Brandt's Past Picks
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.
Wolves have yet to win a match in league play this season and have conceded 12 goals across five matches. Tottenham, meanwhile, enters the weekend third in the EPL table and has 10 goals, tied for the second-most in the league. Over 2.5 goals have also been scored in each of the last four meetings between these teams in league play, a trend I’m willing to back again on Saturday.
We’re used to seeing Diego Simeone’s side be extremely disciplined in the back, but Atletico Madrid have been leaking goals early this season. Atletico has conceded six goals in its past three matches across all competitions, and they’ve recorded only one clean sheet in seven matches overall. Now, Atletico will take on a Real Madrid side that is beaming with confidence after scoring two or more goals in six straight fixtures. The Madrid Derby can get chippy, but I expect we’ll see Over 2.5 goals in this one.
It’s rare to get this price with Barcelona, so I’m taking a chance that the Spanish side can come through in a tough environment that is St. James’ Park. Barca will be without young phenom Lamine Yamal, but they have enough attacking talent in Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford to break down a Newcastle side that has struggled to score in Premier League play.
PSV suffered a 2-0 defeat against Telstar in their last home match, but they still managed 23 shots and controlled 71% of possession in that fixture. PSV has scored four or more goals in three of their last five matches overall, and will use their European experience to collect all three points on Tuesday.
The international break may have come at the perfect time Man City, who have lost back-to-back games and sit 13th in the table. The Citizens will look to get back on track against their cross-town rivals Man United, who have struggled out of the gate this season as well. The Red Devils needed a stoppage-time penalty from Bruno Fernandes to beat Burnley following their defeat to Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup. Pep Guardiola will have his men ready to go in what feels like a must-win for City, so give me the home side to collect all three points in the Manchester Derby.
Two teams trending in opposite directions square off when Barcelona host Inter Milan. Barcelona have lost just one of their last 28 matches across all competitions, while Inter Milan are winless in their past four fixtures, suffering three losses during that span. Barca have won five of their six Champions League home matches this season, all of those victories coming by at least two goals. Barcelona’s quest to win the quadruple is very much intact, and I expect the home side to get the job done on Wednesday.
Barcelona have been spectacular in recent weeks, recording a clean sheet in four of their last five matches across all competitions. The home side has also been lethal in the attacking third, scoring eight goals in their last two home fixtures. I expect Barcelona to come out looking to extend their lead early in this match, which would lead to Benfica pressing and creating space behind their defenders for quality players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphina to exploit in the second half.
