MANCHESTER UNITED v BASLE
Tuesday 12th September 2017 – Kickoff: 1945hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League Betting Tips
In the other match in Group A on Tuesday night, Manchester United start their Champions League campaign at Old Trafford where they take on Swiss outfit, Basle, with United finally back on the elite european stage this season.
United took the most difficult route possible to this season’s Champions League by winning the Europa League last term, and while manager Jose Mourinho may well have been criticised in some quarters by putting ‘all his eggs in one basket’, the gamble certainly paid off as they return to this highly lucrative competition.
The Red Devils have made a solid start to the new Premier League season too as they sit joint top of the league with fierce crosstown rivals Manchester City, and enjoying an unbeaten start to the new campaign. Last season, United had stuttered in attack under Mourinho, but this season has seen them return to almost their best, with attacking trio, Lukaku, Martial and Rashford all amongst the early goals.
Visitors Basle qualified for the group stages of the Champions League by winning the Swiss Super League at a canter with six league matches remaining of the domestic season, but they’ll have a tough job on their hands if they’re to emerge from this group and into the knockout phase of the competition.
Basle finished bottom of last season’s Group A with just two points to their name, and a similar situation could unfold this time around too with the likes of Manchester United, Benfica and CSKA Moscow making up a strong group.
The Swiss outfit have lost four of their last five at this level, along with having failed to win any of their last eight Champions League ties, while posting just one away win from their last 11 trips on their travels.
Mourinho loves a clean sheet, and I believe United will deliver on Tuesday night.
Pick: Manchester United to win to nil @ 1.73 Stan James
