Matchday 2 of the Champions League Group Stage is next week, and the top teams throughout Europe will certainly be looking forward to their upcoming opponents. The first matchday didn’t give us too many surprises, but there was one huge upset. Manchester City were a hefty favorite per the Champions League soccer odds at home against Lyon, but they suffered a 2-1 loss at the hands of the French club. The Citizens are now sitting in dead last in Group F and need a win.
Tuesday’s matches will feature teams from Group E to Group H.
The Champions League Group Stage will last from September 18 to December 2. There will be eight groups with four teams in each group, and the top two teams in each group will advance to the Round of 16. Check out all the action this week at BookMaker.
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -257
Hoffenheim +574
Draw +413
Over/Under 3 and 3.5
Manchester City fans must be wondering why their club has struggled in Europe. The Citizens dominated the Premier League last season, but they fell to fellow English club Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinals, and their backs will be firmly against the wall if they don’t pick up a win against 1899 Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim are not off to a great start this season. The club is currently sitting in ninth in the Bundesliga table, and they have been porous in the back. They have allowed eight goals in five Bundesliga matches, and the defense was a problem against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The German club employed a counterattacking strategy against Shakhtar, and it looked like it would pay off. Florian Grillitsch opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but the back line allowed Shakhtar to level twice and Hoffenheim had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
In this match, Hoffenheim are very likely to use similar tactics. Manchester City have far more talent than any other team in the group, so going toe to toe with them is not the brightest idea. City will push the pace like they always do though, and that could lead to this being a very high-scoring match.
Valencia +443
Manchester United -169
Draw +303
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
The situation between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho is progressively getting worse. Manchester United’s best player and manager are at loggerheads, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before Pogba gets dealt at this point. However, Mourinho knows that dealing Pogba would likely mean waving goodbye to United’s Champions League aspirations, so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t move him until after the group stage.
These teams are in the same group as Juventus, so each side is aware that only one of these two teams is likely to get through. Manchester United are currently sitting pretty after hammering Young Boys on the road thanks to a Pogba brace two weeks ago, but Valencia dropped their home tilt with Juventus and need to start making up ground.
Valencia’s loss to Juventus was awfully strange. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off early due to a terrible decision from the referee, and that led to Valencia being up a man for 60-plus minutes. However, Juventus defended well and ended up getting a 2-0 victory after Miralem Pjanic slotted home two penalty kicks six minutes apart.
The Spanish club are hoping to get something significant out of Goncalo Guedes soon. Valencia shelled out a club record 40 million Euros to acquire the Portuguese striker from Paris Saint-Germain, but he has yet to notch a goal. The team has been abysmal on the attack this season, and they have just four goals in seven matches across all competitions. Guedes must find his form or United will cruise to an easy victory at Old Trafford.
UEFA Champions League Odds
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