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Pompey are in good form, but it’s a squad game and Wolves have the upper hand in that department as both sides prepare for their fourth game in 11 days.

This is also the second of two away games in four days for the visitors, who won 1-0 at Norwich on Saturday.

Wolves got back to winning ways at the weekend, with a 2-1 win at Burnley on Friday, giving them more time than Pompey to prepare for this game, adding to the fixture congestion advantage.

They brought Mateus Mane, Tommy Doyle, Hugo Bueno and Ladislav Krejci off the bench in that game, a strength of second string that is leagues above Pompey’s bench strength.

Wolves have the best xG conceded per game figure in the division (1.01), and have generated almost 0.5 xG more than Pompey per game as well.

It’s an understandable short price for a parachute payments team hosting a Pompey side who’ve come through relegation battles in each of the last two seasons.

Wolves have a lot more firepower to call on to navigate their way out of this busy period.

Huddersfield have, finally, been dynamite this season.

They’re one of four teams trailing league leaders Bradford by just one point, but they’re the ones with the data to back it up.

They could cover this bet on their own - they rank 1st on expected points, with an expected goal difference of +12.0.

Reading are 2nd with +11.6 for this metric, but then to drop to 3rd is massive to +6.5 (Sheffield Wednesday).

Peterborough could chip in as well, they’ve scored five in two since Robbie Savage took over, generating well over 4 xG across those two, and Huddersfield haven’t kept a home clean sheet since the opening day in the league.

The Huddersfield win & over 2.5 goals double also appeals at odds-against prices.

Bristol Rovers cannot be trusted at the moment, and this is a good opportunity to oppose them with a Salford side who’ve won five on the bounce and seven of their last eight at a decent price.

Draw No Bet appeals, as does backing Salford -1 Goal Handicap (to win by two or more goals) for a longshot at 5.50.

As mentioned, this is mainly a move to lay Bristol Rovers, who have the bizarre record of five wins and six losses in the league.

They’ve now lost five of six in the league, four of those five losses have been by two or more goals, and the win was a 1-0 scalp over 16th-placed Exeter - who’ve only scored six in 11 games this season, so hardly a hugely impressive result.

They’ve underperformed a touch in both boxes, but they’re xG data is on the decline alongside their results, they’ve only generated a higher xG than their opponents in one of six, the win over Exeter.

Salford already have a six-point cushion inside the top three and can build on that this midweek at out-of-sorts Rovers.

Newport are winless from five league away games this season.

They’ve only won once away from home in the league since mid March, and that was against rock-bottom Barrow on the final game of last season.

Rotherham have only lost one of five home league games, and are one of the biggest xG underperformers in the EFL.

They’re 23rd in the league going into this midweek slate, despite trending as a play-off challenger and have unsustainably underperformed in both boxes - sustain the performance levels and the results will improve.

Newport are much improved from last season, but we’re yet to see it outside of Wales and Rotherham have shown their competitiveness at home.

1-1 v York (4th)
2-1 v Chesterfield (7th)
3-3 v Salford (1st)
1-1 v Crewe (3rd)
1-4 v Gillingham (6th)

Newport aren’t at the same level of the above five that Rotherham have already shown they can compete with, aside from the anomalous Gills defeat - where they somehow managed to concede four goals from eight total shots.

Rotherham’s league position can be, in part, put down to fixture difficulty in a small sample - they can start hauling themselves up the table with a positive result against Newport.

This could be one of the best games we’ve ever seen in the Champions League with two of the best attacking sides in Europe facing off at the Parc Des Princes.

BTTS is as short as 1.14 with some bookmakers, the level of attacking talent on show makes it hard to make a case against a high scoring game. This selection has landed in each of PSG’s last four games, including a 4-2 win over Manchester City at the Etihad.

Barcelona saw seven goals over the weekend as they came away with a 5-2 win over Real Betis. Hansi Flick and his side believe they can outscore any team, and this selection has landed in both of their Champions League matches so far with heavy wins against Feyenoord and Galatasaray.

This looks like a really exciting match on paper, and I make it slightly closer than the odds suggest with the home sides being outsiders at 3.30.

|Stuttgart have stuck with a consistent project under Sebastien Hoeness over the last few years, and have started much better in the Champions League than domestically this term. 

They’ve won both of their games in Europe by an aggregate score of 6-1, but haven’t had the same success in the Bundesliga with two wins from their opening six games. 

