We continue with Matchday 2 this Wednesday in Europe, where we will look at two compelling encounters in the UEFA Champions League, offering insights and betting options for your convenience.
Before doing so, let’s begin with the outright markets. Manchester City remain the favourites at 95/40, followed closely by last season’s champions, Real Madrid, at 29/10. Arsenal are deemed next best, with odds of 17/2, while Bayern Munich follows at 9/1. Both Liverpool and Barcelona are priced at 11/1, leaving the remainder of the field priced at 18/1 or higher.
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ASTON VILLA v BAYERN MUNICH– Click here to bet
Aston Villa is set to host Bayern Munich for their first home match of the UEFA Champions League group phase, marking an exciting return to Europe’s elite competition. Following a commanding 3-0 victory away to Young Boys in their opening match, Villa currently occupy 4th place in the group standings. As they look to build on that success, Wednesday’s clash against Bayern Munich presents their toughest challenge yet. A packed Villa Park is expected to create an electric atmosphere as the Villains seek to assert themselves on the biggest stage in European Club football.
Villa enters this fixture off the back of a 2-2 draw away to Ipswich in the English Premier League, which ended their three-game EPL winning streak and halted a five-game winning run across all competitions. Despite dropping points, Aston Villa remains unbeaten in their last six matches, placing them 5th in the Premier League standings.
Unbeaten in their last 13 matches, Bayern Munich arrive in Birmingham full of confidence after a commanding 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener. With a positive goal difference of +7, the Bavarians comfortably sit at the top of the group standings heading into Matchday two. It was the perfect start for Vincent Kompany’s men in Europe, and they will be eager to replicate that dominant form away at Villa Park.
Similar to their upcoming opponents, Bayern Munich enters Wednesday’s key clash on the back of a domestic draw, having been held 1-1 by Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. That result ended their ten-game winning streak, but despite the stumble at home, Bayern remain atop the Bundesliga table with 13 points from five league matches.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meeting between these two teams was in 1982, when Aston Villa secured a memorable 1-0 victory in the European Cup final.
Betting
Aston Villa 33/10
Draw 33/10
Bayern Munich 15/20
Verdict
A chance is taken on hosts Aston Villa to come away with something positive from this encounter. While Bayern Munich certainly deserve the favourites tag, I believe the Villains are more than capable of pulling off a surprise result on Wednesday.
Suggested Bet: Double Chance And Both Teams To Score, Aston Villa/Draw And Yes at 37/20
LIVERPOOL v BOLOGNA– Click here to bet
Liverpool opened their European campaign with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at the San Siro on Matchday One, positioning the six-time European champions in 7th place in the group standings. For the second week in a row, the Reds will face Italian opposition, but this time with the advantage of playing at home as they welcome Bologna to Anfield on Wednesday evening.
Domestically, Liverpool has flourished under the leadership of Arne Slot, whose straightforward approach has paid dividends. The Reds currently top the league, sitting in 1st place after a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. With five wins and just one loss in the league, their form is strong. However, Liverpool will be cautious of their inconsistent home record against Italian sides, having lost three of their last five matches at Anfield against Italian opposition.
Bologna has yet to recapture the consistency they displayed last season, as the Italian club struggles to balance both domestic and elite European commitments. Despite an unbeaten run of five matches, their inability to secure maximum points is evident, with only one win and four draws during this stretch. In week one of their European campaign, they managed a disappointing 0-0 draw at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, leaving them on the back foot and currently 18th in the standings.
As they head into Wednesday’s clash at Anfield, Bologna’s domestic form in Serie A underscores their struggle to establish much authority at present. Their recent 1-1 draw at home against Atalanta marked their fourth league draw of the season, leaving the Rossoblu languishing in 13th place. A concerning sign, especially considering Liverpool’s formidable run of form, despite their less-than-stellar record against Serie A opposition.
Head-to-Head
These two sides have yet to face one another in a competitive match, having only featured in club friendly appearances back in 2021, when Liverpool prevailed in both encounters, winning 1-0 and 2-0, respectively.
Betting
Liverpool 2/9
Draw 6/1
Bologna 12/1
Verdict
Liverpool should have little to fear going into Wednesday’s clash, irrespective of their inferior record against Italian opposition. Bologna have yet to ignite this season and are unlikely to do so on the grandest stage of them all. A comfortable win for Liverpool looks likely, but I will opt for a market that has already paid dividends five times this season for the Reds.
Suggested Bet: Liverpool To Win To Nil, Yes at 19/20
Click here for all of this week’s European football action
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
