2019 Quarter Finals Betting Tips – 1st Leg
There are two trains of thought when it comes to teams from the same league being drawn against each other in the Champions League. Some think it is a shame whilst others believe familiarity often leads to entertaining matches. The latter was certainly true when Liverpool faced Man City last season and there is much entertainment promised again in the Tottenham versus Man City tie.
Tottenham’s brand new stadium will finally be open for the first leg of this exciting quarter final and Spurs will be looking to take advantage of playing in front of their fans at their new home. They did well enough when scoring three second half goals against Borussia Dortmund, though that was at Wembley. We get the feeling they may well breach Man City’s defence on Tuesday night.
It’s tough to imagine Spurs will escape the match with a clean sheet though given how well Pep Guardiola’s men are playing at the moment. Both teams have scored in five of the last seven meetings between these two so bet on it happening again at best betting odds of 11/17.
With all due respect to Porto, they were the team that every other side in the Champions League quarter finals wanted to draw. Liverpool are particularly happy with the draw as they absolutely trounced the Portuguese side 5-0 in the knockout stages of last season's tournament.
Liverpool aren’t quite firing on all cylinders as they were when the last faced Porto but our odds comparison shows that the Premier League side are very much fancied to progress at Porto’s expense once again. Jurgen Klopp’s men did the damage in that tie in the first leg before coasting home in the second. They won’t be able to coast at any point in the second leg at the Dragao but they should head to Portugal on the back of a comfortable win. Therefore, consider backing the home side to win at Anfield without conceding, which is available at betting odds of 6/5.
In a tournament full of massive results, Ajax’s 4-1 win over Real Madrid certainly stands out. The Eredivisie side are in no mood to bask in the glory of that win though, they want to continue their progression but face an even tougher task in the quarter finals. Juventus had to rely on second leg heroics of their own to qualify against Atletico Madrid but qualify they did and the football betting odds now make Juve one of the favourites to win the tournament outright.
Juventus are also the favourites for Wednesday night’s match. Max Allegri would obviously love his team to take a lead back to Turin but given Juve’s strength at home, he’ll be happy for this tie to come down to a single leg. Ajax too will believe that a draw is a decent result which makes a bet on the stalemate good value at 23/10.
Old Trafford will be buzzing for this one. This is the sort of glamorous European night that Man United should be taking part in and the news that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given the job on a full time basis will take things up a notch in terms of the atmosphere.
Barcelona know a thing or two about silencing a noisy crowd though. They have the Liga title all but sewn up already and have hit some good form of late so Barca will arrive in Manchester confident of picking up a vital win. Lionel Messi is in particularly inspired form and he can drag his team towards victory which is available at best betting odds of 21/20.
12-13 March 2019 Tips
Juventus will take great heart from the upheaval and shocks of last week. The Old Lady left Madrid very upset to have lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid but all is not lost in their quest to reach the Champions League quarter finals.
Atletico Madrid are one of the toughest teams to beat in all of European football. They will arrive in Italy with a very clear game plan and will have no qualms about shutting up shop right from the off. However, we still feel that may not be enough for the Liga side to progress given the firepower available to Juventus.
This one could be every bit as entertaining as last week’s wonderful Champions League matches and Juventus look a good bet to score at least two goals at best betting odds of 5/6.
Man City fans will hope that all the drama from their tie with Schalke was used up in the first leg. The Citizens showed tremendous ability and fighting spirit to come back from 2-1 down with 10 men and effectively book their place in the quarter finals. For Schalke’s part they’ll be hugely disappointed to have thrown away such a golden chance to head to Manchester with a lead in this tie but there is nothing to be gained from wallowing, the Bundesliga side must be at their very best at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola was well aware that things can change quickly in the Champions League before last week’s results. He will demand the absolute best from his players and should he get it, Man City are a good price to beat Schalke again, this time to nil. That’s something they’ve done multiple times in all competitions this season and our odds comparison shows they are a good price to do so again at 20/23.
