After the transfers of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and several other titans in European soccer, the UEFA Champions League returns with a new sense of urgency. Such group stage matchups as Barcelona vs Bayern Munich, Inter Milan vs Real Madrid and Liverpool vs AC Milan are set for the first day. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the same group, which means that there could be tough letdowns for some of the continent’s top clubs.
Let’s look at the first match days of group play and the remaining Champions League betting options.
Soccer News: UEFA Champions League Group Play
Tuesday, September 14
Group E
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (3:00 pm ET)
Dynamo Kyiv vs Benfica (3:00 pm ET)
Group F
Young Boys 2, Manchester United 1
Villarreal vs Atalanta (3:00 pm ET)
Group G
Sevilla 1, RB Salzburg 1
LOSC Lille vs Wolfsburg (3:00 pm ET)
Group H
Chelsea vs Zenit St. Petersburg (3:00 pm ET)
Malmo FF vs Juventus (3:00 pm ET)
Wednesday, September 15
Group A
Manchester City (-320) vs RB Leipzig (+900) (Draw +430) (3:00 pm ET)
City fell in their EPL opener to Tottenham Hotspur but has since won three matches by an aggregate score of 11-0, taking down Norwich City, Arsenal and Leicester City. Leipzig has dropped three of four to start Bundesliga play. Go with City here.
Club Brugge (+1200) vs PSG (-440) (Draw +525) (3:00 pm ET)
Brugge did just beat Oostende 309 in the Belgian Pro League. PSG comes in on the strength of a 4-0 Ligue 1 win over Clermont Foot. Given the lack of value — and the lack of vulnerability to a draw for PSG — I’m staying away from this one.
Group B
Atletico Madrid (-160) vs Porto (+550) (Draw +270) (3:00 pm ET)
These teams are defensive powerhouses, and Porto is a strong underdog offering a lot of value here. Porto went to the quarterfinals of the Champions League last year. I’m leaning strongly toward the draw.
Liverpool (-190) vs AC Milan (+490) (Draw +340) (3:00 pm ET)
AC Milan is back in the Champions League for the first time in seven years. However, they have only beaten Liverpool once in four tries. Liverpool doesn’t offer much value, but I’m still taking them here.
Group C
Besiktas (+440) vs Borussia Dortmund (-170) (Draw +320) (12:45 pm ET)
Besitkas has three wins and a draw so far in Turkish Super League play, and they are back in the Champions League after three years away. Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 3-2 and then took down Bayer Leverkusen, 4-3. Offense isn’t the problem; it’s defense that is the real struggle. On the road, I’m taking the value of the draw.
Sporting CP (+188) vs Ajax (+138) (Draw +240) (3:00 pm ET)
Sporting played Porto to a draw on Saturday, which was their second draw after a seven-game winning streak. Sporting is second in the Portuguese first division, four points back of Benfica. Ajax has a four-match unbeaten streak and are second in the Eredivisie table, two points back of PSV. The two teams have never met, and so I’m leaning toward the home side, with the added value.
Group D
Sheriff Tiraspol (+350) vs Shakhtar Donetsk (-125) (Draw +650) (12:45 pm ET)
Sheriff Tiraspol is the first Moldovan team ever to qualify for Champions League play. Shakhtar Donetsk comes to town after running over SC Dnipro-1, 2-0. Sheriff beat Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifiers and beat FC Petrocub Hindesti, 2-0, in their last match. They sit in fourth in the Moldavian first division, although they hold four matches in hand over most of the rest of the table. Given the oddities that can be associated with soccer in this part of Europe, I’m taking the value of the draw.
Inter Milan (-145) vs Real Madrid (+180) (Draw +250) (3:00 pm ET)
Inter Milan last played against Sampdoria in Serie A and settled for a 2-2 draw. Real Madrid rolled over Celta Vigo in La Liga play, 5-2, behind a hat trick from Karim Benzema. These two teams have met 11 times; each side has won five, with a draw. Real won, 2-0, wen the two sides met in Champions League play a year ago.
UEFA Champions League Betting Odds
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