Europe Champions League, Round 5

[spkutano]

 

[spkutano]

Villarreal vs Manchester United Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Villarreal:
Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Pedraza; Parejo, Capoue, Coquelin; Pino, Dia, Danjuma

Manchester United:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Dalot; Van de Beek, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo

Villarreal welcome Manchester United at Madrigal in a very interesting clash of Group F of the Champions League. Both teams are sharing the first place with seven points, while Atalanta have five. The bottom placed Young Boys are also in the game as they have three points. The Red Devils know that a win against the Yellow Submarine will guarantee a place in the knock-out phase, but a defeat would complicate their situation. Michael Carrick will lead Manchester United in this match after the previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked on Sunday morning, after the humiliated defeat at Watford.

As I wrote above, Villarreal have seven points. In the first round they played a 2:2 draw with Atalanta, then lost 2:1 at Old Trafford before beating twice the Swiss outfit Young Boys. Unai Emery's men first won 4:1 as guests and then 2:0 in Spain. After that match Villarreal have played two games in La Liga and the actual form could be evaluated as good. The Yellow Submarine beat Getafe with 1:0 at home, while shared the points on the remaining occasion playing an 1:1 draw with Celta in Vigo. Emery has some worries ahead of this match as he will again be without the services of key striker Gerard Moreno due to a hamstring injury, while Serge Aurier is ineligible to play in the Champions League. In addition, Arnaut Danjuma and Etienne Capoue are rated as doubtful, however, both players are expected to be ready in time for this match.

Manchester United were in the focus during the weekend. On Saturday they suffered a heavy 4:1 loss to Watford in the Premier League. Just to remind You, they suffered a 5:0 home defeat to Liverpool few weeks ago. The Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid the prize and he was sacked on Sunday. The 48-year-old replaced Jose Mourinho on a short-term basis in December 2018 before being given the job full-time four months later. First-team coach Michael Carrick has been placed in temporary charge while United seek an interim manager to the end of the season, with Zidane, currently out of work, being the biggest candidate. The poor form and the lost confidence will be the huge problem for Carrick. In addition, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane remain out injured, while Mason Greenwood is absent, having tested positive for coronavirus. Striker Edinson Cavani will most probably miss the match due to injury, while Luke Shaw is rated as doubtful.

Villarreal vs Manchester United Prediction:

I expect both teams to score here. Villarreal scored nine goals in four group matches, while Manchester United eight. But both teams are easily conceding. The Red Devils have scored and conceded on each of the four matches in the Champions League, while the Spanish side on three occasions. The goals are very possible at Madrigal.

Villarreal vs Manchester United Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.65 with Pinnacle

 

[qpLucas]

Malmö - Zenit pick: 2

Friendly odds and Zenit destroyed them at home. Malmö done no damage in this group and even Zenit shows they are level above. Zenit played some good games in this group against Chelsea and Juve, they will confirm their 3rd place in the group.

 

[ALEXXXXXXX]

Chelsea

They were the champion in last season. Undoubtedly their objective of this season is to remain the title. They have suffered only one defeat this season, which is from Juventus. Now they rank the second in Group H.


Juventus

They are the top team in Italy. But they do not play well this season in Italian Serie A. So they focus more on European games. They get a winning streak in the Tournament this season, sitting in the first place in Group H.


Verdict:

Chelsea play well under the management of Thomas Tuchel. The last time they suffered defeat was in September from Juventus. It is undoubted that they want to make a revenge. And Chelsea have home advantage. So Chelsea are more likely to win in upcoming game.


Prediction: 2-1, 3-1

 

[spkutano]

Liverpool vs Porto Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Liverpool:
Alisson; N.Williams, Konate, Matip, Tsimikas; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Morton; Salah, Origi, Minamino

Porto:
Marchesin; Corona, Pepe, Mbemba, Sanusi; Otavio, Uribe, Oliveira, Diaz; Taremi, Evanilson

Liverpool will try to complete a double over Porto when they welcome the Portuguese champions to Anfield. As You probably know, the Reds won 5:1 at Estadio do Dragao in the second round. Klopp's men have secured a 2:0 first-half lead through Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Salah made it 3:0 with a clinical finish into the bottom right corner. Porto managed to score in the 74th minute through Mehdi Taremi's header, but Roberto Firmino added the fourth and fifth for Liverpool. The Reds are first in Group B with maximal 12 points and they have secured the knock-out stage. Porto, meanwhile, are on the second place with five points, but need a positive result to stay there as third-placed Atletico Madrid are just a point away. Italian giants AC Milan are fourth with just one point.

