Champions League: Wednesday's betting previews, free tips & analysis

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Wednesday's Champions League games.

Shakhtar v Atalanta

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 5.55pm Wednesday

Best bet

Over 1.5 Atalanta goals
2pts Evs general
Back this tip with bet365

Match preview

Atalanta’s slow start to their European campaign means they need a win away to Shakhtar Donetsk if they are to have any chance of making the last 16.

The Serie A side love to play on the front foot so the circumstances of this fixture may suit them and they warmed up for this trip with six goals in league victories over Brescia and Verona.

Atalanta’s domestic away form is excellent with five wins and three draws from eight games and their creative players should cause problems for a creaking Shakhtar defence.

The Ukrainians claimed a 1-1 draw at Manchester City last time out but before then they had conceded five goals in two high-scoring draws with Dinamo Zagreb and they could be vulnerable against gung-ho opponents who need maximum points.

Key stat

Atalanta have lost only four of their last 19 matches in European competitions.

Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 3, 8pm

Best bet

First goal after 26:59
1pt Evs Betfair, Paddy Power

Match preview

Atletico will qualify for the last 16 if they beat Lokomotiv Moscow or rivals Bayer Leverkusen fail to see off Juventus but the Spanish aces have been well short of their best in recent weeks.

They are long odds-on to get the job done against their Russian visitors despite having scored only one goal in their last four games.

Two of those fixtures were against the might of Juve and Barcelona but Atleti have found it hard work even against lesser opponents this term and they may take time to break through against Lokomotiv.

The Muscovites were thumped 4-0 by Arsenal Tula in their last league game but they competed well in a pair of 2-1 defeats to Juventus and the reverse fixture was goalless at half-time before Atletico scored twice after the break.

Key stat

Atletico have scored 13 goals in four meetings with Lokomotiv.

Bayer Leverkusen v Juventus

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 2, 8pm

Best bet

Both teams to score
2pts 4-6 RedZone
Back this tip with bet365

Match preview

After opening up with a 2-2 draw away to familiar foes Atletico Madrid, Juventus have won four on the trot in Group D and the Turin giants are guaranteed top spot in the section.

That should be good news for their final opponents Bayer Leverkusen, who need to beat Juve and hope for a slip-up from Atletico Madrid.

The Germans lost their first three games but kept their slender hopes of qualifying alive thanks to wins over Atletico and Lokomotiv.

Leverkusen have beaten Bayern Munich and Schalke in their last two Bundesliga games and are favourites to take three points as the layers expect Juve to ring the changes.

However, a safer bet may be for both teams to score given that the visitors have found the net in all but one of their 20 matches this season.

Key stat

Bayer Leverkusen have won five of their last six games in all competitions.

Club Brugge v Real Madrid

Where to watch

BT Sport ESPN, 8pm

Best bet

Real Madrid
1pt 6-5 Coral
Back this tip with Coral

Match preview

The top two in Group A are inked in with PSG winning the section from Real Madrid so Real’s trip to Club Brugge is a tricky betting heat.

The Belgians are still battling for a Europa League spot but it is hard to get excited about their chances of upsetting Real despite their surprise 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu earlier in the campaign.

Brugge have scored only one goal in their other four group games and were hammered 5-0 by PSG in their second home game, having managed just two shots on target in their goalless opener against Galatasaray.

Real have started to click into gear with five wins and a draw with PSG from their last six fixtures and they merit a small bet to sign off in style.

Key stat

Club Brugge have failed to score in five of their last seven Champions League matches.

Olympiakos v Red Star Belgrade

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 5, 8pm

Best bet

Olympiakos to win 2-1
1pt 15-2 general
Back this tip with bet365

Match preview

A draw at Olympiakos would be enough for Red Star to book their place in the Europa League as Bayern Munich and Tottenham have wrapped up the top two spots in Group B.

Red Star won the reverse fixture 3-1 but they were trailing 1-0 when Yassine Benzia was sent off for Olympiakos in the 57th minute.

The Greeks have just one point from five games but that isn’t a fair reflection of their efforts, having held Spurs to a 2-2 draw at home and taken an early 2-0 lead in north London before going down 4-2.

They also gave Bayern a scare in a 3-2 defeat and they are worth backing to pinch third place in the group from a Red Star side who have lost their last three matches by an aggregate score of 15-0.

Key stat

Olympiakos had been unbeaten in ten home European games before losing 3-2 to Bayern on matchday four.

Paris St-Germain v Galatasaray

Where to watch

BT Sport Extra 4, 8pm

Best bet

PSG to win to nil
3pts Evs Betfred, Sky Bet
Back this tip with Coral

Match preview

Paris St-Germain scored two late goals to claim a 2-2 draw at Real Madrid last time out, sealing top spot in Group A in the process.

The French champions have nothing to play for in their final game against Galatasaray but they should still outclass their shot-shy visitors whose forwards have struggled to make any kind of impact this season.

Gala fluffed the chance of a rare Champions League victory when conceding a 90th-minute equaliser against Club Brugge on matchday five, having been thrashed 6-0 away to Real in their previous outing.

PSG’s defence has been miserly at home this season and, even with the group wrapped up, they look good value to keep their toothless visitors quiet.

Key stat

None of PSG’s ten home games this season have seen both teams score.

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