Champions League Qual Betting Odds Comparison

Play Offs 2nd Leg Betting Odds

Dynamo Kyiv v Ajax – Dutch Side’s Firepower to See Them Through

Dynamo Kyiv may have been slightly further along in their domestic season and therefore their fitness levels compared to Ajax but that did not help them in Amsterdam. A first half blitz was enough for Ajax as they secured a comfortable 3-1 win, becoming the firmest of favourites to qualify for the Champions League.

The only danger is that Dynamo did score an away goal. However, this exciting Ajax team is full of talented creative and attacking players. They should have little trouble scoring in Kyiv and putting the tie beyond doubt even if the home side try their best to keep the tie interesting. That suggests that both teams to score is a good bet at 8/11.

Dinamo Zagreb v Young Boys – Zagreb to Make the Most Of Home Advantage

Young Boys have never before played in the group stage of the Champions League. The Swiss side will have felt that they had a good chance of ending that run but only if they could make the most of their home advantage against Dinamo Zagreb. Unfortunately, they were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg which puts the ball firmly in Zagreb’s court.

The Croatian side are unbeaten in their last nine European games and are generally difficult to beat at home. Young Boys will give their all and could grab a goal but it’s Dinamo Zagreb who are the most likely to qualify at rather generous betting odds of 9/10.

AEK Athens v MOL Vidi – Job Almost Already Done for AEK

AEK Athens approached the first leg of their playoff tie with MOL Vidi riding high after ending Celtic’s chances of playing Champions League football. Marinos Ouzounidis didn’t allow complacency to sneak in though as he knew the Hungarian side could be tricky opponents on their own patch.

AEK should look on their 2-1 win in Hungary as a very good result indeed. The win and two goals will have knocked the stuffing out of MOL Vidi and the Greek side should be able to complete the job with minimal fuss now so consider backing them to win to nil at odds of 11/8.

PAOK v Benfica – Benfica Can Squeeze Through in a High Scoring Affair

Benfica went into their qualifying tie against PAOK as the clear favourites. The Portuguese side have the stronger squad on paper and the European pedigree but that counted for little as PAOK scored a late equaliser to leave this tie very well balanced at 1-1.

As things stand, Benfica must score at Stadio Toumba to have any chance of qualifying. This is a great opportunity for PAOK to play in the Champions League proper for the first time but Benfica won’t be giving up their place at European football’s top table without a fight. That’s a recipe for an entertaining game in which over 2.5 goals is well priced at 6/5 on our odds comparison

PSV v BATE Borisov – PSV to End the Tie as a Contest Nice and Early

The first leg of this tie may have been a little too entertaining for PSV manager, Mark van Bommel’s, liking but he was delighted that his team came through a tough test with a 3-2 win. BATE Borisov have proven to be tricky opponents in past Champions Leagues so inflicting that defeat on their own patch was vitally important and has PSV as the heavy odds-on favourites to qualify.

We predict Van Bommel will implore his players to keep their foot on the gas and score an early goal to really put this tie beyond doubt. Therefore, a bet on over 1.5 first half goals may be worth the risk at 8/5.

RB Salzburg v Red Star Belgrade – Austrians to Get the Job Done at Home

RB Salzburg impressed many football fans last season with their run through to the semi finals of the Europa League. The Austrian side utilised that European experience very well in the first leg against Red Star Belgrade where they fought hard for a goalless draw.

That stalemate puts RB Salzburg in the driving seat. The bookies have them as a 2/7 shot to qualify and it’s tough to argue against that reading of the match. Expect another professional performance from the home side who can win to nil at much bigger odds of 11/10.

2018 UCL Qualification Play Offs Tips

BATE Borisov v PSV Eindhoven – PSV To Show Their Class

Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven face a tricky trip to face BATE Borisov in Belarus on Tuesday, but the bookies are confident the visitors will get the win. Mark van Bommel’s men are priced at betting odds of 5/6 with many bookies to get the victory, and we think that isn’t bad value given their pedigree.

BATE won’t roll over for the visitors of course, having seen off Qarabag 2-1 on aggregate in the third round of qualifying for the Champions League. But it is fair to suggest that Alyaksey Baha’s men would be pulling off one hell of an upset were they to get anything from this one. We’re backing the Dutch to leave with a decent first-leg lead.

Benfica v PAOK Salonika – Benfica Facing Tough Task Against Greeks

Benfica, who finished second behind Porto in the Portuguese top flight last term, might be priced at odds as short as 2/5 to win the first leg against PAOK of Greece, but they should not underestimate their opponents. Ivan Savvidis’s men overcame Spartak Moscow 3-2 over two legs, which is no mean feat, especially earning a draw in the Russian capital.

