Europe UEFA Competitions 2025/26 - Champions League, Europa & Conference League

[Betting Forum]

All of the discussions for the Champions League, Europa & Conference League season goes here from now on.

 

[spkutano]

Inter vs Liverpool Preview (Tuesday) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Inter:
Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Augusto, Zielinski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Liverpool:
Alisson; Bradley, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Chiesa; Ekitike

Inter have 12 points after the first five rounds. They started with a 2:0 win against Ajax in Amsterdam and then secured three more. The Nerazzurri outplayed Slavia Prague (3:0) and Royale Union (4:0), while Kairat Almaty were narrowly beaten 2:1. The perfect series came to its end in the fifth round when Inter lost 2:1 to Atletico Madrid. Julian Alvarez had given the home side a lead after 9 minutes. It was his 10th goal in 14 Champions League appearances since signing from Manchester City. The Italians drew level through Piotr Zielinski's goal in the 54th minute. It looked like the points will be shared, but Jose Maria Gimenez scored a last-gasp winner. The defeat leaves Inter in fourth place - level on 12 points with Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Coach Cristian Chivu could be satisfied with the actual record, though there is no space for any relaxation. The Romanian tactician has some injury issues as Matteo Darmian, Tomas Palacios and backup goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro are out injured, while Denzel Dumfries is rated as doubtful.

Liverpool have 9 points, but they are in very specific situation. The Reds are in big crisis, maybe the biggest one in the last 50 years. During the weekend Liverpool visited Leeds United and collect one point, playing a 3:3 draw. In fact Slot and his men dropped two points as they had a 2:0 lead thanks to Hugo Ekitike's brace early in the second half. Nevertheless, everything went wrong way after Ibrahima Konate made a stupid penalty that was converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 73rd minute. Just two minutes later Anton Stach equalized the result. Dominik Szoboszlai restored the Reds' lead, but Ao Tanaka rescued point for Leeds in the stoppage time. It means Liverpool are now unbeaten in the last three Premier League matches, but collect just 5 from the possible 9 points. To be worse, Mohamed Salah was benched and he addressed his frustrations to Arne Slot. The Egypt winger said that he feels as though he has been "thrown under the bus" by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Slot has broken down. It remains to be seen if his relationship with the Dutchman and the club can be repaired.

Inter vs Liverpool Prediction:

Inter have 12 points and victory here will probably guarantee Top-8 finish. Liverpool, meanwhile. have 9 points and they will probably go through playoff's. However, Liverpool need a positive result in this match more than anything. But big question is how. How the team that conceded three goals from Leeds United or Nottingham could escape the defeat at Meazza? The results in Europe are slightly better, but the Reds conceded four goals from PSV at Anfield in the last round. The defense looks like "Swiss cheese". It will be a miracle to keep a clean sheet at Meazza. At the same time Slott has fantastic players up front. With or without Salah, Liverpool are able to score against every European team.

Inter vs Liverpool Pick: Both teams to score -Yes @ 1.57 with Bet365

 

[BlueMoonTips]

Not gonna lie, Thursday can not come quick enough. Real Madrid vs City is always chaos in a suit.

Matchup wise it’s the usual story. Madrid are happy to suffer a bit, then they hit you fast when you get sloppy. City have to be patient but also not fall asleep on the one moment they pick the lock and lose it in midfield. If we give away cheap transitions, you are basically donating goals.

Bet angle for me is simple. City +0.25 Asian handicap. If it’s a draw you still get paid half, and I can see this being level for long spells even if it goes end to end late. That’s a bet I’d take all day in these big away nights.

Prediction: 2-2. Both teams score, both teams have spells, nobody gets to relax.

 

[spkutano]

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Preview (Wednesday) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Real Madrid:
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras; Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe

Manchester City:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez; Cherki, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland

Real Madrid are in big crisis at the moment. The culmination was the match against Celta Vigo on Sunday. Los Blancos were clear favorites, but suffered a painful defeat. To be worse, the defeat came at Santiago Bernabeu. Coach Xabi Alonso came under huge pressure, as well as the players. Nevertheless, a victory here will improve the atmosphere in the club and increase the players confidence. Real have four wins and one defeat after five rounds and a victory here will be a step towards the knock out phase. However, it won't be easy. Alonso has big injury issues ahead of this match, particularly in defense. Eder Militao is the latest victim after he suffered a first-half hamstring injury against Celta. He is ruled out of Wednesday's fixture, together with the fellow defenders Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy, while Dean Huijsen and David Alaba are both rated as doubtful.

