liverpool1819Uefa Champions League football continues on Wednesday with the action coming from Groups A to D and we take a look at selected matches including Manchester City v Porto and Ajax v Liverpool

 

 

 

Let's begin with a look at Wednesday's coupon, note, odds are subject to change.

 

UCLOct21

 

Group A

 

Defending champions Bayern Munich (3/10) and Atletico Madrid (11/4) are the front runners to top Group A and they have Salzburg (12/1) and Lokomotiv Moscow (40/1) for company.

The headline game on Matchday 1 sees Bayern host Atletico. Bayern have won 3 and lost 1 of their early season Bundesliga matches, scoring 17 goals in the process but they have conceded 8. Atletico knocked Liverpool out of the knockout rounds last season before they lost to Leipzig in the quarter finals. La Liga form this season comprises of 2 wins and 2 draws (both 0-0).

Head to head form in this competition dates back to 2015/16 and 2016/17 and all 4 games were won by whichever side had home advantage.

Atletico are usually very tight defensively but whilst Bayern are usually in the goals they have been prone to conceding this season. A chance is taken on a home win in game of 2 goals or more in total.

 

Bets: Bayern to win and over 2.5 total match goals at 12/10

 

Group B

 

This group has depth with Real Madrid (53/100), Inter (9/4), Monchengladbach (9/1) and Shakhtar (14/1) vying for 2 places in the knockout rounds. Our focus is on the game between Inter and Monchengladbach.

Inter started the Serie A season with back to back wins in high scoring games before a 1-1 draw at Lazio. Last time out they lost the derby 2-1 to AC Milan and in this competition last season they failed to make the knockout rounds.

After finishing 4th in the Bundesliga in 2019/20 Monchengladbach have made a pretty average start to the new season with 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat.

The game makes only limited appeal to me from a betting point of view but gut feel is Inter might keep a first clean sheet of the season against a side who have been short of goals in their domestic league.

 

Bets: Inter to win to nil at 17/10.

 

 

Group C

 

Manchester City (1/5) are expected to top this group and FC Porto (6/1) Marseille (8/1) and Olympiacos (22/1) provide the opposition.

City's quest for a first Champions League title resumes and the group stage draw looks pretty favourable. A 1-0 Premier League home win over Arsenal at the weekend produced their first clean sheet of the season and their EPL record comprises of 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat.

Porto have 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from the first 4 matches of their domestic league. We didn't see them in this competition last season and this is arguably as tough it gets for starters. They will struggle to hold City even though the Manchester side have had injury problems up front and gut feel is they may not pose too much of a threat in the attacking third.

 

Bets: City to win to nil at 13/10

 

Group D

 

2019 winners Liverpool are 19/50 to top the group ahead of Atalanta (3/1), Ajax (6/1) and Midtjylland (66/1)

Liverpool were dealt a double blow at the weekend when they had a late goal controversially ruled out in a 2-2 draw at Everton and earlier in the game van Djjk picked up a serious looking injury. League form still looks lopsided with that 7-2 hiding at Villa but a 2-0 win at Chelsea earlier in the season will be the blueprint for this potentially awkward away fixture.

Ajax were semi finalists 2 season's ago but after a number of top players moved on they failed to get out of the group stage last season, missing out narrowly to Valencia and Chelsea. They set the pace in Eredivisie with 4 wins and 1 defeat and are sure to be up for this crack at the English champions.

I fancy Liverpool but with van Dijk out a chance is taken on the away win with both teams to score and when available I will be interested in Sadio Mane in the anytime goalscorer market.

 

Bets: Liverpool to win and both teams to score? (yes) at 7/4

Sadio Mane anytime goalscorer.

 

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