UEFA Champions League: Matchday 1 Expert Betting Tips
The Champions League is back with a new format and the pressure is on teams to perform right from the start on matchday one.
This season club football's top competition begins with a league phase featuring 36 teams with the top eight going straight through to the round of 16, while the sides that finish between ninth and 24th will participate in a play-off round to join them.
The fixtures will come thick and fast and here are the best bets for matchday one, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday.
Sporting CP to beat Lille @ 13/20
Sporting are back in the Champions League this season and they could make quite an impact under Ruben Amorim.
Spearheaded by one of the continent's hottest strikers in Viktor Gyokeres, they have already reeled off five straight wins in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, netting 19 times and conceding just twice.
Translating that form to the Champions League is a tougher task but they should be able to see off Lille in Lisbon.
Sporting got out of their group in the Europa League last term before beating Young Boys in the knockout-round playoffs but they were sent packing by Atalanta in the last 16.
They have a relatively soft opening to this season's Champions League with PSV and Sturm Graz to follow after their opener and they can get off to a strong start.
Lille have lost their last three games in all competitions and should be opposed.
Sparta Praha to beat RB Salzburg @ 27/20
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, Sparta Praha will play in the main Champions League competition and they can make the most of the occasion with victory over Salzburg.
Sparta will undoubtedly be a tough team to visit in this season's competition and there are reasons to go against visitors Salzburg.
They head into this match after a 3-2 defeat to Rapid Vienna in the Austrian Bundesliga and they underperformed in the Champions League last term, finishing bottom of their group.
Shakhtar Donetsk or draw double chance vs Bologna @ 22/25
Following the departure of manager Thiago Motta and the losses of players such as Joshua Zirzkee and Riccardo Calafiori, Bologna are already having a tough time in Serie A this term.
Last season's top-five finish is already looking like an anomaly with the club failing to win any of their four league contests this season.
they could be out of their depth in their Champions League opener against a more experienced Shakhtar Donetsk outfit.
Shakhtar would have hoped for a better start to the season domestically but a 5-2 win over Karpaty Lviv last time out should have boosted their confidence and they can avoid defeat in Italy.
Arsenal to beat Atalanta @ 17/20
Arsenal showed they can cope with their current injury problems with a resolute 1-0 win over Tottenham in Sunday's derby in the Premier League and they are a decent price to beat Atalanta in their first Champions League game of the season.
Bukayo Saka may join a handful of players on the sidelines but Mikel Arteta's men are tactically versatile and defensively strong enough to grind out a victory in Bergamo after taking 10 points from their first four Premier League fixtures.
Atletico Madrid to win & both teams to score vs RB Leipzig @ 21/10
Atletico Madrid's summer overhaul seems to have worked with Diego Simeone's men emerging as Barcelona's closest competitors in La Liga.
Three wins and two draws represent a solid enough start, and Atleti can make home advantage count against Leipzig.
That said, the visitors have already beaten defending Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen this term – and have goals in them with Benjamin Sesko, Xavi Simons and Lois Openda – so back an Atletico win and both teams to score.
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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation