Day: October 22, 2018

PSG have dominated the French top flight so much that they must be bored of winning teams in that division at the moment. They beat Amiens 5-0 at the weekend, the second consecutive time they have recorded such a scoreline after they trashed Lyon just before the international break.

They, however, have their eyes on the biggest price of them all which is the Champions League and this week they face one of the best teams in the competition when Carlo Ancelotti returns to the Parc des Princes with Napoli.

PSG are trailing their visitors after they were beaten by Liverpool on Matchday 1. They may have beaten Red Star Belgrade in their last game, they still have just 3 points and they would be looking to get maximum points from this doubleheader.

Napoli are top of their group after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool in their last game, however, they would rue failing to beat Red Star in their first game as they would be playing PSG twice before they play Liverpool at Anfield so their chances of  making the next round depends greatly on how they perform in this game.

The visitors should get on the scoresheet here, with PSG seeing both teams score in their last six matches in the Champions League. The Partenopei have the quality to grab a goal, but they’ve lost 2-1 in three of their last four away trips in this competition. We’re backing PSG to win and both teams to score, with the French champions having enough quality to win what should be a high scoring tie.

This is perhaps the most interesting game of the week in the Champions League as these two teams who have made it to the final at least once in this decade go head to head in a double clash that will determine who tops this group ahead of the knockout rounds.

Borussia Dortmund are flying this season. They currently play one of the most attractive brand of attacking football and they are on course to challenge for the Bundesliga title again this season. They top the German league standings with three points, and they have won both of their Champions League games before this clash.

Atletico Madrid could not qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League last season, but they have won both of their matches so far, including a first away win in 6 attempts in the Champions League. A draw won’t be a bad result for any of the teams and we expect Atletico to be defensively solid in this game.

Diego Simeone’s men have lost just three of their last 25 Champions League games, and they kept 16 clean sheets in those matches as well.

Dortmund are scoring for fun in the German top flight, but they have scored just 4 goals from 8 shots on target in the Champions League this season, and they should face an even stronger opposition from Atleti in this game.

Inter Milan have enjoyed their return to the Champions League so far having won their first two group games, they have also received a major boost for this game after Lionel Messi pulled up injured at the weekend, so they could easily get a good result when they visit the Camp Nou here.

Barcelona and Inter both have two wins from as many games and win for either of them here would help them put one feet in the next round. Barcelona have won two and drawn one of their last three competitive games, but without Lionel Messi, they certainly carry less threat than when he is on the pitch.

Inter Milan have won all of their last seven matches and they would be very confident of getting a result when they get on the pitch for this game. Their 1-0 late win over Milan at the weekend also showed that they are team that carries a threat for the full duration of every game.

Mauro Icardi has now scored 5 goals in his last 5 games, he netted 29 in the Serie A last term and would be looking to show what he can on the big stage here.

This will be the first meeting since the 2010 Semi-Finals when Jose Mourinho’s Inter knocked out Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the Semi-Finals, mostly thanks to a 3-1 1st Leg win at the San Siro. Barca have won all of their three home games this century against Inter to nil though (all in this competition).

After collecting four points from their last two Premier League games, Manchester United would feel that they can secure a win over Juventus in this game as well.

The Red Devils almost picked up all three points when they visited Chelsea at the weekend, but a 96th-minute leveller from Ross Barkley distributed the spoils. They would now turn their attention to the Champions League.

They have collected 4 points from their opening two games against Young Boys and Valencia. Cristiano Ronaldo would be making a return to Old Trafford in this game and their fans would be hoping that he doesn’t make them pay for their sloppy defending.

Juventus also suffered dropped points at the weekend. The Old Ladies were held to a 1-1 draw by Genoa at home, a result that ended their ten games winning start to the season. They would be looking to bounce back when they visit Old Trafford here, and with Ronaldo returning from suspension, their chances have been boosted significantly.

They have won two of two Champions League games so far, with Manchester United considered their main rival for a top spot in this group, they would be doing all the can to earn maximum points from these next two games.

The last time these teams met was in the group stages of the 2003 Champions League with Manchester United winning both matches.