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There were some shocks in last week’s Champions League matches. Paris Saint-Germain got out to a quite lopsided 3-0 lead on Manchester City before ultimately finishing the contest 4-2, Inter Milan fell to Club Brugge in an eventful 4-3 contest, and Bodo/Glimt knocked off Borussia Dortmund 1-0. But it was fellow Norweigan team Viking with the biggest shocker of all, mounting a 2-0, falling behind 3-2, and then getting the equalizer in the 90th minute after Michael Olise got sent off with Bayern Munich defending a one-goal lead to split the points with the German giants. While this week’s slate of matches could bring us back to more normalcy, last week showed by this new revived Champions League format is so alluring.
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Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn't Win*
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms. 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET
Best Bets
Barcelona, +145 over PSG
PSG notched one of the highest-profile wins of the tournament last week by knocking off the current Premier League leaders, but the 2026-27 version of Barcelona presents a whole other test. Rodri’s showing why he was the Golden Ball winner at the World Cup, Lamine Yamal is showing his promise as arguably the best young player in the game with eight goals and six assists in nine league matches, and in last week’s win over Galatasaray, four different players – including new arrival Anthony Gordon – put in goals. PSG’s good, and bolstered by former Barca striker Ferran Torres, but Barcelona at home feels near invincible, even against the two-time UCL champs.
Bradley Barcola, +185 anytime goalscorer
Liverpool’s been wrestling with injuries incurred over the last international break, and Cody Gakpo — a usually reliable scorer during cup competitions — could still be out this one. Fortunately for Liverpool, there’s another touted winger option who appears to be heating up at just the right time. Last week against LASK, the French forward scored his first career hat trick, and though he’s yet to get a goal in Premier League, he did get involved over the weekend with an assist in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Brentford. Barcola might not be good for another three this week, but look for him to score at least one in what should be a comfortable Liverpool victory.
Iliman Ndiaye, +170 anytime goalscorer for Manchester City vs. AEK Athens
Iliman Ndiaye might be one of the more under-the-radar scoring options for Manchester City, but with the talent differential that exists between these clubs — plus, perhaps more crucially, the injuries making Antoine Semenyo a definite out and Erling Haaland doubtful for this Champions League contest. While manager Enzo Maresca may be mulling some false nine options should his normally dependable top goalscorer be unable to go, Ndiaye could also be deployed up top, and even he’s not, stands to be a beneficiary of City having to go with a shuffled lineup.
Real Madrid -2.5, +130 to beat RB Leipzig
Real Madrid may be losing the typical two-horse race to Barcelona in La Liga, but with six wins in its last seven in all competitions, it’s evident that this is still one of the continent’s top teams. RB Leipzig, meanwhile, is coming off a 6-1 loss to Bayern over the weekend, and though it beat PSV last time out in Champions League, this is a team already smarting from a 4-1 loss to Como earlier in the competition. The Bundesliga team is certainly better than those recent results indicate, but being susceptible to those and then getting matched up against Real Madrid is a recipe for another disheartening lopsided loss.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
