Champions League: Arsenal target to make historic bow for Juve
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We’re at the halfway point in the Champions League group stages, which means the prospect of knockout-round qualification becomes more intense by the game.
Who tops the groups isn’t the only thing to keep an eye on as matchweek four approaches though, as our list of three storylines to follow shows:
Leverkusen’s Group E comeback
Having not won a game in their group after three outings, the German side would normally expect to be well out of qualifying contention.
However, Leverkusen’s three straight draws puts them just two points off top spot in the competition’s tightest mini-league, where a victory and marginal goal difference is all that separates first and fourth.
Further boosting their hopes is the fact that since 2003/04, 11 teams have progressed to the next round having failed to win in the first half of their schedule.
Two of those, Roma and Gent, achieved the feat last season and both had fewer points at this stage than Leverkusen do.
Roger Schmidt’s side are 7/2 to top Group E and travel to Wembley to face Tottenham next.
Arsenal target making senior Juventus bow
Regular readers of football’s various gossip pages will have become familiar with the name of Moise Kean in the past week.
The 16-year-old Italian is a youth-team striker for Juventus, but has been reportedly scouted by Arsenal of late.
Injuries to Paulo Dybala and Marko Pjaca have forced Max Allegri to consider the teenager, who has been an unused substitute in Juventus’ last three games.
If he enters the fray against Lyon, Kean will be the first player born in this millennium to feature in the Champions League.
Fourth 1-0 win in a row for Atletico Madrid?
All Diego Simeone’s men need to guarantee an early progression into the knockout stages is victory over Rostov at home.
The Spaniards’ 100 per cent record in the competition, their visitors’ winless run and odds of 1/9 about the triumph all make a convincing case, but at that price backing it won’t make many rich.
A flutter on Atleti winning 1-0 for the fourth time in a row in this competition is advised at 7/1 instead.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
