After the grand return of domestic football in Europe, the Champions League returns this week, and we are elated.
There’s much to look forward to with teams facing staggering fixtures with the World Cup just under two months before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
There are some exciting games to watch in Europe this week, with Inter Milan hosting Barcelona and Rangers traveling to Liverpool. At the same time, Chelsea has a tricky encounter with the in-form Rossoneri.
We look at five of this week’s Champions League matches with Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022.
Inter Milan 16/5 | Draw 29/10 | Barcelona 77/100 (20:00) – Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022
Barcelona travels to Italy after managing to top the table in LaLiga due to their incredible run this season.
Xavi’s side has been collecting points relentlessly in their league campaign, while Inter looks like they will concede the title race early in Serie A this season.
There’s been talk of Filippo Inzaghi being shown the door, tonight’s result could have a big say in his future with the Nerazzurri. His side has won half of their games this season and lost the other half. They have been without returning striker Romelu Lukaku but still have a lot of talent within their squad.
Meanwhile, Barca has been keen to quickly return to being counted amongst the best in Europe and has shown it winning six out of seven so far in LaLiga. Their striker, Robert Lewandowski, is in the form of his life and will be keen to face Inter’s defense, who have been leaking goals this season.
Inter has won once in nine previous UCL clashes between these two, while Barca has beaten them six times.
Tip – I don’t see how Inter will withstand Barca’s attacks for 90 minutes. I’m backing a win for the Catalans.
Liverpool 2/13 | 7/1 Draw | Glasgow Rangers 14/1 (20:00) – Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022
After contesting every cup available last season, Liverpool is going through a rough patch, managing to win only twice in seven games in the Premier League.
Fingers have been pointed towards Trent Alexander-Arnold for a while now for their failures in defense, while captain fantastic Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been spared the blame either.
Few have been paying attention to their relatively flat front line. Mo Salah has two goals and three assists so far this campaign, these would be great numbers for any other attacker in the Premier League, but Salah has set quite a high standard for himself. His failures in front of the goal are synonymous with the team’s struggle.
The Reds host Rangers, whom they will face for the first time in the UCL.
Rangers have been in great form in the Scottish Premiership this season, losing only once. They have lost twice already in the UCL and could look at this game as one where they could get a point to mount a challenge to return to the Europa League at least.
Tip – After a lousy game, Liverpool tends to react, and I’m expecting they will go full throttle on this one to remind spectators of what they can do. I’m backing a win for Liverpool.
Ajax 6/5 | Draw 11/4 | Napoli 19/10 (21:00) – Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022
No matter the result here, this promises to be a great game. These sides will be meeting for the first time in UCL.
Both are flying in their respective leagues, with Napoli winning six and drawing twice to top the Serie A table, while Ajax has lost just once this season.
The home side has gone through a bit of a blip, collecting just one point in the last two games. In the UCL, they are in position three in Group A after two rounds.
This game presents a chance to be equal on points, with the group topping Napoli. To do that, they will need to keep a close eye on in-form midfielder Zambo Anguissa who scored a brace in their last game against Torino. He was also part of the side that ran riot against Liverpool in Naples, where they achieved a historic victory over the Reds.
Tip – Tough one to call, so I will go with over 2.5 goals.
Chelsea 7/10 | Draw 14/5 | AC Milan 15/4 (20:00) – Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022
The home side need all three points to increase their chances of remaining in the Champions League this season.
After two games, in what was supposed to be a relatively easy group for Chelsea, they now don’t look sure to remain in the competition, especially if they fail to win this home match.
They have collected maximum points in their previous two fixtures in the league, even though they struggled against Crystal Palace and depended on Conor Gallagher’s fantastic strike to get all the points.
They could face similar issues tonight against an AC Milan side that has lost only once this season. Chelsea will be tasked with keeping star player Rafael Leao quiet in this game. The Portuguese player has four assists so far this season and can be a menace for opposition defenders.
Tip – These sides have historically met twice in the UCL and ended as draws. One will not be on the cards this time around. Double chance: Milan or Chelsea win.
Benfica 3/1 | Draw 3/1 | PSG 7/10 (21:00) – Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022
On paper, this should be an easy game for the star-studded PSG side; however, as they proved away against Juventus, Benfica is no pushover.
Benfica has been in great form in Portugal this season, notching up seven wins and a draw in eight games. They scored 19 goals and only conceded three times. This is a team high on confidence with their striker Goncalo Ramos in great form so far this campaign.
PSG is PSG. They’ve probably got the best front trio in Europe with Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe, and all three of them are on form so far.
After winning their two fixtures, PSG will need to show they are level above Benfica in this game, but with the game being played away, it will be challenging.
Tip – I’m backing a PSG win, but for those that will be on the fence, go with both teams to score.
Bet on football at www.hollywoodbets.co.uk and www.hollywoodbets.ie
Tipping Point 4-5 Oct 2022 by Mcebo Mpungose
