* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Paddy Power ambassador Phil Thompson has linked up with our top football trader Jason Murphy once again to give you the inside track for today’s footy. This time it’s the Champions League taking centre stage with Barcelona and Bayern Munich the main event.
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Chelsea are huge favourites at home to Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg and could rotate their squad quite a bit which could throw a spanner in the works. But, without further ado, here’s the lads’ verdict on tonight’s two big games in the late kick offs at 8pm.
Chelsea v Zenit St Petersburg
TV: BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate
THOMMO
I think Chelsea will get off to a win. The difficulty will be working out who’s playing. This will be one where he might pick some of his best players to make sure they get off to a good start. He might think of leaving one or two of his big hitters out but I do expect Chelsea to Win.
Zenit are not bad, they won the league last year and are top again this season with 17 points from seven games, won five drawn two. They’ve conceded eight goals this year. They’ve scored 16 which is not bad but they’ve conceded eight which is quite a lot so Chelsea could make hay here.
I am going for a Chelsea Win to Nil. I have gone for Romelu Lukaku but I think there’s a bit more value in Kai Havertz to Score Anytime. He’ll be getting in the box late which is what they’ll do against a blanket defence.
I just think him drifting in there could make hay because if they’re defending so deep there’s not a lot of space for Lukaku and maybe a bit more value for Havertz than Lukaku
JASON
Thommo’s hit all the nails on the head. Wait for the team news and see who’s playing for Chelsea. There will be more value in Havertz and Tino Werner than than you will get on Lukaku. Timo Werner to Score Anytime might be a bet.
In terms of the match betting Chelsea are too short. If you’re having a look at Chelsea to Win to Nil it clicked at the weekend, something myself and Phil were quite sweet on.
The way Thomas Tuchel has that defence organised, the options that he has, against this Zenit team, I’d be comfortable backing Chelsea to Win to Nil here. If you’re having a look at the goal scorers just wait and see what the line ups are but Lukaku, if he’s on the pitch, the form he’s in, he’s going to Score Anytime, you might just find more value in the likes of Werner or Havertz for this game.
Barcelona v Bayern Munich
TV: BT Sport 3
THOMMO
I don’t think Barcelona have a chance here. I think Bayern are, rightly, one of the favourites for this competition, I do like them. Barcelona have seven points from three games and obviously it’s early days. They’ve only played three but I think they’re going to find it very, very difficult after Lionel Messi.
They’re going to have to regroup but they’ve still got Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Memphis Depay’s come in who’s done very, very well in his early days.
Bayern destroyed RB Leipzig at the weekend 4-1 and I do fancy Bayern to Win because it’s huge for them going to the Nou Camp. Barcelona have got to try and do something different. I’m going for an away win. I fancy Both Teams To Score. I think Depay will Score Anytime and who else but Robert Lewandowski to Score Anytime as well.
JASON
If you look at the game Bayern and Barcelona played in that one-off game at a neutral venue in the Champions League not too long ago, Bayern went off even money in that game and they destroyed Barcelona, it finished 8-2 in the end.
If you look at what’s happened since the Barcelona attack has gotten a lot worse with Messi and Luis Suarez gone, but the ones that have come in to replace them, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati and Martin Braithwaite, they’re all actually missing.
Depay’s a massive positive but it’s not going to be enough to move the price or change anything in that game. They’ll have Pique and Busquets who are, and have been, unbelievable players, but we’ve seen already what this Bayern attack can do to them.
The price on Bayern to Win here is massive. This would be my strongest bet of the week. Another tip I’d give you is take a look at Lewandowski to be the Champions League outright top goal scorer because this man just scores goals for fun in this competition.
Tuesday’s Champions League tips
Chelsea v Zenit
Thommo: Chelsea to Win to Nil, Kai Havertz to Score Anytime
Jason: Timo Werner to Score Anytime, Chelsea to Win to Nil
Barcelona v Bayern Munich
Thommo: Bayern to Win, Both Teams To Score, Memphis Depay to Score Anytime, Robert Lewandowski to Score Anytime
Jason: Bayern to Win, Lewandowski to be the Champions League outright top goal scorer
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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- Football Accumulator Tips: Our 35/1 BTTS acca for Tuesday’s Champions League action
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