💎 Gem Bet: Joao Simoes - 2+ Fouls Committed @ 1.83 (Bet365)

This gem is best priced with bet365. Sign up here and get £30 in free bets when you back this gem with £10.

Sporting will be a bit light in midfield here due to the suspension of Morten Hjulmand, opening the door for 19 year old Joao Simoes to have a starring role. It’s clear that he has talent, but he’s quite the temper as well - committing 25 fouls across just nine starts in Liga Portugal this season (2.98 per 90). 

Simoes maintained a similar foul average across his four starts in Liga Portugal last season (2.05 per 90) and has committed a foul in four of his last five Champions League appearances - committing multiple fouls in two of these games. Other bookmakers have set his foul line for 2+ at 1.22, which is the price you can get for Simoes to commit just one foul on Bet365 - suggesting serious value. 

Simoes will have to deal with Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi here - all players that are vastly more experienced than him and can get under his skin at times. It’s worth noting that Sporting have not reached the quarter finals of the Champions League in over 20 years, so this is new ground to a lot of their players and that could be accompanied by petulance.

I’d look at Simoes to pick up a card here as well, the referee in Daniel Siebert is averaging 5.14 cards per game in the Champions League this season - and Sporting have collected the third most yellow cards in the competition (22). 

There is excellent value with this angle when backing with Bet365, the exact same pick is priced as low as 1.22 with other bookmakers..