Champions League Tips

Celtic claimed a 4-0 win over Dundee United in Martin O’Neill’s second first game back in charge at the weekend and they can follow that up by beating Falkirk on Wednesday. The hosts can get on the scoresheet in defeat as they are in decent form with three wins in their last four games, and Celtic have conceded in eight of their last nine.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Chelsea and have seven wins in their last nine games. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven, though, so may concede against a Blues side that have scored in their last three meetings with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Koln are on a seven-game winless run and now looks a bad time for the Billy Goats to come up against Bayern. The Bavarians have scored 12 goals and conceded just one across their last two games and have scored multiple goals in each of their last seven games (W6, D1). Bayern won 4-1 at this venue in the DfB Pokal earlier in the season and look capable of covering a -2 handicap on Wednesday.

Inter Milan have scored at least twice in their last seven league games, notching nine goals across meetings with Como, Bologna, and Napoli in their last three at home. They meet a Lecce side who are bottom of the xG table, and the visitors are set to be outclassed in this trip.

Neither side has impressed lately, but I’m siding with the Nets due to their record in head-to-head meetings. They’ve won 11 of 14 games vs New Orleans and also covered in 11 of the last 15. The first meeting went Brooklyn’s way 119-101 about a month ago, look for them to complete the season sweep here.

FEBRUARY –  The Texans’ suffocating defence has been the key to their eight-game winning run and with the AFC looking the less competitive conference this season after the demise of the Kansas City Chiefs, they have the talent to go a long way. Quarterback CJ Stroud is fully fit again and can look for an elite wide receiver in Nico Collins while former first-round picks Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. are just two of their many defensive stars.

JULY – Elena Rybakina looks a bet in her bid to repeat her 2022 triumph at the All England Club. The Kazakhstani has had a tough couple of years, due in the main to off-court issues, but she finished last year on a high with victory at the WTA Finals. She’s a superb grass-court player who is as good as Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek when she’s on her game.

JULY – Alex Noren enjoyed a resurgence in his career in 2025, winning twice on the DP World Tour, and 2026 could finally be the year he ends his long wait for a maiden Major. The Swede has an affinity for links golf, evidenced by his victory at the 2016 Scottish Open and his two top-10 Open finishes, he could go all the way and land the Claret Jug in 2026.

DECEMBER – Mercedes may have botched the ground-effect era, but the Silver Arrows have a strong record of responding well to rule changes, and the sweeping regulation shift coming in 2026 should bring the title back into play. Their power unit has already come under, and been cleared, of scrutiny, suggesting it is likely to be among the strongest engines on the grid, and they have the driver lineup to win the consistent points necessary to land the constructor crown.

Senegal have made it to two of the last three Africa Cup of Nations finals, and they have won four of their five games this tournament, scoring 11 times and conceding just twice. Egypt were fortunate to beat Ivory Coast last time out, which followed draws against Benin and Angola.

Morocco are unbeaten in their last 22 games and have won 18 of those. They beat Cameroon last time out and won 4-0 the last time these sides met. Nigeria have looked solid, but the Atlas Lions should be too strong for them.

Celtic’s Yang Hyun-jun is in form with three goals in his last four games and he can add to his account at Falkirk.

Bukayo Saka is going through a bit of a dry spell but he can end a nine-game run without a goal at Stamford Bridge. Saka has two assists in his last four appearances and looked sharp without scoring in the draw with Liverpool in the last round of fixtures, recording two shots. The Arsenal forward should come into this game fresh after remaining on the bench against Portsmouth at the weekend, and is a contender to get on the scoresheet.

Michael Olise scored twice in the rout of VfL to take his tally to nine goals for the season in the Bundesliga. Three of those goals have come in his last two games and the Frenchman can continue his purple patch with a strike at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Brahim Diaz is the top goalscorer in the Africa Cup of Nations with five strikes. The Real Madrid forward has scored in all five appearances this tournament and can continue his fine form in the semi-finals.

Claudio Braga was on target for Hearts at Dundee and he looks a good anytime scorer option here. Braga scored at St Mirren earlier in the season and has three goals in his last six games.

Inter Milan have scored at least twice in their last seven league games, notching nine goals across meetings with Como, Bologna, and Napoli in their last three at home. They meet a Lecce side who are bottom of the xG table, and the visitors are set to be outclassed in this trip.

Bayern Munich put eight past Wolfsburg last time out to take their tally to an incredible 63 goals in 16 Bundesliga fixtures. They have scored four or more in three of their last four league games and each of their last two away games, while Cologne have conceded four goals in home meetings with Frankfurt and Bayern Munich in their last five home matches.

Celtic claimed a 4-0 win over Dundee United in Martin O’Neill’s second first game back in charge at the weekend and they can follow that up by beating Falkirk on Wednesday. The hosts can get on the scoresheet in defeat as they are in decent form with three wins in their last four games, and Celtic have conceded in eight of their last nine.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Chelsea and have seven wins in their last nine games. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven, though, so may concede against a Blues side that have scored in their last three meetings with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Bayern won 4-1 at this venue earlier in the season in a cup game and the form of both teams suggests the visitors can go one better in this league game. A Koln consolation looks likely as they have only failed to score in two of their last nine games, despite winning just one of those fixtures, and Bayern have conceded in nine of their last 11 games.