Schadenfreude is a German word but there’s been a lot of it about in Cataluyna over the last week or so. Barcelona beat Real Madrid twice in a matter of days and then watched on as their rivals were hammered 4-1 by Ajax to see their chances of a fourth straight Champions League ended. As well as having a chuckle at Real Madrid, the Barcelona fans have plenty of reasons to be cheerful thanks to the strength of their position in La Liga and the Champions League following a goalless draw in Lyon.
Ernesto Valverde won’t be crowing about Real’s problems in public. In fact, he’ll be working hard with his Barcelona players behind the scenes to ensure they are not the next team to be knocked out of the Champions League against the football betting odds. Lyon have already shown they can secure big wins away from home in Europe. They beat Man City in the very first match of their Champions League campaign and can play a part in this one so consider backing both teams to score at odds of 19/20.
Jurgen Klopp batted away suggestions that he was overly cautious during Liverpool’s recent draw with Everton. He reminded the press of the seriousness of the situation Liverpool find themselves in, playing in the Premier League and that this was not a computer game.
The Reds are also in a very serious situation in the Champions League. They were poor going forwards against Bayern Munich at Anfield three weeks ago and now have it all to do in Bavaria. Liverpool may well start the game with the aim of keeping Bayern at bay but plans can go out of the window very quickly. The home side will pile on the pressure early doors which should produce a thoroughly entertaining match. Our odds comparison shows that over 3.5 goals is available at a best price of 39/19 which is well worth taking given how good both of these teams can be on their day.
4th-5th March 2019 – Last 16 2nd Leg
Borussia Dortmund went into the half time break in their first leg against Tottenham happy with how things had gone. They returned to the Wembley dressing room an hour later completely shell shocked.
Spurs were excellent in the second half leaving them with a 3-0 advantage which the football betting odds suggest is unassailable. That does not mean that the match will be anything approaching easy for Tottenham. In fact, their injury and form problems combined with Dortmund’s excellent quality in attack means that the home side look a very generous price to win on the night at the price of evens on our odds comparison.
On the face of it, Real Madrid did all the hard work in this tie in the first leg. The three-time defending Champions League champions came back from the disappointment of conceding in Amsterdam to beat Ajax 2-1 and move into even stronger favouritism to qualify.
However, there is no danger of Real Madrid taking this tie easy. They’ve suffered some terrible results in recent weeks and are looking for somebody to take their frustrations out on. Real are also looking to send out a message to the rest of the competition that they remain a highly competitive team in the Champions League. Our odds comparison shows the home side are the overwhelming favourites but you can get more value by backing them with a one goal handicap at best betting odds of 6/4.
PSG’s goal has been the Champions League for many years now. They’ve so far fallen short of their own lofty ambitions but showed they are on a different level to many of the teams left in the tournament with their 2-0 win at Old Trafford. Not only were they ruthless going forwards but they nullified Man Utd as an attacking force.
No team has ever qualified for the next round of the Champions League having lost the first leg 2-0 at home. United’s task has been made all the tougher due to Paul Pogba’s suspension and a host of injury concerns but that won’t stop Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men from giving it a good go. This could actually be a highly entertaining match so consider backing over 3.5 goals at tempting odds of 17/10.
Porto v Roma - Roma to Score Over 1.5 Goals
Roma secured a slender but important advantage from their first leg against Porto. The Serie A side know that the job is not quite half way done as they face a big challenge at the Dragao. Porto have a potentially pivotal away goal and all the confidence they need to believe they can still progress at home.
Porto do need to score though so cannot take an overly defensive or cautious approach to the match. Roma know that this is a dangerous score line so will look to grab an away goal of their own to level things up in that regard. In fact, Roma may be able to take advantage as Porto push on in the latter stages so a bet on the away side scoring two or more goals looks well priced at best football odds of 9/5.
19-20 February 2019 Round of 16
Bayern Munich are fighting an uphill battle to catch Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga. If they don’t manage to secure the league title the Champions League may be the only chance Niko Kovac has of remaining in his job.
Kovac has a squad full of European experience who will rise to the challenge at Anfield and should be able to grab an important away goal against a Liverpool defence which has looked a little shaky at times recently. Stopping the home side from scoring at the other end is a different proposition entirely. Our odds comparison shows Liverpool are the narrow favourites and we fancy them to win a game in which both teams score at 12/5.