Liverpool are in solid form and the players confidence is restored after the high victory over Arsenal during the weekend. What is more important, the players responded in great manner to the first defeat in the season. As You know, they lost 3:2 from West Ham before the international break. The victory against Arsenal was high, but not an easy one. Sadio Mane opened the result with an excellent header in the first half, before Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Takumi Minamino completed the job in a 4:0 rout of Arteta's men. With first place already guaranteed, Klopp will certainly rotate his players on this match. Curtis Jones, Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez and Harvey Elliott remain sidelined, while Jota is rated as doubtful after a collision with Arsenal's goalkeeper Ramsdale on Saturday. Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, James Milner and Naby Keita are also injured, but some of them could recover in time for this match. This is a perfect opportunity some of the reserves (Neco Williams, Ibrahima Konate and Minamino) to impress.

Porto have five points and they are fighting for the second place with Atletico Madrid. Usually the trip to Anfield is a challenging task, however, this time might be different. Sergio Conceicao's men have earned four points in two matches against AC Milan. They won 1:0 at home thanks to the second-half goal scored by Luis Diaz, while the reverse fixture played at San Siro ended with an 1:1 draw. The same player scored for the Portuguese champions, but Chancel Mbemba's own goal in the 61st minute prevented Porto from getting three points at San Siro. The Dragons were excellent for the weekend winning 5:1 against CD Feirense in the Taca de Portugal. Conceicao, who rest some of his key players at the weekend, has no injury or suspension worries ahead of this pivotal encounter. Two players could be particularly motivated on this match. First is Diaz who's linked with a move to Liverpool, while second is the former Reds midfielder Marko Grujic.

Liverpool vs Porto Prediction:

I expect an efficient match at Anfield. Liverpool have scored at least two goals in each of their last 15 games across all competitions and enter this contest on the back of a 14-match unbeaten run at Anfield. But the motivation is completely on Porto side as Liverpool have secured the first place in the group. The Portuguese champions will surely go for the victory against Liverpool's B-team. This could be an open and high-scoring game.

Liverpool vs Porto Pick: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.80 with 188bet

 

[tommalkovic12]

Villareal - Manchester United We saw how bad are performing United in recent week. But Champions league is different type - hype and expectation are on another level, also that we know who is Mr.Champions league. Ronaldo to score in the match is my first pick. Next one is BTTS @ 1.70 .

Chelsea - Juventus Tuchel's boys are better.After they previous game now i think Chelsea is most possible to win the match - @1.70.

 

[BillyDuke89]

Barcelona vs Benfica

In addition to financial problems, Barcelona also has serious staffing. Martin Braithwaite has not played for a long time, Sergio Aguero is on the verge of ending his professional career due to heart problems, and Pedri, who recently became the proud owner of the honorary Golden Boy award, suffered a relapse of his injury. The same fate, by the way, befell the youngster Ansu Fati. Plus, the lateral Serginho Dest, the wagon Sergi Roberto and the winger Usman Dembele are not ready to help the team in the upcoming game. The American and the French have been training in a general group the day before, but they are still not ready to return to the field.
Benfica also has its own problems, although they are not as large as their future rival. The defeat of Braga was spoiled by the serious injury of the main central defender Lucas Verissimo, who was retired for a long time. Also, due to injuries, the wingers Diogo Gonçalves and Nemanja Radonich are unavailable, with forward Rodrigo Pinho as a company.
Barcelona in the derby with Espanyol was not impressed by the word at all. If a strong middle peasant was able to cause so many problems for “Blaugranas”, then Benfica, which will still be stronger than “Periquitos”, can seriously punish for mistakes. Unless, of course, the Eagles burn out, as they say. And Barça in the upcoming game may appear somewhat different, more collected and charged, given the importance of the moment. On the other hand, with all this kindergarten in the starting lineup, "Blaugranas", as for me, is not such an absolute favorite. The guests will definitely have chances at the opponent's goal, but will they be able to use them properly? I would venture to suggest that the guests will score points at the Camp Nou.

Prediction and bet - Benfica will be unbeaten X2

 

[BillyDuke89]

Sevilla vs Wolfsburg

Sevilla, due to serious injuries, will not be able to count on Youssef En-Nesiri and Jesus Navas in this game. Suso's participation in the match is also questionable. Substitute against Alaves, played only 22 minutes, after which he himself had to be replaced due to injury. Wolfsburg has long been missing William, Xavier Schlager and Bartosz Bialek, in addition to which Paulo Otavio may be out of the game.
I am waiting for another extremely stubborn and generally ineffective game in this group, which is likely to end in a draw. However, given the tournament layouts, there is no doubt that Sevilla will try to win by all means. You can try to take her clear victory, or you can try to play something not so ordinary - for example, predicting the total of yellow cards. I am sure that Chakyr, who is called upon to work out this fight, will show at least five or six warnings, or even a penalty, which has already happened to hell in this group. The total of the match should in no way exceed three goals, which is confirmed by the bookmaker's odds.

