What Are The Best Bets To Back In The Champions League This Week?

We are now at Matchday 5 in the Champions League this week and that means that we are getting close to discovering who the 16 teams are that will progress through into the Knockout Phase of the competition which begins next year in February.

We already know that Liverpool will be in that group as winners of Group B, while Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus have also already confirmed their spot in the knockout phase by amassing enough points to finish either first or second in their group.

However, Matchday 5 is often the week which sees many teams confirm their place in the next phase, or confirm themselves as eliminated or even as a definite third place team earning a place in the new-look Europa League next year.

We are going to look at all eight groups and give you our top tips for what to back in the games in these groups this week.

As always, we’d recommend bet365 Sport as a perfect choice to bet on the Champions League every week if you are based in the UK or Europe. American readers can find solid football betting throughout the year at BetRivers Sportsbook.

Let’s now take a look at the games this week in each of the eight groups in the Champions League and what we feel are the best bets to back in them.

Champions Leagues Groups & Matchday 5 Fixtures

Group A

1. Manchester City – 9 (+8)
2. Paris St Germain – 8 (+3)
3. Club Brugge – 4 (-6)
4. Red Bull Leipzig – 1 (-5)

Group A Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Club Brugge v Red Bull Leipzig
• Manchester City v Paris St Germain

Group A Best Bets

• Club Brugge v Red Bull Leipzig – Draw – 27/10
• Man City to beat Paris St Germain – 3/5
• Man City to win and both teams to score – 15/8
• Anytime Goalscorer – Raheem Sterling (Man City) – 8/5

Both Man City and PSG will qualify from this group, with Man City able to clinch top spot with a win here. I can see City achieving that, hence the tips above.

The Leipzig v Brugge game is interesting and I am backing the German side to earn a point from this trip to Belgium to face a team that have done better than expected in the group this season.

Group B

1. Liverpool – 12 (+8)
2. FC Porto – 5 (-3)
3. Atletico Madrid – 4 (-2)
4. AC Milan – 1 (-3)

Group B Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Atletico Madrid v AC Milan
• Liverpool v FC Porto

Group B Best Bets

• Atletico Madrid to beat AC Milan – 8/13
• Liverpool to beat FC Porto – 17/20
• Mohamed Salah to score at any time – 10/11

With Liverpool likely to play a rotated team for the game with Porto, the Portuguese side know a win here would be a huge result, but even with a below full-strength Liverpool team, I can’t see them getting anything from this game.

The Atletico Madrid v Milan game is interesting but I am backing the Spanish Champions to pick up the win that will put them in control of their own destiny in the group if Porto lose or draw at Anfield.

Group C

1. Ajax Amsterdam – 12 (+12)
2. Sporting Lisbon – 6 (+2)
3. Borussia Dortmund – 6 (-4)
4. Besiktas – 0 (-10)

Group C Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Besiktas v Ajax (5.45pm)
• Sporting Lisbon v Borussia Dortmund

Group C Best Bets

• Ajax to beat Besiktas – 4/11
• Lisbon to beat Dortmund – 8/5
• Steven Berghuis to score anytime – 6/4

I can’t see any way that Besiktas can get one over Ajax unless the Dutch side rest key men and with the top spot in the group not yet 100% assured, I think that they will play a strong team and get the win here.

The Lisbon v Dortmund game is a crucial one as it will likely decide who finishes second in the group behind Ajax and for me, Lisbon have been the better team of late even though Dortmund have some quality players and I’d back the Portuguese team to win here.

Group D

1. Real Madrid – 9 (+6)
2. Inter Milan – 7 (+3)
3. Sheriff Tiraspol – 6 (-1)
4. Shakhtar Donetsk – 1 (-8)

Group D Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Inter Milan v Shakhtar Donetsk (5.45pm)
• Sheriff Tiraspol v Real Madrid

Group D Best Bets

• Inter Milan v Shakhtar Donetsk – Under 2.5 Goals – 6/4
• Sheriff Tiraspol v Real Madrid – Real Madrid to win and both teams to score – 6/4

This has been a bit of an odd group in the competition so far and while I do feel the big two, Inter and Real Madrid will win their games this week, and with it clinch a place in the knockout phase, you never quite know what to make of Sheriff Tiraspol or Shakhtar Donetsk for that matter.