Lyon began their Champions League campaign with a bang. Bruno Genesio’s men were full value for their win over Man City at the Etihad so it was a surprise that proved to be the only win of their group stage campaign (they drew all five subsequent matches). It wasn’t a lack of goals that let Lyon down, rather a lack of defensive solidity. That could be their downfall against a Barcelona side who have found some form domestically and are among the bookies’ favourites to win the Champions League outright.
Lyon have shown more than enough to suggest they can make a game of it for the visit of Barcelona but the Liga side have the extra quality and should be able to secure a narrow win. That makes the Barcelona 2-1 correct score generously priced at best betting odds of 8/1.
The addition of Cristiano Ronaldo has undoubtedly made Juventus a better team. That is a scary proposition for their rivals in the Champions League as they were already capable of going all the way in Europe. The Atletico Madrid players who start against Juventus on Tuesday night won’t be showing any outward signs of fear but they’ll have been made well aware of the various threats posed by Juventus.
Atletico have lost some of their own fear factor this season and may find their chances of making the final at their incredible new stadium, the Wanda Metropolitano, are made much more difficult by Juventus who are a tempting bet to win at football odds of 17/10.
The Champions League has been a rare source of comfort for Schalke this season. Domenico Tedesco has tried everything he can think of to shake up his players but Schalke continue to operate at the wrong end of the Bundesliga table. They were able to make the most of a kind group stage draw to qualify for the round of 16 but this is surely where their European adventure ends.
Our odds comparison shows that Man City are almost unbackable to qualify against Schalke and should be able to put the tie beyond any doubt with a big win in Germany. City are scoring for fun at the moment and are betting value to score over 2.5 goals at Veltins Arena at 6/5.
12/13 February 2019 Matches
Man United v PSG - Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score
The bookies wasted no time pricing up the first round of Champions League knockout matches. They released their football betting odds almost immediately after the draw was made but they’ve had to revise the prices on Man United versus PSG considerably since then.
United are a team transformed since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over and they will take a completely different approach compared to if Jose Mourinho was still in charge. It remains to be seen whether that approach will secure a positive result against PSG but it should produce an exciting match.
PSG always seem to have off-field problems but on the pitch they are an incredible attacking force who should score at Old Trafford. That makes the odds of 10/11 available on there being over 2.5 goals scored and both teams scoring look like great value.
Roma v Porto - Roma to Score 2+ Goals
After forming part of the pack chasing Juventus with regularity in recent years, Roma have fallen short of expectations this season. They are not quite on the level of the best teams in Serie A but Roma have saved much of their best football for the Champions League.
The Italians were happy to be drawn alongside Porto but understand that anything less than their best stuff risks being eliminated. Porto topped Group D with relative ease but they did concede an average of a goal a game. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to improve that defensive record against a Roma side who scored in all but one of their group stage matches so a bet on the home team scoring two or more goals is tempting at best betting odds of 21/20.
Real Madrid have stabilised somewhat after a horrible first half of the season and in recent years it’s this stage of the Champions League where they’ve really come into their own. Santiago Solari will likely need to guide the team to yet more European success to have any chance of being appointed on a long term basis. This first leg match against Ajax is a very important match for Solari therefore but he will not find Ajax in anything approaching charitable mood.
The Dutch side will do very well to get through this tie but they can at least give themselves a fighting chance by scoring on Wednesday night. The big question is how many they’ll concede. This could be a very entertaining match so it’s a surprise that our odds comparison shows punters can back over 3.5 goals at 16/11.
Tottenham’s performances in last season’s Champions League proved that they belong at this level. One of the most eye catching was their 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund but Spurs fans hopeful of another win over the Bundesliga side will likely be disappointed.
Dortmund are almost a completely different proposition this season to last. They are top of the Bundesliga, capable of playing some scintillating football and have an outside chance of making it to the latter stages of the Champions League. Spurs are still dealing with a host of missing players which makes a bet on the Dortmund/draw double chance appealing at best betting odds of 7/10.
