There’s plenty to look forward to in Matchday Three of the UEFA Champions League, and with this being the final round before a three-week wait due to the final international break of the year, it should be an interesting turn of events.
As always, we’ll be taking a closer look at five matches to punt on each day, while also doing an extra bit of digging to find value in each fixture.
19:55 – Istanbul Basaksehir v Manchester United
Tough times lie ahead for Turkish side, Istanbul Basaksehir, who face one of the firmest looking teams in the competition in Manchester United. The Red Devils lead what is considered by many to be the group of death, while they’ve also scored the joint-most goals in the tournament. Istanbul Basaksehir are yet to score a single goal this term and lost 2-0 to both RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain.
22:00 – Club Brugge v Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge have done well to hold their own against some of the big guns, going unbeaten against Zenit and Lazio. The Belgian side always look like they have a goal or two in them and love to go against the script and cause an upset. Dortmund got their first win last time in the group stage and will be hoping to build on that against Club Brugge. Erling Haaland scored yet again and you can certainly back him to score in the third Champions League game running.
22:00 – Chelsea v Rennes
After a considerably slow start to the new season, Chelsea are clicking into gear as they lead in Group E with four points from two matches. Frank Lampard’s side kept a clean sheet against Sevilla and Krasnodar, something they’ve seemed to have rectified in the transfer market, bringing in new faces to complete their back four and make them a top competitor again. Rennes are yet to win in the group stages and drew at home to Krasnodar, a fixture they were expected to find fairly easy.
22:00 – Sevilla v Krasnodar
Sevilla will be aiming to claim top spot and potentially move above Chelsea when they meet Krasnodar. The hosts are yet to concede in the competition and have amassed four points from their opening two ties, including an impressive draw away to Chelsea. The Russians are yet to win in the group stages, while their domestic form is also poor, losing three of their last four clashes.
22:00 – RB Leipzig v Paris Saint-Germain
Perhaps the game of the round sees a repeat of last season’s semi-final where RB Leipzig will look to successfully defy the odds this time around when they take on French giants, Paris Saint-Germain. Both sides thrive on attacking football and have already lost some ground to Manchester United in the group stages, as they look to avoid the drop into the UEFA Europa League. The big team news is that PSG will be without Neymar due to injury, while Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe are doubtful. Despite the key players who could potentially miss out, there’s still plenty of quality attackers to deliver the goods up front from both sides.