Manchester City have 10 points at the moment and sit on the 9th place. They managed to beat Napoli, Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund, shared the points with Monaco and lost to Bayer Leverkusen at Etihad in the last round. The defeat complicate the situation and the Citizens now need a positive result from Bernabeu. Perhaps Pep Guardiola went too far by making 10 changes for that fixture. The key players, including the top scorer Haaland, started from the bench. When Pep realized he can't win with the "reserves", he made five changes. Haaland, Cherki, Doku, Foden and O'Reilly came in during the second half, but failed to make any impact. I am sure Pep will start at Bernabeu with the best 11in order to escape the defeat. However, Guardiola has some injury issues. Mateo Kovacic and Rodri are definitely sidelined for the trip to the Spanish capital, while John Stones is rated as doubtful.

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Prediction:

Xabi Alonso made 79 appearances under Guardiola, and he certainly knows the way how Pep is thinking. It is not a surprise Alonso already won the title in Germany with Leverkusen. He is one of Guardiola's best students and I am sure this will be a very interesting clash. Both Real and City are in "Must Win"situation. They both want a Top-8 finish to avoid playoffs and three points from this match could be crucial. That is why I am expecting an open and efficient match here. Real have Mbappe who love to play in the competition. The Frenchman has scored nine goals in five games in the Champions League this season. Haaland is also in good form and it will be very hard for Real defenders to stop the Norwegian, particularly knowing the injury situation - Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are out, while Dean Huijsen and David Alaba are rated as doubtful. I expect at least four goals to be scored in Madrid.

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Pick: Over 3.5 goals @ 2.23 with Pinnacle

 

[spkutano]

Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest Preview (Thursday) Europa League:

Possible starting lineups:

Utrecht:
Barkas; Horemans, Van de Hoorn, Viergever, El Karouani; Bozdogan, Ongena, De Wit; Rodriguez, Min, Cathline

Nottingham Forest:
Victor; Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Dominguez, Sangare; Ndoye, McAtee, Hudson-Odoi; Kalimuendo

Utrecht have just one point after the first five rounds and it is clear they need a "small miracle" to qualify for the knock-out phase of the competition. The Dutch outfit lost four matches, from Lyon, Brann, Freiburg and Betis, while drew with Porto at Dragao. Playing in Europe is always good for the financial stability, however, sometime the priority list need a revision and this is exactly the situation. Utrecht are 7th in Eredivisie with 22 points, just four adrift of fourth-placed Ajax Amsterdam. On Sunday they will travel to relegation candidates NAC Breda and I think that will be a priority for coach Ron Jans. In addition, some players are unavailable due to various reasons. Midfielder Davy van den Berg is out injured, while Victor Jensen, Noah Ohio, Emirhan Demircan and Kolbeinn Finnsson are all ineligible as they were omitted from the club’s Europa League squad. On the positive note, Barkas Vasileios and Souffian El Karouani returned from injury.

Nottingham Forest have eight points from the first five rounds and few more will guarantee the knock-out phase. But similar to their opponents, the Tricky Trees need to define their priorities. Forest are just outside the drop zone and their situation is very complicated. Just three days later Nottingham will host Tottenham in the Premier League and I think the points from that match are more important. Many pundits are confused how basically the same team that were fighting for a Champions League spot last season have now been transformed into the relegation candidates. The answer is not a secret and has a name - owner Evangelos Marinakis. He already sacked two managers (Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou) and now Sean Dyche is in charge. He has long injury list for this match that also includes two key players - defender Murillo and striker Chris Wood. In addition, Ola Aina, Douglas Luiz, Taiwo Awoniyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Dilane Bakwa, Angus Gunn and Ryan Yates are all out injured. Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha are ineligible to play in Europa League.

Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest Prediction:

I will give some advantage to Utrecht. They have just a theoretical chance to secure the knock-out phase, but I think they will not give up without a fight. Nottingham have two key players out injured - defender Murillo and striker Chris Wood. In addition, Ola Aina, Douglas Luiz, Taiwo Awoniyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Dilane Bakwa, Angus Gunn and Ryan Yates are all injured. Omari Hutchinson and Jair Cunha are ineligible to play in Europa League. On top of that, some players will be rested for Sunday's clash with Tottenham. I will remind You about the previous away fixture, against Sturm Graz on 6 November. Dyche then made seven changes from the side that started three days ago with Manchester United in the Premier League. I expect something similar here.

Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest Pick: Utrecht +0.5 AH @ 2.07 with Pinnacle

 

[spkutano]

Inter vs Arsenal Preview (Tuesday, 20.01.2026) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Inter:
Sommer; Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Arsenal:
Raya; White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Merino; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli

Last month Inter suffered a narrow 1:0 defeat to Liverpool at Meazza. Some 40 days later, once again Inter host English opposition, this time the Premier League leaders Arsenal are the opponents. The Nerazzurri started the Champions League in excellent way, with four victories in the opening four rounds. They managed to beat Ajax, Slavia Prague, Royale Union and Kairat Almaty. And just when everything looked perfect, Inter suffered two defeats. First they lost 2:1 to Atletico Madrid and then lost 1:0 to Liverpool. Both defeats were unlucky - Inter conceded in stoppage time in Madrid, while a soft penalty decided the match with Liverpool. Coach Chivu and his players now feel big pressure and that could be a problem. In addition, Chivu is without two vital players as Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries remain sidelined with calf and ankle injury respectively. Backup goalkeeper Josep Martinez, Raffaele Di Gennaro and Tomas Palacios are also absent for the hosts.

Arsenal are fantastic this season, they are first in the Premier League and they are first in the Champions League overall table. Mikel Arteta is doing an excellent job and the fans are pleased. After years of frustrations, this is something they were waiting for. The Gunners are the only side with maximal record after six rounds in European most prestigious club competition. The series started against Athletic Bilbao, continued with Olympiakos, Atletico Madrid, Slavia Prague and Bayern Munich, while the last victims were Club Brugge. With 18 points already secured, a draw in this match guarantees Top-8 finish, meaning bypassing the playoffs. The problem is attack, Arsenal failed to score a single goal on the last two matches. The goalless draw, first with Liverpool and then with Nottingham Forest, surely impacted the attackers' confidence in the most critical period. Arteta has almost all key players available, only Max Dowman, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori remain out injured.

Inter vs Arsenal Prediction:

A "friendly" draw is possible here. One point guarantees Top-8 finish for Arsenal and I am sure Mikel Arteta will be happy with draw. Playing two matches less is something very good for the club still playing in four competitions. Now the second side of the coin - is Chivu equally satisfied with one point? Well, I think so. The reason is simple, Arsenal are the best European team at the moment. It is hard to imagine Arsenal to lose at Meazza. That's all about the "conspiracy". Now about the sports aspect of the story. Inter are without two key players as Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries are out injured. This is a huge handicap for Chivu. The player who could make a difference is Lautaro Martinez. He has scored four goals in five Champions League appearances. But Arsenal have lot of players able to make difference. Chivu should be satisfied with one point here.

Inter vs Arsenal Pick: Draw @ 3.40 with Everygame

 

[spkutano]

Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Galatasaray:
Cakir; Elmali, Sanchez, Bardakci, Sallai; Torreira, Lemina; Sane, Akgun, Yilmaz; Osimhen

Atletico Madrid:
Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Baena; Sorloth, Alvarez

Galatasaray will welcome Atletico Madrid to Rams Park in Istanbul on Wednesday evening in UEFA Champions League's seventh round. The Turkish Giants have three wins and three defeats after the first six rounds and sit 18th on the table with nine points. Galata managed to beat Liverpool and Bodo/Glimt at home, as well as Ajax in Amsterdam. Nevertheless, the away form wasn't at desired level, they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt and Monaco. The most painful defeat was the one against Royale Union in Istanbul. I think exactly that defeat will cost them Top-8 finish. Of course, Galata are mathematically still capable of securing an automatic spot in the knockout round, but it will be difficult. They must do something they never did - to beat Atletico Madrid. So far these two teams have played four games in which Atletico won three times, while the remaining fixture ended with draw. Coach Okan Buruk has three injury worries. Gabriel Sara and Arda Unyay are definitely out, while Wilfried Singo is rated as doubtful due to a hamstring issue. Finally, Metehan Baltaci will miss the match due to suspension.

