Liverpool needed a late leveller to claim a share of the spoils at Newcastle but on the balance of play they could have won that game. The Reds should be able to see off a Forest side who have opened the new season with a pair of defeats in Andoni Iraola’s first home game but they may concede in the process. Liverpool have gone eight competitive games without a clean sheet, and Forest showed some quality in attack despite drawing a blank against Leeds last weekend.

Port Vale and Crewe both have enough defensive concerns to make goals at both ends the standout bet. Vale have gone six straight league matches without a clean sheet, while Crewe have failed to shut out their local rivals in eight of the last nine League Two meetings. Both teams also scored in 13 of Crewe’s 23 away games last season. Vale have won four of their last five League Two meetings with Crewe and the visitors lost three of their final four away games last season.

Borussia Dortmund only lost three times at home last season and they should hit the ground running this week. They are unbeaten against Hamburg since 2015, but they have struggled to keep clean sheets, so there’s every chance the visitors get on the scoresheet.

Sheffield United look a regressive team and the Blades have failed to beat Birmingham and Swansea in their opening two Championship fixtures. A lack of cutting edge is a real concern and Cardiff are fancied to collect a positive result in Wales.

QPR impressed when beating Portsmouth 3-1 in their opening league fixture of the season, and while they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bolton last weekend, Rangers were clearly the better side. The Rs are fancied to win at Ewood Park.

Newcastle have an excellent recent record against Tottenham with five wins and no defeats in the last six meetings. The Magpies were good value for their point against Liverpool last weekend and look to have a bit more momentum than their hosts, who were disappointing at Brentford. Newcastle look backable underdogs for this late Premier League game on Saturday.

Charlton have had a dream start to the Championship campaign with two wins from two matches and last weekend’s 2-1 victory at London rivals West Ham is one that will live long in the memory. They can make the most of home advantage against Preston, who have lost their last three matches.

Charleroi have started the Belgian First Division season with three straight wins and six goals and face a newly promoted Kortijk who have lost their two opening fixtures 3-0. Their last four meetings with Charleroi have all ended in defeat.

Real Betis have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, beating both Valencia and Real Sociedad and now coming up against a Levante side with just one point from a possible six. They lost 3-0 to Espanyol in their opener and are yet to find the net, while they have lost four of their last five meetings with Betis.

Inter San Carlos have lost only one of their five games since their promotion to the Costa Rica Primera Division, winning their last three outings without conceding. Favourites Sporting FC have dropped points in three of their five outings.

Club Tijuana have won their last five home games by an aggregate scoreline of 10-3 and visitors UNAM Pumas are on a five-game winless streak, including two defeats from three away games in the Leagues Cup.

Both teams have scored in each of Necaxa’s last four games and in seven of Cruz Azul’s nine fixtures this season, while the last three meetings between these sides have all featured goals at both ends.

Inter San Carlos have lost only one of their five games since their promotion to the Costa Rica Primera Division, winning their last three outings without conceding. Favourites Sporting FC have dropped points in three of their five outings.

Alexander Isak had four shots, two on target, at Newcastle last weekend in what was a solid performance. He should get some opportunities against Forest and he can make one count.

David Moyes will find it hard to drop Thierno Barry after an emphatic start to the season. He scored Everton’s second against Crystal Palace and followed that with a hat-trick against Preston in midweek.

Ellis Simms was unable to make any impact at Arsenal but he should keep his starting spot. Simms ended last season with a hat-trick and had a couple of goals in pre-season, he looks a contender for an anytime effort.

Yoanne Wissa enjoyed an impressive World Cup with DR Congo and can open his Premier League account for the season at Spurs. Wissa had four shots against Liverpool, with two on target, but was unable to convert. He did record an assist, however, and can get on the scoresheet himself at Spurs.

Liverpool needed a late leveller to claim a share of the spoils at Newcastle but on the balance of play they could have won that game. The Reds should be able to see off a Forest side who have opened the new season with a pair of defeats in Andoni Iraola’s first home game but they may concede in the process. Liverpool have gone eight competitive games without a clean sheet, and Forest showed some quality in attack despite drawing a blank against Leeds last weekend.

Bournemouth may have held the lead for a long period against Manchester City, but they were fortunate not to concede more and face an Everton side high on confidence after winning both games this season. The Toffees have only lost three of their last 12 away games and look set to defy the odds.

