Champions League tips: Arsenal, Chelsea & Napoli away plays

The Champions League’s Phase returns from the 2025/26 campaign on Tuesday evening with what looks a tricky coupon to size up for solid single bets.

Away teams are the ones catching our eye, with Arsenal’s defence offering a route to value in Bilbao, while Chelsea and Napoli defeats don’t look anywhere near as certain as their hosts’ win odds suggest.

Gunners defence to underscore San Mames success

It says much about how Arsenal proved themselves a serious Champions League outfit last season that they are being sent off at 81/100 away to Athletic Bilbao, who won their first three games of the season before going down 1-0 to Alaves at the weekend.

The Gunners’ stingy defence was key to going deep in last season’s tournament and seems only to have got stronger this term with the north London side keeping three clean sheets in their first four Premier League games.

That brings the 187/100-rated Arsenal win-to-nil under consideration, especially given Bilbao have been fortunate to score three times across their last three games – benefiting from a penalty against Rayo Vallecano and an own goal against Real Betis.

Blues capable of adapting to frustrate Bayern in Munich

Bayern Munich are 29/50 favourites to beat Chelsea at the Allianz Arena after winning their first three Bundesliga games, scoring 14 times in the process of doing so.

However, those odds feel too short against visitors that outplayed last season’s UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain to claim a 3-0 victory in July’s World Club Cup Final.

Enzo Maresca’s men pose a hugely varied and deep goal threat and they’ve already scored seven times across their first two away league games of the campaign.

Inconsistent City too short to trust against Italian champs

Manchester City have to be taken on at 61/100 to beat Napoli at the Etihad having lost two of their first four games of the season, including a 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham.

City come into this match off the back of a 3-0 win over Manchester United, but it’s hard to draw too much confidence from that win given the Red Devils’ continuing struggles.

Previously Pep Guardiola’s men had shipped twice to both Spurs and Brighton. Similar levels of defensive generosity against the Neapolitans could push the win out of reach.

Napoli have won their first three league games of the Series A season for the loss of a single goal and look decent at 11/10 to avoid defeat in Manchester.