Champions League tips
Bayern Munich v Benfica – Bayern Munich (-1)
Crvena Zvevda v Barcelona – Lamine Yamal to have 2+ shots on target
PSG v Atletico Madrid – Atleti to receive most cards
Sparta Prague v Brest – Both teams to score? Yes
Stuttgart v Atalanta – Under 2.5 goals
- An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 24/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Bayern Munich v Benfica – Bayern Munich (-1)
TV: TNT Sports 2
Bayern Munich can hardly have expected to find themselves in 23rd position in the Champions League group table after three rounds of the new table. Yet that is exactly where Vincent Kompany’s side sit after successive defeats against Aston Villa and Barcelona.
The opening-day annihilation of Dinamo Zagreb that saw Bayern score nine times now seems a distant memory and Wednesday’s clash with Benfica now feels like a decidedly must-win game. Benfica made an excellent start to the competition with an away win at Crvena Zvevda and an eye-catching 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid but have since suffered a disappointing home defeat against Feyenoord.
Bayern, meanwhile, have responded impressively to their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Barca, winning each of their next three games without conceding a goal and scoring 12 goals in the process. They can get their Champions League campaign back on track with a comprehensive victory over Benfica on Wednesday night.
Crvena Zvevda v Barca – Yamal to have 2+ shots on target
TV: TNT Sports 6
Lamine Yamal’s star continues to rise and has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. The youngster has scored six goals and registered eight assists in 15 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season, including a goal in the 4-0 thumping of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Yamal averages well over three shots per game in La Liga and close two shots per game in Europe, meaning there is a decent chance he will find the target twice against Crvena Zvevda on Wednesday. The Serbian side are pointless after three games, conceding 11 goals and scoring just two in that period.
They have faced an average of 17.3 shots per game in Europe this season and face a Barcelona side that has scored 10 goals in their opening three games. This should be a walk in the park for the Spanish side, and Yamal could very easily register two efforts on target.
PSG v Atletico Madrid – Atleti to receive most cards
TV: TNT Sports 5
PSG and Atletico Madrid are two other European giants that find themselves under pressure after three rounds of Champions League football. Atletico Madrid, like Bayern, have lost two of their opening three games, including that 4-0 hammering at Benfica and a 3-1 home reversal against Lille.
Their only victory in the competition came on the opening day against RB Leipzig, a team that has yet to pick up a point in the Champions League this season. PSG, on the other hand, find themselves just one point better off than Atletico after a disappointing home draw with PSV and a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.
Their solitary win was an unconvincing 1-0 win at home to Girona. Wednesday’s fixture also feels must-win for both sides if they are to have any hope of finishing in the top eight and the game be feisty as a result.
Statistics suggest that there is only going to be one winner if cards are flashed on Wednesday night. Atletico Madrid have received more than three times the number of cards as PSG at this stage of the Champions League, ranking joint-second in the competition with 10 cards to their name.
PSG, meanwhile, have received three. Diego Simeone’s side are also averaging 10 fouls per game in the competition compared to PSG’s nine fouls per game.
When the going gets tough, Atletico Madrid get s**thousing, and Wednesday night should be no different. They will almost certainly pick up more cards than their French opponents.
Sparta Prague v Brest – BTTS? Yes
TV: TNT Sports 8
Brest have been one of the surprise packages in Europe this season, taking seven points from their opening three games, including a point against Bayer Leverkusen last time out. They already have one foot in the play-off rounds and could virtually assure themselves of a place in the top 24 with a win in Prague on Wednesday.
Sparta Prague have also started their campaign relatively well. Their 5-0 drubbing against Manchester City aside, the Czech side have collected four points from games against Stuttgart and RB Salzburg.
Brest have scored in all three of their Champions League games to date, managing one clean sheet, while Sparta Prague scored in two of their games and also kept one clean sheet – with both sides managing a shutout against Salzburg.
Their league form indicates that they are incapable of keeping clean sheets, with Brest conceding 16 goals in 10 games in France and Sparta Praha conceding 16 goals in 13 goals in the Czech league. It’s not a stretch to assume that both sides will find the back of the net on Wednesday.
Stuttgart v Atalanta – Under 2.5 goals
TV: TNT Sports 7
Stuttgart and Atlanta sit side by side in the Champions League table after respectable starts from both sides. Atalanta are yet to concede a goal in the competition after goalless draws against Arsenal and Celtic and a 3-0 win in Donetsk, while Stuttgart earned an impressive and deserved 1-0 win at Juventus last time out. They also performed well in their 3-1 defeat at the Bernabeu.
Both sides have been on the lower end of the scoring charts in Europe this season, scoring three goals apiece, while Atalanta are one of just four teams yet to concede. Stuttgart, meanwhile, have conceded just once in their two games since that tricky away trip to the Bernabeu and have proved fairly miserly at the back themselves. There is every chance of a low-scoring affair on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s football tips
Bayern Munich v Benfica – Bayern Munich (-1)
Crvena Zvevda v Barcelona – Lamine Yamal to have 2+ shots on target
PSG v Atletico Madrid – Atleti to receive most cards
Sparta Prague v Brest – Both teams to score? Yes
Stuttgart v Atalanta – Under 2.5 goals
- An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 24/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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