Atletico Madrid are 8th with 12 points. They didn't start the new campaign according to the expectations. In the first three rounds they lost twice. Both defeats came from English opposition, 3:2 to Liverpool at Anfield and 4:0 to Arsenal at Emirates. The defeats were painful, but it isn't a catastrophe. According to the expectations, coach Diego Simeone gave "a lesson" to his players and the results in the next period were better. The Rojiblancos recorded three victories, beating Royale Union, Inter and PSV. Previously they beat Frankfurt, so they are looking for Top-8 finish. Atletico will finish their league stage at home to Bodo/Glimt on January 28. The players confidence is high and I believe Diego Simeone and his players will try to upset Galatasaray in Istanbul. It is not impossible, they are unbeaten in six games against the Turkish opposition in all competitions. The domestic form is solid, they will enter the match off the back of a 1:0 win over Alaves in La Liga. Simeone has almost all players available, only Clement Lenget and Nico Gonzalez are out injured.

Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid Prediction:

I expect Galatasaray to attack from the first whistle. The Turkish outfit will play against Manchester City in the last round on January 28. It is clear Guardiola's men are huge favorites in that match and defeat could potentially complicate the matters for Galatasaray. Because of that, the match with Atletico is extremely important. And I think Galatasaray will not lose. There are three reasons for my pick. First of all, the home advantage. The full Rams Park in Istanbul will be Galata's 12th players. The fans are magnificent and they are loud the whole 90 minutes. Second, Victor Osimhen is back from Africa Cup of Nations. He is the club best striker and his presence is very important. He is a player able to make a difference. And finally, the third reason is connect with Atletico Madrid. The Rojiblancos are not consistent as guests. They suffered 1:0 defeat in Bilbao and 3:1 defeat at Barcelona. Atletico also lost 2:1 to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup. The match took place in Saudi Arabia, but 80% of the spectators were Real fans. As You could see, Simeone's side lost three away games against three Spanish teams that compete in the Champions League. I will give some advantage to Galatasaray.

Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid Pick: Galatasaray or Draw @ 1.82 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Liverpool vs Qarabag Preview (Wednesday, 28.01.2026) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Liverpool:
Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Endo; Gakpo, Mac Allister, Ngumoha; Ekitike

Qarabag:
Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Jankovic, Bicalho; Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir; Duran

Liverpool will welcome Qarabag to Anfield on Wednesday night in the last round of the league phase of UEFA Champions League. The Reds are looking to finish inside the Top-8 to avoid playoffs. In the previous round Liverpool beat 3:0 Marseille and many believed the crisis is over. But Saturday's match with Bournemouth showed something disturbing - at the moment Liverpool are mediocre side. The atmosphere in the squad is poor, while the players confidence is low. Arne Slot looks unable to change something and he is under huge pressure. The Reds are still searching for their first Premier League victory in 2026. The fans are disappointed, nobody was expecting such collapse. In addition, Slot has big injury issues at the moment. Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Conor Bradley remain sidelined, while Federico Chiesa is rated as doubtful. The Italian striker missed out against Bournemouth with a knock. Joe Gomez is the latest injury victim after the defender collided with goalkeeper Alisson Becker just before Evanilson scored the first goal. Slot hopes Ibrahima Konate will be available following the death of his father.

Qarabag suffered a surprise 2:0 home defeat to Kapaz in the Azerbaijan top flight, with the visitors scoring a goal in either half. The defeat is very painful in terms of the title race. Leaders Sabah Baku, who beat FK Karvan Evlakh with 4:1 during the weekend, now have four points advantage. Considering the actual situation, I think Qarabag have only theoretical chance for the title. However, the result isn't quite unexpected as Qarabag coach Gurban Gurbanov made 11 changes. He played with reserves in order to save his main players for the match against Liverpool. The domestic form is poor, that was the second defeat in the last three rounds. Nevertheless, the full focus is on the Champions League. Qarabag have beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3:2 in stoppage time last week. They have 10 points and should qualify for the knock-out phase anyway, but a positive result from Anfield guarantee the progress. Gurbanov has almost all players available, only defender Badavi Guseynov and Brazilian playmaker Kady Borges are out injured, while striker Ramil Sheydayev is ineligible.

Liverpool vs Qarabag Prediction:

Liverpool are clear favorites against the Azerbaijani champions. The home advantage and the quality is on their side, but sometime that's not enough. So far Qarabag have upset Benfica in Lisbon, FC Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt, while shared the points with Chelsea. The whole pressure is on Liverpool. Another defeat will be a catastrophe, it's a big question if Arne Slot will survive. His counterpart Gurbanov is in more relaxed position, he has nothing to lose in this match. He will revert to the lineup that started against Frankfurt, with Colombian striker Camilo Duran leading the line. He scored a brace against the German outfit and many things depend on his inspiration. Liverpool defense is like a "Swiss cheese" and I think Qarabag won't lose high.

