BENFICA v PAOK
Tuesday 21st August 2018 – Kickoff: 2000hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League Betting Tips
Just 12 teams remain in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League as the first legs of the play-offs commence on Tuesday night with my first preview featuring Portuguese outfit, Benfica, taking on Greek side, PAOK, with further betting tips continuing here.
Benfica have not enjoyed much success at Champions League level in recent times as they’d lost their last seven ties on the trot prior to the start of this season, but they’ve laid their ghosts to rest a little with a 2-1 aggregate win over Fenerbahce in the third qualifying round this term.
They now hold home advantage in this first leg at their Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and having made a great start to their domestic Primeira Liga campaign with back-to-back wins over Vitoria Guimaraes and Boavista, the home side will be in confident mood ahead of this crucial clash.
Onto PAOK and they have reached the play-off stages of this season’s Champions League by virtue of beating Swiss club, Basel, in both home and away legs of the second qualifying round with 2-1 and 3-0 score lines respectively.
They then registered a 3-2 aggregate win over Russian side, Spartak Moscow in the third qualifying round, winning 3-2 in the first leg at home and then held the Russian outfit to a 0-0 draw in the second leg in Moscow.
PAOK are therefore no easy-beats at this level, and this is further indicated by a decent run of six away matches on the trot without defeat, which includes no fewer than five draws but also the aforementioned 3-0 win away at Basel which is no easy feat.
My betting tips therefore advise backing both teams to hit the back of the net in this first leg in Lisbon.
Pick: Both teams to score @ 2.00 bet365 (odds taken at 08:46 GMT, 20 Aug 2018)
