The Champions League and Europa League return this week after their winter break. The first round of knockout ties signifies that we’re into the business end of the two tournaments and there are certainly some very entertaining matches in prospect. With so much top class football to enjoy on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we’ve put together three accumulators of increasing odds to give you a decent chance of earning a bit of cash.
Short Price – 13/8 (Betfair)
- Man City to beat Basel (1/3) – Man City pretty much have the Premier League sewn up already so they can turn their attentions to the Champions League now. Expect Pep Guardiola’s men to put one foot in the quarter finals with an away win over Basel.
- Over 1.5 goals in Porto v Liverpool (1/4) – Porto will be looking to maximise their home advantage against Liverpool’s shaky defence. But, Jurgen Klopp’s men are dangerous going forwards which could produce a thriller in Portugal.
- Atletico Madrid to beat FC Copenhagen (4/7) – Atletico Madrid aren’t happy to be relegated to the Europa League but Diego Simeone will ensure his players don’t lose focus. This is still a major prize and Atletico should take a step closer to winning it by beating FC Copenhagen.
Medium Risk – 5/1 (Ladbrokes)
- Under 2.5 goals in Juventus v Tottenham (8/13) – Tottenham know their best chance of getting past Juventus is by keeping the tie in the balance for the second leg at Wembley. Juve are excellent at home but Spurs should be able to keep the score down in this intriguing first leg.
- Both teams to score in Real Madrid v PSG (4/9) – PSG have been working towards European glory for years. They have a chance to send out a strong message by beating Real Madrid who are struggling badly this season. Real almost always score at the Bernabeu but PSG’s fearsome attacking stars should have joy of their own.
- Celtic to beat Zenit (13/8) – Celtic did very well to make it to the Europa League from a tough Champions League group. The Bhoys will hope to be much more competitive in the second tier competition and have a real chance to start with a win over Zenit who have struggled for goals away from home this season.
Long Shot – 48/1 (Coral)
- Liverpool to beat Porto and both teams to score (10/3) – Playing the first leg away from home gives Liverpool a great chance to score a couple of vital away goals for their tie against Porto. They could even spring a bit of a surprise by coming out on top from what should be a cracking match.
- Arsenal to beat Ostersunds to nil (7/5) – It remains to be seen how long the current air of optimism lasts at Arsenal. There will certainly be more disappointing days in the coming months but Thursday night shouldn’t be one of them as Arsenal are a much better side than Ostersunds.
- Atalanta to beat Borussia Dortmund (15/4) – Dortmund may be getting better since Peter Bosz left the club but they face a stiff test against Atalanta. The Italians have picked up some big wins on the road and look good value for another eye catching away win.