. Unlucky to be pipped to top of Group B by Napoli in a group that could have gone any number of different ways, they will likely be thankful to not be facing Real Madrid, a prospect the Italians are no doubt relishing.

In squad with a number of established goal scorers and playmakers, Benfica will be looking to Konstantinos Mitroglou and Pizzi to provide the spark and ability needed to put their team past Dortmund’s quality. Benfica’s injury list is small, compared to Borussia, with Lisandro Lopez and Eduardo Salvio the only players in doubt for Tuesday.

The value

Picking apart the value here was always going to be a challenge, with no head to head data to speak of, and with erratic Dortmund so capable of both scoring and conceding with gusto. The Germans did, however, play Sporting twice in the group phase, winning both games 2:1. This gives us a slight idea how Dortmund fair against Portuguese opponents, although Benfica is a different animal to their bitter rivals.

While the instinct would be to predict goals here, the first leg of CL knockouts so often involves both teams playing conservatively, seeking each other out and trying to minimise the scoreline. Despite this, I think Dortmund will prioritise getting an away goal, potentially at the risk of conceding: BTTS is at 7/10 with Bet 365, Dortmund Win & BTTS/Yes at 10/3, and 5/1 for Benfica all seem like good value, depending on your view. Considering the injuries Dortmund may be facing, it could well be worth backing the slight underdogs at home.

 

Madrid To Win A Champions League Classic

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

IT’S a winner takes all clash at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night when Champions league holders Real Madrid host Borussia Dortmund in the Spanish capital.

The winner of this massive clash will top Group F and give themselves a huge advantage in the knock-out stages, and of all the final matches at the group stages, this one looks by some way the best.

Madrid is six points clear at the top of La Liga; the weekend draw with title rivals Barcelona was their 22nd match of the season still yet to taste a defeat, and I can’t see them losing this one.

Zinedine Zidane’s side are 1.91 favourites for the win with a whole host of bookies, and they are proving a very popular selection, but Dortmund arrive in good form and they aren’t to be underestimated.

The Bundesliga side has lost just once in the last 11 matches and they are 4.20 for the win.

In the 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture they were much the better side, and with them knowing that a draw will be enough for them to top the group, they may decide to come to Madrid for a point.

The draw is available at 4.00 but I can’t see that happening. If the visitors decide to defend, then it will play to the 11 times champions of Europe’s hands, and there is no better team capable of dealing with that threat than Madrid.

How’s It Going to End Up?

I think 1.91 is a good price on the home side, and even though record signing Gareth Bale is unavailable they still have the main man for the big occasion in Cristiano Ronaldo, plus I like the Portuguese superstar to open the goalscoring at the general 4.20.

If Madrid scores early it means that the game will open up and neutrals will be in for a real treat with two of the best attacking sides in the continent going all out on the attack, and both teams to score”yes” at 1.50 with Betfair Sportsbook does look a good thing.

Goals certainly look on the cards and this really could be one of the best games in the group stages, and at a huge 19.00, I am going to have a very small bet on Madrid to go one better than they did in Germany to win this 3-2 with William Hills.

UEFA Champions League: Will City Clinch a Knockout Place?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Manchester City reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season without Pep Guardiola. They will surely expect the same again with him at the helm. City currently lead Borussia Monchengladbach by 3pts going into their pivotal tie with the Germans at Borussia-Park. The odds heavily favour City despite this seemingly tough away fixture.

Poor Recent form Hampers Borussia

Borussia Monchengladbach has been in poor form of late. Recent league defeats in the Bundesliga against Hertha Berlin and more recently FC Cologne at home has left them struggling in the bottom half of the table. The Germans know that nothing short of a win against City will be good enough. That fact will surely play into City’s hands.

City, on the other hand, has just had a morale boosting league win. They have dropped valuable points recently in the league with several drawn games. The late winner that gave them a 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace on Saturday was badly needed. The big plus for Guardiola from that game was the presence of Yaya Toure.

Will Toure Play on Wednesday

There is no doubt that Yaya Toure is one of the best players in the Premier League when he is fully fit and on his “A” game. If Guardiola gets a fully fit Toure back into his squad playing regularly then it will seem like signing a new player. Toure hadn’t played since August before Saturday’s game at Palace. The look on Guardiola’s face at the final whistle was that of a man that knew Toure would make a big difference to their season.

