Champions League Matchday 2 Predictions: Charged-Up City To Beat The Holders?
With 18 games spread across two show-stopping nights, there’s value to be found across the continent with our Champions League Matchday 2 tips.
Manchester City vs PSG headlines our five picks, alongside action in London, Madrid, Linz and more.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change.
Arsenal vs Lille
Arsenal made it one from one in the Champions League with a 1-0 win away to Napoli, while Lille arrive at the Emirates still reeling from a 3-2 defeat to Real Betis after leading twice.
Viktor Gyokeres returns from the international break in form after scoring in all four of Sweden’s Nations League games and is expected to lead the line again.
At the other end, Olivier Giroud makes an emotional return to north London, having made 253 appearances and scored 105 goals for the club.
Even at 40, he’s had a hand in three goals in five Ligue 1 games this season and he’ll fancy testing his old side at least once in what could be his final season.
BetMGM selection: Gyokeres & Giroud 1+ SoT each @ 5/4
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Manchester United’s worst start to a season in 40 years has exposed weaknesses all over the pitch – and Atletico Madrid have just the player to test one of them at the Metropolitano.
Lee Kang-in has already chipped in with two La Liga goals this season and he’s never shy about letting fly.
The South Korea international averages 3.59 shots per 90 minutes, with 2.51 of those coming from outside the box.
Playing off the right, he has licence to cut inside onto his favoured left foot and try his luck and, with United struggling in the full-back areas, he should find the space and time to do just that.
Two or more efforts on target from distance is a big ask but, for a player who shoots this often, 11/2 is worth a punt on nights like these.
BetMGM selection: Lee Kang-In 2+ SoT from outside the box @ 11/2
LASK vs Liverpool
Having qualified via a stunning play-off comeback against Celtic, LASK now face their toughest European test yet in Liverpool.
Expect to hear the name Melayro Bogarde a few times here, just not for anything good.
The Suriname midfielder’s four fouls against AEK Athens on Matchday 1 have him joint-second in the Champions League foul charts and he could be set for another busy evening in one of Wednesday’s earlier kick-offs.
The Reds have drawn 11 fouls a game on the road in the Premier League this season and were fouled 10 times against Atleti last month, mostly in midfield.
With that in mind, Bogarde to commit two or more fouls at 5/4 looks a solid shout and could slot nicely into any LASK vs Liverpool Bet Builder.
BetMGM selection: Bogarde 2+ fouls @ 5/4
Aston Villa vs Fenerbahce
Domestic woes? Not on a Wednesday night.
Unai Emery’s side swap Premier League struggles for Champions League lights as Aston Villa Park experiences its first league phase game of the season.
Villa picked up their first win of the season in their Champions League opener, beating Club Brugge 3-2 in a highly entertaining, back-and-forth game.
History is on the hosts’ side here, too, with the Villans winning all three previous meetings with the Turkish giants without conceding.
That run of clean sheets looks unlikely to continue, though, with both teams finding the net in each of Villa’s last five games – most recently in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Fenerbahce average 1.69 xG away from home domestically and aren’t short of firepower up front, so should give the Villans plenty of problems to deal with.
Rounding out our 3/1 Bet Builder is Nicolas Jackson, a man in form with three goals in his last four outings for club and country.
BetMGM selection: Aston Villa to win, BTTS & Jackson to score @ 3/1
Manchester City vs PSG
Despite the noise, Manchester City have won all six of their Premier League games and every home game this season ahead of this week’s main event.
For as big as PSG have become, they are still yet to beat City in Manchester, losing three of their four visits – a trend that looks set to continue given the Parisians' poor start in Ligue 1.
Enzo Maresca has also beaten Luis Enrique’s side before, guiding Chelsea to a 3-0 win in the Club World Cup final, and is arguably better equipped to do it again.
Erling Haaland has scored in each of his last six games, with Rayan Cherki putting in plenty of work behind him with three goals and two assists in the league so far.
At the other end, it’s difficult to look past former City forward Ferran Torres, who returns to the Etihad having scored a hat-trick against Slovan Bratislava – not to mention a World Cup-winning goal earlier this summer.
With Gianluigi Donnarumma also facing his former club and in fine form, Torres may not be so lucky this time round, but he should be good value for at least one shot on target.
BetMGM selection: Man City to win, BTTS, Haaland to score, Cherki to score or assist & Torres 1+ SoT @ 6/1
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change.
