After the high of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final, Europe’s premier club competition is set to return for its opening round of matches.
From this season, the Champions League is set to sport a new look after the away goals rule was scrapped at the end of last season.
The first round of matches promises to set the tone ahead of an exciting European season. Here is our preview of a number of matches and tips from our in-house experts.
- FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich: Group E’s opening match pits 2020 champions Bayern Munich against Spanish giants FC Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Both sides will meet for the first time since that eventful 8-2 drubbing of Barcelona at the hands of Bayern Munich en route to the Germans winning the Champions League title in 2020. Barcelona find themselves considerably weakened after the exit of club legend Lionel Messi, but have started the season well domestically. They face a Bayern Munich side that has scored 21 times and conceded only once in their last three games.
FC Barcelona win- 3.40 odds; Bayern win- 1.95 odds; Draw- 3.80 odds.
- Chelsea vs Zenit St Petersburg: Champions Chelsea will commence their title defence at home to Russian side Zenit St Petersburg. The English giants claimed the title following an all-English final in 2021, and would be keen on starting their defence well. They have acquired the services of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, and he has scored three times in three matches already for the Blues. Chelsea are clear favourites to emerge victorious from the match.
Chelsea win- 1.18 odds; Zenit win- 16.00 odds; Draw- 7.00 odds.
- Malmo vs Juventus: Italian giants Juventus have endured a wretched spell since the return of Massimiliano Allegri to the helm of affairs at the club, only managing a draw in three Serie A games. Tuesday’s clash against Swedish side Malmo presents a good opportunity for them to kickstart their season and start their Champions League campaign on a positive note.
Malmo win- 6.75 odds; Juventus win- 1.43 odds; Draw- 4.50 odds.
- Liverpool vs AC Milan: Two of the most in-form sides in all of Europe at the moment will lock horns at Anfield in the Group B opener. While AC Milan have won all three matches so far in the Italian Serie A, Liverpool have won three and drawn one of their four matches in the Premier League. Both sides have a bit of history together, and would be keen to rekindle the kind of competition that existed between them in the early to mid-2000s.
Liverpool win- 1.51 odds; Milan win- 5.75 odds; Draw- 4.30 odds.
- Inter Milan vs Real Madrid: Italian champions Inter Milan will open their Group D account against European football’s most successful side, Real Madrid, at the San Siro. Both sides have started the season well, and would certainly deliver a quality match up in Milano. Real captain Karim Benzema has been in insane form this season with 5 goals and 4 assists in only four matches, and would certainly be key in their match on Wednesday.
Inter win- 2.40 odds; Real Madrid win- 2.75 odds; Draw- 3.45 odds.