England’s Champions League line-up is looking a little different this year. While regulars Arsenal return, Manchester City were forced to start their campaign in the qualifying rounds. That was a first for them and their boss Pep Guardiola. They are joined by newcomers Leicester and a Tottenham side who haven’t played at this level in over five years.
Those sides all face some interesting challenges as they aim to book a place in next year’s knockout rounds. Arsenal are up against another European big name, Spurs face a tight group and City must contend with Barcelona. There’s still plenty of expectation, with the bookies’ prices suggesting all four should qualify. Ahead of the first round of fixtures, we’ve picked out our betting tips on each of the Premier League sides’ games.
Tuesday 13th September 2016
PSG v Arsenal (19:45) – Draw (11/4 with SkyBet)
The Gunners have basically been handed a repeat of last year’s group format. Once again they’re paired with two smaller sides and a massive name. They lost their opening two 12 months ago, they can’t afford to do that again. They are up against a club who are expecting success in this competition. PSG moved to bring in Unai Emery in the summer, a man who has won the last three Europa League titles. Will he be able to bring European success to Paris? That’s what he’ll be judged on, and it certainly can’t come in the Europa League.
The French champions should have no Europa League worries; they should easily come through this group. They’re favourites to top it, but could Arsenal pip them? The Gunners have added to their squad this summer, but PSG haven’t. They’ve actually weakened their squad after failing to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Luiz. They may have a better manager, but he’s limited by his resources. The Gunners might just able to take advantage of the transition in Paris, so we’re backing them to take a draw back from the Parc des Princes.
Man City v Gladbach (19:45) – City to win and both teams to score (7/4 with Coral)
Manchester City are seen as the Premier League’s best hope of winning this trophy. Pep Guardiola should be able to improve City’s Champions League fortunes. They were surprising semi-finalists last year, but their new coach will aim to establish them at that level – at least. Before he gets round to doing that, he needs to guide them through this group. Galdbach are City’s biggest rivals for a place in the next round, with Barcelona expected to finish top of the pile. That makes this game hugely important for the hosts. Nothing less than three points will do.
These two met in last year’s competition and City beat the Germans home and away in the group stage. The Bundesliga outfit actually finished bottom of that group, while City finished top. The gap between them will only have grown over the summer, after City spent big trying to meet Guardiola’s needs. So far the Citizens haven’t quite got up to speed at the back though. They’ve conceded in each of their three Premier League games so far. While we’re backing a victory for Guardiola’s men, we can’t see them being able to keep a clean sheet. A home win and both teams to score is 7/4 with Coral.
Wednesday 14th September 2016
Club Brugge v Leicester (19:45) – Leicester to win (6/4 with Betfair)
Leicester’s first ever Champions League game will be a huge moment for their fans. Away to Belgians Club Brugge isn’t the toughest way to start, but it will still be a test. This squad has very little European experience, even if their manager is a regular at this level. Claudio Ranieri guided Chelsea into the semi-finals back in 2004, can he take the Foxes out of this group? With the likes of Porto and Copenhagen in there, the Premier League champions should be capable of finding a way into the last 16.
It will be interesting to see which style they choose for Europe. We saw a counter attacking approach in the run-in last season. That relied on defensive stability, but without N’Golo Kante that’s a very risky way to go. Of course, they have the attacking talent to just go for the jugular. That would be a bold move on their European debut, but it might just suit them, especially given the two forwards they signed in the summer. Overall, Leicester should have far too much quality for the Belgian side. We can’t see the English champions slipping up here, so we’re backing them to start with a victory at 6/4 with Betfair.
Tottenham v Monaco (19:45) – Both teams to score (19/20 with Coral)
Tottenham are finally back in the Champions League and they’ve been handed a tricky group. There aren’t many big names in there, just a few similar sides. CSKA Moscow are probably the weakest of the lot, but Monaco are a difficult proposition. The Ligue 1 team beat Villarreal to make it this far, and they were quarter finalists back in 2015. They’ve made a few good signings over the summer without spending too much. They got pretty good value on some new faces, and they’ll prove to be tough opposition for Spurs. This is going to be a crucial game in their push to qualify.
Pochettino’s side aren’t helped by their lack of genuine home advantage. Their Champions League games are being played at Wembley this season. That’s going to be a little disorienting for the Premier League side, and it will open things up for their opponents. We’re going to be seeing a side getting used to what is supposed to be their home ground. Monaco, meanwhile, are pretty strong away from home. They scored in Istanbul against Fenerbahce and also at Villarreal. While Spurs should be able to score here, we definitely see them conceding. Both teams to score is our tip here, at 19/20 with Coral.