It’s the final round of fixtures from this year’s Champions League group phase and we’re predicting 48 hours of intense drama as teams fight for a place in the round of 16, Europa League football, or simply a positive end to their European campaigns.
We’ve picked three games (two from Tuesday and one from Wednesday) in which we think both teams will find the target at some stage. With a potential payout of just over 9/2, it’d be a great way to follow our winner on matchday five.
Here are our selections.
Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid (Tuesday)
Group D is all done and dusted with Atletico guaranteed top spot while Bayern will finish second. Nevertheless, this is a huge clash as Carlo Ancelotti’s men look to gain momentum and Diego Simeone’s bid to complete a perfect group phase.
The visitors continue to thrive on a defensive front, shipping just one goal in five Champions League matches so far. With Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro scoring on a regular basis too, the Rojiblancos can be confident about leaving Germany with a famous win.
Nevertheless, in spite of their teething problems under the new manager, it’s hard to see Bayern not scoring on home turf. Their last competitive home blank was well over a year ago while Robert Lewandowski and co will want to prove their credentials for the continental crown with a big performance here.
It’s unlikely to be the highest scoring game of the round, but we do think both teams will score.
BTTS Yes @ 8/9 with Unibet
Benfica v Napoli (Tuesday)
It’s still everything to play for in Group B as three teams could either win the group, come second, or drop into the Europa League. For Benfica and Napoli, just one win stands in the way of top spot, which is why this contest has the makings of a thriller.
The Italians picked up a 4-2 win in the reverse clash, so Maurizio Sarri’s men will be hoping for more of the same. Jose Callejon, Marek Hamsik, and Lorenzo Insigne should provide the firepower for them to score in Portugal but that might not necessarily be enough for the win.
After all, Benfica are on a six-game winning streak at the Estadio da Luz. Given that they also scored twice in Italy, Kostas Mitroglou and co. are more than capable of firing the Portuguese club to the last 16.
It’s a difficult game to predict the outcome of, although we’d have a slight edge towards Benfica. The one thing we can anticipate, however, is goals.
BTTS Yes @14/19 with Unibet
Legia Warsaw v Sporting Lisbon (Wednesday)
Group F has been a great source of entertainment in this year’s tournament, and Legia Warsaw are undoubtedly one of the main reasons. The Polish side have scored eight but conceded 24 in their opening five matches. There’s no reason to think their adventure won’t end in a similar fashion.
A win would actually see the hosts leapfrog Lisbon to clinch a spot in the Europa League, so Nemanja Nikolics will be out to put on a big performance, especially as the visitors have lost four of their five matches.
Still, Legia’s defensive vulnerabilities are likely to bite them. Sporting have understandably struggled for goals in a group that contains Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, but they did hit two past the Poles back in Portugal.
Do not be surprised if they match that feat here. On this occasion, though, the Legia are more than capable of finding the target too.
BTTS Yes @ 9/13 with Unibet
A £10 treble pays £55.60 with Unibet
