The Champions League returns this week and Andy Schooler has four bets for the action on matchday five, which includes Chelsea v Barcelona.
Champions League Tips: Andy Schooler’s Huge Matchday 5 Preview
Chelsea have moved up to second in the Premier League after a run of three straight victories. However, those wins have come against Spurs, Wolves and Burnley – arguably the league’s three worst sides on current form – and I’m not convinced they should be going off favourites here.
Champions League Tips: Chelsea v Barcelona (Tue, 2000)
Barca are packed with attacking talent and Raphinha could be back in the starting XI for this one having returned from injury in the weekend’s 4-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao.Chelsea, who remain without Cole Palmer, have rotated their team regularly this season and with Arsenal to come at the weekend, I wouldn’t be that surprised to see a couple of left-field selections from Enzo Maresca. After all, the ‘league phase’ format doesn’t produce a lot of jeopardy for the big guns and Chelsea certainly won’t panic if they lose this.
Champions League
They may well do. They’ve been beaten by Sunderland and Brighton at Stamford Bridge this season, while when they faced one of Europe’s elite back in September, they were beaten 3-1 by Bayern Munich. Barca’s defence is the concern here – they’ve kept just one away clean sheet this season and that came on the opening day – but that offers up an angle too. Adding both teams to score to a Barca win bumps the price up to a tasty-looking 3.3.
Champions League Tips: Napoli v Qarabag
Qarabag continue to confound expectations – and the bookies’ odds – in this competition. Having opened with two wins, last time out they held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan and they look a big price again to do something in Naples. Napoli have won only one of their last four in all competitions and conceded six at PSV last month.
Based on what we’ve seen so far from them in this competition, Qarabag will offer an attacking threat and Leonardo Andrade may be worth following in the goalscorer markets – he’s 5.5 to net at any time and has done so in five of his last seven games in the Champions League (including qualifiers).
However, I’ll take the option of backing his team as a whole.They are 1.88 on the handicap where they get a +1.5-goal start, which means we’ll profit if they avoid defeat or lose the game by a one-goal margin.
Champions League Tips: B Dortmund v Villarreal
Dortmund were well beaten at Manchester City on matchday three but in their three other games in this competition, they’ve scored four goals on each occasion. Two of those came away from home but here they are back at their famous Westfalenstadion where they crushed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 last month. They were back among the goals on Saturday, drawing 3-3 with Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, and now they face a Villarreal side who have struggled in this competition.
While domestically they’ve been going well, it’s just one point from four games so far in the Champions League for the Yellow Submarine, who were embarrassed last time out when losing 1-0 away to debutants Pafos, in Cyprus. They’ve also lost away at Spurs without scoring and facing a side containing the goal threat of Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi must be a concern. I’ll back the hosts to win this.
Champions League Tips: Man City v Bayer Leverkusen
While football has become a data-driven business in recent times, it can still pay to take account of what you see with your own eyes. And what I’ve seen in recent games is Phil Foden getting back to the sort of form which made him a true Premier League star not so long ago. The England international has been getting into some great positions around the box of late and that produced two goals in the win over Dortmund three weeks ago.
On Saturday, he got into similar areas against Newcastle but missed a couple of good chances which could easily have had him on the scoresheet again. While Erling Haaland’s goal output is highly impressive, Pep Guardiola will no doubt be asking others to contribute and Foden looks an obvious candidate to do that. This is a game City should win with something to spare – Leverkusen shipped seven when they faced PSG last month and could only draw 2-2 at struggling Copenhagen – and Foden at 2.75 in the anytime scorer market gets the nod.
Another possible angle is a card for Robert Andrich, who will likely be operating in the area occupied by the in-form Jeremy Doku. Andrich is something of a card magnet – he reached double figures last season and has four in his last 11 this – and it’s not hard to see him struggling to contain the Belgian. Sadly, no price was available at time of writing but it’s one that will be worth checking closer to kick-off.
Champions League Tips: Arsenal v Bayern Munich
I can’t help but feel Bayern are a touch of value here. They’ve won 17 of the 18 games they’ve contested this season, including 2-1 at reigning champions PSG on matchday four when they played the majority of the game with 10 men.
Harry Kane is one of the hottest strikers on the planet right now and with no Gabriel in the Arsenal backline, there should be an opportunity for him to continue his impressive scoring streak, something he’ll undoubtedly be motivated to do given his Tottenham roots. Spurs failed dismally to test Arsenal’s changed defence on Sunday but Bayern should offer much more, even without the suspended Luis Diaz.
Champions League: Matchday 5 Tips
Barcelona to win & BTTS @ 3.3 with kwiff
Qarabag (+1.5) v Napoli @ 1.88 with kwiff
Borussia Dortmund to win @ 1.72 with kwiff
Phil Foden to score anytime @ 2.75 with kwiff
Bayern to beat Arsenal @ 2.87 with kwiff
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