Group Stage Battles Heats – UCL Odds Comparison Tips
Lyon v Man City – Man City to Win and Over 2.5 Goals
Lyon secured a famous and well-earned win in their opening game of Group F away to Man City. The Ligue 1 side drew their next three matches which opened the door for City to leap to the top of the group. Both sides would confirm their place in the round of 16 with a win but our odds comparison shows that it’s Man City who are the favourites. Pep Guardiola was angry with his team after that loss to Lyon but they can exact revenge by winning a game in which over 2.5 goals are scored at betting odds of 4/5.
Manchester United may have been outplayed for the vast majority of their two matches against Juventus but they managed a return of three points thanks to their dramatic late win at Allianz Stadium. United will book their place in the knockout stages if with a repeat of their 3-0 win in Berne providing Valencia do not manage to beat Juventus. Our odds comparison shows that the home side are the firmest favourites so rather than simply backing them to win, bet on United winning to nil at 21/20 against a Young Boys side who have scored just twice.
The Stadio Olimpico is the venue for this top of the group clash. The bookies have stopped offering football odds on Roma and Real Madrid qualifying from Group G given the strength of their positions but there is still top place to play for on Tuesday night. Roma have largely saved their best performances for the Champions League this season but lost 3-0 at the Bernabeu and could well find Real Madrid – who are improving under Santiago Solari - too good for them at odds of 10/11.
Liverpool’s loss to Red Star last time out has thrown Group C wide open. The Reds can qualify with a win on Wednesday night providing that Napoli also win but beating this PSG side at the Parc des Princes is an incredibly tough ask. Jurgen Klopp’s men snatched a win in the corresponding fixture at Anfield having thrown away at two goal lead so will need to be much better in Paris. Thomas Tuchel has a few issues to iron out but PSG are a very strong side who look far too big at best betting odds of 4/3.
After going 1-0 down to PSV, Tottenham rallied impressively in the second half to come from behind and grab the win that keeps their Champions League hopes alive. If Spurs are to travel to Barcelona with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage they simply must beat Inter on Wednesday night. Inter know that a draw would be enough to qualify. That will take the pressure off Luciano Spalletti’s men and could spell disaster for Tottenham. The home side will fight till the end but Inter have the firepower to secure a score draw and send Spurs crashing out.
UCL Group Stage – Round 4 Odds
Inter Milan were desperately disappointing at the Camp Nou. The absence of Lionel Messi provided the Serie A side with an opportunity but they offered next to nothing in an attacking sense. Inter will hopefully be more proactive at the San Siro but will that be enough to stop Barcelona from claiming a fourth win in a row? Messi has returned quicker from his fractured arm than was predicted which makes the away side look very tempting. Our odds comparison shows they can be backed at odds as big as 21/20 and that looks excellent value.
Tottenham’s European woes haunted them once again in Eindhoven. Spurs threw away another lead to draw 2-2 and leave their chances of making it to the knockout stages hanging by a thread. PSV also have next to no chance of qualifying but they will be a nuisance once again at Wembley Stadium. They will take great confidence from their imperious domestic form so can play their part in an entertaining game in which the shackles will be off. Over 3.5 goals is available at best betting odds of 11/10 and looks a very good option.
PSG have one of the strongest squads in Europe and win every week in their domestic league so why have they thus far been unable to seriously challenge in the Champions League? That’s the question for Thomas Tuchel to answer. The talented German manager may fall way short of expectations this season as Napoli are more than capable of winning this match at generous odds of 2/1. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were very unfortunate not to win in Paris but can right that wrong at the Stadio San Paolo.
Juventus v Man Utd – Juventus to Win and Both Teams to Score
You won’t see many more comprehensive 1-0 winners than Juventus at Old Trafford a fortnight ago. The football odds suggested that the Serie A side would win but few predicted they’d be in such control. The bookies are expecting another Juve win as the teams meet in Turin but Man Utd may fare a little better away from home. Jose Mourinho will allow his attacking players to break forwards on the counter which could see the away side grab a goal. So, consider betting on Juventus to win and both teams to score at the big price of 13/5.
UCL Odds Comparison – 23rd-24th October 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford will make all the headlines ahead of Tuesday’s match between Man Utd and Juventus. The big story after the game could well be that Man Utd are in danger of missing out on the knockout stages of the Champions League. Juventus have a great opportunity to land two killer blows to United in the upcoming double header and the Old Lady, whose results have been perfect so far this season, look a good price to pick up the win in Manchester at best betting odds of 5/4.
