Champions League 2021/22 Matchday 1 tips, odds & value bets

How often do we get to see six past winners of the UEFA Champions League in direct competition in the same week? BettingPlanet.com takes a look at the best bets on offer for Barcelona vs Bayern Munich, Liverpool vs AC Milan, and Inter Milan vs Real Madrid.

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich

Tuesday, September 14 – Camp Nou, Barcelona

As has been the case ever since the departure of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann during the summer transfer window, the big story surrounding Barcelona is who won’t be lining up in attack this Tuesday. Sergio Aguero (calf), Martin Braithwaite (knee), Ousmane Dembele (hamstring) and Ansu Fati (knee) are all ruled out, leaving the likes of Luuk de Jong, Memphis Depay and Philippe Coutinho to lead the charge.

On the other hand, Robert Lewandowski is expected to start for Bayern Munich, while Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are racing the clock to prove their fitness. After an underwhelming draw to start the Bundesliga season, Bayern have surged into form and come into this clash off a dominant 4-1 win over RB Leipzig.

It is not often that you bet against Barcelona at Camp Nou, but this might be one of those moments. While the Spanish side’s form is far from dreadful, their personnel issues leave them vulnerable when facing such a dangerous Bayern outfit. Barca have yet to manage a clean sheet in three La Liga games this season, and we think they will struggle to hold out the German giants.

Liverpool vs AC Milan

Wednesday, September 15 – Anfield, Liverpool

Liverpool have made a solid start to the English Premier League season, winning three and drawing one from their four games thus far. Harvey Elliott’s horror injury in the 3-0 win over Leeds United at the weekend means we will see a different midfield setup on Wednesday night, with Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all in the mix to start.

AC Milan are yet to put a foot wrong in Serie A, winning three from three while scoring six goals and conceding just one. The Rossoneri have a full squad to choose from, which sets the scene for a fascinating battle between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Virgil van Dijk.

It is hard to quantify just how big a difference live crowds make to a football game, and no more so than on a European night at Anfield. This is a huge clash for both teams in a group that also includes Atletico Madrid, so we can expect a full-blooded contest, but the hosts should prevail. The +320 for Trent Alexander-Arnold to register an assist is well worth a pop.

Inter Milan vs Real Madrid

Wednesday, September 15 – Stadio San Siro, Milan

After two strong wins to kick off their Serie A title defence, Inter Milan had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Sampdoria at the weekend after twice giving up the lead. Alessandro Bastoni missed that game with a thigh injury and remains in doubt for Wednesday’s clash, while Stefano Sensi is out with a knee problem.

Real Madrid have started the season in somewhat chaotic fashion, yet they are sitting pretty atop the La Liga table after their 5-2 win over Celta Vigo last weekend. Los Blancos have some personnel issues in central midfield, however, with Dani Ceballos (ankle) and Toni Kroos (pubis) both expected to miss the trip to Italy due to injury.

If league form is any indicator at all, this match should have goals aplenty. Madrid’s four games in La Liga this season have delivered a whopping 19 goals in total, while Inter have scored nine goals in three outings in Serie A. Over 2.5 total goals with both teams to score will get you around +100 back at most soccer betting sites.