Liverpool vs Qarabag Pick: Qarabag +2.5 AH @ 1.95 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Napoli vs Chelsea Preview (Wednesday, 28.01.2026) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Napoli:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Jesus, Buongiorno; Spinazzola, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund

Chelsea:
Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Badiashile, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Joao Pedro

Napoli will welcome the Premier League side Chelsea to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night. The Vesuvians have the home advantage and their fans are well known for creating huge pressure to the visitor's players. At the same time they are Napoli's 12th player. But something else is a problem - the current form. Napoli lost 3:0 to Juventus during the weekend and the players confidence is low. The reigning Italian champions have just one win on the last six matches across all competitions. The injury situation is another problem for Antonio Conte. Kevin De Bruyne and Frank Anguissa are most notable absentees, but there's more - Billy Gilmour, Matteo Politano, David Neres and Amir Rrahmani are also out injured. January signing Giovane, who came from Hellas Verona, is ineligible. Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is rated as doubtful with a muscle injury, but that's not a handicap as Alex Meret is equally good. Romelu Lukaku played 15 minutes against Juventus at the weekend, but failed to impress, so he is not expected to start here.

Chelsea are currently on the 8th place and they will try to secure Top-8 finish. However, there are eight other clubs looking for the same spot. Chelsea could drop if they fail to win here, and any one of Barcelona, Sporting, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta or Inter pick up a victory and either Borussia Dortmund or Juventus win by two or more goals. Even a victory doesn't guarantee the 8th place as other teams could win higher. Another problem is the away form - Chelsea have yet to win on road in the Champions League. New manager Liam Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca, bring some consistency. The Blues are in series of three victories and the players confidence is higher. They managed to beat Brentford and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, as well as Pafos in the Champions League. Rosenior started very good and Chelsea could record four wins in a row for first time since October last year. However, the French coach will be missing Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Dario Essugo due to injury. Key player Cole Palmer, who missed the win against Crystal Palace with a thigh problem, is rated as doubtful.

Napoli vs Chelsea Prediction:

Both teams are in "must win" situation, Napoli to secure knock-out phase, while Chelsea to avoid playoffs. Both teams will go for victory, but Napoli are slim favorites, mainly due to home advantage. Of course, there's more, Chelsea have a poor record in visits to Italy in European competition. The Blues have won just two of 13 such matches, losing eight in the process, including December’s 2:1 defeat to Atalanta in Bergamo. It is hard to predict the winners, but I think there will be goals on both sides. Simply, both teams need victory and there is no space for any calculations. Chelsea's last 55 matches in European competitions have not ended in a goalless draw. Chelsea and Napoli have met only twice before. In 2012, Chelsea overturned a 3:1 first-leg defeat in Italy with a 4:1 victory at Stamford Bridge. I hope we'll enjoy another efficient clash.

Napoli vs Chelsea Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.67 with Bet365

 

[spkutano]

Benfica vs Real Madrid Preview (Tuesday, 17.02.2026) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Benfica:
Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Real Madrid:
Courtois; Carreras, Huijsen, Rudiger, Alexander-Arnold; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde; Vinicius, Mbappe, Guler

Benfica and Real Madrid face each other this Tuesday in Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League playoff's first leg. Interesting, exactly these two teams played the most eventful match in the last round of the group stage. Benfica had a 3:2 lead and looked set to go out in painful fashion, on goals scored, despite winning the game. However, a free-kick deep into the stoppage time gave them one last chance. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin was sent up and the Ukrainian timed his run to perfection to meet the cross with a header past Courtois. The fourth goal saw the Eagles finishing 24th in the standings, securing the next stage on goal difference. The victory sparked wild celebrations in Lisbon as not many fans were expecting such scenario after Benfica lost their first four games in the league phase. Jose Mourinho did a miracle with his first-ever victory against Real Madrid.

Just three weeks later, Benfica will welcome Real Madrid once again. They will try to replicate the result, but will be satisfy with any victory ahead of the second-leg match at Bernabeu. However, it is easier to say. Benfica are in solid form at the moment, winning the last two matches in domestic Primeira. The Eagles beat Alverca at home and Santa Clara away. The atmosphere in the squad is good, while the players confidence is higher. In the Champions League, Benfica have conceded 12 goals on 8 matches during the league phase, number that highlight their defensive weaknesses. I expect more defensive approach from Mourinho in this game. Most of the players are ready, but Fredrik Aursnes is out injured, while Samuel Soares, Joao Veloso and Richard Rios are rated as doubtful. This match come too soon for Alexander Bah, who returned to training after a long spell out with a cruciate ligament injury.

