Champions League: Gameweek 3 Tips
Gameweek 3 of the Champions League features another 18 fixtures, with nine on Tuesday evening and the same number played the following evening.
We have picked out two games on each day to look out for, with Aston Villa tipped to maintain their fine start to the campaign, while there could be another setback for Celtic on Bergamo.
Tip 1 - Aston Villa to beat Bologna to nil @ 29/20
Villa have made a flying start to their first European Cup campaign in over four decades, beating Young Boys 3-0 and, more impressively, Bayern Munich 1-0.
After winning 3-1 at Fulham on Saturday, they can continue their almost perfect start against Bologna, who ended their even longer wait to return to European football's top table, with this their first campaign at this level since 1964-65.
They are still to score, drawing 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk before losing 2-0 at Arsenal. I Rossoblu let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Genoa on Saturday and, after finishing fifth last term under Thiago Motta, are still adapting under Vincenzo Italiano.
Bologna may struggle to penetrate Unai Emery's well-drilled defence and another win with a clean sheet seems a real possibility for the Villans on Tuesday.
Tip 2 - Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund and both teams to score @ 27/20
There is a repeat of last season's final on Tuesday, as Real Madrid host Borussia Dortmund at the Bernabeu.
Los Blancos' 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday saw Carlo Ancelotti try out a back three and he might further experiment in a bid to find adequate cover for right-back Dani Carvajal, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee issue.
Dortmund, who beat St Pauli 2-1 on Friday, thumped Celtic 7-1 in their last Champions League game and can improve on June's 2-0 defeat to Real at Wembley.
Der BVB's wingers, as well as central striker Serhou Guirrassy, should enjoy the open spaces of the Bernabeu, but Real have almost unmatched attacking talent and should respond after losing 1-0 at Lille on Matchday 2.
Tip 3 - Atalanta to win and over 4.5 goals @ 18/5
Celtic made a flying start with their 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, but were put in their place in a 7-1 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund and another case of over 4.5 goals could be on the agenda against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Saturday's 2-2 against Aberdeen means the Bhoys remain top dogs ahead of the Dons in Scotland due to their superior goal difference, but away games in Europe are still a real issue and they could be on the wrong end of another big scoreline.
Last season's Europa League winners Atalanta are another team yet to concede in this season's Champions League, drawing 0-0 with Arsenal and beating Shakhtar 3-0.
They beat Genoa 5-1 before the international break and returned with a 2-0 victory at Venezia.
With summer signing Mateo Retegui already on eight goals for the season, the Bhoys could receive another bashing in Bergamo.
Tip 4 - Barcelona to win @ 6/5
The game of Wednesday night looks to be the clash at the Lluis Companys, where Barcelona host Bayern Munich.
This duo have won the European Cup/Champions League a combined 11 times. Barca's last triumph came in 2015, while current Blaugrana boss Hansi Flick masterminded Bayern's most recent success in 2020.
Flick's side lost their European opener 2-1 at Monaco, but bounced back by beating Young Boys 5-0 and smashed Sevilla 5-1 on Sunday, with braces for both Robert Lewandowski and youngster Pablo Torre.
Bayern, meanwhile, burnished their Bundesliga title credentials by beating Stuttgart 4-0 and are tied with RB Leipzig at the top of the standings on 17 points.
Vincent Kompany's team opened with a 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, but then lost at Villa Park.
The Belgian has made a good start in his new job, but was tactically outdone by Emery in Gameweek 2 and Flick is another coach who could teach him a lesson.
For betting markets and odds on the rest of the Champions League games, or outright odds on who’ll be the new kinds of Europe, check out our dedicated Champions League betting page.
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