The cream has started to rise to the top in the group stages of the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. After two rounds, some distance has already been put between the top contenders in each group and the teams that are believed to be making up the numbers. We look ahead to Week 3 of the Champions League to be played this Wednesday and Thursday morning and give our betting tips for some of the key games below.
Real Madrid vs Tottenham (Wednesday 18th October 5.45am AEST)
The game of the week sees the two Group H leaders in Real Madrid and Tottenham square off in Spain on Wednesday morning. Both teams have the exact same record through their opening two games against Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia, winning both contests with a 6-1 goal aggregate to sit level atop the group. While it looks like they will be the two teams advancing out of the group with six point leads over the other two teams, the seeding makes a massive difference in who they will play in the first round of the knockout stage so this match is super important.
After a shaky start to their La Liga campaign, real Madrid have steadied the ship and now sit just five points behind Barcelona at the top of the table. In non Real Madrid fashion, they have scored just 15 goals through their 8 La Liga games so far, which is 9 less than their historic rivals. Tottenham also got off to a shaky start in the EPL while adjusting to their new home ground at Wembley Stadium, however, they sit third on the table just 5 points behind Man City and have looked in great form, winning their last three games.
In Wembley, with their current defensive form, we’d have to give the Spurs a massive chance to at least keep this one close enough to come away with one point. However, in Madrid, where Zinedine Zidane’s men rarely lose, the slight edge has to be given to the Spainiards.
TIP: Real Madrid to win by 2+ - $2 at Sportsbet
Manchester City vs Napoli (Wednesday 18th October 5.45am AEST)
Manchester City might be the best football team in the word right now. A massive call when you have teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG running around but the Citizens form is absolutely undeniable at the moment. In 11 games in all competitions this year their record stands at 10-1-0 and through the last five games in the EPL they have a 5-0-0 record and a ridiculous 24-2 goal aggregate. That’s an average of almost 5 goals a game against some top quality opposition. Outstanding.
Napoli’s record through the opening rounds of the Serie A season is also nothing to scoff over. They sit atop the Italian League table with a perfect 8-0-0 record through their first 8 games, having conceded just 5 goals. They did, however, lose to Shakhtar Donetsk in the opening round of the Champions League, making this clash against Man City super important.
The Man City forward line is one of the most damaging we’ve ever seen in the EPL. Superstar Serigo Aguero couldn’t even get the start in their last game against Stoke, but the Sky Blues still managed to plunder 7 goals at home with Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling all finding the back of the net. These are two powerhouses in world football going against each other so this game is too tough for us to pick. What we do like, however, is the over in what should be a high scoring contest with both sides possessing all star attacks.
TIP: Total Goals OVER 3.5 - $1.94 at Ladbrokes
Chelsea vs Roma (Thursday 19th October 5.45am AEST)
It’s been a horror few weeks for Chelsea since their last win over Atletico Madrid in Champions League Week 2. They lost to Manchester City in a hard fought 1-0 game but then completely lost the plot against Crystal Palace, who scored their first two goals of the season in the win over the Blues. Chelsea now sit 5th on the EPL table, 9 points behind leaders Manchester City and will need to get their defensive presence back ahead of what should be a tough clash against Roma at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
Roma have a 5-0-2 record through their opening 7 games of the Serie A league and while on paper they might not posses the brilliance they have over the last decade, they are always a dangerous team, as they have shown by going undefeated through their first two Champions League matches. In the group of death that is Group C, both teams will be desperate for a win here with the might of Atletico Madrid breathing down their neck.
The Blues have good form against Roma at home, winning their last two encounters with the Italian side 4-1 and 1-0. For such a consistent side, Roma have surprisingly never won an away game against English opposition in the Champions League in 8 attempts. We think that streak continues here but we don’t trust Chelsea’s form to secure the win at the moment.
TIP: Draw - $4 at Sportsbet
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