Pep Guardiola said during the international break that he is not convinced his Man City side have what it takes to win the Champions League this season. Whether that’s a genuinely held belief or an example of managerial mind games is up for debate. What’s not up for debate is that City need points having lost their group stage opener at home to Lyon. It’s never easy winning away to Shakhtar Donetsk and the Ukrainians should score on Tuesday night. Will they be able to hold on to win though? City’s quality suggests otherwise so bet on Guardiola’s men to win and both teams to score at 31/20.
Lionel Messi has made it clear that he is desperate to win the Champions League this season. He turned in virtuoso performances against both PSV and Tottenham, who in turn also both lost 2-1 to Inter Milan. This is a huge match for both teams. An odds comparison shows that Spurs are the favourites but PSV actually fared well for much of their opening two clashes and could be being overlooked by the bookies. In a match that should be tight, PSV are a very good price at best betting odds of 13/8 in the draw no bet market.
The perfect start that they’ve made means that Barcelona and Inter Milan effectively have a two-legged play off to win Group B. Barcelona may not be pulling up any trees in La Liga as yet but they seem to have a renewed sense of purpose in the Champions League. Messi and co. will be doing all they can to maximise their home advantage and should be too good for Inter Milan. You could bet on Barcelona simply to win the game but the football odds available suggest backing them with a one goal handicap could be worth the extra risk at odds 5/6.
Champions League Odds Comparison – 2-3/10/2018 Tips
Lyon’s stunning performance at the Etihad a fortnight ago has heaped the pressure on Man City. Pep Guardiola and his players will feel as though Tuesday’s match against Hoffenheim is a must win encounter. Winning away to Julien Nagelsmann’s team is no easy task and we believe the home side will have their moments. Man City’s class and extra Champions League experience should see them home though so take the best betting odds of 13/8 you can get on City winning a match in which both teams score.
Man United are the biggest football club in the world so there is undoubtedly a tendency to blow every poor result or training ground issue into a full on crisis. Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba have made the back pages but they pulled together very well during the 3-0 win over Young Boys in their Champions League opener. That provided some respite from United’s domestic problems that Valencia were not able to replicate when losing 2-0 to Juventus. Marcelino’s men have real problems scoring enough goals so Man United winning to nil looks a very good price at 7/4.
It was said that Carlo Ancelotti had a very difficult job on his hands when taking over Napoli from Maurizio Sarri. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has risen to the challenge though and secured five wins from Napoli’s first six Serie A matches.
Napoli also drew 0-0 in their Champions League opener but our odds comparison shows you can get 16/1 on the same scoreline when Liverpool visit Naples on Wednesday night. The Reds are firing on all cylinders in their attempts to reach the Champions League final again and we’re expecting the goals to fly in this one so be sure to bet on over 3.5 goals at betting odds of 8/5.
Tottenham have had a hit and miss start to their season. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have secured some very good results but left Italy devastated having thrown away a lead late on in their Champions League opener. It doesn’t get any easier on Wednesday night when Barcelona visit Wembley.
Spurs’ impressive results in last season’s competition including beating Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley but has that had too much of an influence on the betting odds? Barcelona are available at evens which is surely too big about a team of their quality.
Inter Milan toiled for much of their match against Tottenham on matchday one but their pressure eventually told with two goals in the last 10 minutes to secure a morale boosting win. The Serie A side will fancy their chances of another win when they travel to Eindhoven but PSV began their domestic campaign with six straight wins even if they were well beaten 4-0 by Barcelona. Inter are a good side but they’re no Barca so the 12/5 you can get on the draw look like betting odds well worth taking.
The Champions League is back – Betting Tips
Tottenham have had some famous nights in the San Siro in recent years. In 2010 they lost a 4-3 thriller to Inter Milan before beating AC Milan 1-0 the following season. This current crop of players will fancy their chances of another huge win in Italy when they take on Inter on Tuesday. The Italians have made a so-so start to Serie A this term and Spurs should be able to grab a goal on their travels. That said, beating Inter is never an easy task so both teams to score at 5/6 appears to be the safest bet.
