Football Accumulator Tips

Europe’s most successful side have been handed arguably the softest group in the entire competition, and they are justified 1/6 favourites to beat Al-Hilal, Red Bull Salzburg, and Pachuca to the top spot.

Los Blancos will be out for redemption after failing to win La Liga, the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey in 2024/25, and their star-studded lineup, including European Golden Shoe winner Kylian Mbappe, should breeze past their opponents.

Manchester City are 2/5 favourites to win Group G, but that seems far too short for a side that regularly missed the mark en route to only their second trophyless season since Pep Guardiola joined the club.

They have lost Kevin De Bruyne, and it is unknown how seriously Guardiola will take this competition after his numerous complaints about fixture congestion.

Juventus had a poor season as they finished 12 points behind Serie A winners Napoli, but 11 points from their last five games secured them a top-four berth, and they are unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Citizens, including a 2-0 win over them in December.

Like Inter Milan, it’s tempting to back against Borussia Dortmund following their disappointing fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga this season, but they did end the campaign with six straight victories, and the competition just isn’t there in Group F.

Fluminense are 2/1 to top the group, but even the winning experience of 40-year-0ld centre-back Thiago Silva is unlikely to drag what is a relatively underwhelming squad to the top, and neither 12/1 Ulsan Hyundai or 25/1 Mamelodi Sundowns are likely to challenge the Germans.

It’s tempting to say that Inter Milan’s failure to retain the Serie A title and their demolition in the Champions League final should leave them vulnerable to an upset in the United States, but they have been handed a favourable draw, and it is hard to see any of their competitors troubling them.

River Plate are second-favourites, but their squad just isn’t there right now, with 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono the only real star in the Argentine camp, while Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey are huge outsiders.

Similarly to PSG, Chelsea will be buoyed by their UEFA Conference League victory and their top-five finish in the Premier League, and there will be plenty of fringe players hoping to make a good impression on Enzo Maresca this summer.

9/4 Flamengo may be a threat, especially after former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho joined the club, but I still don’t see the 2022 Copa Libertadores winners beating the Blues.

Bayern Munich successfully reclaimed the Bundesliga title last season, and while they didn’t manage to make it to a home Champions League final, they are still a far superior side than Benfica, Boca Juniors, and Auckland City.

The Portuguese side lost both the Primeira Liga and the Taca de Portugal titles to Sporting, and they have never beaten the Bavarian side, losing their last five encounters.

Atletico Madrid finished the season with just six wins from their final 15 matches, and they look unlikely to come up trumps against a jubilant PSG side in Group B.

Les Parisiens have looked unstoppable over the past six months and possess one of the most exciting young squads on the planet, and they will be looking to build on a historic treble-winning season in their maiden Club World Cup appearance, while it’s hard to see outsiders Botafogo or Seattle Sounders putting up much of a fight.

Porto are the favourites to take top spot in Group A, but Palmeiras look to have the biggest chance of upsetting the odds in the group stage.

The Brazilian side have won two of the last three Serie A and two of the last four Copa Libertadores titles. They have two future stars in the making in 18-year-old winger Estevao and 20-year-old former Barcelona striker Vitor Roque, while former Lazio and West Ham man Felipe Anderson offers experience to the squad.

Porto finished the season 11 points adrift of Primeira Liga winners Sporting, and inexperienced manager Martin Anselmi still has plenty of questions to answer.

Spain were 3-2 winners over hosts Slovakia in their opening game, so expect them to brush aside a Romanian team who struggled to finish their chances against Italy in a 1-0 defeat.

Each of Poland’s last five matches have seen both teams score, including their 2-1 loss to Georgia in their opening match. Portugal are in need of a win, but they’ve conceded in six of their previous seven matches.

Slovakia lost 3-2 against Spain in their opening game, while Italy conceded a host of chances in their 1-0 win over Romania and three of their previous four have seen BTTS land.

France need a victory following a 0-0 draw with Portugal in their opening game. Back them to hold firm against a Georgian side that were fortunate to win 2-1 against Poland, recording just three shots on target in that win.