As the Champions League reaches the halfway point of the Group stages, Matchday 4 sees the return fixture of last week’s games, as hosts become the visiting parties.
Topping the bill for MD4, Barcelona entertain Inter looking to avenge their single-goal defeat at San Siro last time out. With Group C leaders Bayern Munich coasting toward the last 16, this is a huge meeting for both sides, with the Nerazzurri knowing that a draw will be a big step toward the knockouts. This looks a tight affair once more and with a 1-0 scoreline seen in Barca’s last three games in all comps, even if that looks unlikely again here, betting UNDER 2.5 goals at 17/12 with VBet could be a sure thing.
MD4 also sees the Battle of Britain II as a raucous Ibrox welcomes Liverpool. Rangers are yet to register a point or score a single goal in Group A, but the Glasgow side will be looking to capitalise on the Reds’ sapping defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. The ‘Gers may be the group whipping boys but the atmosphere on Wednesday night will be electric. If we consider also that Liverpool may be without key individuals for this clash and the fact that only Everton have failed to score at home versus their Merseyside rivals this term – shipping 11 times this term – backing Liverpool to win but BTTS at 7/4 with BoyleSports may be prosperous. With the same bookie, for Rangers to win either half at 11/4 is also worth a ponder.
After three games, Group E remains the most delicately-poised pool. After beating Milan 3-0 in west London, Graham Potter takes his Chelsea side to Lombardy, with both sides on four points with a win, a loss and draw to their name. At Giuseppe Meazza this season, only the impressive Napoli have beaten Milan and every other game has seen the Rossoneri take all three points. Chelsea should have a tougher task than MD3 here. For Olivier Giroud this will again be a statement night and after fluffing his lines somewhat at Stamford Bridge, we are again backing the Frenchman to end his three-game goal drought and to score at 23/10 with BetUK.com.
In Giroud’s former abode, north London meanwhile, Tottenham play their first home game in almost a month against Eintracht Frankfurt. Playing out a rather stale goalless draw in Germany last week, Spurs’ previous game on home turf saw Antonio Conte’s men put six past a ragged Leicester City and the hosts could be in the mood again. After the Eagles lost 3-0 away to Bochum this past weekend, Frankfurt have now conceded a treble of goals on four occasions this season. The Lilywhites, needing a win can put a marker down and are good value at 9/5 with Sporting Index to net OVER 2.5 goals.
PSG and Benfica and Napoli against Ajax again catches the eye in MD4. The former proved a predictably close encounter in Portugal and we are expecting a similar story here. Held by a plucky Reims in Ligue 1 on Sunday evening, Les Parisiens have now recorded back-to-back draws and locked on seven points with the visitors could make it a triple at a decent price of 9/2 with 10Bet.
Finally in Naples, Napoli seek a ninth win on the spin against Ajax. Putting six past the Dutch side in Amsterdam on MD3, the Partenopei have racked up 13 goals in the last three games alone, becoming one of the most attractive sides anywhere in Europe, now not only dreaming of a first Scudetto since 1990 with Diego Maradona, but capable of going deep into this competition. Their goal threat continues to be driven by the man dubbed ‘Kvaradona’ by the San Paolo faithful Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and also strike partner Giacomo Raspadori. The two were on the scoresheet versus Ajax last time out and to replicate that feat here, a scorer double acca of 7.6/1 with Bet365 is surely worth a punt.
