Matchday three of the UEFA Champions League promises to be just as great as the opening two sets of matches, with some blockbuster clashes to feast our eyes on. Since the draw was first conducted, the matchup between Manchester United and Juventus was always going to be an intriguing one. Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo will face their former employers, the neutrals will be hoping to see the key battle between Barcelona’s Arturo Vidal and Inter Milan’s Radja Nainggolan. With all the quality on showcase in Europe’s elite competition, let’s hope we can enjoy the football, while making some extra money in the process.
Wednesday 24 October
Group A
Club Brugge 12/10
Draw 24/10
Monaco 21/10
(18:55)
Wednesday action kicks off with Club Brugge hosting Monaco as both teams look to kick on in Group A from their opening two defeats. The Belgian side have a decent record at home to French opposition, winning five of the 10 encounters they have played. For Monaco, this will be Thierry Henry’s first Champions League game as a head coach, and if his mentoring abilities are half as good as his playing expertise, then we could see the next Zinedine Zidane in the making. For now, not much can be expected of this Monaco team. Back Both Teams to Score at 6/10.
Dortmund 16/10
Draw 22/10
Atletico Madrid 17/10
(21:00)
Dortmund and Atletico Madrid do battle in arguably Wednesday’s toughest clash. Both giants have achieved six points from their opening two matches, but it seems that both sides have somewhat traded places in terms of what they have achieved so far in the group. Dortmund, known for their fast-paced attack, are yet to concede this term, while Atletico, known for their resolute defending, have scored the highest amount of goals in Group A. This one is tough to predict, so I’ll be fancying Both Teams to Score at 15/20.
Group B
PSV 51/20
Draw 26/10
Tottenham 19/20
(18:55)
PSV lock horns with a Tottenham side who have struggled thus far in the competition, losing both of their encounters played. PSV are none the better, in fact, the Dutch side sit below Spurs on goal difference, having scored just one goal. Tottenham have an impressive record in the Netherlands, winning five of their seven trips to Holland, while PSV have emerged victorious in just six of their 16 home encounters against English opposition. Back Spurs to claim their first victory and move within touching distance of the top.
Barcelona 3/10
Draw 9/2
Inter Milan 7/1
(21:00)
Both Barcelona and Inter Milan will be looking to keep their 100 percent records intact when they do battle at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night. It will also be interesting to see the battle between Arturo Vidal and Radja Nainggolan, who share so much similarities in their style of play. Lionel Messi has been subliminal this season and is already the competition’s leading goalscorer with five goals to his tally. Mauro Icardi has also hit form for Inter, but you get the feeling that the game could be decided by Argentina’s greater player. Barca have won 16 of the 23 home games they have played against Italian opposition and should come out on top once again. I would even go as far as backing Barcelona on the (-1) Handicap at 15/20.
Group C
Liverpool 1/20
Draw 10/1
Red Star Belgrade 30/1
(21:00)
Last season’s runners-up, Liverpool, will be eyeing a turnaround performance when they host lowly-fancied Red Star Belgrade at Anfield on Wednesday night. Jurgen Klopp’s men need to bounce back from their slump against Napoli, losing 1-0 in the dying seconds of the game. The dynamic front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah haven’t been at their best this campaign, but against a side like Red Star Belgrade, they could bounce back and bring back belief within the camp. The Reds to Score In Both Halves seems a banker here at 3/10.
PSG 9/20
Draw 15/4
Napoli 5/1
(21:00)
High-flying PSG will look to leapfrog Napoli, who sit at the top of proceedings in Group C, when they welcome the Italian heavyweights to the Parc des Princes. It will also mark a return for coach Carlo Ancelotti, who managed the Parisians from 2011 to 2013. The Naples lead the way, despite scoring just one goal, winning and drawing each of their two games played. David Ospina faces yet another tough test in goal as Neymar, off the back of a hat-trick last game, will partner Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani in an electrifying front three. Calling it a banker might be too harsh on Napoli, but I cannot see any other result than a routine win for PSG.
Group D
Galatasaray 16/10
Draw 21/10
Schalke 7/4
(21:00)
Galatasaray will look to inflict Schalke’s first defeat of the campaign when the two sides do battle in Turkey. Gala knocked out the German outfit in this fixture in a Round of 16 encounter way back in the 2012/13 season. Having said that, Schalke have drawn all three of their UEFA games in Turkey. So as much as they battle to win, they’re also tough to beat. The visitors have been more impressive this season than their counterparts, so I’m backing the Germans to return home with something. Take these sides to cancel each other out here at 21/10.
Lokomotiv Moscow 3/1
Draw 22/10
Porto 19/20
(21:00)
Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Porto square off for the first time in an UEFA competition with both teams looking to start the head-to-head records on a high. Lokomotiv lie bottom of Group D with two defeats from their first two matchups, while Porto are yet to be beaten this term. The Dragons also have a great record in Russia, winning four of their six games played. I’m backing Porto to pile more misery on Lokomotiv.
Wednesday TREBLE @ 7/2
Dortmund vs Atletico BTTS 15/20
Barcelona (-1) Handicap 15/20
PSG Win 9/20
Written by Jesse Nagel
