Week four of the UEFA Champions League starts Wednesday morning and with it comes a plethora of exciting matchups which will be major deciding factors in the competition going forward. Headlined by Barcelona travelling to Manchester City, the round promises to be great for viewing and also great for betting. Our previews and tips for a few of the key games are below.
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Manchester City vs Barcelona (Wednesday 6.45am AEST)
Man City coach Pep Guardiola will square off against his old club for the second time this season on Wednesday morning. Looking to redeem himself after a 4-0 drubbing in Barcelona in round three of the competition, Guardiola will be hoping a return to fitness for key striker Sergio Aguero can give the Sky Blues the confidence they need against the worlds premier outfit.
Man City’s home record this season has to be taken into account, they are currently undefeated through 12 games in all competitions at Etihad Stadium this season. However, the arrival of Barcelona will be easily their biggest test at home to date. A confidence booster for the Citizens will be the plague of injuries that has spread over the Barcelona team in recent weeks. While superstar trio, Lionel Messi, Luis Saurez and Neymar will all be making the trip to England, the Spanish side will be without five of its customary squad. Jordi Alba, Gerrard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Jeremy Mathieu and Aleix Vidal will all be sidelined with injury, leaving the Barcelona midfield and defence decimated.
The Barcelona injury concerns, paired with a Man City team that could be just starting to come into form after a good EPL victory at the weekend, has me tipping Man City to do well in this game. Barcelona thrives on maintaining possession in the midfield, and without star Andres Iniesta, that task will be made all the more difficult, and the impact of the three star forwards could be weakened.
TIP: Sergio Aguero to score and Man City to win - $4.75 at Ladbrokes
Arsenal vs Ludogorets (Wednesday 6.45am AEST)
Australian fan favourites Arsenal will take on 2015-16 Bulgarian League Champions Ludogorets at 6.45am on Wednesday. The Bulgarians have one draw from three matches so far in the tournament, and their round three matchup against Arsenal saw the Londoners embarrass them 6-0. It’s a fair assessment to say the standard of football in Bulgaria is sub par to that of England, and this match will likely go the way of their last meeting, even know Ludogorets have the home field advantage this time around.
It’s also damming for Ludogorets that the English side still have a lot to play for in Pool A of the Champions League. They currently sit tied with PSG on 7 points, with a handy +8 goal difference edging them ahead. However, Arsenal will be looking to cement their place atop the pool against it's weakest side, while PSG will have a tougher matchup travelling to FC Basel.
Arsenal will be without usual first XI’ers Theo Walcott, Santi Carzola, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellarin, all through injury. However, with Oliver Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and midfielder Granit Xhaka all to come back into the team, Arsenal should still take the chocolates here.
TIP: Arsenal -1 - $2 at Ladbrokes
Tottenham vs Bayer Leverkusen (Thursday 6.45am AEST)
The pool predicted to be the most competitive before the competition started has not disappointed. Just three points separate first from last after three rounds in Pool E. Second play third in round four with Bayer Leverkusen travelling to London to take on Tottenham. The Spurs will need to regain form quickly if they want to achieve their goal of advancing to the knockout stage. Winless through their last five games in all competitions, they will be hoping the possible return of star forward Harry Kane from injury will be the spark they need.
Tottenham centre back Toby Alderweireld will miss the game after being carried off the field in their EPL matchup against West Brom two weeks ago. Eric Dier, however, is a ready made replacement who will step in for the champions league matchup as well as the hotly anticipated North London derby against Arsenal in the next round of the EPL on Sunday.
This is a hard game to pick, while Leverkusen plays a defensive style of football, only letting up three goals in three games in the champions league so far, Tottenham’s defence is second to none. The Spurs sit 5th on the EPL table having only let through five goals in 10 games so far this season. Look for them to shut down a weak Leverkusen team and scratch out a home win in a low scoring match.
TIP: Total goals under 2.5 - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
