Champions League Matchday 5 Odds: Preview, Breakdown, Best Bets

Knockout Stage Implications on Big UCL Matchday

Barcelona on the Brink vs. Bayern Munich

It’s crunch time in the Champions League group stage. There are only two matches remaining, which means this week is crucial in the knockout stage picture. There are plenty of matches with round of 16 ramifications, the biggest of which is Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich. We’ll cover that and much more as we preview the Champions League Matchday 5 odds.

Games of the Week:

Red Bull Salzburg vs. Chelsea:

In a crucial Group E fixture, Chelsea head to Austria to take on Red Bull Salzburg. Currently, the Blues are one point ahead of RB Salzburg in the Champions League standings. If Chelsea win the match, they’ll clinch a place in the knockout stage. Meanwhile, an RB Salzburg win would put one foot in the round of 16 for them. After conceding a late goal on Saturday to draw with Manchester United, Chelsea are -130 road favorites.

Salzburg, who also drew last weekend, show +375 odds to win at home. In fact, RB Salzburg have drawn in six of their last 11 matches in all competitions. A draw here sits at +285 odds and the Austrians already have three draws in the UCL. Last time these teams met, Chelsea dominated but the points were shared. Raheem Sterling scored for the Blues and Noah Okafor got a late equalizer for Salzburg.

Both teams are carrying a handful of injuries in this game but Chelsea center back Kalidou Koulibaly may recover in time to start. Meanwhile, Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana are all out. RB Salzburg’s depth is impacted but forward Fernando is the only key player expected to miss out. Plus, RB Salzburg have an incredible home record and haven’t lost there since February 2021.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Manchester City:

Erling Haaland will return to the Signal Iduna Park for the first time since leaving in the Summer. Haaland is in great goalscoring form and even his manager is running out of superlatives for him. The big Norwegian scored two goals for Manchester City in their recent 3-1 win over Brighton. The last time Manchester City played Dortmund, he also scored the winner to complete a stunning late comeback. The focus will quite rightly be on Haaland, who scored a ridiculous 86 goals in 89 appearances with Dortmund, but this is also a huge match.

Man City currently sit three points ahead of Dortmund in the Group G standings. City have already qualified for the knockout stage but will clinch the group with a draw. However, a Dortmund win would certainly make things interesting. BVB would clinch at least a knockout stage berth should they win and could very well go on to win the group. As +425 underdogs, the Champions League Matchday 5 odds cast doubt on Dortmund’s chances, though.

The latest odds price Manchester City as -165 favorites to complete a group stage double over Dortmund. Given both teams’ injury situations, that doesn’t come as a surprise. Dortmund could be missing up to seven players on Tuesday. Marco Reus and Donyell Malen are questionable at this stage, though. Haaland isn’t the only one returning to the Signal Iduna Park as City defender Manuel Akanji will also play a key role on Tuesday.

RB Leipzig vs. Real Madrid:

After starting off their Champions League campaign with two losses, RB Leipzig looked down and out. Two matches and six points later, they’re in second place in Group F but take on defending UCL winners Real Madrid on Tuesday. Last time these teams played, Real left things until late. Fede Valverde and Marco Asensio both scored after the 80th minute to give Los Blancos a 2-0 win.

Valverde is still in great form as he’s scored in three straight matches for Madrid. The versatile Uruguayan has looked like one of the best players in the world this season. Meanwhile, Real’s Karim Benzema just won the Ballon d’Or but is an injury concern for this match. He sat out Saturday’s 3-1 win vs. Sevilla with a strain after leaving training on Friday. That said, this is expected to be a very close match.

Christopher Nkunku and Leipzig are +185 underdogs at home but Real show just +140 odds to win. This is the only pick’em on the Tuesday Champions League odds board, which could mean a lot of action.

Christopher Nkunku and Leipzig are +185 underdogs at home but Real show just +140 odds to win. This is the only pick’em on the Tuesday Champions League odds board, which could mean a lot of action. One thing to note is that Leipzig have been leaking goals lately. Number one goalie Peter Gulacsi is out with an injury, which certainly hurts. Leipzig also came back from 3-0 down after Augsburg picked up a red card on Saturday, to draw 3-3. The over/under goals total is at three, but the under sits at -130 odds.

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich:

It’s win or bust for Barcelona here, which puts them in a very similar position to last season. On the final Matchday in the 2021-22 UCL they needed a win at Bayern Munich to advance to the knockout stage. The Bavarians had other ideas as they demolished FCB 3-0. A lot has changed since then, namely that Robert Lewandowski made the switch from Bayern to Barcelona.

Still, Bayern beat Barcelona 2-0 in the reverse fixture. This time around, at least Barcelona have the support of their home fans. But if they don’t win, they’re headed to the Europa League. The Champions League Matchday 5 odds price Barça at +135 odds on Wednesday. Bayern, who have already clinched a place in the round of 16, are +190 underdogs. They will be missing Leroy Sane, with Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller doubts. Even so, Barcelona have lost each of their last five Champions League matches to Bayern Munich.

Just one of the last ten meetings has finished in a draw and one is priced at +275. Bayern would certainly take one but it’d be disastrous for Barcelona. Since losing to Real Madrid in El Clasico last weekend, Barça have picked up two big shutout wins. Meanwhile, Bayern are now within a point of the Bundesliga lead. What more could you ask for in this matchup? These are two of the best teams in the world both in good form playing a high stakes game. Bayern seem to love knocking Barcelona out of the UCL so expect them to be motivated.

Important Matches in Knockout Stage Picture:

Somehow Club Brugge are still going under the radar but they’re the real deal. They’re the only team yet to concede a goal in the Champions League and are through to the knockout stage. They can clinch Group B with a win vs. FC Porto on Wednesday. However, Porto can keep their hopes of winning the group alive if they win in Belgium. Brugge, despite their 3-0-1 record, are +250 home underdogs. Porto are +115 favorites but Brugge destroyed them 4-0 in Portugal.

With all teams within three points of each other, Group D will go down to the final Matchday. On Matchday 5, leaders Tottenham host Sporting, who are just one point behind. All the while, Eintracht Frankfurt host Marseille. Tottenham, who are on a two-game losing streak in the EPL, are -235 favorites to bounce back. The Frankfurt vs. Marseille game is expected to be close, with hosts Frankfurt having a slight edge. They show +130 odds to win, while Marseille sit at +200 odds.

Ajax are in a similar position to Barcelona. Anything less than a win over Liverpool isn’t going to cut it. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are -120 favorites on the road after losing 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Should Ajax (+300) fail to win, it’ll be the third time in four years they get demoted to the Europa League knockout stage. Remember, stay right here for the latest Champions League betting odds, and news from the league.

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