Real Madrid currently sit atop the La Liga table, two points clear of Barcelona, after picking up eight consecutive victories in league play. Real Madrid have won four of the past five meetings against Osasuna, and I'm backing Los Blancos to secure all three points on the road. Real Madrid is widely known for their attacking prowess, but the backline has conceded just 19 goals in league play, the fewest in the league.
Club Brugge tend to play in high-scoring affairs, and the home side will push for a positive result when they host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Six of Brugge's last seven games across all competitions have featured three goals or more. Meanwhile, Atletico is coming off a 3-0 defeat on the road at Rayo Vallecano, but the last time Diego Simeone's men were clean-sheeted, they bounced back by scoring four goals against Barcelona.
Monaco has been stout defensively in recent weeks, recording a clean sheet in four of their past six matches. Monaco secured a 1-0 victory at home over PSG in November, holding the Parisians to just two shots on target. With this being the first leg, I'm expecting both sides to deploy more defensive-minded tactics, resulting in Under 3.5 goals.
Nice has recorded just one win in league play across their last 11 matches, and now they'll take on an in-form Lyon side that has won six straight Ligue 1 fixtures. Lyon has conceded only 20 goals this season, the third-fewest in the league. Lyon has recorded a clean sheet in three of their last four league games at home, a big reason why I'm backing the home side to collect all three points.
Rennes have been effective in front of goal, especially on home soil. Rennes have scored three or more goals in four of their last five home fixtures. The lone outlier during that span came in their last home match against Le Havre, but they still managed 15 total shots and seven shots on target. Lorient have conceded 30 goals in league play, a perfect recipe for Over 2.5 goals.
Barcelona currently sit 15th in the UCL standings, so they'll be looking to secure a positive result against Slavia Praha. Another factor worth noting is that the home side has not played an official match since December 13, due to the winter break in the Czech league. With Robert Lewandowski, Raphina, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong leading the attack for the Spanish giants, I expect Barcelona to cruise to a comfortable victory.
Atalanta are unbeaten in their last five Champions League fixtures, securing four wins during that span. The Italian side has also won six of its past seven home fixtures, while Athletic Club have recorded only one victory through six UCL matches, conceding nine goals during that stretch. I'm backing the home side to secure all three points on Wednesday.
Leeds currently sit in the relegation zone thanks to their porous backline, which has conceded 25 goals in league play. Chelsea have scored two or more in four of their last five across all competitions, and the Blues will be without central midfielder Moises Caicedo on Wednesday, which will likely lead to more scoring opportunities for Leeds, who’ve scored one or more in four of their last five league fixtures.
Atletico Madrid suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Arsenal in their last appearance in the UCL, but Diego Simeone's men have righted the ship with two consecutive shutout victories in La Liga. Atletico have recorded a clean sheet in three of their last four matches across all competitions, and the Spanish side secured an emphatic 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at home on Matchday 1. I'm backing Atletico to record another convincing victory in front of their home fans against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday.
Marseille is the top-scoring team in Ligue 1 with 22 goals in nine games. However, Marseille enters Wednesday’s tilt having lost their last two games across all competitions, so I expect the home side to come out with a purpose against Angers, who have scored just six goals in league play, tied for the fewest in Ligue 1. Look for Marseille to make a statement and cover -1.5.
Augsburg has conceded 14 goals in Bundesliga play this season, the most in the league. On Saturday, Augsburg will take on a RB Leipzig team that has secured five wins in its first seven league fixtures. RB Leipzig has scored three or more goals in five of its last seven meetings against Augsburg, and I expect the visitors to secure all three points in this one.
Inter Milan features one of the most disciplined backlines in Europe, having recorded a clean sheet in four of their last six matches across all compeitions, which includes a 2-0 victory on the road at Ajax on Matchday 1. Inter have recorded three straight away victories, and I expect them to make it four in a row on Tuesday.
Elche are unbeaten on home soil during La Liga play this season, while Athletic Club have lost three consecutive matches on the road across all competitions. Elche have conceded just nine times in league play, tied for the second-fewest in La Liga. Given those trends, I'm backing Elche to secure a positive result at home on Sunday.
Tottenham knocked off Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semis last season, and now the home side will be without captain Ulrik Saltnes, who scored the lone goal against Spurs over two legs. Tottenham recorded a 2-0 away victory over Bodo/Glimt last season, and Thomas Frank’s men held Villarreal without a single shot on target on Matchday 1. I’m backing Tottenham to secure all three points on the road.
Valencia enters this match unbeaten on home soil this season, recording shutout victories in their past two La Liga fixtures at Mestalla Stadium. Oviedo, meanwhile, has lost five of their six league matches and has been shutout in their last two away fixtures. Oviedo is also coming off a 3-1 setback against Barcelona on Thursday, a game in which they conceded 80% of possession, so they could be dealing with heavy legs and fatigue against Valencia.