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Best bets: Champions League tips for 28 January 2026

By Sporting Life
Football
Wed January 28, 2026 · 2M ago

Football betting tips: Champions League

Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty

2pts Gabriel Martinelli to score anytime at 6/5 (bet365)

0.5pt Martinelli to score a header at 12/1 (William Hill)

Athletic Club vs Sporting

2.5pts Over 2.5 goals at 4/5 (bet365)

1pt A red card in the match at 4/1 (Sky Bet, Betfair, Paddy Power)

0.5pt Both teams to get a red card at 45/1 (Betfair, Paddy Power)

Frankfurt vs Tottenham

1pt A red card in the match at 15/2 (Sky Bet)

Liverpool vs Qarabag

2.5pts Both teams to score at 6/5 (General)

Dortmund vs PSG

1pt Emre Can to be carded at 10/3 (bet365)

1pt Henrikh Mkhitaryan to be carded at 5/1 (Sky Bet)

0.5pt Can and Mkhitaryan card double at 18/1 (bet365)

Anytime Goalscorer Trixie

1pt (Total Stake) Lautaro Martinez, Luis Suarez & Ousmane Dembele anytime Trixie at 13/1 (Sky Bet)

*All matches kick-off Wednesday 8pm

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty

Jake Osgathorpe

Arsenal's job is done. They are already guaranteed a top two finish in the League Phase of the Champions League, and will secure top spot should they avoid defeat against bottom side and whipping boys Kairat Almaty.

The Gunners are 1/16 to win and 3/4 to score four or more goals, so the bookies think this will be a shellacking at the Emirates. If that's the case, then the price about GABRIEL MARTINELLI SCORING ANYTIME at 6/5 is simply massive.

The Brazilian winger was an unused substitute in the weekend defeat to Manchester United, but should get recalled here as Mikel Arteta rings the changes. Across his last 10 starts in all competitions, Martinelli has averaged 3.30 shots, 0.79 goals and 0.57 xG per 90, stats which make 6/5 value against an average opponent, never mind one as poor as Kairat.

We'll also swing at MARTINELLI TO SCORE A HEADER at 12/1, with it noticeable in recent starts against Portsmouth (where he scored two headers from corners) and Nottingham Forest just how big of a threat he is becoming with his head.

Seven of his 25 shots across the above sample have been with his noggin, and with this likely one-way traffic, the Gunners will have plenty of chances to put the ball into the box from open-play or set-pieces, which is where the majority of Martinelli's headed shots have come from.

Odds correct at 16:00 GMT (27/01/26)

Athletic Club vs Sporting

Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

After beating PSG in their last Champions League game, Sporting are 10th on 13 points.

It means they are guaranteed a spot in the play-offs but they must fancy their chances of a top eight finish.

Hosts Athletic Club are all the way down in 23rd and are clinging onto a play-off spot by the skin of their teeth. They are one of five clubs on eight points and they have a -4 goal-difference.

Like Sporting, they need a result but the pressure is definitely on the Spaniards.

This game should be a doozy and it is a dynamic which suits goals.

Sporting’s games have averaged 3.28 goals with six of their seven going OVER 2.5 GOALS.

Opponents Athletic Club edged a five goal thriller in their last outing, and at 4/5, backing over 2.5 goals appeals here.

It is also worth noting referee Felix Zwayer’s red card habit.

He has dished out three reds in four Champions League appearances this season, seven in his last 11 and 29% of his 42 Champions League career appearances.

Given what is at stake in this clash I think both A RED CARD IN THE MATCH and BOTH TEAMS TO GET A RED CARD are worth touts.

Odds correct at 17:00 GMT (26/01/26)

Frankfurt vs Tottenham

Jake Osgathorpe

Tottenham know a win in Germany will secure a top eight finish, which would be some achievement from the club languishing down in 14th in the Premier League. They have had a kind schedule in the Champions League, but it doesn't look like getting any tougher on Wednesday as they visit an out-of-sorts Frankfurt.

Die Alder are winless in six games across all competitions, and have won just one of their last 11, and haven't won in the Champions League since matchday one. So, this looks like an excellent opportunity for Spurs, but all reports out of Germany are suggesting that the hosts will be going all-out to win here in a bid to right the ship ahead of the final stretch in the Bundesliga.

