The Champions League returns for the fifth round of fixtures of this season’s extended group stage and the coupon is as replete with standout matches as it is with good bets.
Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain and particularly Liverpool vs Real Madrid are genuine European heavyweight clashes, but elsewhere there’s some great value to be had amongst the supporting card.
Champions League Week 5 best bets
Inter Milan to beat RB Leipzig to nil @ 17/10
Monaco to beat Benfica @ 6/5
Celtic to beat Club Brugge @ 1/1
Bet on the latest Champions League odds at Betzone
Apply familiar formula for Inter value against slumping Leipzig
Inter Milan are 4/9 favourites to land their third successive Champions League win of the campaign at home to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night.
Betting that far odds-on is not for most, but the Nerazzurri don’t look the worse wager at that price given their guests have lost all four of their games in the UCL this term.
However, regular readers of this column will know the Inter win to nil bet has been favourite of ours already this term and the 17/10 about it copping for their fourth continental outing in a row looks too big to ignore.
Leipzig have managed to score in away losses to a patchy Atletico Madrid side and Celtic, but Inter haven’t conceded in the competition all season despite facing a pre-malaise Manchester City and welcoming Arsenal to Giuseppe Meazza.
Tip: Inter Milan to beat RB Leipzig to nil @ 17/10
Hütter’s Monaco have x(G)-factor to best Benfica at Stade Louis II
Monaco came within a hair’s breadth of being a tip to win away to Bologna in the last round of fixtures and having duly done so we won’t be letting them go unbacked again.
The rationale is the same as it would have been when they inflicted what was only the Italians’ third home defeat since the start of 2023/24 – their xG metrics mark them out as being one of the best teams in the competition to this point.
Adi Hütter’s side sit fifth in the non-penalty-xG-for standings (8.06) behind only Liverpool (11.38), City (11.37), Real Madrid (10.34) and Barcelona (8.98). Meanwhile, they have the outright best non-penalty-xG-against tally (1.99) in the 35-team table (as per Whoscored).
Benfica, are respectable but beatable opposition having only lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich last time out in the UCL, but they lost 3-1 at home to Feyenoord the game before that and Monaco are taken to justify their status as statistical standouts and land the spoils.
Tip: Monaco to beat Benfica @ 6/5
Bhoys generously-priced to claim third Parkhead UCL scalp this term
Celtic are purring under Brendon Rodgers in 2024/25 with 15 wins, two draws and a single loss to show for their first 18 outings in all competitions.
Atypically for the Bhoys that fine form has carried over into Europe where – their 7-1 thrashing away to Borussia Dortmund aside – Rodgers’ men have been effective, comfortably winning both their home games and holding Atalanta 0-0 in Italy.
Evens looks a great price about them extending their UCL home-win streak to three against Club Bruges, who were comfortably turned over by Milan on their last European road trip and very fortunate last time out when Tyrone Mings ridiculous handball gifted them the penalty that earned their 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.
