Champions League Matchweek 1 Predictions

By Chris Horton

06 Sep 2022

Chris Horton 06 Sep 2022

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Will Real Madrid hit the ground running? Can Liverpool kick start their European campaign? Make your predictions for the first group stage of the 2022/23 Champions League. Inform your bets with the latest Champions League insights from Pinnacle.

Tuesday Night

GNK Dinamo Zagreb vs. Chelsea

Dinamo Zagreb is the most successful Croatian football club in history and has won a record 23 Prva HNL titles. The Croatian superstars dominated the Champions League qualifying rounds and play-offs with massive wins against Ludogrets (4-2), Slaven Belupo (5-1), and Boda/Glimt (4-1).

Chelsea’s start to the Premier League season has been rough with a 3-0 loss to Leeds United and a succumbing 2-1 to Southampton in August. The British club earned a spot in the league based upon their Premier League performance rather than working through the tough qualifying stages. Despite being considered a minnow club; Dinamo Zagreb has defeated some big clubs in European football.

Bet: GNK Dinamo Zagreb vs. Chelsea odds

Borussia Dortmund vs. Copenhagen

This will mark the first time Copenhagen has appeared in the group stages of the Champions League since 2016-17 and the club has only mustered a single knockout round appearance. Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League back in 1996/97, reached the finals in 2012/13, and have bowed out in the quarter-finals four times.

The Germans are currently second in the Bundesliga but their season has been far from flawless. Copenhagen, on the other hand, has both dominated and been dominated over the past few months such as a 7-0 defeat to Feyenoord in July but posting a 4-1 victory over Brondby only a month later.

Bet: Borussia Dortmund vs. Copenhagen odds

Benfica vs. Maccabi Haifa

Maccabi Haifa is considered one of the “big four” of Israeli football and has 14 Israeli Premier League (IPL) titles. Not only was Maccabi Haifa the first Israeli club to qualify for the Champions League, they also hold the record for the most group stage appearances by an Israeli club. Maccabi Haifa won the IPL in 2020/21 and is currently second in the league this year.

Beneica top the table in the Premeria Liga this year. The dominant Portuguese club enter the group stages following big wins in their home league with a 3-2 victory over Pacos Ferreira and a triumphant 3-0 victory over Boavista. Benfica also cruised through the Champions League play-offs with a 5-0 aggregate over Dynamo Kyiv.

Bet: Benfica vs. Maccabi Haifa odds

Sevilla vs. Manchester City

Manchester City has been an outstanding performer in the Champions League over the past few years. The 2021/22 English Premier League champions fell short in last season's Champions League tournament in the semi-finals, lost to Chelsea in the 2020/21 final, and made the quarter-finals in 2019/20. Man City hasn’t lost a game in the EPL season thus far and is only a point off the leaders.

Sevilla has a tough battle to upset Manchester City. Currently placed 16th in La Liga, the Andalusian side will enter the group stages following a clinical 3-0 loss to Barcelona. The side did make the round of 16 in the 2021 Champions League and only narrowly missed out on the quarter-finals.

Bet: Sevilla vs. Manchester City odds

RB Salzburg vs. Milan

RB Salzburg won the Austrian Bundesliga in 2021/22 and is top of the table this year with 6 wins from 7 games and no losses. They’re also the current Austrian Cup champions and have been defending that title well with a dominant performance in the second round last week. The 9-time Austrian Cup champions enter their match against Milan after a monster 6-0 victory over Austria Lustenau.

A.C Milan has won seven Champions League titles but failed to get past the group stages last year. The Rossoneri have started their Serie A season well and are currently second in the league. Rafael Leao spanked two into the back of the net to post a big victory in the Derby della Madonnina last week.

Bet: RB Salzburg vs. Milan odds

Celtic vs. Real Madrid

Celtic had a great season last year, winning the Scottish Premier League and nearly making it to the Champions League group stages. The Glaswegian side continues to dominate the Scottish Premier League and is top of the table. However, they will be facing the most dominant team in Champions League history and the last year’s winners.

Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2021/22 Champions League final last year and secured a record 14th Champions League title. La Casa Blanca has also won 35 La Liga titles and is already leading this year’s table. Real Madrid has spanked 13 goals in the last five games with no losses.

Bet: Celtic vs. Real Madrid odds

RB Leipzig vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Shakhtar Donetsk has enjoyed a tremendous level of dominance in Ukraine with nine titles including a five-title streak between 2009 and 2014, and a four-title streak that ended in 2021. The Ukrainians have had a good start to the season but have struggled in the back end of August.

RB Leipzig will be feeling confident following a massive 8-0 victory against Teutonia Ottensen in the first round of DFB-Pokal. The Germans struggled in the Champions League last season and failed to get passed the group stages, but they bounced back by reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Bet: RB Leipzig vs. Shakhtar Donetsk odds

PSG vs. Juventus

PSG has been utterly dominant in 2022. The ferocious combination of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe has been unplayable and PSG has dominated Ligue 1 with giant wins including 7-1 over LOSC, 5-0 against Clermont Foot, and 5-2 against Montpellier. Last season, PSG narrowly missed out on the Champions League quarter-finals and almost overcame eventual winners Real Madrid.