However, Stuttgart have been quite unlucky in the early stages of the season with their xG difference seeing them four places lower than they should be in the German top flight.

Atletico Madrid are progressing really well with a slightly new identity under Simeone, they’ve won each of their last five matches and seen BTTS in two of these games.

The LaLiga side have conceded an xG of 0.98 or higher in both of their Champions League matches so far, seeing BTTS in their opening game against Liverpool.

Napoli have made their worst start to a season since the 2001/02 campaign, losing five of their opening nine matches.

They now welcome a Bodo Glimt side who have won each of their last four matches, scoring multiple goals in three of these games. They beat Dortmund 1-0 at home in their last Champions League assignment, and can capitalise on the real issues in Naples.

Allegri was a bizarre choice as head coach for Napoli, even in a league that insists on recycling the same five managers, and the squad he’s built lacks leadership and is very vulnerable at the back - they’ve only kept three clean sheets this season.

Liverpool have won both of their games in the Champions League so far, and a third victory here would likely be enough for them to at least be sure of a top 24 finish - and set up a decent chance of a top 8 finish, while allowing Iraola to rotate in more packed portions of the season.

Villarreal have struggled to find the form that earned them a spot in the Champions League last season. They’ve only won two of their nine games in LaLiga this term, and lost to Dortmund 3-2 on Matchday 1 whilst conceding an xG of 2.83 from 18 shots. Furthermore, Villarreal have won just one of their five away games domestically this season.

Liverpool are growing in confidence under Iraola and come into this clash having won four of their last five matches. They’re showing plenty of resilience in these games too, battling back from behind against Brentford over the weekend as well as surviving a late spell from LASK last time out in the Champions League. 

Raphinha has started the season with a point to prove, netting 14 goals across just nine starts with two of these goals coming in Barcelona’s 5-1 thrashing of Feyenoord last time out in the Champions League.

I still think Raphinha gets overlooked far too often in this Barcelona side. Most of the focus is, understandably, on Lamine Yamal and I get the sense that bothers Raphinha a little when he’s posting these kinds of numbers - and almost always turns up in the big moments.

Raphinha has taken 26 shots across his seven starts in LaLiga (4.07 per 90), seeing 16 of those efforts find the target (2.50 per 90). He scored three goals across his six starts in the Champions League last season, averaging 3.31 shots per 90 and 1.65 shots on target per 90.

Furthermore, PSG are not as settled at the back as their recent form would suggest. They’ve won each of their last five games, but only kept one clean sheet across these matches. They allowed Manchester City to have 27 shots and nine shots on target last time out in the Champions League.

Rodri has taken this Barcelona side to another level. 

They were already definitely the best attacking side in Europe, but it was Flick’s insistence to play with a high line that saw them fall short defensively - particularly in the Champions League.

Putting Rodri into midfield has pretty much solved this issue, mainly because Barcelona are not turning over the ball as much as they did last season. 

This isn’t something that’s really obvious at the moment, but I think it will be key in these sorts of games and in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Rodri has won five fouls across his six starts in LaLiga this term (0.87 per 90), and was also fouled twice in Barcelona’s win over Galatasaray last time out. 

He’ll be up against a PSG midfield who are instructed to counter press by Luis Enrique, committing 11 fouls in Manchester with four of these being on Anderson and Fernandez in midfield. 

Barcelona will have to keep a keen eye on Hakimi as well as all the attacking talent of this PSG side if they are to come away with a positive result here.

The PSG right-back has long established himself as one of the best fullbacks in Europe, being just as comfortable going forward as he is looking after some of the best wingers in the Champions League. 

Hakimi’s runs forward make him a good player to target to win fouls. He’s so positive with the ball, and will even pop up in number 10 and winger positions to try and impact the game.

He’s won seven fouls across his five starts in Ligue 1 this term (1.54 per 90), and his direct opponent here is likely to be Anthony Gordon - which is a battle worth watching. Hakimi also maintained an average of 0.94 fouls won per 90 across 13 starts in the Champions League last season, showing that this is a consistent part of his game.

Barcelona have won all 11 of their games across all competitions this season.

They’ve done so in devastating fashion as well, scoring at least three goals in 10 of these games. They’re the most complete side in Europe at the moment, and I think they can avoid defeat against the reigning European champions.

We know that PSG don’t really pay too much attention to the league phase of the Champions League. They’ve managed to win the competition without finishing in the top eight in each of the last two seasons with Enrique preferring his side to peak at the tail end of the season.

I also felt that PSG got a bit lucky at the Etihad in the Champions League last time out, coming away 4-2 winners but losing the xG battle (2.63-1.83) and having 12 shots less than Maresca’s side (27-15). 

This looks like a really exciting match on paper, and I make it slightly closer than the odds suggest with the home sides being outsiders at 3.30.

|Stuttgart have stuck with a consistent project under Sebastien Hoeness over the last few years, and have started much better in the Champions League than domestically this term. 

They’ve won both of their games in Europe by an aggregate score of 6-1, but haven’t had the same success in the Bundesliga with two wins from their opening six games. 

However, Stuttgart have been quite unlucky in the early stages of the season with their xG difference seeing them four places lower than they should be in the German top flight.

Atletico Madrid are progressing really well with a slightly new identity under Simeone, they’ve won each of their last five matches and seen BTTS in two of these games.

The LaLiga side have conceded an xG of 0.98 or higher in both of their Champions League matches so far, seeing BTTS in their opening game against Liverpool.

Porto's last Champions League game had five goals and 28 shots, and they've now seen BTTS in five straight games.

Their defence is a bit of a worry, as they even conceded against Casa Pia, the second-worst team in Liga Portugal.

The good news is that they've scored in 10 of their 11 games this season and are averaging 2.16 xG at home.

Now they're up against PSV, who have conceded in every away game this season and have only failed to score once, against Leipzig in the Champions League last week.

Even in that defeat, they managed 1.45 xG and five shots on target in Germany.

With Portugal's second-best attack taking on the second-best attack in the Netherlands, it's hard to expect anything other than BTTS.

Barcelona are scoring a ridiculous number of goals and haven't had a single game this season where they've scored fewer than two.

They've scored 22 goals in their last five games and are averaging 3.20 xG this season.

It's hard to find anything negative to say about a team that plays just as well away from home as they do at home, but there's no denying their defence has been making mistakes.

Barcelona have conceded in six of their last seven games, and now they're facing their biggest test yet.

PSG beat Manchester City 4-2 in England and put six past Slovan Bratislava in their opening game.

But despite their brilliant attack, their defence hasn't been as convincing. They're averaging 1.39 xGA and have conceded in their last four games.

With both teams putting up such impressive attacking numbers and players like Yamal and Dembélé on the pitch, it's hard to find a better game for goals and BTTS than PSG vs Barcelona.

Enzo Fernandez was given a bit of a rest in City’s 3-2 win over Ipswich, but did come on in the second half of that clash to have two shots, one of which found the target.

It’s clear that Enzo Maresca sees Fernandez as a player who can impact the game in the final third. Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Boudaddi are much better suited to a slightly deeper role, with Fernandez being a very effective box crasher for Chelsea under Maresca.

Fernandez has taken eight shots across his four starts for City in the Premier League this season (1.83 per 90), seeing half of those efforts find the target (0.92 per 90). He’s also had 3+ shots in both of City’s Champions League matches against PSG and Porto, finding the target once against the latter.

Lazaros Rota is set to line up at right back here, earning him the almost impossible task of dealing with Jeremy Doku.

Doku is the best player in Europe for me when it comes to winning fouls from fullbacks. He’s so sharp from a standing start, and he can also go both ways - leaving most fullbacks with no choice but to hack at the Belgian winger.

Doku maintained an average of 3.08 fouls won per 90 across 19 starts in the Premier League last season, showing just how frequently we can expect the City man to test Rota.

Rota is quite an aggressive player anyway, committing nine fouls across his five starts in the Greek Super League this term (1.81 per 90). Doku should exaggerate this foul record further, with Ndiaye also being just as much of a test for Rota should Maresca choose to rest Doku.

Majer is likely to be AEK Athens’ main source of creativity here, and I can see City hauling him down at least once to limit his influence.

Majer has won four fouls across his two starts in the Champions League this season (2.25 per 90), most recently drawing two fouls against Shakhtar as AEK Athens fell to a 3-1 defeat on the road.

Majer has also maintained a solid record when it comes to winning fouls domestically, winning eight fouls across his five starts (1.61 per 90). 

He’ll line up either on the right hand side, or in central midfield - with both positions likely to see Majer be able to win at least one foul, possibly when AEK Athens try and put together a counter attack.

I like this angle for a bet builder selection as it’s really simple, we just need Donnarumma to make a single save and he’s been called into action quite regularly for City this term.

Donnarumma has been forced into making 21 saves across his seven starts in the Premier League (3.00 per 90), with an impressive save percentage of 75%. It goes without saying that City will dominate this game, but I still think there are issues for them at the back.

Even Ipswich and Coventry have managed to draw a save from Donnarumma at the Etihad this term, with the former scoring twice over the weekend which highlights that defensive vulnerability which is still lingering.

AEK Athens have forced the opposition keeper into making 2+ saves in both of their Champions League matches so far against LASK and Shakthar. This is obviously a massive step up in quality, but this is such a low line to hit.

It’s hard to see anything other than a convincing City win here, even if Maresca rotates the side. They’re as short as 1.08 to win here, so we’re getting a slightly better price with backing them on the handicap.

All this means is that we’re backing City to win by two or more goals - something they managed on Matchday 1 of the Champions League as they beat Porto 2-0 on the road. This selection has landed in five of City’s games so far this season in total, and this is one of their weaker opponents.

AEK Athens were outclassed by Shakhtar in the Champions League last time out, losing 3-1 as the away side and conceding an xG of 1.37. There’s a reason they’re priced at 20/1 to pick up three points here, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they cause City any real issues.

Barcelona have won all 11 of their games across all competitions this season.

They’ve done so in devastating fashion as well, scoring at least three goals in 10 of these games. They’re the most complete side in Europe at the moment, and I think they can avoid defeat against the reigning European champions.

We know that PSG don’t really pay too much attention to the league phase of the Champions League. They’ve managed to win the competition without finishing in the top eight in each of the last two seasons with Enrique preferring his side to peak at the tail end of the season.

I also felt that PSG got a bit lucky at the Etihad in the Champions League last time out, coming away 4-2 winners but losing the xG battle (2.63-1.83) and having 12 shots less than Maresca’s side (27-15). 

It’s hard to see anything other than a convincing City win here, even if Maresca rotates the side. They’re as short as 1.08 to win here, so we’re getting a slightly better price with backing them on the handicap.

All this means is that we’re backing City to win by two or more goals - something they managed on Matchday 1 of the Champions League as they beat Porto 2-0 on the road. This selection has landed in five of City’s games so far this season in total, and this is one of their weaker opponents.

AEK Athens were outclassed by Shakhtar in the Champions League last time out, losing 3-1 as the away side and conceding an xG of 1.37. There’s a reason they’re priced at 20/1 to pick up three points here, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they cause City any real issues.

Lamine Yamal continues to perform to a ridiculous standard, most recently registering a goal and an assist against Betis in Barcelona’s 5-2 victory on the road. 

Yamal has registered 19 goal contributions across just 11 appearances for Barcelona this season. His headline numbers keep getting better, with Yamal recording 41 goal contributions across 45 appearances last term - I think he can exceed that tally with the way he’s started this season.

Yamal has provided a goal contribution in each of his last nine appearances for Barcelona, recording multiple goal contributions in eight of these matches. Barcelona arrive at the Parc Des Princes in strong form too, winning all 11 of their games this season and scoring at least three goals in 10 of these matches. 

Ousmane Dembele loves this competition, and Luis Enrique always makes sure that he’s at peak fitness to perform in these big games.

The way that Enrique has managed the schedule of his top stars is impressive. PSG can afford to rotate heavily in their league games ahead of a European fixture, as they did against Strasbourg at the weekend - where Dembele came off the bench to score and assist. 

Dembele has registered 10 goal contributions across just nine appearances for PSG so far this season. He’s rested with these games in mind, so I expect to see a similar performance from Dembele as we’ve seen in both of his Champions League displays so far.

Nuno Mendes is out for this game, meaning we are likely to see Lucas Digne try and handle Lamine Yamal.

We saw this clash at the World Cup over the summer, and Digne really struggled to deal with Yamal. He gave away a penalty in that World Cup clash, and was very fortunate to avoid a caution for the foul.

Yamal will really fancy his chances of testing Digne, he’s won 13 fouls across his nine starts in LaLiga this term (1.58 per 90), and also maintained an average of 2.99 fouls won per 90 in the Champions League last season - confirming that he will be a real test for the former Villa fullback.

Cancelo also has a tough personal assignment with the Barcelona fullback set to be up against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

I was very surprised to see Kvaratskhelia on the bench for PSG’s win over Manchester City in the Champions League last time out, but he will definitely start here and cause Cancelo issues.

