BetMGM UK Golden Goals: Champions League Special

The Champions League takes centre stage once more this week after an action-packed first matchday – and we are running Golden Goals for the duration of club football’s most prestigious tournament.

That's right, our free-to-play competition is getting the Champions League makeover. Predict six scores correctly, and you could win up to £2 million! Read more about Golden Goals here.

A reminder of last week's highlights:

There were 48 goals across the 16 games, averaging out at three goals per game exactly The pick of the action was a 4-3 win for Bayern Munich over Manchester United. In truth, the scoreline flattered the Red Devils and could, or perhaps should, have been a wider margin of victory for the Germans There were wins for Manchester City and Arsenal, a draw for back-in-the-big-time Newcastle United and a 2-0 defeat for Celtic, who were down to nine men against Feyenoord for the best part of half an hour

Do you have what it takes to judge the best of the best? We are here to help with a blow-by-blow breakdown of the matchday two action.

Manchester United vs Galatasaray

Form (all competitions) Manchester United: LLWWL Galatasaray: WDWWW

It wasn't the return to the Champions League the three-time champions would have been hoping for – yet it had started so promisingly.

Only Alphonso Davies' defensive heroics stopped them from taking the lead in Munich, and they were playing with purpose. Then, the shadow of David de Gea debate loomed large over the Allianz Arena as a howler from Andre Onana allowed Leroy Sane's tame shot to squeeze through.

Almost immediately, a large portion of the football social media commentariat reached for their phones to post a picture of the former Old Trafford number one, usually accompanied by either a crying-laughing face emoji, thoughtful face emoji, or indeed a grimacing emoji.

Despite reducing a two-goal deficit three times on the night, the visitors were comprehensively outplayed. Bayern had more possession (59% vs 41%), got twice as many shots on target as United, forced Onana into five saves compared to Sven Ulriech’s one and generated 35 shot-creating actions (SCA) compared to United’s 16.

Their opponents on Tuesday night are Galatasaray – a team that did some exciting business on the final day of the summer transfer window in raiding the Premier League for Tottenham pair Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele as well as Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace and Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech.

Manchester United will have to take their chances to defeat this dangerous outfit – and that's something they could have been better at this season, at least in the Premier League. They have the third-lowest shots on target percentage in the division with just 26.9% of their 108 attempts forcing the keeper into a save.

Their latest defeat – at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday – means this game becomes a huge match for embattled boss Erik ten Hag.

Despite their woes, it's difficult to see anything other than a home win.

Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Galatasaray

Napoli vs Real Madrid

Form (all competitions) Napoli: DWDWW; Real Madrid: WWLWW

What is going on in Naples? A slow start to the campaign has been compounded by a social media-inspired implosion which saw one of the Serie A side’s accounts appear to mock star striker Victor Osimhen over the previous weekend. In response, the Nigeria international removed all references to Napoli from his Instagram biography.

A statement from Napoli has attempted to clear things up but there is a definite undercurrent of unease flowing down the Amalfi coastline and the good feeling from last year’s Scudetto win is well and truly on the wane.

Real Madrid are hardly blowing teams away though. In four of their last six wins in all competitions they have won by just a solitary goal. Indeed, they were indebted to the irrepressible Jude Bellingham on matchday one when the Birmingham-born youngster nabbed a last-minute goal against competition debutants Union Berlin to get Los Blancos off to a winning start.

It's not for lack of trying by Carlo Ancelotti's side; they have hit a mammoth 146 shots on goal so far in La Liga, 19 more than any other side (Barcelona are next-best with 127). However their expected goals (xG) rate of 1.76 per 90 minutes – placing them fourth in the league – speaks to a lack of ruthlessness.

Napoli definitely need more of last season’s cohesion and are third in Serie A with four wins from seven… but they are creating chances. They top the xG per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight with 2.14 while, despite the recent furore, Osimhen is still performing well individually with the most shots (27) and second-most goals (5).

Is a surprise lurking in Italy? We think so. It'll be a shock home win.

Prediction: Napoli 2-1 Real Madrid

RC Lens vs Arsenal

Form (all competitions) RC Lens: LLDWW Arsenal: WWDWW

You don’t need glasses to see it’s not looking good in the early part of the season for Lens. They are fourth from bottom in Ligue 1 and leaking goals like a sieve; with 12 goals conceded in seven games, they hold the joint-fifth-poorest defensive record in the division.

However, two wins on the bounce in the league means a recovery of sorts is underway and the Gunners will have to watch out for the creative instincts of Florian Sotoca. The experienced 32-year-old has registered three assists in Ligue 1 so far this campaign, the joint-second most in the competition.

