The league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League resumes next week with 18 matches split evenly across what promises be two electric evenings of continental football on 21st and 22nd October.
The new UCL campaign is only two games in, but already the cream is rising to the top, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, defending champions PSG, Arsenal and Inter Milan occupying the top five positions in the 36-team table with six points each.
Below, we’ve zeroed in on some of Tuesday and Wednesday’s showpiece fixtures, with predictions and prices from Tonybet’s Champions League markets provided for each game.
Barcelona vs Olympiacos prediction
Barcelona wasted an opportunity to make a statement of intent in their last UCL assignment when they lost at home 2-1 to a PSG side that was missing some key players, including Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, Barca have been priced as heavy favourites (1.17 with Tonybet) to rebound against unfancied Greek outfit Olympiacos on Tuesday evening.
The teams haven’t met since they shared a Champions League group for the 2017/18 campaign, though Olympiacos won’t have fond memories of their trip to Catalonia back then.
They conceded 25 shots and were beaten 3-1 on that occasion by a Barcelona team that played more than half the game with 10 men, highlighting a major gulf in class between the clubs.
The personnel in both camps have changed since then, though Barcelona haven’t veered away from their short-passing style and 4-3-3 formation. Current coach Hansi Flick has leaned into Barca’s tactical traditions while adding some of his own tweaks to the formula.
Flick’s side know how to put their opponents in a stranglehold. They have been dominating an average of 67% possession in their fixtures this term, and they are likely to have the ball on a string again when they host an average-looking Olympiacos.
The Greeks are yet to score in this season’s Champions League, following their disappointing 0-0 draw with minnows Pafos FC on matchday one, and a limp showing in a 2-0 reverse at Arsenal on matchday two.
Their Spanish coach, José Luis Mendilibar, has faced Barcelona 27 times for his previous clubs, winning only once and losing on a staggering 23 separate occasions, and his record is unlikely to improve here.
Look to the handicap markets for better value here, while a 3-0 Barcelona win is fancied as a correct score pick at 6.60 with Tonybet.
Villarreal vs Manchester City prediction
Man City head south to Spain and El Madrigal for their third UCL league phase test of the campaign, where the Cityzens are keenly priced (1.71 with Tonybet) to collect three points at Villarreal’s expense.
City would welcome a repeat of the 3-0 win they produced when they last visited Villarreal in November 2011, though it might be difficult to emulate that emphatic scoreline against this more dogged version of the Yellow Submarine.
Villarreal lost narrowly to Tottenham (1-0) in a game of few chances on matchday one and held Juventus to a 2-2 draw on matchday two, and their robust defending has been a characteristic of their performances so far.
Indeed, with their 4-4-2 formation providing a solid defensive structure out of possession, Villarreal have conceded one or fewer goals in 70% of their 10 competitive fixtures this season, so bettors shouldn’t expect City to cut loose here.
Erling Haaland is in stellar form, though the prolific Norwegian’s supporting cast have been light on goals in comparison. Haaland scored three of City’s four goals in their win over Napoli (2-0) and draw with Monaco (2-2), and Pep Guardiola won’t want his team to develop too much of an overreliance on the 25-year-old.
Still, with Haaland in peak form, City should have the edge over a Villarreal side that have come up short in several high-profile games already this term.
They failed tests against Atlético Madrid (0-2), Tottenham (0-1) and Real Madrid (1-3), and could eventually be outclassed again by City. A 2-1 City win (at 7.80 with Tonybet) looks like a correct score forecast with merit for this one.
Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid prediction
Arsenal have a perfect record to protect when they welcome Atlético Madrid to the Emirates Stadium for what could be a gripping UCL league phase tussle on Tuesday evening.
The Gunners beat Athletic Bilbao (2-0) and Olympiacos (2-0) on matchdays one and two, though Diego Simeone’s Atlético are likely to be more of a nuisance in North London.
Atlético eliminated Arsenal from the semi-finals of the 2017/18 Europa League when the clubs last crossed paths, though the landscape has shifted for both clubs since then and the Gunners will kick off this week’s clash as short-price favourites to win (1.57 with Tonybet).
Atlético were denied a point at Liverpool by a Virgil van Dijk goal in added time when they visited Anfield on matchday one. However, they took out their frustrations against Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday two, delivering a thumping 5-1 win over the Germans that featured a massive 4.30 in xG for Simeone’s men.
We know what to expect from Atlético here: aggressive defending, hard hits, gamesmanship whenever possible, and a tight-knit 4-4-2 setup that squeezes the space between the lines.
Arsenal posted 61% possession figures in each of their first two Champions League fixtures and should be similarly dominant here, though Atlético won’t be overly concerned if they don’t see much of the ball.