We should therefore expect fight from both teams, and given the referee appointment, cards could follow. Jesus Gil Manzano is the man with the whistle and this season he's averaging 4.35 cards per game, but the thing that stands out is just how often he pulls out the red card, and at 15/2 I'm more than happy to chance A SENDING OFF IN THE MATCH here.

The price is likely a reflection of the fact that for Frankfurt this game is a dead-rubber, but I still think they'll be at it. Besides, Manzano has shown 11 reds in 21 games this season and three of Tottenham's last four Champions League games have featured a red card.

Odds correct at 16:00 GMT (27/01/26)

Liverpool vs Qarabag

Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

Liverpool’s spot in the knock out stage was confirmed with their win over Marseille in their penultimate league game.

Their place in the top eight isn’t secure though, and with games against Newcastle, Manchester City and Brighton in the FA Cup on the horizon, avoiding the play-offs will be a priority.

Opponents Qarabag shouldn’t be taken lightly either. They have made a real nuisance of themselves this campaign and head into the final game on 10 points with a two-point cushion and three-goal advantage over Napoli in 25th.

With both sides needing a result, BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE appeals at 6/5.

Qarabag’s games have averaged 4.0 goals, while they have scored in two of their three away games and netted at least twice in all of their home matches.

The Reds conceded three at Bournemouth at the weekend, kept a clean sheet against Marseille but were breached by Burnley and League One Barnsley in the FA Cup in the two games prior.

Odds correct at 17:00 GMT (26/01/26)

Dortmund vs Inter

Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

Istvan Kovacs has dished out 21 yellows and one red card in four Champions League appearances this season, which includes seven in his last appearance and an average of 4.73 a game in this competition.

Kovacs’ games have been known to descend into chaos as well, with 29% of his Champions League games seeing seven or more cards flashed. Plus he has gone into double figures for cards on two occasions.

With both Dortmund and Inter fighting for top eight finishes, this clash could be carnage.

So, player cards is the obvious route and I am going to take a gamble on EMRE CAN starting in the middle of a back three for the hosts.

Can hasn’t started a European game this season but with Niklas Sule and Daniel Svensson ruled out of this one, Niko Kovac could turn to the experienced Can.

He's picked up three cards in twice as many starts this season, has a career cards per 90 average of 0.30 which jumps up to 0.34 in continental competitions.

So, based on current form, career averages or his European card record, Can’s price of 10/3 TO BE CARDED is simply too big.

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN’s price in the same market also appeals.

Although the 37-year-old isn’t a staple in this Inter side anymore, he should return to the XI against his former club because Hakan Calhanoglu is injured.

Mkhitaryan has been booked in both his appearances in this competition this season and will have Dortmund’s most fouled player playing off the back of him. Karim Adeyemi has drawn 2.2 fouls a game in the Champions League this term.

Combining CAN and MKHITARYAN in a CARD DOUBLE also appeals at 18/1 with bet365.

Odds correct at 13:05 GMT (27/01/26)

Anytime Goalscorer Trixie

Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

The must-win nature of the final round of Champions League group games made for a lot of goals last season.

There were a total of 64 goals scored (3.55 a game) with 72% seeing at least three goals scored.

Considering this, I think it is worth wrapping some ANYTIME GOALSCORER picks into a TRIXIE.

The first stop is Germany where Inter head to Dortmund. Both sides need to win to stand any chance of finishing in the top eight.

The Italian side were in an identical situation last season when they played Monaco. LAUTARO MARTINEZ scored a hat-trick that evening and his price TO SCORE ANYTIME appeals here.

Martinez has a European goals per 90 average of 0.52 so quotes of 13/8 look generous especially considering Dortmund have only kept one clean sheet in Europe this season.

The next stop is Athletic Club’s clash with Sporting and again both sides will be gunning for three points.

LUIS SUAREZ (not that one) netted a brace in his side's last game against PSG doubling his tally in Europe for the campaign and taking him to 23 goals for the season. He is 7/4 to score in Spain.

Finally to Paris where PSG host Newcastle. Both sides are locked on 13 points, separated by goals scored.

Newcastle’s poor away form and the potential absence of both Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes is part of the reason why they are heavy outsiders.

At even money, backing the holder's talisman takes the Trixie to 13/1.

OUSMANE DEMBELE has netted six times in 661 minutes of action in the French top-flight and Europe this term and scored eight times in the Champions League last season.

Odds correct at 13:20 GMT (27/01/26)

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