Champions League Betting Tips: Manchester City and Newcastle both in action

We’ve had the qualifiers, we’ve worked through the play-offs, and now it’s time for the Champions League proper to get underway as the group stages begin.

Reigning champions, Manchester City, don’t have the toughest of starts as they play host to Red Star Belgrade at home, but elsewhere there are some exciting fixtures taking place to whet the appetite of UCL lovers around the globe.

AC Milan v Newcastle United

Kick off: 5.45pm Tuesday

Newcastle are back in Europe after their incredibly impressive campaign last time out, and they find themselves up against UCL royalty at one of the most iconic football stadiums in Europe – the San Siro.

A 5-1 hammering at the hands of bitter rivals, Internazionale, means that the hosts go into the tie bloodied, but they won three in a row before that and are very marginal favourites at 2.74 for this one.

Only once this season have the Magpies been stopped from scoring, and with Milan’s defence hardly watertight there’s a chance that Eddie Howe’s side could get in on the action in Italy.

Prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 @ 2.2

Lazio v Atletico Madrid

Kick off: 8pm Tuesday

The Italians have had a tough start to their 2023/24 campaign, and go into this encounter with just one win from their opening four matches in Serie A – Atletico, meanwhile, had started brightly in LaLiga before being thumped 3-0 by Valencia over the weekend.

Diego Simeone’s side are marginal favourites for a win (2.7 compared to 2.98), and the hosts’ inability to keep a clean sheet will give the Spaniards confidence that they can pick up a result at Stadio Olimpico.

Alvaro Morata has started the season strong with three goals in four, and back on Italian soil you wouldn’t go against him as anytime goalscorer at 2.94.

Prediction: Atletico Madrid to win @ 2.7

Manchester City v Red Star Belgrade

Kick off: 8pm Tuesday

Pep Guardiola’s side have home advantage and an impressive run of form on their side as they play host to the Serbian SuperLiga champions, which is why Crvena Zvezda are at 46 for victory.

With 10 goals in their last three matches in the Premier League – five by Erling Haaland, of course – they’ve found their scoring boots, and their Norwegian hitman is at 5.5 to grab another hat-trick at the Etihad for this one.

The Serbians have lost two of their last three league games, conceding six along the way, and there will be concerns that if City go strong this one could get a bit messy. Red Star have scored in all of their last 13 competitive fixtures, though.

 Prediction: Manchester City to win and over 3.5 goals @ 1.7

Barcelona v Royal Antwerp

Kick off: 8pm Tuesday

Barca’s unbeaten start hasn’t been enough to take them to the top of the LaLiga table, but it will certainly have filled them full of every confidence as they approach their first UCL group game of the season.

Four wins on the spin have seen them score 13 goals after a goalless opening day, and Robert Lewandowski (1.54 to score anytime) has six goals/assists in five matches so far as he keeps racking up his tally despite now being 35 years of age.

Antwerp (outsiders to win at 18.5) had to make it to this stage via the play-offs, and have had a hot and cold start to their campaign in Belgium. They’ve bagged 12 goals in their last four games but won just two of them, and a certain Pole will be licking his lips ahead of this tie.

Prediction: Barcelona to win and both teams to score – no @ 1.98

Recommend Bets

Back BTTS to score in AC Milan v Newcastle @ 2.2
Back Atletico Madrid to beat Lazio @ 2.7
Back Manchester City to win and over 3.5 goals against Red Star Belgrade @ 1.7
Back Barcelona to beat Royal Antwerp and both teams to score - no @ 1.98