Midweek tips: Champions League second leg picks

The feature games for midweek football this week is in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg as well as a good Championship clash. Interesting games with some interesting betting picks.

Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg clash between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain promises to be a cracker. The tie is finely poised with PSG in the driving seat after Kylian Mbappe’s late strike in the first leg.

Mbappe scored with just 45 seconds to go in Paris but in truth his PSG side dominated on the night and had enough chances to have won the match three times over. With this in mind it is interesting then that the bookies have them as 17/10 outsiders to win in Spain.

Real Madrid are cruising towards another La Liga title but the harsh reality is this is not a vintage Los Blancos outfit. Casemiro and Ferland Mendy are both suspended on Wednesday and that puts pressure on David Alaba to step up. Defensively Real Madrid have thrown in a few shockers this season and an early goal for the French side would leave them with a real mountain to climb.

Madrid are still very much in this but only have Thibaut Courtois’s heroics between the posts to thank for that, as they were collectively inferior in that first leg. 

Kylian Mbappe has been in rare form with five goals and two assists in his last six league outings. He genuinely looks the best player in the world on current form, while after a perplexingly slow start to life in Paris, the irascible Lionel Messi is at last reminding us how he dominated world football for over a decade.

If those two are in the mood at the Bernabeu, 17/10 about a PSG win on Wednesday could be a steal.

 

The Nap – PSG to win at 17/10 (Skybet)

 

There are no two ways about it, Peterborough United’s recent form has been wretched. However, you must ask whether they should really be 10/1 shots to win at Bournemouth on Tuesday?

Posh have drawn one and lost five of their last six and have a goal difference of -9 during that period. However, they are far from the worst side in the Championship and battled to a 0-0 at the Weston Homes Stadium when these two met earlier this season.

Bournemouth have not kept a clean sheet for five matches, lost to Preston at the weekend and let’s not forget the Cherries infamously lost 1-0 to National League side Boreham Wood in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup just last month.  

Bournemouth are going OK but Posh look worth a small wager to win on the south coast at 10/1

 

Value Tip – Peterborough to win at 10/1 (Coral/Hills)

 

Serge Gnabry could be the man to get with to score first when Bayern Munich do battle again with FC Salzburg.

It took Kingsley Coman's last-minute equaliser to extend Bayern's record-breaking run to 22 games away from home without defeat in the competition as the pair drew 1-1 a couple of weeks ago, and after watching that game you can bet Julian Nagelsmann will not be underestimating the visitors.

 

Gnabry has been one of Bayern Munich's star performers since making his debut for the Bundesliga leaders in 2018, and while all eyes will be on the brilliant Robert Lewandowski in Bavaria, it could be Gnabry who steals the show.

He’s hit 12 goals for Bayern so far this season and should get chances on Tuesday night as Bayern will dominate possession. He is dangerous cutting in from wide positions and can left fly with both feet. In short, 5/1 looks big if Lewandowski doesn’t do the business early on.

 

First Goal Flutter – Gnabry to score first at 5/1 (General)

 

This Manchester City side are as clinical as they are relentless, and it would be a major surprise if they didn’t beat Sporting Lisbon after winning the first leg 5-0.

Pep Guardiola is bound to make changes with the tie already in the bag, but it’s still bound to be a strong side, such is the depth of this Citizens squad.

The standards they have set this season have been nothing short of amazing and on Sunday they restored their six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League after thumping Manchester United 4-1. Sporting head to Manchester off the back of a 2-0 home success against Arouca on Saturday, with former Leicester striker Islam Slimani scoring both goals for the Lions. Sporting are clearly up against it, and after being torn apart in that first leg might settle for damage limitation here.

Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus could feature against the Portuguese after missing out against the Red Devils and a punt on a 2-0 final score on Wednesday night at the Etihad could be the way to bet.

 

The Euro Banker – Manchester City to win 2-0 at 11/2 (Bet Victor/Boylesports)