Juventus have had a mixed start to the Serie A season and suffered two losses in the last three matches while conceding six goals without scoring during losses. The Juventus defence has been called into question this month and will seriously need to up their game to stop arguably the most dominant forwards in Europe.

Bet: PSG vs. Juventus odds

Wednesday Night

Ajax vs. Rangers

The side from Amsterdam is currently topping Eredivisie and have utterly decimated the competition so far – Ajax has scored 16 goals in their last five outings. Ajax performed well in last year’s tournament, falling short during the round of 16.

Rangers are currently second in the Scottish Premier League this year and enjoyed much success on a European scale last season with a Scottish Cup title and losing the Europa League final. However, the Gers are coming off the back of a devastating loss to Celtic on Saturday.

Bet: Ajax vs. Rangers odds

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Sporting Lisbon

Eintracht Frankfurt has looked solid this year with massive goal-scoring affairs against Astoria Walldorf and FC Magdeburg, but have equally been defeated in high-scoring affairs – including an embarrassing 6-1 loss to Bayern Munich less than a month ago. The Germans enjoyed European success last season by winning the Europa League in May.

Sporting Lisbon are stilling around the middle of the Primeira Liga table this year and enter this match following a 2-0 victory over Estoril Praia. While the side struggled to get passed the group stage in most of the past decade, Sporting got as far as the round of 16 last season.

Bet: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Sporting Lisbon odds

Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich

Inter Milan lost to A.C Milan in the Derby della Madonnina last week but has otherwise shown good promise this season. The Milanese side will look to play attacking football against Bayern Munich who they haven’t faced in the Champions League since 2010/11.

Bayern has pummelled 21 goals in August alone while only conceding five goals. The dominant German side has won 10 straight Bundesliga titles – reminiscent of the nine straight titles that Juventus ran before being stopped by none other than Inter Milan in 2020/21.

Bet: Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich odds

Barcelona vs. Viktoria Plzen

Barca has struck a monstrous 20 goals since August 07 but has only conceded four. While only second in La Liga currently, the team looks to be going from strength to strength with an unbeaten streak. Viktoria Plzen will be hoping to find some unlikely form of weakness with Xani Hernadez reportedly benching four key players to focus on La Liga.

Viktoria Plzen dominated in the second qualifying round against HJK but far from coasted through the third qualifying round and play-offs to make it to the group stages this season. The Czech side has looked in fine touch with three wins from three games and 5 goals without conceding a single goal.

Bet: Barcelona vs. Viktoria Plzen odds

Napoli vs. Liverpool

Liverpool was arguably the best side in European football last season, winning the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and narrowly missing out on the Champions League title and winning the English Premier League. However, the Reds haven’t looked as lethal this season, failing to beat Everton, Fulham, and Crystal Palace in the opening EPL rounds.

A 9-0 victory over Bournemouth proves Liverpool is not to be underestimated. Napoli is a highly decorated team with two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup title. The team from Naples currently leads the Serie A championship this season and the Italians have mustered some high scoring wins in the last couple of months.

Bet: Napoli vs. Liverpool odds

Atletico Madrid vs. Porto

Atletico performed well in the Champions League last season, making it to the quarter-finals before losing 0-1 to Manchester City. With several high-scoring victories in August, Atletico hasn’t just won games this season, they’ve won big.

Porto will already be on the back foot with the loss of star defender Felipe who has been suspended ahead of the Atletico clash. The Portuguese side has suffered two straight losses including the recent loss to Gil Vicente in which Porto failed to score a single goal.

Bet: Celtic vs. Real Madrid odds

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Marseille

Tottenham missed out on the Champions Leagues last season, failed to get passed the round of 16 in the year prior, but did reach the final in 2018/19. The Harry Kane-led side has made a steady start to the EPL season with four wins from six games. It is still doubtful Tottenham will be able to call upon the injured Brayn Gil and Lucas Moura.

Marseille has mustered 16 points in the initial phase of the Ligue 1 season and has been keeping up with the dominant PSG. However, they haven’t fared so well in European competitions, losing 14 of their last 15 Champions League matches.

Bet: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Marseille odds

Club Brugge vs. Leverkusen

Club Brugge has looked good in the Jupiler League and few teams have put up much fight against the Belgians. Their last two outings have seen victories by two or more goals. No other Belgian club has made it to the Champions League final, but Club Brugge managed the feat in 1978, losing the European Cup final to Liverpool.

Leverkusen will be going into this match with a significant limp – Amine Adli, Karim Bellarabi, Andrey Lunyv, and Florian Wirtz are all out injured. Like Club Brugge, Leverkusen is an offensive outfit and this clash should see plenty of goals scored. The Germans haven’t looked fantastic this season with only one win from five in Bundesliga.

Bet: Club Brugge vs. Leverkusen odds

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