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Barcelona v Bayern Munich
This is a rematch of a famous encounter the other season in this same competition when Bayern Munich defeated Barcelona 8-2 in Spain. The defeat marked the beginning of the end of Leo Messi’s tenure in Catalonia and has left the club riddled in debt and performing below expectations. Bayern on the other hand went on to win the Champions League that year and continue to be among the best club football teams in the world. I doubt we see a repeat scoreline but Bayern has too much firepower for a rebuilding Barca squad that will have to deal with a blistering attack led by Robert Lewandowski.
The Bet: Bayern Munich Moneyline
Prediction: Barcelona 1-3 Bayern Munich
Chelsea v Zenit St Petersburg
The reigning Champions League winners will kick off their campaign with a home fixture against a massive underdog. Chelsea has been great in league play to start the season and are fresh off a 3-0 win against Aston Villa. The Blues are starting most of their top-11 in this game and should cruise to victory. Zenit St Petersburg boasts little in terms of quality compared to their opponents today and will struggle to create chances. Thomas Tuchel has his squad well drilled into their formation and as dangerous as they are in attack, they are equally strong in defense.
The Bet: Chelsea to Keep a Clean Sheet
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 St Petersburg
Dynamo Kiev v Benfica
Kiev have started their league campaign in strong fashion and will look to continue that form in today's match. They have some strong options in attack including a dynamic winger in Viktor Tsygankov. Benfica are perennial participants in this competition as they are a massive club in Portugal. They boast a strong veteran presence across the pitch and will look to use that experience in this opening day match. I think Kiev uses the home field advantage to their benefit and avoid defeat in a low scoring affair.
The Bet: Draw
Prediction: Kiev 1-1 Benfica
Lille v Wolfsburg
Lille are the reigning Ligue 1 champions after dethroning PSG last year but they haven’t looked anything like champions early in the season. They have dropped points far too many times already and it's just September. Part of the problem was that bigger clubs in Europe have raided their inventory this summer but you must always be reinventing in club football if you want to stay at the top. Wolfsburg are among the most underrated squads in all of Europe in my opinion. They have a clinical striker in Wout Weghorst, a dynamic winger in Baku, and a strong playmaking midfielder in Maximilian Arnold. This team could surprise a lot of people this year and I think they start off strong here on the road in matchday one.
The Bet: Wolfsburg to Win (Draw No Bet)
Prediction: Lille 1-2 Wolfsburg
Malmo v Juventus
Malmo played great during the qualification stage to get through to the group stage and they will want to prove it was no fluke. The Swedish club will likely try to bog down the middle of the pitch with a defensive 5-3-2 formation and force Juventus to beat multiple players to score. Juventus have struggled mightily this season in Italy having lost each of their last two games. The Old Lady is among the most famous clubs in the world but the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo has clearly hurt them. This is a get-right game for Juve but I think they struggle to break down Malmo more than expected and barely manage a win to start the campaign.
The Bet: Under 2.5 Total Goals
Prediction: Malmo 0-2 Juventus
Villarreal v Atalanta
Villarreal are in this competition courtesy of their Europa League title last season in which they defeated Manchester United in a thrilling penalty shootout. The Spanish side are well coached by Unai Emery and know how to play in these midweek European competitions. Atalanta are among the hipster clubs in Europe as they have embraced advanced stats and analytics to build their team in an attacking manner. It will be interesting to watch Villarreal’s well structured 4-4-2 go up against Atalanta's fluid 3-4-2-1. I think Atalanta has more quality but it is always tough to perform on the road in this sport. I think we could see a share of the spoils.
The Bet: Both Teams to Score
Alternate Bet: Draw
Prediction: Villarreal 1-1 Atalanta
