Football odds today, the newly crowned treble winners, Manchester City, have had a perfect start in the English Premier League this season, but their journey has been filled with ups and downs. Their key player, De Bruyne, is sidelined with injury for several months, raising doubts about their ability to defend the title. RB Leipzig had a successful season last year, but they have lost two key players. Can they maintain their competitiveness this season
After the departure of football legend Messi, Barcelona struggled to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League and even failed to secure a league title. However, under the guidance of head coach Xavi last season, Barcelona finally clinched the La Liga championship, ending a drought of four years. Iranian forward Taremi plays a crucial role for Porto, and his performance will directly impact the team’s overall performance.
Football odds today: Analysis of UEFA Champion League Group G
Manchester City
Last season’s achievements: UEFA Champions League winners, Premier League champions, FA Cup winners.
Coach: Pep Guardiola.
Team Analysis:
As the current dominant force in the world of football, Manchester City faces enormous challenges this season. They are not only striving for a back-to-back UEFA Champions League title but also aiming for a historic treble within two years.
However, in the opening round of the Premier League, they suffered a setback by losing their maestro, De Bruyne, who is expected to be sidelined for several months. Nevertheless, under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, the team has effectively utilized its squad depth.
For instance, players like Alvarez, who didn’t often start last season, have taken on roles as shadow strikers, while Foden has assumed the mantle of an attacking midfielder. This strategic adaptation has enabled Manchester City to maintain a perfect record in the Premier League so far.
However, there are still some concerns for Manchester City. So far this season, they have only defeated Newcastle United, who had a poor start to the campaign, while facing strong opponents in other matches. Unlike the previous season when they often kept clean sheets, Manchester City has conceded goals in games against Sheffield United, Fulham, and West Ham United. Although Haaland has the ability to score timely goals to turn the tide, it’s evident that his influence diminishes significantly in high-intensity matches. Moreover, Haaland heavily relies on De Bruyne’s playmaking skills, and with De Bruyne sidelined for a short period, Guardiola must find a solution quickly to address these issues.
Crvena Zvezda
Last season’s achievements: Won the Serbian SuperLiga and the Serbian Cup
Coach: Dejan Stanković
Team Analysis:
Red Star Belgrade’s last entry into the UEFA Champion League group stage was in the 2019-20 season. Back then, they went through multiple rounds of qualifiers but faced a disappointing group stage with only 1 win and 5 losses, resulting in an early exit. Last year, they were eliminated in the qualifiers by Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
However, this year, due to Serbia’s 11th-place ranking in the European club competition coefficients, Red Star secured direct entry into the group stage as one of the top 12 league champions in terms of coefficients. This season, Ivory Coast international Krasso has emerged as a crucial player for Red Star Belgrade’s attacking prowess, scoring 6 goals for the team in the first seven rounds of the Serbian Liga. On the other hand, the right winger from Ghana, Bukari, has also made a significant contribution with 3 goals.
In last year’s World Cup, Bukari made a name for himself by scoring a crucial goal against Portugal in the 89th minute. Although Ghana ultimately lost the match, Bukari’s goal left the entire Portuguese team surprised and highlighted his composure and courage in critical moments.
In the UEFA Champion League group stage, Red Star Belgrade has been placed in a highly challenging group, featuring the defending champions Manchester City and the strong German side RB Leipzig. While their chances of advancing may seem slim, they are in the same group as the relatively evenly matched Young Boys from Bern. As a result, Red Star Belgrade may focus their efforts on the matches against Young Boys, aiming to secure a place in the Europa League as a potential path to European competition advancement.
Football odds today: Young Boys
Last season’s achievements: Swiss Super League champions, Swiss Cup winners
Coach: Vicky
Team Analysis:
In the previous season, Young Boys had a remarkable performance, scoring an astonishing 82 goals while conceding only 30 in the Swiss Super League. They dominated the league and clinched their 16th Swiss Super League title in club history. What’s even more exciting is their journey through the UEFA Champion League qualifiers.
They triumphed in the playoff round with an aggregate score of 3-0 against Hapoel Beer-Sheva, a team that had made it to the Champion League group stage in the previous season. This victory earned Young Boys another opportunity to compete in the UEFA Champion League group stage, marking another remarkable achievement following their participation in the 21/22 season.
In terms of defense, Young Boys are likely to face significant challenges. Last season, the forward duo of Nsame and Elia, who collectively scored 40 goals in the Swiss Super League, played pivotal roles. Even though their chances of advancing in the UEFA Champions League may be relatively low, the high-intensity nature of the competition will provide valuable experience and refinement for the team’s players.
Group G Predicted Rankings:
- Manchester City
- RB Leipzig
- Red Star Belgrade
- Young Boys