Liverpool v PSG – Liverpool to Score Over 2.5 Goals
Liverpool and PSG have both had excellent starts to their domestic season. Their early season form will help confidence and give both sides huge belief but Liverpool come into the game on the back of a tough test against Spurs while PSG have basically had things their own way in Ligue 1. We actually think that will help the home side though. Liverpool should be better drilled and sharper which they can capitalise on by scoring over 2.5 goals at big betting odds of 12/5.
Atletico Madrid’s European record and incredible competitiveness under the superb management of Diego Simeone make them the odds-on favourites for their trip to Monaco. That could be downplaying the chances of the Ligue 1 side though. Monaco certainly have enough quality to secure a positive result on home turf. The draw, which is available at 23/10, would be a good result for both sides so is well worth backing in what looks likely to be an evenly contested affair.
Bayern Munich have made a solid start to life under new manager, Niko Kovac. The former Croatia international has navigated through some tricky fixtures already and it could be more of the same on Wednesday. After a very disappointing campaign last season, Benfica will be keen to maximise their home advantage and may well score. Stopping Bayern from winning could be beyond them though so back the away side to win and both teams to score at solid enough odds of 15/8.
Man City go into the season as one of the favourites for the Champions League. Pep Guardiola won’t be looking at the odds but he will be telling his players to send a message out to the competition with a controlled win on Wednesday night. A win to nil at the Etihad, at odds of 7/5 on our odds comparison, would be the perfect start for City and although Lyon will take some beating, the Citizens should be more than up to the task.
Despite winning the last three Champions Leagues in a row, few pundits are tipping Real Madrid this time around. They’ve lost their manager and their talisman since beating Liverpool in the final back in May so will need to do things differently this time around. Roma arrive in the Spanish capital as the big underdogs but that means they have nothing to lose and can give it a really good go. Over 3.5 goals looks over priced at betting odds of 19/20 in what should be a thoroughly entertaining watch.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s start to life in Italian football hasn’t entirely gone to plan but those who are talking about his skills diminishing are surely acting in haste. Ronaldo has shown an ability to adapt his game in recent years and absolutely lives for the big occasion. Ronaldo can prove that he is still the man for the big matches on his return to Spain by scoring against Valencia (13/12 in our odds comparison).
Jose Mourinho has not had too much good news this season. He’ll have been cursing the Champions League draw that put Man Utd in a very tough group and knows that his team must get maximum points from their two matches against Young Boys to give themselves the best chance of progressing. The players and fans of Young Boys will be well up for the visit of Man Utd but the extra quality of the Premier League side should make the difference so back United to win and there being over 2.5 goals in the game at 17/10.
The last eight teams are raring to go as the Champions League gets towards its exciting climax in the 2012/13 season. Read on for the latest betting odds and our predictions of who will be crowned champions of Europe.
The quarter-finals have a distinctly non-English feel to them this year for the first time since 1996. And that will please some of the leading contenders who would not have relished playing Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho led Real Madrid to victory over Alex Ferguson’s side and has been rewarded with perhaps the easiest draw of the round against Galatasaray (the Turkish side are 100/1 outsiders to win the Champions League with Unibet).
Madrid meanwhile can be backed at 7/2 with BetVictor, but they don’t quite convince us at that price. They are second favourites behind great rivals Barcelona (available at odds of 5/2 with Bet365) who have to beat French upstarts Paris Saint-Germain if Tito Vilanova is to do what Pep Guardiola couldn’t last season and win the tournament. After their exhilarating performance against Milan in the last round, they have a great chance.
Bayern Munich were humbled at home when going down 2-0 to Arsenal, but they had done enough at the Emirates to progress. They look the value bet in the outright market at 11/2 with Bet365 as Jupp Heynckes will not tolerate another poor performance from his talented team. They have the sizeable obstacle of Juventus to negotiate first though.
The remaining quarter-final sees Malaga take on Borussia Dortmund, neither of whom will have enough to win the Champions League in our opinion, but Dortmund should make the semis.
Overall we think Barca are the rightful favourites, but Bayern offer the best value. It would certainly make a fine final were they to meet at Wembley on 25th May.