Football betting tips: Champions League
0.5pt Sergino Dest to commit 2+ fouls at 3/1 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
Arsenal’s last Champions League game was in 2017. The Gunners were dumped out of the round of 16 by Bayern Munich, losing by an aggregate scoreline of 10-2.
Arsene Wenger was the manager then and UCL qualification was taken for granted, the French supremo had guided the Gunners to 19 consecutive campaigns. It has been six seasons since that anthem rang out across the Emirates.
The North Londoners face PSV, the only club to beat them in the Europa League last campaign.
The Dutch also hold the longest, current winless run in this competition though and could be without mercurial winger Noa Lang. That's a couple of reasons why they are priced at 7/1 on Wednesday evening.
What are the best bets?
On this day in 2019, Bukayo Saka scored his first goal for Arsenal in just his second start for the club at only 18 years old.
— Arsenal Inside (@arsenalinside_) September 19, 2023
His journey since that game has been truly impressive. The rest is history ❤️✨ @BukayoSaka87 pic.twitter.com/YLbrH3MGE5
Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s most fouled player (2.2), he also tops their charts for dribbles (2.0) and key passes per game (3.0).
The winger has drawn fouls in each of his four appearances this season, picking up eight across his two fixtures against Everton and Crystal Palace.
In the Europa League, Saka has drawn 40 fouls across his career, that is 2.04 per 90.
SERGINO DEST should be the player trying to contain Saka. The full back is 3/1 to COMMIT 2+ FOULS, the same bet is 11/10 elsewhere.
BuildABet @ 28/1
- Bukayo Saka to score anytime
- Sergino Dest to commit 2+ fouls
- Sergino Dest to be shown a card
Saka is Arsenal’s chief creator.
He has already had a direct hand in four Gunners goals this Premier League campaign, which is made even more impressive as Arsenal have only scored nine goals.
Last top flight season he scored 14 goals and assisted a further 11, with him on penalty duty too his price to score anytime appeals here.
Score prediction: Arsenal 2-1 PSV (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Team news
Gabriel Martinelli was forced off during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Everton at the weekend after tweaking his hamstring. The Brazilian winger is a doubt on Wednesday evening and is unlikely to be risked, Leandro Trossard should start on the left wing after his match-winning contribution at Goodison.
Arteta is without Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber and Mohamed Elneny. Aaron Ramsdale should continue in between the sticks but faces competition from David Raya who replaced him at the weekend. At the other end of the pitch, Gabriel Jesus could spearhead the hosts attack after Eddie Nketiah struggled to make an impact on Sunday.
Noa Lang was forced off at the weekend during the second half of PSV’s 4-0 victory over NEC on Saturday. Should the winger fail a late fitness test, Hirving Lozano will replace him on the left hand side.
Predicted line-ups
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Vieira; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
PSV: Benitez; Teze, Ramalho, Bella-Kotchap, Dest; Schouten, Veerman; Bakayoko, Saibari, Lozano; De Jong
Match facts
- PSV were the only side to beat Arsenal in the Europa League group stage last season, this will be the first time these clubs have faced each other in the Champions League since the 2006/07 season where Arsenal were knocked out in the round of 16.
- This will be Arsenal's 20th season participating in the Champions League. The previous 19 all came consecutively between 1998/99 and 2016/17.
- Arsenal have made it to the knockout stage in all of their last 17 UCL appearances.
- The Gunners have not lost any of their last eight UCL game stage games, winning all bar two of those games.
- PSV's last UCL win came in December 2015 against CSKA Moscow, they have not won any of the 14 games since.
Odds correct at 1530 BST (19/09/23)
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