Success for Celtic but woe for Liverpool in our Champions League acca
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The Champions League play-offs take place this week, with 20 teams hoping to reach the promised land of the group stages.
And ahead of Tuesday’s first-leg action, we’ve picked out a five-fold to get involved with.
Let’s get stuck in…
Hoffenheim to beat Liverpool @ 9/5
You can rest assured Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann will have been acutely observant of Liverpool’s struggles against Watford last weekend.
The Reds are a force going forward, but they remain suspect defensively, and that’s where the German side can strike in the first leg.
No team in last season’s Bundesliga netted more set-piece goals than Hoffenheim, and in Andrej Kramaric and 6ft 4in Sandro Wagner they’ve got the players to punish Jurgen Klopp’s sloppy defence.
Qarabag to beat Copenhagen @ 13/10
With three wins in 14 Champions League away games, FC Copenhagen really don’t like leaving home.
And with this week’s hosts FK Qarabag conceding just twice in their last eight on home soil, we’re backing the Azerbaijan side.
Sparta Prague to beat APOEL @ 7/4
There won’t be much in this one, but we fancy Sparta Prague are worth adding in to this midweek punt.
The Czech side are three games in to their domestic campaign, while APOEL’s has yet to begin.
This is the third qualifying round for the home side, and the Cypriots have made hard work of things so far.
They laboured past Luxembourg champions F91 Dudelange, before requiring extra-time versus Romanian outfit Viitorul, so we reckon Sparta will prove too strong.
Young Boys v CSKA Moscow – BTTS @ 4/6
This is a tough one to call with both Young Boys and CSKA Moscow in reasonable form.
The Swiss side were hammered 4-0 in their last home game by FC Thun, but on the whole they don’t find scoring a problem on home soil with 15 goals in their previous six.
Add that to CSKA netting in their last 10 away games, and we’re looking at both goalkeepers being beaten.
Sporting Lisbon to beat FCSB @ 1/4
This should be a pretty safe inclusion here. Steaua Bucharest have won just five of their last 22 Champions League away games, and none of those came against teams of much calibre.
Sporting however, took on Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid last season, and the two European heavyweights both found it tough going at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, so we’re rounding off this five-fold with a home win.
So, there you have it. Our five-fold acca comes in at 35/1!
If you fancy it, you can back it right here.
And remember, thanks to our 5 Team Acca Insurance offer, it’s money back as a free bet if one team lets you down!*
*Money Back as a free bet up to £25. Applies to selected matches and leagues. See Full Terms and Conditions for more details.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