Patience and composure will be required from Mikel Arteta’s side, and Arsenal’s potent set-piece routines could offer a route to victory again if they struggle to break down Atlético in open play.
Arsenal have been racking up the clean sheets this term, though Atlético have scored at least once in 100% of their competitive assignments since the summer, which makes us fancy a 2-1 home win in the correct score stakes (7.80 with Tonybet).
Real Madrid vs Juventus prediction
Real Madrid have been purring along nicely on two fronts under Xabi Alonso’s stewardship, and Los Blancos have been installed as 1.54 favourites with Tonybet to make it three wins in three in the Champions League at visiting Juventus’ expense.
Alonso’s charges made hard work of their 2-1 win over Marseille on matchday one, though the xG figures (3.80-0.80) from that clash suggested that Real should have been more comfortable.
They did enjoy a 5-0 triumph over Kazakhstan makeweights Kairat on matchday two. However, with hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappé stealing the show, and with the explosive Frenchman in tow, Real could have too much firepower for Juventus.
Alonso has been working on turning Real into a pressing machine out of possession and, like he did at previous club Bayer Leverkusen, the Spanish coach has been switching between formations, with Madrid lining up in several different structures already this term.
He masterminded a 1-0 over Juventus when the clubs met in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in the summer, though again, Real should have made life easier for themselves on that occasion after they mustered 21 attempts to Juve’s six.
Alonso deployed his team in a 3-5-2 formation in that stateside skirmish to match Juventus like for like, though 4-4-2 has been his preferred system of late and we could see something similar on Wednesday evening.
Igor Tudor’s Juventus shipped six goals across their opening two Champions League fixtures against Dortmund (4-4) and Villarreal (2-2), and were on course to lose to the former before netting two dramatic goals in injury time.
Their defensive frailties are likely to be exposed again by a high-calibre, clinical Real Madrid frontline at the Santiago Bernabéu, where a 3-1 home win (priced at 11.00 with Tonybet) is the pick.
Liverpool vs Eintracht Frankfurt prediction
Liverpool never really got going on matchday two in Turkey, where they were edged out by a more motivated Galatasaray (0-1), though a first ever meeting with a leaky Eintracht Frankfurt should make for smoother sailing in Germany.
Frankfurt are priced as long as 4.60 with Tonybet ahead of Wednesday’s game, though their chances of causing an upset are slim for good reason.
Die Adler are great value in terms of entertainment under Dino Toppmöller, though their cavalier approach leaves them exposed against better teams, as evidenced by heavy recent defeats to Atlético Madrid (5-1) and Bayern Munich (3-0).
Indeed, Eintracht Frankfurt have already conceded three or more goals in more than half of their fixtures since the summer, and Liverpool’s expensively assembled forward line should have plenty of room to manoeuvre at Deutsche Bank Park.
Still striving to find balance in his top-heavy team, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been trying to solve defensive issues of his own. However, his Reds should pack enough of a punch with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and former Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike to outgun Frankfurt here.
When Toppmöller’s philosophy clicks, their attacking play can dazzle, however, and Frankfurt’s 5-1 win over Galatasaray on matchday one showcased their ability to swarm forward when they have the right momentum.
The factors here suggest that a high-scoring game could unfold and a 3-2 Liverpool win (16.00) catches the eye as a correct score prediction with potential.
Chelsea vs Ajax prediction
Chelsea last met Ajax during the Dutch giants’ heady days under Erik ten Hag in November 2019, though bettors shouldn’t expect a repeat of the pulsating 4-4 draw the clubs produced six years ago when they collide again at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening.
This current Ajax iteration is a far cry from the Champions League semi-finalists of 2018/19. They were defeated heavily 4-0 by Marseille on UCL matchday two in September and failed to score again in their opener against Inter Milan (2-0).
Chelsea are clear favourites at 1.25 with Tonybet to see off Ajax on Wednesday, which offers little value, though they are a more attractive 2.25 to win to nil, which is an alternative with plenty of appeal.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues put their first points on the board in the UCL league phase with a 1-0 win over Benfica in London, though they needed a Richard Ríos own goal to get over the line there following a clunky showing against José Mourinho’s side.
Chelsea didn’t cover themselves in glory in their 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich on matchday one either, though this visiting Ajax team aren’t up to standard, and we expect the Blues to be in command on Wednesday.
Ajax’s 4-3-3 formation has been pulled apart by their Champions League opponents so far, and Chelsea’s superior class should tell at Stamford Bridge. A 2-0 home win at 7.20 fits the bill in the correct score stakes in West London.
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