City cannot afford any slip-ups on Wednesday. They will surely want to qualify for the knockout stage before they host Celtic in the final game. There is another factor at work too. City beat Barcelona 3-1 in their previous group game. That only puts them 2pts behind the Spaniards. So they will not want to miss out on a Barcelona slip up and not claim top spot in the group.

Qualification is Key

The big goal for City though is to qualify for the knockout stages. A defeat in Germany would put that in doubt. Bet365 are quoting City at 4/5 against Borussia which seems fair. Borussia is 16/5 and the draw is 11/4. Manchester City has the players to pick the Germans apart, who must surely press for the win.

Guardiola’s team dominated the Germans in the home leg and the gulf in class was obvious. It will be a huge result for Monchengladbach to get all three points from this tie. Realistically they are probably fighting Celtic for the third place spot and a Europa League place after Christmas.

The Germans will probably secure that anyway seeing as Celtic face Barcelona and then a trip to City in their remaining fixtures. It is worth repeating, though, that the return of Yaya Toure could be the pivotal point for Manchester City this season both in the league and in Europe.

Champions League Preview: Will Leicester Continue Their European Adventure?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

While Leicester City’s defence of their Premier League title can be described as stuttering at best, there’s no denying that the Foxes are flying in the UEFA Champions League.

Handed a relatively favourable group on their European debut, Claudio Ranieri’s men have taken to the competition like ducks to water and are remarkably one of only three teams to boast a 100% record after their opening trio of matches. As such, Leicester travels to the Danish capital on Wednesday knowing that even a point against FC Copenhagen will guarantee their progress into the round of 16.

That being said, the bookmakers certainly aren’t expecting an easy night for the visitors, with Copenhagen rated as 13/10 favourites and Leicester coming in slightly behind at 5/2 with Bet365. It is worth noting that Ståle Solbakken’s team are unbeaten at Telia Park this season and were also fairly unfortunate not to come away with something in the reverse fixture, so steaming into the away side may be foolhardy here.

Given Ranieri’s team are yet to concede a goal in this season’s Champions League, the 15/2 offered by Sky Bet on the game finishing 0-0 should perhaps be of more interest. Obviously the Italian will want to have qualification from Group G wrapped up on the night, but when an unstoppable force like Leicester’s perfect record meets an immovable object like Copenhagen’s home form, it is often best to back the stalemate.

Ronaldo To Run Riot

Things are unlikely to be so tentative over in Group F where Real Madrid make the trip to Poland to face a Legia Warsaw side that they thrashed 5-1 a fortnight ago. The hosts are without a point in the Champions League so far and have conceded a staggering 13 goals in their previous three matches, making Bet365’s quote of 28/1 on them causing an upset look anything but wide of the mark.

Despite his team’s comfortable victory, Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in the reverse fixture as he failed to find the net, but it certainly wasn’t for want of trying. The Portuguese fired nine attempts at goal – finding the target twice – and is unlikely to be in such a charitable mood as he closes in on a century of European strikes on Wednesday. Indeed, BetVictor has Madrid’s star man down at odds as short as 2/1 to score two or more goals in Warsaw, but it remains an attractive price given the host’s defensive woes.

While a best price of 1/8 from BetFred on Zinedine Zidane’s side emerging with all three points in the game is unlikely to get the blood pumping, the winning margin market may yet prove a more viable option. With Legia shipping six goals to Borussia Dortmund without response in their previous Champions League home fixture, you can get a decent price of 15/8 on the visitors winning by four goals or more with PaddyPower.

Do Or Die For Spurs

With Tottenham full-back Danny Rose describing his side’s upcoming games against Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal as ones that could “make or break” Spurs’ season, Mauricio Pochettino will be eager to see his team send out the right message as they host the Germans at Wembley Stadium.

Unbeaten in the Premier League, it’s been a mixed bag of results for the North London side in Europe, with a loss, a win and a draw leaving them precariously placed in a tight Group E. Having failed to find the net more than once in any of their Champions League fixtures this season, it looks likely to be another nervy night for Spurs and Bet365 currently have them down at evens to secure victory with the visitors at 13/5.

Given Roger Schmidt’s side have been similarly shy in front of goal in the competition so far, the over/under market may be the way to go and 888sport are offering 29/10 that the game is decided by a single strike. Those wishing to boost their odds will find better value in William Hill’s 15/2 quote that the hosts win the game 1-0, but whichever way you cut it, it looks like anything but a comfortable evening for the home team.