Cancelo lacks defensive discipline and can be quite petulant as well, I can see scenarios developing where Cancelo is caught up the pitch and has to make tactical fouls when tracking back against Kvaratskhelia.

The PSG winger averaged 2.29 fouls won per 90 across 14 starts in the Champions League last season, actually being PSG’s best player during that campaign. 

Cancelo has collected one yellow card already this season for Barcelona, and also picked up two cautions over the recent international break for Portugal. 

Lamine Yamal continues to perform to a ridiculous standard, most recently registering a goal and an assist against Betis in Barcelona’s 5-2 victory on the road. 

Yamal has registered 19 goal contributions across just 11 appearances for Barcelona this season. His headline numbers keep getting better, with Yamal recording 41 goal contributions across 45 appearances last term - I think he can exceed that tally with the way he’s started this season.

Yamal has provided a goal contribution in each of his last nine appearances for Barcelona, recording multiple goal contributions in eight of these matches. Barcelona arrive at the Parc Des Princes in strong form too, winning all 11 of their games this season and scoring at least three goals in 10 of these matches.

Isak returned to Liverpool’s starting lineup for their 2-1 win over Brentford over the weekend, coming from behind at the G-Tech after the home side had dropped down to 10 men after taking a first half lead.

Isak looks much more like the player we saw at Newcastle in the early weeks of this season. Iraola has already made subtle tweaks to his game, to bring the forward more in line with the high intensity style the former Bournemouth boss wants to see from his team.

Isak has scored five goals across his six starts in the Premier League this season, averaging 3.10 shots per 90 and seeing eight efforts find the target (1.46 per 90). He should get chances against a Villarreal backline who have failed to keep a clean sheet in either of their Champions League matches so far.

Nathan Saliba will line up on the right wing for Villarreal here, and shown real promise in the Champions League when it comes to winning fouls across his two appearances against Dortmund and Napoli so far.

Saliba was fouled twice in both of these matches, and acts as a decent outlet for Villarreal as there really isn’t much speed at the top end of this team. 

We’ve already seen Liverpool be way more aggressive when out of possession this season, ranking third in the Premier League for fouls committed (13.9 per game). This is a significant rise on their foul numbers from last season, and Saliba is an obvious target as Villarreal’s main outlet.

Saliba will be running at Milos Kerkez here, who has also been a bit more aggressive compared to last season - committing 10 fouls across just six starts in the Premier League this season (1.59 per 90).

I’d argue that Jeremy Jacquet has been Liverpool’s best performer so far this season, and certainly their best signing over the summer window.

They had to go early to secure his signature too, Chelsea and United were also interested in the former Rennes man but Liverpool managed to get the deal over the line and he’s slotted in really well next to Van Dijk.

One of his best attributes is his strength. It makes him perfectly suited for Premier League football, as he doesn’t get bullied by the over aggressive forwards and has a solid fouls won record as a result.

Jacquet has won seven fouls across his seven starts in the Premier League this term (1.06 per 90), ranking him in the 71st percentile when compared to other centre backs in the Premier League for the same metric.

Jacquet also maintained an average of 0.91 fouls won per 90 for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season across 19 starts - showing that this is a consistent part of his game.

Alisson has been slightly busier than usual in the early months of Andoni Iraola’s reign, as Liverpool attempt to fix the defensive and build up issues which are calling Alisson into action more often.

This isn’t a massive issue for Liverpool, as Alisson is still one of the best shot stoppers in Europe and he’s been forced into making 16 saves across just seven starts (2.29 per 90). He was forced into making three saves in Liverpool’s win over Atletico Madrid at Anfield, and I think Villarreal can force him into at least two stops.

Villarreal have had 4+ shots on target in both of their Champions League matches so far, managing six shots on target in their 3-2 defeat to Dortmund on the road on Matchday 1. That away clash saw them test Kobel on five occasions, showing the attacking threat they can pose here. 

Liverpool have won both of their games in the Champions League so far, and a third victory here would likely be enough for them to at least be sure of a top 24 finish - and set up a decent chance of a top 8 finish, while allowing Iraola to rotate in more packed portions of the season.

Villarreal have struggled to find the form that earned them a spot in the Champions League last season. They’ve only won two of their nine games in LaLiga this term, and lost to Dortmund 3-2 on Matchday 1 whilst conceding an xG of 2.83 from 18 shots. Furthermore, Villarreal have won just one of their five away games domestically this season.

