The Champions League returns this week, as match day two gets under way. After some mismatched opening games, will this round be any more open? There weren’t that many upsets last time out, but we still saw plenty of goals. Group stage games don’t have anywhere near as much at stake as the knockout matches, so they tend to be far more open. It’s a key part of the interest in this part of the competition.
While group stage games aren’t always anticipated to be the most exciting in terms of entertainment value, there’s likely to be another goal glut this week. Ahead of the latest round of European clashes, we’ve picked out some great both teams to score betting tips. We’ve selected the matches which should be packed with goals, and they look worth adding to your midweek accumulator.
Tuesday 27th September 2016
- CSKA v Tottenham (4/5 with Sky Bet) – Tottenham know they need to improve if they’re to stay in the Champions League. However, they face a tough trip to Moscow next. CSKA scored twice away to Bayer Leverkusen, so they should be able to score past Spurs at home.
- Monaco v Bayer Leverkusen (4/5 with Coral) – Monaco look to be in control of this group, but they’ve got some defensive issues. Just three clean sheets in 11 games this season show they concede a lot. They have enough talent going forward, but the German side should catch them out at the back.
- Leicester v Porto (10/11 with Bet365) – Leicester made the perfect start in the Champions League last time out. Going into this one they should be worried about their defence, which conceded four to Chelsea in the EFL Cup. Porto’s exciting attacking line-up should be able to score, but they’re not great at the back so BTTS is on the cards.
Wednesday 28th September 2016
- Celtic v Man City (19/20 with Betfair) – While Manchester City have made a strong start to the season, they can’t seem to keep things tight at the back. Celtic might not be the best side in this group, but we expect them to trouble City’s defence with Celtic Park in full voice.
- Napoli v Benfica (7/8 with BetVictor) – These two both scored and conceded on their opening night in the competition. This group looks pretty open, and these two sides are evenly matched. We think both are capable of scoring in this clash.
- Borussia Monchengladbach v Barcelona (4/7 with Sky Bet) – Borussia were hammered by Manchester City in their opening group game. However, the German side have made a good start domestically. Barca haven’t quite got up to speed at the back yet, so we see Gladbach scoring here.
- Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich (evens with Betfair) – There isn’t quite as much on the line here as there was in their semi-final clash last term. These two should be a lot more open given that it’s just a group game, and the two sides have started the season in fantastic scoring fashion.