The Champions League returns on Tuesday for Matchday 3 of the League Phase.
We will be previewing the biggest games of the week in separate blogs, but for now here is a fresh batch of sports betting tips.
All our picks are based on the latest Champions League odds, while NetBet Sport’s Bet Builder feature is also ready and waiting to help you get the most out of your midweek wagers.
*All odds are subject to change
Manchester City vs AEK Athens: Player to score or assist – Rayan Cherki @ 1.39
Cherki did not play a single minute in last Saturday’s 3-2 win over Ipswich, but expect him to return to the Man City XI here. Erling Haaland picked up a knock vs the Tractor Boys and should be rested, while Antoine Semenyo has been ruled out for eight weeks. So the stage is therefore set for the mercurial Cherki to step in and weave his creative magic against an AEK side which will very likely operate in a deep block at the Etihad. Cherki is yet to get off the mark in the Champions League this season, but boasts six goal contributions in as many Premier League outings. AEK lost 3-1 at Shakhtar Donetsk last time out in this competition and another tough away day beckons, one in which Cherki can be a key figure for the hosts.
Atletico Madrid to beat Stuttgart @ 2.06
Atletico Madrid are absolutely flying right now, with Diego Simeone’s side on a run of six consecutive wins following last week’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United and 1-0 success at Espanyol. In stark contrast, Stuttgart arrive for this fixture on the back of a 1-0 failure at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, although they did claim a 3-0 triumph at Slovan Bratislava a few days prior. Nevertheless, Atletico look to be the smart play here, as their form is simply too good to ignore. Stuttgart’s previous home match was against a real top-quality opponent in Borussia Dortmund, and Sebastian Hoeness’ side lost 1-0. So getting Atletico at slightly higher than evens is therefore hard to turn down.
Liverpool vs Villarreal: Player to score or assist – Bradley Barcola @ 1.71
It was a slow start in a Liverpool jersey for Barcola, but the club’s record signing is finally delivering the goods. The French winger netted a hat-trick against LASK last Tuesday, and followed the treble up with the assist for Alexander Isak’s winner against Brentford (1-2) on Saturday. And this represents another opportunity for Barcola to shine, with Villarreal yet to keep a clean sheet on the road this season – losing 3-2 at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1. Over to you, Bradley.
Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig: Anytime goalscorer – Kylian Mbappe @ 1.33
Okay, the price on offer here really is not the best, but the fact remains that a goal from Mbappe is one of the safest pre-match bets in European football right now. Real Madrid’s main man has nine strikes in nine La Liga outings following a brace against Sevilla last Sunday evening, while he also scored in the Champions League wins over Inter Milan (2-1) and AS Roma (3-4). Furthermore, Leipzig enter this fixture on the back of a 6-1 thrashing at Bayern Munich, their fourth away defeat in a row after previous failures vs Werder Bremen (3-1), Como (4-1) and Bayer Leverkusen (2-0). Another Mbappe goal at the Bernabeu just feels inevitable, especially as he has only failed to score at home on just one occasion so far this term.
Aston Villa vs Viking: Aston Villa total goals – Over 2.5 @ 1.62
Aston Villa’s last home match saw them thrash Fenerbahce 6-0, the third time in five matches whereby Unai Emery’s men netted over 2.5 goals. With summer signings Nicolas Jackson and Johan Manzambi in red-hot form, this has all the makings of another high-scoring affair for Villa. Of course, Viking produced the shock result of Matchday 2 by drawing 3-3 with Bayern Munich at home, and won 3-2 against Fredrikstad on the weekend. But the goals conceded column there is the cause for concern, with a 3-1 defeat suffered at Stuttgart on Matchday 1 of this competition. If Villa score early in front of their fans, it could be a long night for the Norwegian visitors.
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