Lens also like to shoot at goal whenever possible – despite dwelling at the wrong end of the table they have taken 114 shots in seven games which ranks them third-highest in the competition per 90 minutes.

Arsenal, meanwhile, started off the competition in blockbuster fashion by sweeping aside PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in the opener. They will surely fancy their chances for another heavy victory here, especially after such a convincing league performance in demolishing Bournemouth by the same scoreline on Saturday.

The Gunners have won all but two games so far this season and remain undefeated. Much of their success is down to Bukayo Saka, the talismanic winger is in incredible form with four goals in the league already as well as carrying the third-highest xG value and ranking second-highest in shot-creating actions (where he sits level with captain Martin Odegaard).

If Saka, Odegaard and co. turn up as they have done so far this term then this should go to the Gunners. They would do well not to underestimate their slow-starting opponents though; it could be a closer game than many think.

Prediction: Lens 1-2 Arsenal

Newcastle United vs PSG

Form (all competitions) Newcastle United: WDWWW PSG: WLWWD

This has to be the tie of the round.

The Magpies are spreading their wings with four wins in five, scoring 12 goals, conceding none and exuding a general assurance that their style of play is working.

They are also topping the xG table across the Premier League campaign with 15.3, a metric much helped by their 8-0 mauling ofKylian Mbappe may have stayed put but it hasn't Sheffield United. That also happens to be the third-highest across Europe's top five leagues behind Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

It hasn't been plain sailing for Paris Saint-Germain so far this year. They are fifth in Ligue 1 after three wins, three draws and one defeat to open the season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they still lead the way in several key metrics, including xG (15.3, intriguingly the same as their opponents in this one), average possession per 90 minutes (71.6%) and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (33.0).

We're predicting a tight and nervy game with Newcastle's organisation going head-to-head with the pace and power of Mbappe and his team-mates. As such, we’re going with a score draw.

Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 PSG

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City

Form (all competitions) RB Leipzig: WWWWD Manchester City: WWWLL

At last, a chink in the armour of Pep Guardiola's juggernaut. After a perfect start to the season City have lost two games in a week, with Newcastle and Wolves defeating last season’s treble-winners 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.

Does this dip in form coincide with the absence of midfield linchpin Rodri? Their influential Spaniard was suspended for both of those losses and the Citizens were not quite the same without him.

He is back for this one as the suspension only covers domestic games but arguably most eyes will be watching one man: striker Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian scoring sensation is slightly less lethal than he was this time last year – when he had 17 goals in nine games compared to eight in seven this term – but he may need help finding the net against a well-organised and obdurate RB Leipzig outfit.

Marco Rose’s side has conceded just six goals in seven games so far in the Bundesliga and possess the fourth-lowest expected goals allowed (xGA) at 7.6.

A third of that goals conceded total came at the weekend. They raced into a two-goal lead against Bayern before half-time but were pegged back by the champions courtesy of a Harry Kane penalty and Leroy Sane’s leveller.

These two sides have met four times in this competition in the past two years. The Citizens have won two (by an aggregate score of 13-3), lost one (2-1 at RB Leipzig) and drawn one (also in Germany).

While Guardiola’s charges are favourites, this seems like it will be a challenging game for them given their recent run. We are going with another score draw.

Prediction: RB Leipzig 1-1 Manchester City

Celtic vs Lazio

Form (all competitions) Celtic: WWLWW Lazio: LDDWL

Brendan Rodgers' first match back in the Champions League as Celtic boss did not go to plan but, when your team goes down to nine men for more than a third of the match, you're always an underdog.

Indeed, the Scottish champions probably deserve credit for keeping the 2-0 defeat away to Feyenoord respectable. They need to bounce back, though, and their confidence will be high after four wins in five, especially with the nature of their incredible, 97th-minute win over Motherwell at the weekend.

All eyes will be on Denmark youth international Matt O'Riley, who has begun the season in startling form with five goals in seven Scottish Premiership games. The 22-year-old has added goals to the first-class creativity he displayed last season, when he led the league in assists (11) and created the most big chances in the division (16) while taking the second-most touches in the opposition box (184).

Can he keep his goalscoring run going? In Lazio, O’Riley could have a willing dance partner.

The Italians have conceded 10 goals in Serie A already this season and their 9.2 xGA is the sixth-worst in the competition. They have picked up just two wins from their opening eight games so it's hard to fancy their chances in the cauldron of Celtic Park, even if they have a goalscoring goalkeeper in Ivan Provodel.

The Italian was responsible for one of the more remarkable moments in recent Champions League history in the first matchday with a last-minute headed equaliser against Atletico Madrid.

Prediction: Celtic 3-1 Lazio Add our Golden Goals predictions to your betslip here

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation

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