Coventry City struggled at Arsenal last weekend but should have an easier time of it against fellow promoted side Hull at home. The Sky Blues won 17 of their 23 Championship home games last season, while the Tigers had a mixed road record and have won just one of their last seven competitive away games inside normal time.

Newcastle have an excellent recent record against Tottenham with five wins and no defeats in the last six meetings. The Magpies were good value for their point against Liverpool last weekend and look to have a bit more momentum than their hosts, who were disappointing at Brentford. Newcastle look backable underdogs for this late Premier League game on Saturday.

Liverpool needed a late leveller to claim a share of the spoils at Newcastle but on the balance of play they could have won that game. The Reds should be able to see off a Forest side who have opened the new season with a pair of defeats in Andoni Iraola’s first home game but they may concede in the process. Liverpool have gone eight competitive games without a clean sheet, and Forest showed some quality in attack despite drawing a blank against Leeds last weekend.

Port Vale and Crewe both have enough defensive concerns to make goals at both ends the standout bet. Vale have gone six straight league matches without a clean sheet, while Crewe have failed to shut out their local rivals in eight of the last nine League Two meetings. Both teams also scored in 13 of Crewe’s 23 away games last season. Vale have won four of their last five League Two meetings with Crewe and the visitors lost three of their final four away games last season.

Borussia Dortmund only lost three times at home last season and they should hit the ground running this week. They are unbeaten against Hamburg since 2015, but they have struggled to keep clean sheets, so there’s every chance the visitors get on the scoresheet.

Alexander Isak had four shots, two on target, at Newcastle last weekend in what was a solid performance. He should get some opportunities against Forest and he can make one count.

Ellis Simms was unable to make any impact at Arsenal but he should keep his starting spot. Simms ended last season with a hat-trick and had a couple of goals in pre-season, he looks a contender for an anytime effort.

Goals may be the way to go with both teams in need of a win. There have been at least three goals in three of Norwich’s four outings and Burnley, although they have a lot of attacking quality for this level, have conceded five goals in two league outings.

All four of West Brom’s matches this season have seen a minimum of three goals scored, which has also been true in each of Middlesbrough’s last three games. These are two confident, attacking sides and there should be plenty of goalmouth action on Saturday as a result.

Charleroi have started the Belgian First Division season with three straight wins and six goals and face a newly promoted Kortijk who have lost their two opening fixtures 3-0. Their last four meetings with Charleroi have all ended in defeat.

Goals may be the way to go with both teams in need of a win. There have been at least three goals in three of Norwich’s four outings and Burnley, although they have a lot of attacking quality for this level, have conceded five goals in two league outings.

Port Vale and Crewe both have enough defensive concerns to make goals at both ends the standout bet. Vale have gone six straight league matches without a clean sheet, while Crewe have failed to shut out their local rivals in eight of the last nine League Two meetings. Both teams also scored in 13 of Crewe’s 23 away games last season. Vale have won four of their last five League Two meetings with Crewe and the visitors lost three of their final four away games last season.

Borussia Dortmund only lost three times at home last season and they should hit the ground running this week. They are unbeaten against Hamburg since 2015, but they have struggled to keep clean sheets, so there’s every chance the visitors get on the scoresheet.

Derby have scored in 11 successive Championship games and both sides have found the net in Derby’s last five matches. Back both teams to get on the scoresheet when they meet Swansea at Pride Park on Saturday. Both sides have scored in seven of Swansea’s last nine Championship matches and Derby’s last five.

Both Sassuolo and Torino suffered 2-1 defeats in their Serie A openers last weekend and more goals are expected on Saturday. Both teams have scored in each of Torino’s last four Serie A fixtures and in four of the last five meetings between these sides.

Coventry City struggled at Arsenal last weekend but should have an easier time of it against fellow promoted side Hull at home. The Sky Blues won 17 of their 23 Championship home games last season, while the Tigers had a mixed road record and have won just one of their last seven competitive away games inside normal time.

Watford need to pick themselves up after a 5-1 Carabao Cup hammering by Peterborough and could come unstuck against West Ham, who found their groove in a 4-1 win at Southampton in the same competition.

Charlton have had a dream start to the Championship campaign with two wins from two matches and last weekend’s 2-1 victory at London rivals West Ham is one that will live long in the memory. They can make the most of home advantage against Preston, who have lost their last three matches.

Bristol City are looking to collect their first league win of the season against Portsmouth and they may be solid enough to see off a Pompey side who have conceded seven goals in their opening three matches of the campaign.