Senegal have made it to two of the last three Africa Cup of Nations finals, and they have won four of their five games this tournament, scoring 11 times and conceding just twice. Egypt were fortunate to beat Ivory Coast last time out, which followed draws against Benin and Angola.

Morocco are unbeaten in their last 22 games and have won 18 of those. They beat Cameroon last time out and won 4-0 the last time these sides met. Nigeria have looked solid, but the Atlas Lions should be too strong for them.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Chelsea and they haven’t lost at Stamford Bridge since 2018. The Gunners are the team in form with seven wins and no defeats across their last nine games, while Chelsea have just one win in six and may need time to adjust after a change in manager. The visitors look well placed to seize a first leg lead.

Leipzig are third, five places and six points above eighth-placed Freiburg, with nine wins and four defeats compared to six wins and five losses for the visitors. The hosts have won six of their last seven home Bundesliga games, scored 19 goals in seven matches, and conceded just six, averaging 0.86 per game.

Hearts have won five of their last six games and have kept back-to-back clean sheets. The Jambos can win without conceding against St Mirren, who have lost their last three games and have scored just one goal across their last four games.

Michael Olise scored twice in the rout of VfL to take his tally to nine goals for the season in the Bundesliga. Three of those goals have come in his last two games and the Frenchman can continue his purple patch with a strike at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Inter Milan have scored at least twice in their last seven league games, notching nine goals across meetings with Como, Bologna, and Napoli in their last three at home. They meet a Lecce side who are bottom of the xG table, and the visitors are set to be outclassed in this trip.

Claudio Braga was on target for Hearts at Dundee and he looks a good anytime scorer option here. Braga scored at St Mirren earlier in the season and has three goals in his last six games.

Michael Olise scored twice in the rout of VfL to take his tally to nine goals for the season in the Bundesliga. Three of those goals have come in his last two games and the Frenchman can continue his purple patch with a strike at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Brahim Diaz is the top goalscorer in the Africa Cup of Nations with five strikes. The Real Madrid forward has scored in all five appearances this tournament and can continue his fine form in the semi-finals.

Celtic claimed a 4-0 win over Dundee United in Martin O’Neill’s second first game back in charge at the weekend and they can follow that up by beating Falkirk on Wednesday. The hosts can get on the scoresheet in defeat as they are in decent form with three wins in their last four games, and Celtic have conceded in eight of their last nine.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Chelsea and have seven wins in their last nine games. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven, though, so may concede against a Blues side that have scored in their last three meetings with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

A 2-0 win for Hearts is the pick as they have scored exactly twice in four of their last six games, while the Saints have conceded at least twice in seven of their last eight away assignments across all competitions.

Lecce have scored only 13 times in 19 league games, while they’ve created just 4.75 xG across their eight away trips. Inter Milan have recorded five wins to nil over bottom-half sides, while recording big victories over Fiorentina, Cremonese, and Torino at home.

Inter Milan have scored at least twice in their last seven league games, notching nine goals across meetings with Como, Bologna, and Napoli in their last three at home. They meet a Lecce side who are bottom of the xG table, and the visitors are set to be outclassed in this trip.

Tijuana held a strong Club America side to a 0-0 draw in their season opener and can follow that up by beating Queretaro. Tijuana have won each of the last three head-to-head meetings and finished five places above their hosts in the standings last season.

Over 2.5 goals could be the best angle here, Club America’s games averages exactly three goals per-game last season and Atletico San Luis’ averaged 3.2. The visitors are clear underdogs but they scored a respectable 25 goals in 17 games last season so may be able to add to the total.

Both teams have scored in four of Tigres’ last five competitive games and they have scored in six consecutive fixtures. U.N.A.M have seen goals at both ends in each of their last five games and they have gone 12 games without a clean sheet.

Tijuana held a strong Club America side to a 0-0 draw in their season opener and can follow that up by beating Queretaro. Tijuana have won each of the last three head-to-head meetings and finished five places above their hosts in the standings last season.

Liverpool look like the best value pick, with the Reds putting their struggles behind them with an eight-game unbeaten run. The Reds have the fourth-best Expected Goals record across the first six Champions League gameweeks, while they’ve recorded back-to-back 1-0 wins over Real Madrid and Inter Milan in Europe. Arne Slot’s side have a kind double-header in January, leaving them primed for a top-eight finish. With the Premier League coasting towards a fifth Champions League berth, the Reds should be in a good position to focus on European success in the spring.

Spain have some incredibly talented individuals, Lamine Yamal being the prime example, but are strong in all areas and don’t have any particular weaknesses. They won Euro 2024 with relative ease and they should be too good for their continental rivals at the World Cup. They also look a level above South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil, suggesting they will be the team to beat at the World Cup this summer.