6 Expert Picks
Sociedad eyeing chance to win Group D. ...
These two teams combined for five goals in the reverse fixture, a 3-2 victory for Galatasaray at Old Trafford.
Will battered United get their revenge? ...
Galatasaray clinched a famous 3-2 win at Old Trafford when the teams met on October 3...
Lazio and Celtic collide in Champions League play. ...
Past Picks
These are evenly-matched teams, and they played to a 2-2 draw in Belgrade last month. They have scored nine goals and conceded 21 between them in eight combined matches in group play. Young Boys are 5-1-0 at home in Swiss Super League play, with 20 goals scored, while Red Star have scored 39 goals in their 15 Serbian SuperLiga matches. This is a step up in competition for both, but the teams combined for 38 shots and 15 on net in the last meeting. With both teams angling for a Europa League spot, I expect a back-and-forth affair. All eight matches in Group G have gone Over 2.5 goals so far.
Fresh off a 1-0 victory against Barcelona at home, the Ukrainians host a Royal Antwerp side that has yielded 14 goals in four group-stage matches. With Group H co-leaders Barca and Porto squaring off later Tuesday, Shakhtar can move into contention to advance. They beat the Belgians 3-2 on the road last month. Shakhtar have actually been better on the road in the Ukrainian Premier League, but Antwerp have won just one of eight Belgian Pro League road matches (1-4-3). The hosts should win this one by a couple of goals.
Borussia Dortmund currently top the “Group of Depth” with seven points, while AC Milan ranks third with five. All four teams are within three points of each other, so this match will go a long way in determining which clubs advance to the knockout stage. Dortmund have been stellar defensively, conceding just twice in this competition. AC Milan, meanwhile, have scored only two goals in four UCL matches. Plus, Under 2.5 goals have been scored in five of AC Milan’s last six games on home soil.
I’m not overthinking this one after watching these teams combine for five goals in the reverse fixture on Oct. 4. Feyenoord are averaging over 2.5 goals per game at home in all competitions this season and they’ve scored two or more in three of their four Champions League matches. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid lead Group E with 12 goals and they’ve scored at least twice in 10 of their last 12 fixtures overall. I expect both teams to find the back of the net on Tuesday, so only one of these sides need to score twice.
Antwerp have yet to record a point in the group stage after conceding 14 goals in their first four matches. Antwerp suffered a 3-2 setback against Shakhtar Donetsk in the reverse fixture and I think the Ukrainian side could surpass this total by themselves on Tuesday. Shakhtar Donetsk can still qualify for the Round of 16 after pulling off a stunning 1-0 victory over Barcelona on Nov. 7, but they'll likely need a win here to advance, so I expect we’ll see Shakhtar deploy an attacking style of play. Plus, Over 2.5 goals have been scored in three of the four group stage games for both teams, a trend I see continuing on Tuesday.
AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund played out a drab 0-0 draw when they locked horns in Germany earlier this season. Dortmund is not typically renowned for its defensive solidity, but it has now kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League. It has surged to the top of Group F after beating Newcastle 1-0 on the road and then 2-0 at home. Champions League games featuring Dortmund have seen just 1.25 goals so far this season, while games featuring AC Milan have averaged only 1.5 goals, so this could be another tense, low-scoring affair.
PSG suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat when it faced Newcastle at St. James’ Park earlier in the campaign, so the Parisians will bid for revenge this week. They have struggled on the road this season, but they have been very strong when playing in the French capital. PSG eased to home wins against Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, which bodes well for its chances of beating Newcastle on Tuesday. PSG warmed up for this game by beating Monaco 5-2, while Newcastle thrashed Chelsea 4-1 in the Premier League at the weekend, so this could be another high-scoring clash.
Shakhtar Donetsk battled to a 3-2 victory over Antwerp when these teams clashed in Belgium on October 4. It was yet another inept defensive display from Antwerp, which has conceded 14 goals in just four Champions League group stage games this season. The Belgian team is bottom of the group, having lost all four of its matches. However, Antwerp is starting to improve in its domestic league, as evidenced by a recent 6-0 win against Standard Liege. Shakhtar pulled off a shock 1-0 win against Barcelona in its last Champions League match, but we could see a higher-scoring affair when it faces Antwerp this week.
Play in the Group of Death continues with PSG looking for revenge against Newcastle playing at home in front of their fans at Parc des Princes. This is a must-win for both sides with some of the best attackers in the world in the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Alexander Isak. That means that both teams should contribute to the Over.