LIVERPOOL start the defence of their Champions League crown with a tough test in Naples.
Last season the sides met at the group stage with both winning home legs 1-0. If it wasn’t for that I’d be tipping goals galore with Napoli involved in two 4-3 games in the first three weeks of Serie A and Liverpool struggling to keep clean sheets.
Alisson famously saved the Reds at Anfield with a wonder save at the death after Mo Salah’s goal. The rest is history as Jurgen Klopp’s men edged through to the last 16 then went all the way to lift the trophy.
Picking a winner isn’t easy tonight as a draw probably suits both as they’re expected to come through a Group E also featuring Red Bull Salzburg and Genk.
The stalemate pays 13-5 at BetVictor while Napoli are 2-1 at McBookie with Liverpool 11-8 favourites with BetVictor. Klopp’s side have won five out of five in the Premier League so will be super confident but he’s going to make a few changes. I don’t see them losing so try the Anfield men draw no bet at 4-5 with Marathonbet.
Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all in good form and I’m backing former Roma star Salah to score on his return to Italy. He is 7-4 at Unibet.
Salzburg have reached this stage for the first time in eight seasons and I fancy them to start by beating Genk at 8-15 with McBookie. They’ve won seven in seven in Austria and netted seven at the weekend against Hartberg.
Chelsea entertain a Valencia side who have lost manager Marcelino with former Real Madrid No.2 Albert Celades taking over.
His first game ended in a 5-2 defeat at Barcelona while Chelsea were hammering Wolves by the same score.
This is a big test for Frank Lampard but I fancy the Blues at 5-6 with McBookie while hotshot striker Tammy Abraham, who hit a hat-trick at Molineux, is 7-5 at bet365 to score again.
Inter Milan have started the season well and look one of the bets of the night at home to Slavia Prague at 2-5 with Ladbrokes. Romelu Lukaku hasn’t had to look far for trouble but has handled the pressure well of the park and is 19-5 at BetVictor to score first.
Last season’s semi-finalists Ajax were forced to qualify and should start by beating Lille at 1-2 with McBookie.
Barcelona are hoping Lionel Leo Messi is fit to face Dortmund in what could be the tie of the night. Obviously Messi’s presence will give Barca a lift but either way I can see the Germans taking a point and they are 18-25 with Marathonet not to lose.
To score two or more Dortmund are 27-20 at Marathonbet and there should be plenty of goals here with both sides stronger in attack than defence. Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals is a biggest 4-5 with bet365.
In Group G it’s Lyon v Zenit and Benfica v RB Leipzig and both of these are tough to call. Zenit beat the French side 5-1 on aggregate four years ago but Lyon are much improved since and in ex-Celt Moussa Dembele have a striker firing in the goals and set for another big move in one of the next two windows.
Lyon could edge this but are conceding too many goals and best bet could be btts at 19-20 with bet365 while Dembele is 19-5 at BetVictor to net first ahead of former Man United striker Memphis Depay at 9-2 with bet365.
This is the most competitive group and the Benfica game has the look of a draw – bookies can’t split the sides. Both have started well domestically but Leipzig probably just shade it as the better team, certainly they’re the richest. Difficult to back against them and RB draw no bet is the shout at 19-20 with Marathonbet.
Timo Werner has netted five goals in Leipzig’s three Bundesliga games and is 8-5 at Unibet to strike again
Recommended Bets
- Liverpool draw no bet
- Abraham to score
- Lukaku to score first
- RB Salzburg, Inter, Ajax treble (23-10)
- Dortmund v Barca btts & over 2.5 goals
- Lyon v Zenit btts
- RB Leipzig draw no bet
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