The League Phase of the Champions League is starting to heat up and take shape as all 36 teams jostle for qualifying positions.
Matchday 5 sees more headline fixtures, including Liverpool vs Real Madrid, and Bayern vs PSG, with pressure beginning to mount on those slightly off the pace.
As we look forward to another exciting round of match ups, we’ve put together some tips that may come in handy as part of an acca.
Fancy a bet on football? betFIRST is your home for all the latest football odds and loads of markets. Plus, new customers can get a fantastic Welcome Offer to set them on their way!
*All odds are subject to change
Bayern to beat PSG @ 1.60
PSG have been pretty awful in the Champions League so far, and are perhaps the most likely big name to become the first casualty of the new format. At the halfway stage of the League Phase, they are 25th – one place beyond the Play-Off qualification places.
As well as facing Bayern this week, they still have tough tests away to Salzburg and at home to City to come. We expect them to struggle in Germany and continue their underwhelming campaign so far.
Sporting to draw with Arsenal @ 3.40
With the victory over Manchester City still fresh in the minds, a visit of another English team – this time in the form of Arsenal – will present another chance for Sporting to impress. Although now without Ruben Amorin, Sporting are still likely to pose a threat to an Arsenal team who are looking to hit their stride with key players returning from injury.
Despite this, I think Arsenal will likely settle for a draw and concentrate on winning their remaining home fixtures in order to safely secure qualification into the next round.
Celtic to beat Club Brugge @ 2.10
After their fantastic performance and result on the last matchday at home to Leipzig, Celtic are full of confidence and find themselves 15th in the League Phase table, currently ahead of Bayern, Real Madrid and AC Milan.
If they can add another win, putting them on 10 points, one win in their final three matches should be enough to get them a place in the Play-Off round, at least. And that chance will most likely come in their final home fixture against Young Boys, which, if you’d offered Celtic fans this scenario or similar at the start of the competition, they definitely would have taken it. So, we expect them to beat Club Brugge tonight to continue on this path.
Barcelona to beat Brest @ 1.16
This may seem like an obvious pick, but that would slightly underestimate the startling impression made by Brest so far. The French club are unbeaten (three wins, one draw) and are 4th – two places above their Spanish opponents.
And they might just be meeting Barca at the right time, with the Catalan’s winless run extending to two games after a 2-2 draw last weekend away at Celta Vigo compounding the previous defeat to Real Sociedad. They won’t be panicking just yet, as they still lead La Liga by four points ahead of arch rivals Real Madrid.
And it’s difficult to ignore the quality of their players returning from long-term injuries too. The likes of Gavi and Frenkie De Jong gained valuable minutes on the pitch in the last few weeks, with their re-intergration perhaps being a mitigating factor behind a couple of bad results. We think Barcelona should have enough to claim all three points in this one.
When you choose betFIRST, you can enjoy a whole range of top-quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at betFIRST, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information. When the fun stops, stop.