Liverpool are growing in confidence under Iraola and come into this clash having won four of their last five matches. They’re showing plenty of resilience in these games too, battling back from behind against Brentford over the weekend as well as surviving a late spell from LASK last time out in the Champions League. 

Santiago Mouriño has committed at least one foul in every game he's started this season.

That's 11 fouls across eight appearances, including six starts, along with three yellow cards for the Villarreal full-back.

He's started both Champions League games so far, and this time he could find himself up against two Liverpool players who've been in great form lately.

Barcola has been on fire, with four goal contributions in his last two games, while Kerkez is one of Liverpool's most fouled regular starters, averaging 1.22 fouls won per game.

All three of Mouriño's yellow cards this season have come away from home. Add in the good form of the players he could face, and there's a good chance he could pick up another booking.

Armando Obispo has been booked in both of PSV's Champions League games so far, against Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig

That's five yellow cards in his last eight games.

He's also averaging 1.91 fouls per game, more than anyone else at PSV.

Porto forward André Silva was fouled twice against Betis and once against City, and he's the player Obispo is most likely to come up against.

Pepê could be another headache. He's second at Porto for fouls won per game and can pop up on either side of the pitch, so he could also cause Obispo some problems.

And there's also the referee to think about. Daniel Siebert hasn't exactly been shy with his cards in the Champions League this season. He's shown seven yellows in one game and five in the other.

Despite a few injury setbacks, Isak has scored in his last two games, taking his tally to five goals this season.

He's Liverpool's top scorer and also leads the team in shots and shots on target per 90 minutes, averaging three attempts per game.

Liverpool have scored eight goals in their last two games and are averaging 16 shots per match.

Wirtz has also been looking much better lately, with two assists and 12 key passes in his last two games.

Villarreal haven't exactly been solid away from home. They've conceded in every away game this season, including three goals against Dortmund in the Champions League.

Against stronger teams, they've also faced 11 shots against Real Madrid, 18 against Dortmund and 19 against Atlético de Madrid.

With Isak playing well and Villarreal struggling to keep goals out, it's a great chance for him to keep his scoring run going.

Jacobo Ramon has been called for five fouls in his two Champions League appearances this season, which is the joint-most in the Como squad. That includes four infringements against Feyenoord last time out, which was worthy of a booking. The centre back was also carded against Fiorentina at the weekend. 

The Spaniard likes to be aggressive in his challenges and step out of the back line. He can at times be a bit rash, and he picked up 12 yellows and a red in 37 appearances across all competitions last season. Ramon was carded in 35% of his appearances. This is a tough matchup for Ramon - he will have to deal with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, and Bruno Fernandes.

Mbeumo has registered at least one shot on target in every appearance so far this season - he is the only Man United player to have managed that feat.

The Cameroon international is averaging 3.43 shots per 90 in the Premier League this campaign, which is one of the highest figures in the squad. Even more impressively, 42% of those efforts have hit the target. Mbeumo is the top scorer for his side, and Carrick will be relying on him in the final third again on Wednesday night. 

Como’s results have been strong this campaign, but they are still conceding an average of 14.4 shots per game, so Mbeumo should find chances.

Lucas Da Cunha offers an alternative route to goal for Como, operating in a defensive midfield role. The 25-year-old has taken 11 shots in Serie A this campaign, and nine of those have come from outside the box.

The other two came from the edge of the penalty area. It was a similar story last season - the majority of Lucas Da Cunha’s shots came from outside the box, and he managed six league goals with four from the penalty spot. 

Como tend to play with more confidence in the final third at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, and there should be chances for them here. During spells of controlling possession, Lucas Da Cunha is one to target.

Not only has Ayden Heaven been a target for committing fouls, but the youngster has also been adept at drawing fouls. In fact, he has been fouled six times in his three starts this season, landing this bet against Brighton in the EFL Cup, and Hull in round one of the Premier League.

His average of 2.41 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions is a notable increase on his numbers last season, but he has been a bit more shrewd so far, using his experience to buy soft free-kicks. Como racked up 18 fouls against Feyenoord in their last European outing, so this looks like a solid matchup to target Heaven.

Como have scored six goals in their opening two Champions League fixtures, beating Leipzig 4-1 in round one before suffering a 3-2 defeat at Feyenoord. Both matches were entertaining to watch, and there is no reason to expect anything different midweek. BTTS has landed in five of Como’s seven league matches. 

