The Champions League play off stage kicks off this week on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Let’s have a look at the games and run the rule over the betting odds for the games.
Steaua Bucharest vs. Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team begin their Champions League campaign this evening with an away trip to Romania. Last season’s semi-finalists failed to qualify directly for the group stage through their final league position, meaning that they’ve got to negotiate what could end up being a banana skin tie.
Team News
Yaya Toure, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony have all been left at home. Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Vincent Kompany all miss out through injury. Joe Hart could feature after being dropped at the weekend, whilst Nicolas Otamendi has recovered from a tendon injury.
Stats:
- Steaua have lost their last three games against English opposition, failing to score in the last two.
- Sergio Aguero has scored 17 goals in 33 Champions League games for Manchester City.
- Steaua have not won any of their last 12 Champions League group games at home.
Odds
- Manchester City to win 3-0: 17/2
- Sergio Aguero to score two goals or more: 15/4
- Manchester City to win: 20/39
FC Copenhagen vs. APOEL Nicosia
Stats:
- APOEL have a good record against Danish clubs, beating Aalborg in 2014/15 and Midtjylland last season.
- APOEL are unbeaten in their last three matches against Danish opponents.
- Copenhagen have scored 13 goals and conceded just once in the qualifying stages so far.
Score Prediction and Odds: Copenhagen to win 2-0. Available at 9/2
Ajax vs. FC Rostov
Stats:
- This is Rostov’s first competitive encounter with Dutch opponents.
- Ajax have lost all four of their matches against Russian clubs.
- Last season Rostov reached the Europa League play offs, this is their first Champions League campaign.
Score Prediction and Odds: Ajax to win 3-0. Available at 11/1
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Salzburg
Stats:
- Dinamo have won 3, drawn 4 and lost 6 times in their 13 games against Austrian sides.
- Dinamo have won all four of their Champions League qualifiers this.
- Salzburg have won all four of their Champions League qualifiers and are yet to concede a goal.
- Salzburg have never won a Champions League play off tie.
Score Prediction and Odds: Draw: 1-1. Available at 19/4
Young Boys vs. Borussia Monchengladbach
Stats:
- Young Boys and BMG played each other in a friendly match in July. The game finished 3-3.
- BMG’s only competitive matches against Swiss opponents came in the 2014/15 Europa League group stage against Zurich. 1 win, 1 draw.
Score Prediction and Odds: Borussia Monchengladbach to win 2-1. Available at 7/1