Sheffield United look a regressive team and the Blades have failed to beat Birmingham and Swansea in their opening two Championship fixtures. A lack of cutting edge is a real concern and Cardiff are fancied to collect a positive result in Wales.

QPR impressed when beating Portsmouth 3-1 in their opening league fixture of the season, and while they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bolton last weekend, Rangers were clearly the better side. The Rs are fancied to win at Ewood Park.

Newcastle have an excellent recent record against Tottenham with five wins and no defeats in the last six meetings. The Magpies were good value for their point against Liverpool last weekend and look to have a bit more momentum than their hosts, who were disappointing at Brentford. Newcastle look backable underdogs for this late Premier League game on Saturday.

Charleroi have started the Belgian First Division season with three straight wins and six goals scored, and they look primed to extend their perfect record against Kortijk.The newly promoted hosts have lost their first two games 3-0 and early signs suggest that a swift return to the second flight is in store. They have lost their last four meetings with Charleroi by a 7-2 aggregate scoreline and have managed just five shots on target in their first two games this term.

Just one of three teams to boast a 100 per cent record in the Championship, Charlton are enjoying an impressive start to the season and they can register another win when hosting pointless Preston.The Addicks defeated Derby 2-1 on the opening weekend of the new league campaign before repeating the trick against West Ham at the London Stadium, an impressive result against one of the favourites for the title.Preston went down 2-1 at Bolton before suffering a 3-1 loss at home to Wolves, leaving the Lilywhites just one place above the relegation zone, and more disappointment could be on the way when they head to the Valley.

Winning their opening two games of the Championship campaign, fast-starters Millwall next head to St Mary’s to take on Southampton.Unbeaten in their last three encounters with the Saints, last season Millwall beat the south coast outfit 3-2 at The Den, before playing out a goalless draw at St Mary’s.The Lions are roaring right now after wins over Bristol City and Norwich City in the Championship, while also progressing to the EFL Cup third round following wins at QPR and Cambridge United.Saints have been hit and miss for far this season and the Lions are great value for the victory here.

Both of these sides lost their Ligue 1 openers but Will Still can earn a first league success as Auxerre boss now.They scored twice at last season’s runners-up Lens last week after going down to 10 men in the first half.Angers scored a joint-lowest 11 league goals in 17 away games last season and were beaten 2-0 at home against a much-altered Lyon side last week.Auxerre have won the last three meetings at home, including a 3-1 victory in May, and a fast start will see them a long way towards victory as Angers failed to win any of the 23 Ligue 1 games last season in which they conceded first (D7, L16).

Real Betis have made a perfect start to the season with two wins in as many games and they can make it three in a row at Levante on Saturday.The hosts avoided the drop on goal difference alone last season and the early signs suggest they will be among the strugglers once again. Levante opened the campaign with a 3-0 loss at Espanyol and were then held to a 0-0 draw at Osasuna.This is Levante’s first home game of the season and they were far better at this venue than they were on their travels last term. However, Betis have built up a bit of momentum and look capable of coming away from the Ciutat de Valencia with maximum points.

Charleroi have started the Belgian First Division season with three straight wins and six goals and face a newly promoted Kortijk who have lost their two opening fixtures 3-0. Their last four meetings with Charleroi have all ended in defeat.

Lyon were eliminated from the Champions League in midweek and will be desperate to move on from that setback. They comfortably beat Toulouse last weekend and they should be able to overpower a Le Havre team that only scored 12 away goals last season.

Parma were unable to keep their star players from last season in the summer and they only registered two shots on target in their 1-0 defeat to Cagliari last weekend, while Juventus have kept six clean sheets in their last seven games including friendlies.

Two wins from two had Sevilla sitting pretty at the La Liga summit after two rounds of fixtures but there was an element of luck to their victories, having been awarded two penalties in the first and played the second against ten men for 79 minutes, so expect superior quality to tell when Atletico Madrid visit on Saturday.

Charleroi have started the Belgian First Division season with three straight wins and six goals and face a newly promoted Kortijk who have lost their two opening fixtures 3-0. Their last four meetings with Charleroi have all ended in defeat.

Newcastle won 2-1 at this venue in the corresponding league meeting last season and a repeat result has a chance. Spurs have only failed to score in one of their last 20 home games across all competitions but may fall short against a Magpies side who impressed against a probable title challenger last weekend.

Juventus started the season with a 1-0 win over Frosinone and they have now kept clean sheets in six of their last seven matches, including friendlies, while Parma registered just two shots on target in their opening-round defeat.

