Champions League Wednesday match betting previews, free tips & where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Tuesday's Champions League games, including Zenit Saint Petersburg v Lyon, Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund, Racing Genk v RB Salzburg, Lille v Ajax, RB Leipzig v Benfica & Slavia Prague v Inter Milan.

Zenit Saint Petersburg v Lyon

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 5.55pm Wednesday

Best bet

Zenit St Petersburg
1pt 13-10 general

Back this tip with bet365

Team news

Zenit Saint Petersburg
Malcom (thigh) and Emmanuel Mammana (knee) are long-term absentees.

Lyon
Marcal (thigh) is back in contention but Memphis Depay (thigh) and Houssem Aouar (hamstring) have not travelled.

Match preview

Group G always looked evenly-matched and Zenit St Petersburg can keep the race for qualification alive by defeating Lyon.

Successive defeats to RB Leipzig have seen Zenit slip from first to third but a victory on matchday five would lift the Russians above Lyon by virtue of a better head-to-head record.

There was little to choose between the teams when they drew 1-1 in France in September.

Lyon responded reasonably well – winning two of their next three games – but make the trip to Saint Petersburg without influential attackers Memphis Depay and Houssem Aouar.

There will be pressure on Lyon's defence to keep a clean sheet but they have achieved just two shutouts in their last 16 games and may struggle to contain a potent Zenit attack featuring prolific target man Artem Dzyuba and exciting Iranian Serdar Azmoun.

Key stat

Zenit have lost one of their last 16 home fixtures.

Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund

Where to watch

BT Sport ESPN, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Barcelona -1 on Asian handicap
1pt 24-25 bet365

Back this tip with bet365

Team news

Barcelona
Ivan Rakitic (Achilles) is available but Gerard Pique is suspended and Nelson Semedo (calf), Jordi Alba (hamstring) and Clement Lenglet (calf) are ruled out.

Borussia Dortmund
Thomas Delaney (ankle) has joined Paco Alcacer, Jacob Bruun Larsen (both knee) on the sidelines but Marcel Schmelzer (hip) and Marco Reus (ankle) are back in contention.

Match preview

Barcelona have failed to convince in Group F but can make sure of qualification and top spot by defeating Borussia Dortmund at Camp Nou.

The Catalans' first-choice attack, featuring Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, is widely recognised as one of the best on the planet.

But it has failed to click with Barca scoring just four goals in four Champions League matches.

Ernesto Valverde's side drew 0-0 at home to Slavia Prague on matchday four and need to be careful because a loss to Dortmund could leave them at serious risk of elimination.

Dortmund would probably settle for a point, keeping qualification in their hands going into next month's clash at home to Slavia.

However, they are struggling at the back - conceding nine goals in the last three games – and further defensive errors may contribute to a damaging defeat.

Key stat

Barcelona have won 17 of their last 18 home fixtures.

Racing Genk v RB Salzburg

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 5, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

T Minamino first scorer
1pt each-way 17-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

Back this tip with bet365

Team news

Racing Genk
Midfielder Bryan Heynen was injured during Saturday's 2-2 draw at Mouscron.

RB Salzburg
Smail Prevljak (neck) is available but Erling Haaland (knee) and Sekou Koita (stomach) are doubts and Cican Stankovic (thigh), Patrick Farkas (circulatory problems) and Antoine Bernede (shin) are sidelined.

Match preview

Salzburg have done their utmost to give Liverpool and Napoli a run for their money in Group E but are under pressure because anything other than a victory over basement-boys Genk will see them eliminated from the competition.

Norwegian teenager Erling Haaland has played the starring role for Salzburg – scoring seven goals in four games, including a hat-trick in the 6-2 matchday one success at home to Genk.

However, Haaland has been struggling with a knee injury for the last fortnight and missed Saturday's 2-2 draw at St Polten.

Malian attacker Sekou Koita also missed out at the weekend and, given Salzburg's injury concerns, it looks a risk to back them at odds-on.

