ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Champions League Midweek

Star Sports football ambassador ALEX CROOK previews the pick of this week’s Champions League fixtures…

🇵🇹 SPORTING LISBON v ARSENAL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Tuesday, 8pm

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Arsenal ended their run of four games without a win by comprehensively sweeping aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday to get their Premier League title bid back on course.

The victory against the surprise package of the Premier League season so far was all the more impressive given Mikel Arteta was able to rest Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, presumably with one eye on Tuesday night’s trip to the Portuguese capital.

Arteta will need his big guns back and firing to help tame a Sporting side who have won their last nine games in all competitions.

The Portuguese champions also thrashed Manchester City 4-1 in their last Champions League game, albeit with Ruben Amorim in the dugout and his successor, and former reserve team boss, Joao Pereira will be keen to keep that running going.

Arsenal are currently 12th in the table and anything less than a win here would be a big blow to their hopes of finishing in the top eight and qualifying automatically for the last 16.

In contrast, Sporting are second and with a favourable run of games to come can play without too much pressure on their shoulders.

I simply cannot advise backing Arsenal away from home in Europe as my policy of going against them so far this season has been a profitable one.

While they were unlucky to lose 1-0 at Inter last time out, the Gunners have won only one of their last seven Champions League games on the road and have fired blanks in each of their last four, including the 0-0 draw at Atalanta successfully tipped up in this column.

They do at least have captain Martin Odegaard fit and firing so that is making me lean towards the draw at a generous 5/2 with starsports.bet.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 MANCHESTER CITY V FEYENOORD 🇳🇱
Wednesday, 8pm

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So much for the Pep Guardiola new contract bounce!

I was expecting a positive reaction from the City players to the news Guardiola has committed to the club until the summer of 2027, but it’s now five defeats on the spin in all competitions and they were utterly abject in Saturday’s 4-0 humbling at home to Tottenham.

On paper, a Champions League home game against Feyenoord should be the perfect chance to get back to winning ways, but the Dutch side are no mugs having put together an impressive 21-match unbeaten away run.

City’s decline has coincided with an alarming dip in form for goal machine Erling Haaland, who has netted just twice in his last seven appearances, but the Norwegian could have had a hat-trick at the weekend and he and his teammates missed some guilt-edged chances against Spurs, which could be ominous for the Feyenoord defence.

Both teams have scored in 13 of City’s last 19 matches so over 3.5 goals in the game at 20/21 is my main selection, banking on misfiring City to rediscover their shooting boots.

Kevin de Bruyne is in line to make his first start since September, which should prove a pick-me-up for Pep. De Bruyne is 17/10 with starsports.bet to make his return with a goal.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 LIVERPOOL v REAL MADRID 🇪🇸
Wednesday, 8pm

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The only team with a 100 per cent record in this season’s Champions League face a stern examination when leaders Liverpool host Real Madrid in the battle of two former multi-champions at Anfield on Wednesday.

The Reds could not come into this heavyweight showdown in better shape having won all but two of their games under Arne Slot and losing just once.

Slot’s side are now eight points clear of nearest challengers City in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat Southampton 3-2 on Sunday, and despite not being at their best on the south coast I never felt at any stage that they would not win.

Having already thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0, beating holders Real would be another statement result for the Dutchman, especially with the visit of City to come in the league on Sunday, but with Mo Salah doing his best to make it impossible for the hierarchy not to agree to whatever contract he demands and the visitors missing some key players, they have a golden chance.

Having tipped up Real to retain the trophy at the start of the season, I have been a bit underwhelmed by Carlo Ancelotti’s side, especially in Europe. The signing of France superstar Kylian Mbappe has not had the uplifting impact I expected and there are major doubts over whether Ancelotti will still be in charge come the start of next season, with Xabi Alonso the obvious heir apparent.

As well as having big issues at the back, Real also travel to Merseyside without star man and Balon D’or runner-up Vinicius Junior, which badly hampers their chances of getting the better of a Liverpool defence which has conceded just one goal during their Champions League campaign so far.

Slot’s side have become the masters of doing just enough to win while rarely blowing teams away so a home victory, under 2.5 goals and Mo Salah to score at any time as a build-a-bet at around 13/1 with starsports.bet to score first is worth a small play looks decent value.

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BACK Draw in Sporting Lisbon v Arsenal 1pt at 5/2 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
Build-a-bet: Liverpool win, under 2.5 goals and Mo Salah to score at any time 1pt at 13/1 with starsports.bet
BACK Over 3.5 Goals in Manchester City v Feyenoord 1.5pts at 20/21 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Kevin De Bruyne to score at any time 1pt at 17/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)