I can’t see too many goals being scored in either game to be honest, but while I think Inter will land a 1-0 or 2-0 victory, I think Real may just edge out Sheriff by a 2-1 or 3-1 scoreline, but I think both teams will find the net in that game.

Group E

1. Bayern Munich – 12 (+15)
2. Barcelona – 6 (-4)
3. Benfica – 4 (-4)
4. Dynamo Kyiv – 1 (-7)

Group E Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Dynamo Kyiv v Bayern Munich (5.45pm)
• Benfica v Barcelona

Group E Best Bets

• Bayern Munich to win and both teams to score – 13/8
• Barcelona to win and both teams to score – 11/5
• Memphis Depay to score anytime – Evens

Even though Bayern Munich have a few players ruled out of this game due to Covid-19 issues, I still expect them to be far too strong for Kyiv and I would expect them to land a 2-1 or 3-1 victory to confirm them as group winners.

The Barcelona v Benfica game is the one to watch here with a win for the home side putting them into the knockout phase. I do feel Barcelona will just about achieve that, but it will likely be a very close game and I think Depay will be the difference maker here for the home team.

Group F

1. Villarreal – 7 (+4)
2. Manchester United – 7 (+1)
3. Atalanta – 5 (0)
4. Young Boys – 3 (-5)

Group F Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Villarreal v Manchester United (5.45pm)
• Young Boys v Atalanta

Group F Best Bets

• Villarreal v Manchester United – Draw – 12/5
• Villareal & Man Utd to Draw at Both Teams To Score – 10/3
• Atalanta to win v Young Boys – 3/4
• Josip Ilicic To Score Anytime – 13/10

It’s an important night for Manchester United and they need something from this trip to Spain to give them the best chance of qualifying. I think they’ll get it in the shape of a draw, especially with Villarreal being something of a draw specialist this season.

However, I don’t think anything will be settled in this group until Matchday 6 as I see Atalanta also winning their game and that could set up a very interesting last two games in the group with three teams in with a chance of qualifying.

Group G

1. Red Bull Salzburg – 7 (+2)
2. Lille – 5 (0)
3. Wolfsburg – 5 (-1)
4. Sevilla – 3 (-1)

Group G Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Lille v Red Bull Salzburg
• Sevilla v Wolfsburg

Group G Best Bets

• Lille v Red Bull Salzburg – Draw – 23/10
• Sevilla v Wolfsburg – Home Win – 7/10

This has been one of the trickiest of the groups to predict over the four weeks of action so far and it does appear as if all the teams in this group are well-matched. That means that while Salzburg could qualify with a win here, there’s still plenty up for grabs.

I don’t feel they will though as I am backing Lille to take a point in this game and I think Sevilla will do enough to earn a win over Wolfsburg which if the two results prove to be correct will mean anyone of the four teams can qualify for the knockout phase from the final round of games.

Group H

1. Juventus – 12 (+7)
2. Chelsea – 9 (+5)
3. Zenit St Peterburg – 3 (0)
4. Malmo FF – 0 (-12)

Group H Matchday 5 Fixtures

• Chelsea v Juventus
• Malmo FF v Zenit St Petersburg

Group H Best Bets

• Chelsea to beat Juventus – 4/7
• Chelsea to beat Juventus 2-0 – 6/1
• Zenit St Peterburg to beat Malmo – 17/20

While Juventus have already qualified, Chelsea just need a point to join them in the next round, but a win for the Londoners here would give them a real chance of avoiding the big teams by finishing top of the group when it comes to the knockout phase.

I can see Chelsea landing that win they need here and also I think Zenit will beat Malmo, but it won’t be enough for anything other than the Russian side to finish in third place in the group.

*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of the time of writing but may have changed since.