Prediction and bet - Total under 2.5

 

[BillyDuke89]

Besiktas vs. Ajax

Besiktas's main central midfielder Joseph de Souza has been disqualified, and experienced defender Fabrice N'Sakala will miss the match due to injury.
For Ajax, the veteran goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg and the flank defender Sean Kleiber are habitually unavailable, to which, after an international pause, the Ghanaian center-half Mohammed Kudus was added. In addition, due to the disqualification, the Mexican Edson Alvarez, a stable player of the Amsterdam base, will miss the trip to Istanbul.

Bookmakers, of course, consider Ajax to be the favorite of the upcoming fight, and it is, perhaps, difficult to disagree with them. However, it's all about the mood of Eric ten Hag's team. Will he do anything for the sake of victory, or will he just play for his own pleasure without regard to the result? The second scenario seems to me more likely, and therefore I propose to forget about the bets on the outcome of the fight, but focus on its effectiveness. I expect that no less than three goals will be scored in the match, and an exchange of goals is more than likely.

Prediction and bet - Both teams to score

 

[BillyDuke89]

Sheriff vs. Real Madrid

Sheriff's central midfielder Moussa Kiabu is injured, and the participation of forwards Jasurbek Yakhshiboev (the author of the first goal of the Tiraspol team in Madrid) and Momo Yansane is still in question. Real Madrid routinely lacks Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde (Ancelotti announced his return this week, but so far the Uruguayan is unavailable), Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard. The latter two receive huge salaries, bring little (if any) benefit and are almost always on the list of injured / dropped out.
Real Madrid is still like a team from another planet in comparison with Sheriff, and the loss of points with an opponent, who is much weaker, will become another shameful page in the history of “Blancos”. And not to beat the representative of Moldova twice is a real shame for Real. The match in Tiraspol, however, is unlikely to be an easy walk for Carlo Ancelotti's team, but Madrid are well aware of what is at stake and are unlikely to allow themselves to relax. So I will not invent anything, but I will bet on the victory of Real in one or two goals in an effective match and I will assume that there will be an exchange of goals.

Prediction and bet - Real Madrid win with handicap (-1.5)

 

[BillyDuke89]

Liverpool vs. Porto

Against Porto, Jurgen Klopp cannot count on the injured Curtis Jones, Roberto Firmino and Harvey Elliott. Over the weekend, Diogo Jota was injured in a collision with the Arsenal goalkeeper. The severity of the Portuguese knee injury is still unknown, but in any case, his participation in a duel with the “dragons” is unlikely. Perhaps save Klopp and Andrew Robertson, who returned with injury from the location of the Scottish national team. Other key Liverpool players are likely to get some rest: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and possibly one of Sadio Mane's pair, Mohammed Salah. At the same time, 19-year-old midfielder Tyler Morton is expected to make his UEFA Champions League debut against Porto. Porto will arrive in Liverpool in a combat lineup - there are no injured and suspended players on the Portuguese side.
Porto have suffered only one defeat in the previous six Champions League away games. But how not to remember that two months ago Liverpool on Dragau did not leave the Portuguese a single chance, having won with a score of 5-1? This is one of a 14-match series in which the Reds score at least two goals. It is expected that this time Liverpool will appear in a half-reserve squad. Although Jurgen Klopp may well set the basis, this uncertainty complicates the formation of the forecast. But I suppose, in any case, the “Reds” will not lose (unbeaten run at Anfield has 14 matches) and will score at least two goals.

Prediction and bet - 1X + total over 2.5

 

[spkutano]

Villareal - Manchester United We saw how bad are performing United in recent week. But Champions league is different type - hype and expectation are on another level, also that we know who is Mr.Champions league. Ronaldo to score in the match is my first pick. Next one is BTTS @ 1.70 .

Chelsea - Juventus Tuchel's boys are better.After they previous game now i think Chelsea is most possible to win the match - @1.70.

Ronaldo scored, Chelsea beat Juventus - good picks

 

[spkutano]

Prediction and bet - Benfica will be unbeaten X2

0-0

 

[spkutano]

Sevilla vs Wolfsburg


Prediction and bet - Total under 2.5

2-0

 

[qpLucas]

@BillyDuke89 good job mate!

 

[BillyDuke89]

Thank you for the nice words! Today I will try to guess the results of the matches of LE and LC, despite the fact that for me these are very unpredictable tournaments.