Lyon were eliminated from the Champions League in midweek and will be desperate to move on from that setback. They comfortably beat Toulouse last weekend and they should be able to overpower a Le Havre team that only scored 12 away goals last season.

Parma were unable to keep their star players from last season in the summer and they only registered two shots on target in their 1-0 defeat to Cagliari last weekend, while Juventus have kept six clean sheets in their last seven games including friendlies.

Top goalscorer betting in the Champions League invites each-way bets given the number of potential runners with so many teams looking to get 10, 12 maybe even more games under their belts.

Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy took full advantage of that in the first instalment of the new-look Champions League in 2024/24.

Again, the German powerhouses only reached the quarter-finals but in that time the Guinea international popped in 13 goals, tying top-scorer honours for the competition with Raphinha of Barcelona.

He scored 22 goals for Dortmund last term and is a major threat in this market at a fancy price.

You’ll never win anything challenging on two fronts, they said. You’ll never win anything playing the way you do, they sniped.

Arsenal proved the doubters wrong with the latter, almost wrong with the former and stronger this season than they were last, expect the Gunners to have a real shot at going one better in Europe.

Mikel Arteta’s men were simply fabulous in the Champions League last year, winning all eight group games – 3-1 wins over Inter Milan and Bayern and a 4-0 drubbing of Atletico the highlights – and gutsily squeezing past Leverkusen, Sporting and Atletico before succumbing to PSG in the final in Budapest.

That game finished 1-1 and went to penalties but we all know it was a mismatch.

Arteta knows, therefore, the gap between his side and PSG needs to close and shrewd summer transfer work might have enabled him to do that.

The arrivals of Ezri Konsa, Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis add quality and, critically, depth and if Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka can stay injury free – something the Norwegian wasn’t often enough – then there is everything to like about this most solid of groups.

You absolutely can challenge on two fronts – Arsenal have proved that and bear a Premier League winner’s rosette as proof.

The next step is conquering Europe and having come so close on May 30 take them to get it right this time.

The final is in Madrid next spring and a Madrid side may well be there.

Real, 15-time winners, were quarter-finalists last year when they went out in a shooting spree against Bayern Munich and they look better equipped this time.

Jose Mourinho, a two-time winner of the tournament with two different clubs, is back at the helm and whether or not that is a positive will forever be debated.

But just look at the group of players at The Special One’s disposal.

That front three of Jude Bellingham playing in and around Vinicius Junior and the extraordinary Kylian Mbappe, with any of Arda Guler, Endrick, Yan Diomande, Rodrygo and so on and so on, makes mouths water.

Mourinho has also looked to improve them defensively though the likes of full-backs Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella will do far more bombing forward than sitting back in this team.

It is desperately hard to make a case for sides outside the top six.

Inter Milan, possibly, at 28-1 or Atletico at 40-1 given Diego Simeone’s men have become such a major player in Europe.

Three-figure runners are clearly easier to ignore but PSV have a puncher’s chance and will be desperate to avenge last season’s flop when they finished 28th in the league phase despite scoring more goals than Man City.

This was a team capable of thrashing Napoli 6-2 and Liverpool (away) 4-1, but a 3-0 loss at Newcastle in between home losses to Atletico and Bayern did for them. This time round, their draw looks far easier and if nine points is the benchmark then it is easy enough to see them getting those from home games against Brugge and Shakhtar with a trip to newcomers Viking a massive plus.

Peter Bosz has held on to last season’s top scorer Ricardo Pepi and added defensive quality in Filip Kostic and Lutsharel Geertruida.

Guus Til, Sergino Dest and Ivan Perisic are big players in a team who should make the top 24 and, with a kindly draw, have a slim chance of outrunning their odds.

Kylian Mbappe had an explosive World Cup winning the Golden Boot with 10 goals.

That followed a season in which he scored 42 goals for Real Madrid – plus several more for France – and he has started this season with a hat-trick in his second club game, a 4-1 win over Sociedad.

Mbappe fired off 18 shots in his first two games for Real this season and will rack up chances. And if he racks up chances he racks up goals, quite likely enough to win the Golden Boot.

And finally – and this is trusting PSV to get to the last 16 as a bare minimum – how about the Dutch side’s American frontman Ricardo Pepe.

Eindhoven boss Peter Bosz was delighted to see Pepe stay this summer and the 23-year-old is already among the goals in the Eredivisie.

Pepe scored 19 times for PSV last season and in a side who will score plenty of goals in the mood, especially at home, he again could outrun his odds.