Neither Manchester City or Manchester United have exactly been firing on all cylinders in the Champions League so far this season and both clubs will have one eye on the other games in their respective groups on Wednesday, as they chase qualification for the knock-out phase.
We preview the other games in Groups A and C, as leaders Bayern Munich and Benfica look to continue their push towards the knockout stages.
Bayern Munich v Napoli – Group A
This is among the games of the night on Wednesday with the top two in the group going head-to-head at the Allianz Arena. Napoli claimed what could turn out to be a valuable point at City in their first game and could yet deny Roberto Mancini’s side a place in the knockout stage.
But Bayern have been ultra-impressive so far this season – both in Europe and domestically – losing just two games and conceding three goals in 17 in all competitions. They sit top of the Bundesliga – four points clear of Schalke – and the likes of Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller have formed a formidable midfield partnership.
The 1-1 draw in Italy between these two a few weeks ago shows it is likely to be a tight contest in Germany, but Bayern really should have won in Naples, so expect a home win from the clean-sheet masters on Wednesday (Match Betting – Bayern 3/10, draw 9/2, Napoli 9/1).
Bayern frontman Mario Gomez is on fire and he looks a good bet at 3/1 in the First Goalscorer market, to add to his 10 strikes so far.
Benfica v Basel – Gp C
The other game in Manchester United’s group looks a little more clear-cut, with Benfica hot favourites to win (Match Betting – Benfica 3/11, draw 4/1, Basel 11/1) and maintain their unbeaten start to the tournament.
United and Benfica are without doubt the favourites to make it through eventually, but Basel’s 3-3 draw at Old Trafford proved they can go to the biggest venues and get a result – they were minutes away from a win too – so don’t be surprised if the Swiss champions spring another surprise in Portugal. At a big price, the draw could be worth a punt, bearing in mind the state of the group before kick-off.
Benfica are a tough nut to crack at home and will look to start well and, as a result, Benfica/Draw in the HT/FT market at 20/1, may look like a long shot but could be worth a wager.
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a and Arsenal fixtures, there are some intriguing Champions League matches on Wednesday. The pick of the ties sees Marseille entertain German champions Borussia Dortmund in Group F, with the French side looking to make it two wins out of two in the tournament.