Japanese attacker Takumi Minamino stepped up to the plate with the opening goal against St Polten and looks overpriced to stay on the scoring trail.

Key stat

Genk have kept one clean sheet in their last nine fixtures.

Lille v Ajax

Where to watch

BT Sport 3, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Q Promes first scorer
1pt each-way 7-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Team news

Lille
Timothy Weah (leg) is a long-term absentee but Renato Sanches has overcome a hamstring strain.

Ajax
Daley Blind and Joel Veltman are suspended and David Neres (knee) will not play again this year.

Match preview

Ajax threw away a 4-1 lead to draw 4-4 at Chelsea on matchday four but they remain in a strong position and are odds-on to retain their top-two status by defeating Lille in France.

Fourth-placed Lille retain little more than a mathematical chance of finishing third and may not have recovered from the despair of this month's 4-1 loss away to Valencia, when they conceded three goals inside the last ten minutes.

They are mid-table in Ligue 1 – taking one point from their last three games – and might consider the weekend clash at home to Dijon to be of greater importance.

Ajax should get the victory but are not odds-on banker material without suspended first-choice defenders Daley Blind and Joel Veltman.

They may need to score twice and their top scorer, Quincy Promes, should have a key role to play.

Key stat

Quincy Promes has scored in three of four Champions League matches this season.

RB Leipzig v Benfica

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 4, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Leipzig-Leipzig double result
1pt 5-4 Betfred, BoyleSports, Coral

Back this tip with Coral

Team news

RB Leipzig
Patrick Schick (ankle) is available and Ibrahima Konate (hip), Tyler Adams (foot) and Hannes Wolf (ankle) are back in training but Nordi Mukieli (muscle strain), Willi Orban (knee) and Kevin Kampl (ankle) are out.

Benfica
Haris Seferovic (calf) was injured during the November international break and Rafa Silva (thigh) is sidelined but Ferro (head) is back in contention.

Match preview

RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsman was briefly mentioned as a possible successor to Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham and his attacking brand of football should overwhelm Benfica at the Red Bull Arena.

Nagelsman's side have won three of four matches in Group G and are hot favourites to defeat Benfica and advance to the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

Benfica are a famous club with a fantastic pedigree (winning the European Cup twice) but suffered group-stage eliminations in 2017 and 2018 and are staring down the barrel once again after three losses in four games.

The Portuguese giants were well beaten in both of their away games – losing 3-1 to Zenit and Lyon – and it is hard to imagine them offering much resistance to Leipzig, who are the Bundesliga's joint-top scorers (alongside Bayern Munich) with 33 goals.

Key stat

Leipzig have been in front at half-time and full-time in each of their last five games.

Slavia Prague v Inter Milan

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 2, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

Inter
1pt 6-5 Betfair, Betfred, Paddy Power

Team news

Slavia Prague
Tomas Soucek (illness) missed out at the weekend and David Hovorka (knee) is out long-term but Ibrahim Traore (ankle) is back in contention.

Inter Milan
Alessandro Bastoni (foot) is available but Nicolo Barella (knee) was substituted at the weekend and Alexis Sanchez, Matteo Politano (both ankle), Stefano Sensi (thigh), Kwadwo Asamoah (knee) and Roberto Gagliardini (thigh) are ruled out.

Match preview

Slavia Prague have been more competitive than expected in Group F but their slim hopes of qualification are likely to disappear with a defeat to Inter in the Czech capital.

Respect for Slavia has grown substantially since they held Inter to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on matchday one.

But the Czechs have lacked a clinical touch in front of goal and have scored just twice in four games.

Confidence in the Slavia camp is likely to have risen to an all-time high after they drew 0-0 away to Barcelona earlier this month.

However, only victories are going to extend Slavia's European campaign and, if they are a too adventurous, they risk being picked off.

Inter have won seven times on the road this season and looks tasty odds-against favourites in Prague.

Key stat

Inter have won seven of their last nine away matches.

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