Similarly, Man United have seen BTTS land in six of their ten matches across all competitions this season, and they played out a 1-1 draw at Elland Road at the weekend against Leeds. Both sides have plenty of firepower going forward, but they haven’t been too convincing defensively, which makes BTTS a target.

Both Como and Man United have been positive in their approach so far - they like to control possession and play on the front foot. Michael Carrick’s men are averaging 5.9 corners per game across all competitions. Interestingly, Como actually have an identical average. The Italian side saw 16 corners in their weekend match against Fiorentina, with five corners for and eleven against. 

There isn’t much to split these teams in terms of quality, but it’s Como who come in as slight favourites. With chances expected at both ends of the field, corners are a market to keep an eye on.

Nico Paz is undoubtedly Como’s biggest threat in the final third, and Man United will have to keep a close eye on him. The Argentine international recorded 35 shots from Como’s opening seven Serie A appearances, averaging 5.53 shots per 90. That includes four efforts against Fiorentina last time out, with two of those on target. In the Champions League, he has been just as active in the final third, landing this selection in both matches. 

Last season, Nico Paz accumulated 121 shots in Serie A, which was more than any other player. He is adept at finding space in the final, and doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger when the space opens up. 17 of his 35 efforts in the league this campaign have come from outside the box.

Lisandro Martinez was withdrawn at half-time against Leeds at the weekend with a suspected injury, making him a doubt midweek. With Leny Yoro also suspended after being sent off against Atletico Madrid, Man United are looking a bit short at centre back. Ayden Heaven is likely to start, and he will have the tough task of trying to contain the Como front line. 

The centre back has committed five fouls in his three starts this season, including two infringements against Atletico Madrid last week. Heaven hasn’t featured regularly under Michael Carrick, but this is an opportunity for him to try and lock down a starting role. He will find duels against Anastasios Douvikas who is averaging 2.58 fouls drawn per 90 this season.

Harry Maguire is likely to partner Heaven at the back midweek, and he is averaging 1.41 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, which is impressively high for a centre back.

Maguire has landed this selection in six out of eight appearances this season, which speaks volumes of his aerial prowess. He managed one shot against Atletico Madrid last week, despite only coming on from the bench for the final ten minutes. Prior to that, Maguire accrued three shots against Spurs, with one on target.

The Englishman will be Man United’s primary threat from set-pieces, and Como aren’t the most physical side, so Maguire seems to have a physical advantage.

It's really hard to make a case for AEK Athens here, Man City have made a really strong start to the season with PSG and Arsenal being the only sides to beat City since the Community Shield - and they've beaten the likes of United and Liverpool to nil this term.

City are unbeaten across their last 15 matches at home against sides outside of the top five leagues in Europe. AEK Athens suffered a 3-1 defeat to Shakhtar last time out, and were quite lucky to get that goal in a game where they were largely outclassed.

Fiorella Princess is Racing Ratings' NAP of the day, with an 8.7/10.

She has finished in the top three in four of her last six races, a run that includes a victory in her second-to-last outing.

She has actually finished in the top three in over half of her 52 career races, and is priced at just over even money to do so today.

Fiorella Princess won over course and distance, by five lengths, in September helped by the course as a front-runner.

The course and distance win was at this level and Billy Loughnane is in the saddle again, looking to replicate that run.

Isak has started the season really well for Liverpool, looking much more like the player that the Reds thought they were getting from Newcastle last summer before injuries disrupted his campaign.

He's registered six goal contributions across his eight appearances across all competitions, including an assist in the Champions League last time out. He also found the back of the net against Brentford over the weekend, so he comes into this game with confidence.

Liverpool are as short as 1.40 to come away with three points here, I can see Isak contributing to at least one of the goals in what should be another win in the Champions League for Liverpool.

This is about as generous as you’ll get for Kane to have a few shots on target, he’s incredibly consistent with this metric and has started the season really well for Bayern Munich.

Kane has netted four goals across his five starts in the Bundesliga this season, taking 29 shots across these matches (5.87 per 90) and seeing nine of them find the target (1.82 per 90). 

That shot volume is what pulls me into this selection, there aren’t many strikers you’d back to hit the target at least twice from that sample size so regularly - or even get that many chances in a game. 

Kane also seems to go up an extra level in the Champions League, netting three goals across the two games so far from six shots on target (3.00 per 90). He maintained a similar record in the Champions League last season, averaging 2.17 shots on target per 90 across his 12 starts.

