Europe is gearing up to consume another frenetic Champions League programme in midweek, and there is another potentially action-packed set of fixtures to look forward to in football’s most prestigious club competition across both Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
On Tuesday, Manchester United navigate their first match after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking when they play Villarreal in a crucial encounter, while current European champions Chelsea’ clash with Juventus is the pick of the skirmishes later on.
We’re more concerned with Wednesday’s fixture slate this week however, and below, we’ve taken a look at some the best Champions League picks and predictions from the evening’s line-up.
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Besiktas vs Ajax
- Venue: Vodafone Park
- Kick off time: 12:45 pm EST
- Besiktas vs Ajax on TV: Paramount+
Besiktas vs Ajax Kiev pick:
Over 2.5 Goals -190 (DraftKings)
Ajax are in total command of Group C with a perfect winning record so far and the Amsterdam outfit have been their usual prolific selves en-route to the summit of the section. Their fixtures on the continent so far have averaged a staggering 4.0 goals per 90 minutes and on Wednesday they face a Besiktas side that shipped an alarmingly high eight times in their last two European fixtures.
With the host’s dreadful defensive run considered, we recommend a stake on over 2.5 goals in Turkey this week. Only Man City and Bayern Munich have scored more often than Ajax in his season’s Champions League and we expect the Dutch side to flex their considerable attacking muscle again on Wednesday.
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Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
- Venue: Estádio José Alvalade
- Kick off time: 03:00 pm EST
- Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund on TV: Paramount+
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund pick:
Sporting CP Double Chance @8/15 (1.53) (bet365)
Sporting CP and Borussia Dortmund are locked on six points each in Group C, making their matchday five tie on Wednesday a clash of huge importance. With nine wins in a row behind them ahead of the contest, Sporting have the edge in terms of form, while a major absentee from the visitor’s ranks could also spell bad news for the Germans.
Wonderkid and chief goalscorer Erling Haaland is out injured for Dortmund until the new year and without his threat up front, Dortmund looked abject in their back-to-back defeats against Ajax. We think Sporting are worth backing to take advantage of Der BVB’s problems and they look an interesting prospect in the double chance market with that in mind.
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Manchester City vs Paris St. Germain
- Venue: The Etihad Stadium
- Kick off time: 03:00 pm EST
- Manchester City vs Paris St. Germain on TV: Paramount+
Manchester City vs Paris St. Germain pick:
Over 2.5 Goals -170 (DraftKings)
Manchester City and PSG are battling it out for top spot in Group A and the outcome of their head-to-head at The Etihad Stadium on Wednesday will most likely determine who will progress as section winners. The Parisians beat City 2-0 in the French capital back in September, though draws in both of their away games so far have held them back.
The Cityzens meanwhile, have won three matches on the bounce, though PSG should provide a much stiffer test than Club Brugge, Man Utd and Everton. City will likely dominate the ball, though PSG carry a ferocious counter-attacking threat through Kylian Mbappe in particular, and a pulsating tussle looks possible. Consequently, we recommend backing over 2.5 goals in Manchester.
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Liverpool vs FC Porto
- Venue: Anfield
- Kick off time: 03:00 pm EST
- Liverpool vs FC Porto on TV: Paramount+
Liverpool vs FC Porto pick:
Under 2.5 Goals +110 (DraftKings)
With Liverpool’s place in the next round of the Champions League already banked, Jurgen Klopp is expected to field a team made up of fringe players in need of minutes and youngsters in need of experience on Wednesday evening – something that should have a noticeable impact on proceedings.
With a certain disjointedness expected and most of Liverpool’s most dangerous performers wrapped in cotton wool, we don’t expect a ton of goalmouth action at Anfield and the under 2.5 goals market jumps off the page at a price worth backing as a result.