Of course, it has to be said that Benfica are leagues ahead of PAOK in terms of the quality they possess, but the Portuguese have been known to stumble on occasions, and we think they might fluff their lines a little here. We predict the first leg will end all square with Benfica having to find an extra gear in the return match.

Red Star Belgrade v FC Red Bull Salzburg – Battle Of The Reds

Red Star versus Red Bull sounds as much like some intergalactic video game as is does a football match, but it looks like it could be a cracker. Both sides will fancy their chances of progressing to the group stages of the Champions League, and though the bookies make Salzburg the favourites to qualify, we think it will be closer than the prices suggest.

For the opening leg, in a hostile environment in the Serbian capital, we predict there will be chances for both sides and our betting tip is for both teams to score in the game. It could go either way in terms of the result so we’re playing it relatively safe with a simple BTTS bet here.

Ajax v Dynamo Kiev – Ajax Look Well Set To Progress

Ajax made short work of Standard Liege in the third qualifying round, hammering them 3-0 at home to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory. Indeed Erik ten Hag’s men will be looking for a similarly emphatic scoreline when they host Dynamo Kiev.

For their part, Kiev got the better of Slavia Prague with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline, but the Ukrainians simply won’t be solid enough at the back to withstand the likely onslaught from Dusan Tadic and co. We think the opening leg will see a convincing home win, with 2-0 our prediction.

MOL Vidi v AEK Athens – Hungarians Could Spring Surprise

Hungary’s MOL Vidi face AEK Athens in the Champions League play off, and though the bookies have already written the minnows off, we think they might just pull off the shock of the round.

AEK dumped Celtic out of the competition in the last round and that result will have given them plenty of confidence. But MOL’s victory on away goals against Swedish side Malmo could yet propel them to greater heights and Marko Nikolić’s side look decent value to win the first leg here. The Hungarians have never qualified for the Champions League group stage before, and this is a chance they will not want to pass up.

Young Boys v Dinamo Zagreb – Zagreb To Use Experience Against Young Boys

Young Boys won the Swiss Super League last season and they have played in 33 Champions League matches to date, winning 11 and drawing seven of them. They have never made it to the group stages though, unlike Zagreb who have made it that far twice: in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

This is a tough one to call from a betting point of view but we are edging towards siding with Nenad Bjelica’s men from Zagreb. We predict it will be a rather open game though and backing Zagreb to snatch the away win but with both teams scoring looks like a top value bet to us.

The Champions League is the holy grail of football for many sides and certainly for many of football’s legion of money men. Whilst the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG won’t be thinking about the competition just yet, many of Europe’s smaller sides are already very much involved.

Whilst the big boys won’t start their quest for Champions League glory until September, the pre-group qualification stages began back in June. Sides such as Northern Ireland’s Linfield, The New Saints of Wales and Malta’s Hibernians may not be household names but they, unlike relative giants such as Everton, AC Milan and Valencia, can at least say they played in the 2017-18 Champions League.

The draw for the Group Stage takes place at the end of August but before then we have a number of qualification rounds ahead of us. We’ve got live odds comparison for all of these games. If you fancy a bet on some of this Champions League football, this is the easiest way to get the best betting odds.

You might not ordinarily bet on sides you’ve barely heard of, but with no other major football between now and August, why not give it a chance? There are three qualifying rounds and then a round of play-offs prior to the start of the Champions League proper.

The first qualifying round has been and gone, with sides such as the aforementioned Linfield and Hibernians managing to progress. Those two face Celtic and Red Bull Salzburg respectively, so we fancy it is safe to say that will be the end of the line for them.

The second qualifying round of this year’s Champions League takes place on the 11-12 and 18-19 July. The final qualifying round follows a week later, with first legs on the 25-26 July and return fixtures on 1-2 August.

At this stage some of Europe’s genuine heavyweights enter proceedings. Napoli, Sevilla, Liverpool, Hoffenheim and Sporting Lisbon await the plucky minnows who make it this far. The draw for this crucial stage of the 2017-18 Champions League will be made on the 4th August. The key matches will then be held on the 15-16 August and 22-23 August.

This whole process will ultimately put 10 sides through to the Champions League Group Stage. If any of the smallest sides can make it this far they will be in line for an unparalleled (for them) pay day. It’s unlikely that any of the sides from the first qualifying round will make it this far but, of course, anything can happen in football.

At the other end of the spectrum, failure for the likes of Liverpool or Napoli would be a huge blow. The financial implications and the impact on attracting new signings would really set these clubs back.

Of course, none of this concerns neutrals. All we care about is backing winners at the best odds so, with easy odds comparison to help, enjoy your Champions League summer betting!