Champions League Preview: Two bets for Matchday Two

After an enthralling first round of action in the Champions League, this midweek sees Matchday Two take centre stage.

Arsenal will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the season when welcoming Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates Stadium, while fellow Premier League side Aston Villa face German giants Bayern Munich at Villa Park.

Manchester City and Liverpool both have comparatively easier ties, with the Citizens travelling to Slovakia to take on Slovan Bratislava and the Reds hosting Bologna at Anfield.

Celtic also face opposition with real European pedigree as they visit last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, while reigning champions Real Madrid head to France to take on Lille.

We have picked out two selections for the games between Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan and Liverpool against Bologna.

Tip 1: Bayer Leverkusen to win and over 3.5 goals v AC Milan @ 5/2 with bet365

Two sides that saw their fair share of goals on matchday one go head-to-head on Tuesday as reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen host Serie A giants AC Milan.

The Germans stormed to a 4-0 victory against Feyenoord in their opening match of this competition, with Florian Wirtz grabbing a brace along with a strike from Alex Grimaldo and an own goal from Timon Wellenreuther.

Xabi Alonso’s men then edged out Wolfsburg 4-3 at the BayArena before being held to a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich last time out.

Milan, meanwhile, were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by Liverpool at the San Siro on matchday one but they bounced back in impressive fashion by beating fierce rivals Inter 2-1 for the first time since 2022.

Over 3.5 goals has landed in six of Leverkusen’s eight matches in all competitions this season, while the same bet has been successful in four of their seven assignments in Europe and Serie A this term.

Tip 2: Federico Chiesa to score last v Bologna @ 5/1 with bet365

Liverpool have looked strong under Arne Slot this season and their attacking qualities should see them take all three points against a Bologna side with just one win in all competitions all season.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz will likely start for the Reds but summer signing Federico Chiesa could also be given an opportunity to impress, whether that is from the start or from off the bench.

Chiesa has scored seven goals in 11 appearances against Bologna – his best record against a single club – and he will feel confident in getting his first Liverpool goal against one of his favourite opponents.

Bologna have also struggled in defence on the road, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last four away matches, and that fragile backline should provide plenty of scoring opportunities for the Reds at Anfield.