12 Jun 2019
Real look to capitalise on Neymar loss as Spurs hope Wembley’s a happy hunting ground
After a very solid start for the three Premier League teams competing in this set of UEFA Champions League round 16 ties, the English sides will all be relishing the return fixtures.
The games are set to be high scoring affairs with nine of the top ten goal scorers featuring. The top three scorers Cristiano Ronaldo (11), Harry Kane (7) and Roberto Firmino (7) are all vying for the Golden Boot, so if you fancy a bet on this thenChampions League betting odds for Firmino to win the Golden Boot at 22/1 look very tempting.
However, the big talking points are without question, the ‘money tie’ between Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid and the finely balanced fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
The PSG Real fixture is likely to hinge on the first goal. If PSG can score early on, then it will be an interesting game, however, if Ronaldo and co. can strike first then it could be game over for PSG.
The bad news for Les Parisiens is that Neymar Jr is confirmed out for six to eight weeks with a fractured metatarsal and sprained ankle. Having scored 29 goals in 30 games since joining from Barcelona, he will be a big loss. In contrasting fortunes, Real’s Brazilian left-back Marcelo is back in training and could feature on Tuesday.
Last season, PSG crashed out in the last 16 of the Champions League 6-5 on aggregate to Barcelona, however, the four seasons prior to that they reached the quarter finals. So, if you see Edinson Cavani taking up Neymar’s mantle then Champions League betting odds of 5/2 for PSG to qualify looks good to us.
The tie that will excite most English fans is the big game at Wembley. The fixture is all square at 2-2, and you can make a case for either Tottenham Hotspur or Juventus winning.
With Juve having enjoyed a 2-0 lead after 10 minutes in the first leg, it will be interesting to see what the game has done to their confidence - they haven’t relinquished such a lead to then lose the advantage since 2011. In addition, it’s only the second time that the Italian club has failed to win a Champions League home game after being two or more goals ahead.
If Juventus can put these frustrations behind them, Champions League betting odds of 11/5 to qualify for the quarter-finals look a good option.
The last time Juventus played at Wembley was in a preseason friendly where they lost 2-0, so if Christian Eriksen and Moussa Dembele can put in the same dominate performance in midfield, where they had 65% possession, then we can see Spurs using home advantage to get through to the quarter finals.
The other two English teams had very convincing first legs, with Liverpool taking a 5-0 lead to Anfield against FC Porto, and Manchester City have a 4-0 advantage to protect against FC Basel at the Ethiad Stadium. So, with these fixtures promising a goal fest, Champions League betting odds of 8/1 for over 6.5 goals in the Man City v FC Basel fixture could be worth a look.
Enjoy live Champions League action in your local casino, find your nearest Genting here.
