There is just one more round of matches before the teams playing in this season’s Champions League and Europa League group stages are confirmed. Some well fancied teams have a lot of work still to do while others have all but booked their place in the group stages. Whatever the balance of the ties, we’ve sifted through them to put together three different accas of increasing odds to satisfy every style of punter.
Easy Winner – evens (Sky Bet)
- Manchester City to beat Steaua Bucharest (1/6) – Man City were way too strong for their Romanian opponents in the first leg and are sure to overwhelm them once again when the two meet at the Etihad on Wednesday.
- Legia Warsaw to beat Dundalk (2/5) – After a 2-0 defeat at home it now looks as though Dundalk’s Champions League dream is over. Legia are sure to prove too much for the Irish champions in Poland.
- West Ham to beat Astra Giurgiu (1/4) – West Ham left Romania disappointed for the second time in consecutive seasons but the Irons do at least have a chance to bounce back with the return leg against Astra Giurgiu at the London Stadium. This looks a real home banker.
Medium Risk – 11/2 (BetVictor)
- Both teams to score in Porto v Roma (13/20) – Roma and Porto shared a 1-1 draw in Portugal, a draw which puts Roma in pole position thanks to the away goals rule. We should see both teams play a big part in another close match.
- Over 2.5 goals in Hapoel Be’er Sheva v Celtic (17/20) – Having gone 3-0 up, Celtic were dangerously close to throwing their lead away at home but ended up beating Hapoel Be’er Sheva 5-2. The return leg could be just as high scoring as Hapoel give their all to make the Champions League group stage.
- Man City to beat Steaua Bucharest to nil (5/6) – Man City looked to be playing a different game to Steaua Bucharest and there is no reason to suggest that the return leg will play out any differently.
Long Shot – 61/1 (Bet365)
- Celtic to beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva (11/5) – Brendan Rodgers knows that his team are in for a tough match in Israel but if they take advantage of Hapoel’s attacking intent by hitting on the counter attack, the Bhoys could win to secure their place in the Champions League group stage with style.
- Over 1.5 first half goals in Monaco v Villarreal (9/4) – This tie is set up brilliantly thanks to Monaco’s 2-1 win in Spain. Villarreal now have to win and will likely have to score more than once. So, betting on a fast start with goals in the first half could pay off.
- Rostov to beat Ajax and both teams to score (5/1) – Ajax may live to regret not beating Rostov in Amsterdam. It is going to be much more difficult to get the win in Russia and while the Dutch side should score, Rostov have what it takes to book a place in the Champions League proper.