MARK O’HAIRE (@MarkOHaire) has taken a look at the Champions League games that don't involve British teams and shares his betting verdict.
Bayern Munich v Rostov | Tuesday 19.45 | BT Sport Extra
- Bayern Munich have made the semi-finals in six of the last seven seasons.
- Bayern Munich have won all four games under Carlo Ancelotti by an aggregate 15-0.
- Bayern Munich have W11-D1-L0 at home in the Champions League keeping seven clean sheets and scoring at least four goals in five of their last nine as hosts.
- Bayern Munich scored 14 goals at home in the group-stage last season and have kept clean sheets in five of their last six home group-stage games.
- Bayern Munich have scored at an average 3.50 goals-per-game in their last 12 home group-stage games.
- Rostov enjoy to play on the counter-attack and performed above expectations to see off Anderlecht and Ajax in the qualifying stages but this is their first taste of the Champions League group-stage.
I’m backing Bayern Munich to win both halves at 7/10 (888)
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid | Tuesday 19.45 | BT Sport Extra
- These two teams played out two very dull and drab 0-0s during last season’s Champions League knockout stages – the first ever aggregate 0-0 result in the competition’s history.
- PSV have conceded just once in their last five games with Jeroen Zoet keeping four consecutive clean sheets in the Eredivisie.
- PSV saw 5/8 of last season’s Champions League games feature Under 2.5 Goals with seven goalless at the break, scoring only six goals in total.
- PSV W3-D1-L0 at home in the Champions League last season. Atletico Madrid have shipped just one goal in three La Liga games this season.
- Atletico Madrid have seen 11/15 away Champions League games feature Under 2.5 Goals.
- Atletico Madrid have conceded just one goal in the first-half of their last 11 away European games. They’ve also seen all three matches this term enter half-time without a goal being scored.
- Atletico Madrid W2-D2-L2 in six away Champions League games last season and have won just three of their last 12 on their travels in this competition.
I’m backing the 0-0 half-time correct score (6/4 Bet365) and PSV +0.50 Asian Handicap (17/16 888)
Dynamo Kiev v Napoli | Tuesday 19.45 | BT Sport Extra
- Dynamo Kiev lost to Vorskla recently – their first domestic defeat to a side that wasn’t Shakhtar Donetsk since April 2014. Shakhtar also held them to a draw recently.
- Dynamo Kiev have W8-D3-L1 in their last 12 home European games.
- Napoli have dominated possession and the shot count in all three of their Serie A games this season but conceded four goals whilst scoring nine.
- Napoli have lost five of their last seven away in the Champions League as well as both of their last two trips to Ukraine in continental action.
- Napoli saw their group-games in the Europa League feature an average of four goals last season whilst 10 of their last 12 matches have produced at least three goals.
I’m backing Both Teams To Score at 8/9 with 188BET.
Benfica v Besiktas | Tuesday 19.45 | BT Sport Extra
- Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season wining three of their five home matches, only failing to beat Atletico Madrid (lost 1-2) and Bayern Munich (drew 2-2).
- Benfica kept just one group-stage clean sheet in the Champions League last season and have conceded in all three league games this season despite facing modest opposition.
- Benfica may be without last season’s top scorer Jonas, Raul Jimenez, Kostas Mitroglou, defensive lynchpin Luisao plus the sold Nico Gaitan and Renato Sanches, robbing the side of more than 60 goals from 2015/16.
- Benfica used 17-year-old Jose Gomes in attack on Friday.
- Besiktas scored in all six of their Europa League group-games last term and despite losing Mario Gomes this summer have replaced the German with capable Cameroon marksman Vincent Aboubakar.
- Besiktas also have motivated Portuguese wing wizard Ricardo Quaresma plus Oguzhan Ozyakup and Cenk Tosun to call upon.
I’m backing Both Teams To Score at 42/41 (888) as well as Besiktas +0.50 (6/5 BetVictor).
Basel v Ludogorets | Tuesday 19.45 | BT Sport Extra
- Basel have started the season with eight wins from eight, scoring at least three goals in each fixture.
- Basel have seen Over 3.5 Goals in four of their last six with three also seeing Over 4.5 Goals.
- Basel have won their four home games this season by an aggregate 13-2.
- Basel striker Seydou Dombia has scored six goals in seven league games since signing. The Swiss side also have Austrian forward Marc Janko in attack.
- Basel have beaten Chelsea (twice), Liverpool, Valencia, Fiorentina and St Etienne in the past three years in Europe as well as Ludogorets (twice).
- Ludogorets have lost their three group-stage away games by an aggregate 10-1.
- Ludogorets saw five of their six qualifiers feature Over 2.5 Goals.
I’ll be backing Basel to win and Over 1.5 Goals at 11/10 (Betfair).
Best Bets
Bayern Munich v Rostov – Bayern Munich to win both halves (7/10 888)
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid – 0-0 half-time score (6/4 Bet365)
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid – PSV Eindhoven +0.50 Asian Handicap (17/16 888)
Dynamo Kiev v Napoli – Both Teams To Score (8/9 188BET)
Benfica v Besiktas – Both Teams To Score (42/41 888)
Benfica v Besiktas – Besiktas +0.50 Asian Handicap (6/5 BetVictor)
Basel v Ludogorets – Basel to win and Over 1.5 Goals (11/10 Betfair)
