Champions League Second Leg Tips: Four bets inspired by last week's events | OneFootball

UEFA Champions League

Slot's team rode their luck but next up is Anfield

Ste Tudor revisits last week's Champions League first leg ties to find value in what's to come...

Smash and grab

Liverpool's 1-0 triumph in Paris last week was described by their ex-defender Steve Nichol as 'daylight robbery' while the BBC went with 'one of the biggest smash and grabs in Champions League history'.

Across 90 testing minutes, the Reds faced 27 shots, 14 corners, and were fortunate to see a goal disallowed for a stray, offside heel.

Putting in an exceptional performance, Alisson in nets pulled off a staggering nine saves.

Naturally, the win puts Liverpool in the driving seat, and naturally they should be fancied to finish off the job at Anfield. Arne Slot's title-chasers have averaged 2.5 goals per 90 at home all season, losing just once on Merseyside in 20.

Yet what is undeniable from the first leg is that PSG's exciting front three know their way through a usually solid rearguard. Taking on a shot every three minutes in the first half alone is testament to that.

Surely they can't be so profligate again.

Benfica backed at 1/1 to atone in Spain

The Eagles will know exactly how PSG are feeling this week. They too accumulated a large number of chances at home to a European giant, doing everything right but scoring.

PSG carved out 27 shots. Benfica fired 26. The French champions tested the opposition keeper nine times. At the Estadio da Luz, Wojciech Szczesny was needed on eight occasions.

The only difference between the fixtures was that here, Barcelona nearly gave as good as they got, creating numerous chances themselves in one of the most entertaining 1-0 results for some time.

The Catalan giants should of course be strongly fancied to build on their advantage at Camp Nou, being in possession of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who have each scored nine in this competition to date.

But let's not forget that ridiculous 4-5 basketball game between these sides in the League Phase, and let's not overlook the ease in which Benfica conjured up moments last Wednesday.

Any win to nil feels immensely unlikely at this point.

Another drubbing

Without wishing to diminish Arsenal's achievement in Eindhoven, recording a record score away from home, it has to be said that Peter Bosz got his tactics so, so wrong.

Consequently, PSV almost invited the Gunners onto them, affording them space into the bargain to enact their ruthless punishment. It has to be said too that Bosz is like most coaches, even at the elite level of the game, in being stubborn.

Mikel Arteta's side won't score seven again. They don't need to. Their point is proven and their job is done.

But if their passing is just as crisp, and their movement sharp, there is every reason to believe that another drubbing is imminent at the Emirates.

Bayer in need of miracle

Bayern comfortably took control of this tie, thrashing their domestic rivals 3-0 at the Allianz Arena last Wednesday and no matter how you look at it, Xabi Alonso's side appear doomed to exit at the last 16 stage.

Only once has a three-goal deficit been overturned at this stage of the competition, Barcelona famously doing so against PSG in 2017.Furthermore, the last time Die Roten ceded a three-goal advantage was way back in the 1890s, when they were primarily a gymnastics club. Probably.

The game itself was surprisingly one-sided, given their recent enthralling tussles. The hosts enjoyed two-thirds of the possession and accrued 17 shots to Bayer's three. The visitors situation wasn't exactly helped by Nordi Mukiele seeing red an hour in.

It was the sixth red card in the last 23 meetings between these sides and that is certainly a consideration when the card market opens up ahead of the second leg.

In the meantime, context is key here. Die Schwarzroten may need a miracle at the BayArena but they'll give it a right good go regardless. Moreover, they will be hellbent on not losing both ties.

Three of their last six encounters have finished honours even.

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