2023-12-11

Champions League Matchday Six Tips

The culmination of the Champions League group stage has arrived and plenty of spots are still up for grabs for the knockout stage of the competition.

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At least two British teams will be in the round-of-16 draw on December 18, with both Arsenal and reigning champions Manchester City progressing as group winners.

However, there is still work to be done for Manchester United and Newcastle with a ball in the hat now out of their hands, while Scottish champions Celtic will finish bottom of Group E no matter their result against Feyenoord on Wednesday.

Tip 1 – Borussia Dortmund & Paris Saint-Germain to draw @ 16/5

Group F has lived up to its ‘Group of Death’ label, with three teams still vying for the final qualification spot. Dortmund have already confirmed progress into the next round and only a point is required to confirm top spot.

The Parisians have endured an underwhelming group stage campaign but they go into this contest on a five-game unbeaten run. However, that does include a 1-1 draw with Newcastle that involved a controversial stoppage-time penalty, salvaging a result from another below-par performance.

Dortmund have lost two of their last three matches but they are seemingly a different beast in Europe and will not be a pushover for the French champions. With an all-important top spot to play for, both sides could cancel each other out.

Tip 2 – FC Copenhagen vs Galatasaray Over 3.5 Goals @ 29/20

Copenhagen and Galatasaray have been surprise packages in Group A and face off against each other in a winner-takes-all encounter.

Neither side can afford a draw, as a Manchester United victory over Bayern Munich would see the Red Devils leapfrog both into second place.

Matches involving either of these teams have seen goals aplenty, with a 4-3 victory for the Danes and a 3-3 draw for the Turks against Manchester United the most notable of those results.

Galatasaray have also seen only one of their five group-stage fixtures feature under 3.5 goals. Expect the same for this clash, with the ultimate result tough to call.

Tip 3 – PSV to beat Arsenal @ 31/20

PSV Eindhoven and Arsenal have already qualified for the next round, the latter as group winners. The Dutch outfit suffered an unflattering 4-0 defeat to the Gunners on Matchday 1, but since then they have gone on a 16-game unbeaten streak.

Arsenal may feel they have done what is required and, with a mouthwatering title challenge opening up in the Premier League and tricky fixtures against Brighton and Liverpool to come, Mikel Arteta could feel it wise to rotate his squad.

PSV have proved themselves to be imperious at home all season – and that does not look likely to change anytime soon.