Top Three Champions League Betting Picks for Serie A Clubs in Matchday 6 | OneFootball

It’s crunch time in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season, with only three rounds left in the newly formatted league phase. Atalanta and Inter are in pole position to secure automatic knockout qualification, but both face formidable tasks this week.

Meanwhile, struggling Milan could interfere in a ruthless top-eight battle with a home win against minnows Red Star Belgrade. Despite commencing their continental life under Paulo Fonseca with back-to-back defeats, they’ve since gone into overdrive, rekindling their hopes of locking down a last-16 berth.

Without further ado, let’s look at the three best midweek predictions.

Atalanta vs Real Madrid

Atalanta toppled Milan 2-1 at home last Friday to extend their remarkable unbeaten streak in all competitions to nine games. However, leading betting platforms, including all online bookmakers in the US, see Real Madrid as pre-match favorites ahead of today’s encounter at the Gewiss Stadium.

Despite Los Merengues‘ sterling reputation, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have been a shadow of a team that didn’t lose a match en route to a record-extending 15th Champions League title last season. Indeed, they’ve already lost three of their five games in the league phase, including two in a row ahead of this trip.

On the other hand, Atalanta finished Matchday 5 as one of only three sides in this season’s competition yet to taste defeat at Europe’s top table (W3, D2). Furthermore, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men haven’t conceded a goal in two European outings in Bergamo this term, sharing the spoils with Arsenal and Celtic in tepid 0-0 draws.

Therefore, we see La Dea as decent value to condemn Real Madrid to a third consecutive Champions League loss for the first time in the club’s history.

Prediction: Atalanta to Win

Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter

It’s one of the standout fixtures of Gameweek 6 as reigning Bundesliga and Serie A champions lock horns at the BayArena. Bayer Leverkusen already got the better of Milan on this ground this season, running out slender 1-0 victors in round two. That’s one of their three wins in the first five Champions League matches (D1, L1).

Xabi Alonso‘s side put RB Salzburg to the sword last time out, strolling to a 5-0 home win, which forms part of their five-game winning streak in all competitions. However, Die Werkself are up against one of the most in-form European sides, with Inter coming into proceedings amid an eye-catching 13-game unbeaten streak (W11, D2).

Inter remain the only side in the Champions League yet to concede a goal this season, winning their last four games ‘to nil’ following a scoreless draw at Manchester City on day one. Another clean sheet would see them enter the Champions League folklore, becoming the first team to register six consecutive shutouts at the start of a group/league phase campaign.

Every run must come to an end. Leverkusen’s free-flowing attack possesses the quality and pace to beat Simone Inzaghi’s backline.

Milan vs Crvena Zvezda

Nothing is going Milan’s way in Serie A this season. Following the abovementioned defeat at Atalanta, Fonseca’s hopes of leading the Rossoneri to a landmark 20th Scudetto in his first season in charge are dead in the water. But the Portuguese manager could atone for domestic mishaps on the continental stage.

After consecutive defeats to Liverpool and Leverkusen, Milan have won their last three Champions League fixtures against Slovan Bratislava, Club Brugge, and Real Madrid. They’ve impressively netted precisely three goals on each occasion. No strangers to packing a punch, Fonseca’s charges have bagged 3+ goals in their last two home outings.

In the meantime, Crvena Zvezda had lost their first four Champions League contests before pulling off a stunning 5-1 home win against Stuttgart in the previous round. However, the defending Serbian champions are out of their depth here, with Milan likely to cruise to another landslide victory and, in turn, tighten the noose on the top eight.