League Phase action in the Champions League concludes today with 18 games, all at 3:00 pm EST. There are still plenty of matches with knockout stage implications, with a lot to be decided.
Some of these matches are high-profile clashes, including PSG vs Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan, and Napoli vs Chelsea.
Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho also faces his former club as the coach of Benfica. Benfica need to win to have any shot of advancing to the first knockout round.
We’ll cover all these matches, along with some others, and share our best bet from each.
Champions League Matchday 8: PSG vs Newcastle – Parc des Princes, Paris, France
PSG (+190) and Newcastle (+425) face off with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line. Today’s loser will likely have to go through the Knockout Playoff Round. That said, expect quite a wide-open game in which both sides look for all three points.
Newcastle should be missing midfielders Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, which undoubtedly hurts their chances here. In any case, the Magpies have scored in each of their previous Champions League matches this season. Anthony Gordon has scored six goals in those games.
PSG’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele, has been rounding back into form after dealing with injury issues earlier in the season. The Parisians’ attack, which consists of Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, should do enough to seal the victory for the hosts here.
Still, expect both teams to score in a PSG victory.
Best Bet: PSG to Win and Both Teams to Score (+150)
Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan – Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
Both Borussia Dortmund (+185) and Inter Milan (+135) have hopes of reaching the Round of 16. However, it would take a win and for other teams ahead of them to slip up. Dortmund lost 2-0 to struggling Tottenham Hotspur last time out, while Inter Milan fell 3-1 to Champions League leaders Arsenal.
Inter have now lost three games in a row in the Champions League. The Nerazzurri have never lost four consecutive games in this competition, though. No doubt both teams will go for it, but this one could certainly end in a stalemate.
Best Bet: Draw (+250)
Napoli vs Chelsea – Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy
As things currently stand, Napoli (+210) are out of the Knockout Stage, making a result here absolutely imperative. Since losing 3-2 to Arsenal in the EFL Cup, Chelsea (+120) have won three straight games under new coach Liam Rosenior.
Joao Pedro has scored in each of his last two starts, and it remains to be seen if he’ll lead the line tonight for the Blues. A win would also be important for Chelsea, who are chasing a bye into the Round of 16. They are currently in the eighth and final bye spot, solely on goal difference.
Napoli suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Juventus in Serie A over the weekend and could only muster up a draw against Copenhagen last week. The defending Serie A champions look tired, and there’s no guarantee they grab a result here.
Both teams should get on the scoresheet in pursuit of three points, though.
Best Bet: Both Teams to Score (-155)
Benfica vs Real Madrid – Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Since an embarrasing 3-2 defeat in the Copa Del Rey to second-tier side Albacete, Real Madrid (-130) have picked things up. Los Blancos have managed three straight wins under interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa will be going up against Benfica (+300) and his former Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, today.
Mourinho’s Benfica have struggled to string together results in the Champions League this season, with just two wins from seven matches. Also, Mourinho’s record against his former club leaves a lot to be desired. He’s 0-1-4 all-time against Real Madrid.
A draw will likely be enough here for Real Madrid to qualify in the top eight, but don’t expect them to settle for a point. Kylian Mbappe has scored five times in the last three games alone and is at -185 odds to score today. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on target in a victory for the visitors.
Best Bet: Real Madrid (-130)
Barcelona vs Copenhagen – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Real Madrid’s rivals, Barcelona (-600), are in action today against Copenhagen (+1100), who are just outside of a Knockout Stage spot. Don’t expect Barcelona to take it easy on the Danish side, as Barça are currently in ninth place.
Needing a victory, Barcelona are 2.5-goal favorites heading into this contest. However, they have allowed 13 goals in the Champions League this season, allowing inferior opponents to hang around on a few occasions. Barcelona’s goal difference in the UCL is also just +5, with only one win by a three-goal margin or more.
After all, Copenhagen have managed a win over Villarreal on the road and a draw against Napoli in their preceding two UCL games. Don’t be surprised if Copenhagen can at least make this a match and keep things from getting out of hand.
Best Bet: Copenhagen +2.5 (-125)
Champions League Matchday 8: Manchester City vs Galatasaray – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Manchester City (-425) suffered an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in Norway following a 2-0 derby loss to Manchester United. The Cityzens picked up a win over Wolves in the Premier League over the weekend to right the ship. Still, it’s hard to know which version of Manchester City will show up on any given day.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray (+900) will likely reach the Knockout Stage whether they win or lose today. They’ve been defensively sound in recent games, conceding just four in their previous six Champions League matches. The problem is, they’ve been struggling to score as well.
There are eye-catching +220 odds on under 2.5 goals in this match that are hard to pass up on. Two or fewer goals have been scored in each of Galatasaray’s previous three UCL games and three of City’s prior four, in all competitions.
Best Bet: Under 2.5 Goals (+220)
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