Real Madrid are the most successful club in the competition. They are always between the favorites for the trophy, including the current season. The group stage results were not at highest level, they lost three matches - Liverpool, Manchester City and already mentioned defeat to Benfica. I assume the mentioned defeats were between the reasons for Xabi Alonso's departure. New coach Alvaro Arbeloa is a temporary solution, but his results are very good. Los Blancos have five victories in La Liga under Arbeloa. They managed to beat Levante, Villarreal, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Real Sociedad. The players confidence is higher and much of the credit go for Arbeloa. Obviously he know how to keep the things calm. But Arbeloa has four unavailable players for this match. Raul Asencio and Rodrygo will miss out due to suspension as both were sent-off in the finish of the previous clash. The latter will also miss out the second match. In terms of injuries, Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao remain sidelined.

Benfica vs Real Madrid Prediction:

I expect an open and efficient match here. Real are attacking-oriented team, they can't play other way. Arbeloa is doing an excellent job and the fans love him. He know how to communicate with his superstars. The atmosphere in the squad is much better now, while the players confidence is very high. Arbeloa decided to rest his key player Kylian Mbappe on Saturday, but still won 4:1 against Real Sociedad. Benfica, meanwhile, will try to play the same way like they did three weeks ago, hunting opponent's defensive vulnerabilities. It was a match that produced six goals. At least three should be scored now.

Benfica vs Real Madrid Pick: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.68 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Qarabag vs Newcastle Preview (Wednesday, 18.02.2026) Champions League:

Possible starting lineups:

Qarabag:
Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Bicalho, Jankovic; Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir; Duran

Newcastle:
Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali; Elanga, Willock, Gordon; Woltemade

Qarabag are definitely the most pleasant surprise in the current season of UEFA Champions League. Not many of their own fans were expecting to see Qarabag in the playoffs. They started from the qualifications, beating Shelbourne with 4:0 aggregate victory. The next opponents were the Macedonian champions Shkendija. Qarabag again won with 6:1 aggregate victory. Finally they secured a group stage of the competition for the first time in the history after eliminated Ferencvaros with 5:4. The group stage started with a shocking 3:2 win against Benfica in Lisbon. Qarabag also beat FC Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt, while drew with Chelsea. A total of 10 points were enough to see them progressing to the knock-put phase. Coach Gurban Gurbanov, who has been in charge since 2008, did a great job and his name will be remembered in Azerbaijani football forever. He has almost all players available for this match, including Kady Borges, who was sent off in domestic match during the weekend. Goalkeeper Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev is long-term absentee.

Newcastle are the only Premier League outfit that failed to secure a direct spot in the knock-out stage. It is clear they have issues when playing in Europe. The reason for that is usually the small roster and Edie Howe's inability to rotate the players. But here is another problem, the injury situation. No less than eight players are struggling at the moment. Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth are definitely sidelined, while Sven Botman, Lewis Miley and Yoane Wissa are rated as doubtful and will be evaluated on Wednesday. The absence of captain Bruno Guimaraes is a huge handicap, particularly now - Newcastle travel to Etihad to face Manchester City next Saturday. He is the main player in the midfield and key creative. The away form is another problem for Howe. Since thrashing the Belgian side Union Royale 4:0 in second round, the Magpies failed to secure a victory in the remaining three away fixtures. Nevertheless, I think a possible draw is acceptable for Howe considering the fact they will be hosts in the second leg.

Qarabag vs Newcastle Prediction:

I expect at least three goals in Baku. Qarabag are the most pleasant surprise in the Champions League this season. Their fans were not expecting to see them in the group stage, not to mention to qualify for the knock-out phase. However, coach Gurban Gurbanov did a great job and took the best from his men. Camilo Duran and Andrade are the key names, scoring four and three goals respectively this season. Both players are ready and confident. Qarabag have scored at least two goals on each of their Champions League home fixtures. Newcastle, meanwhile, have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven consecutive matches across all competitions. On the other side, they also have players able to score - Anthony Gordon has eight goals to his name (six scored and two assisted). Harvey Barnes has also been clinical this season, netting five and setting up one. There should be three goals overall.

Qarabag vs Newcastle Pick: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.67 with 1xBet