Champions League preview: Bayern Munich vs Lazio, Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich vs Lazio
Reigning Champions League winners Bayern are 3/1 second favourites to retain the trophy, behind favs Man City.
And it’s tough to see Bayern coming unstuck against Lazio on Wednesday; the Bundesliga side won the first leg 4-1 against the Italian club, and Bayern have won all but one of their Champions League matches so far in this campaign.
Lazio aren’t having a great season of it domestically; the Roman club is currently seventh in Serie A, and have lost three of their last five league games in the run up to this match. Even in their win against bottom of the league Crotone this weekend, Lazio still conceded two goals, and if Bayern are in the mood for it this could be a night to forget for the visitors.
Munich’s 3-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday came hot on the heels of a 4-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund, and a 5-1 hammering of Cologne. The German side often likes to “mach schau!”, and backing over 3.5 in the Total Goals market is only a 41/50 shot.
Robert Lewandowski is the obvious threat, assuming he isn’t rested, and the Pole moved into second place in the all-time scorers list in the Bundesliga at the weekend after scoring past Bremen. But Lewandowski is just 21/50 to score here; perhaps Leroy Sane offers more value at 31/20 to score at any time. The former Manchester City player has three goals in the Champions League so far this season, and could impress here once again, even if his recent league form has not been great.
Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid
Chelsea scored the only goal in the first leg meeting between these two sides, but Diego Simeone has recent form when it comes to beating English sides in their own backyard – last season, his Atletico side knocked the reigning champions Liverpool out of this competition at Anfield.
Atletico’s Champions League form this season has not been hugely encouraging though, starting with a 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich. The side drew another three games in the group stages en route to the round of 16, but they currently lead La Liga by four points over nearest rivals Barcelona and Thomas Tuchel will underestimate this opposition at his peril.
Chelsea have become a very difficult side to score against since the German took charge; the Blues remain unbeaten under Tuchel. For all that, the visitors may be able to flummox the former Paris Saint-Germain coach; Luis Suarez has proved a fine addition to the Atletico team, but is without an away goal in the Champions League since September 2015! Can he finally make his mark here? Er, by scoring a goal, I mean. Suarez is a 15/8 shot to find the net.
Whether Luis can put those toothless performances behind him to gobble up an opportunity at Stamford Bridge, Atletico themselves have come out on top in nine of their last 11 two-legged meetings with English teams. They are unbeaten in their last five visits to England, too. Whether backing the visitors to win this game at 47/20, or to go through at 11/4, I reckon there’s a decent chance this could be the game where Tuchel’s unbeaten run comes to an end.
To bet on a wide range of markets, visit 32Red Sport today. If you’re looking for a different kind of flutter, check out our 32Red Casino site – there’s plenty of slots and table games to keep you entertained!