This selection has landed in all but one of Bayern Munich’s matches this season, with the exception of a 0-0 draw on the road against Schalke - where they generated an xG of 1.94 and had 52 touches in the opposition box without scoring.

Vincent Kompany’s side are also posting some really impressive underlying numbers, generating an xG of 20.9 in the Bundesliga across just six matches which has translated to 22 goals (3.66 per game). The next highest tally in the Bundesliga, is an xG of 14.0. 

Furthermore, this angle covers Bayern if they have a scenario like they did against Viking last time out in the Champions League where Bayern scored three goals but still failed to come away with all three points. 

The obvious concern here is Arsenal’s defensive record, but I’m willing to take that on at a ground where Bayern have won all four of their matches across the Bundesliga and the Champions League this term by an aggregate scoreline of 23-2. 

Ezri Konsa has had to fill in for William Saliba this season with the Frenchman picking up an injury at the start of the campaign. I was interested to see how this played out, with Saliba being such a crucial part of Arsenal’s defensive set up over the last few years - but Konsa has slotted in really well.

One of his best attributes is winning fouls. He’s a really intelligent player, and knows how to manage opposition strikers really well. He’s won 10 fouls across his five starts in the Premier League this season (1.95 per 90), a record that ranks Konsa within the 94th percentile for foul won when compared to other Premier League centre backs.

Furthermore, Konsa was fouled twice in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Napoli on Matchday 1 of the Champions League final where he was in a real scrap with Rasmus Hojlund. Kane won’t be as clumsy as the Napoli forward, but he’s certainly capable of falling foul to Konsa’s intelligent movement. 

I do think we’ll see Arsenal have some joy in this game, and they may have to tap into a route that worked for them consistently last season in set pieces.

Arsenal won six corners in Naples on Matchday 1, and followed that tally with seven against Lille at the Emirates on Matchday 2. Bayern is obviously a step up in quality from those sides, but this is a really low line for Arsenal to cover.

Arteta’s side are averaging 5.00 corners per game in the Premier League this term, winning at least three corners in every competitive game this season.

Bayern conceded seven corners against Viking last time out, and even allowed Bodo Glimt to cover this line when they welcomed the Norwegian side to the Allianz Arena on Matchday 1.

Johan Manzambi scored the winning goal in Villa’s 1-0 victory at Newcastle, before being replaced after 70 minutes with a knock. The 20-year-old has downplayed the severity of his injury though, so there is a strong likelihood that he will be fit and available to start midweek. 

If there is even a chance he is ready, Unai Emery is likely to deploy Manzambi in his regular advanced midfield position. Since completing his move from Freiburg, Manzambi has hit the ground running for the Premier League side, scoring in three of his four starts. He is averaging 4.3 shots per 90 across all competitions for Villa, which shows just how involved he has been in the final third, and this is a favourable matchup for him against Viking.

Nicolas Jackson is another summer signing who has made a real difference at Villa Park. The former Chelsea man scored twice during Villa’s 6-0 victory over Fenerbahce in their last European outing. He has now scored five goals in eight starts for his new club.

Jackson has spoken highly of Unai Emery, as the two were both at Villarreal together, and the Spanish manager really knows how to get the most out of Jackson. The striker is playing with confidence again, and he looks a constant danger in the final third. After Ollie Watkins left Villa Park, there were concerns over where goals would come from, but Jackson has filled that void and he will hope to maintain his solid form against Viking here.

Joe Bell is the defensive midfielder for Viking, and this upcoming clash at Villa Park could be one of the toughest of his career. The New Zealand international was carded against Fredrikstad at the weekend, making it five bookings in his last eleven appearances across all competitions.

He is averaging 1.88 fouls per 90 in that time, which shows how willing he is to jump into tackles, and Bell will have plenty to do on Wednesday night. 

The 27-year-old had a difficult night on his Champions League debut, committing two fouls against Stuttgart before being replaced after 62 minutes. He also recorded three tackles in that match.

On the opposite side, Boubacar Kamara is one to keep an eye on defensively. He committed four fouls against Newcastle last time out, taking his averaging to 1.72 fouls per 90 across all competitions for Villa this season. In his ten appearances this season, Kamara has registered a total of 16 infringements, but he has so far been fortunate to escape a booking. 

Last season, Kamara made 18 Premier League appearances, and he was carded in five of those. He can be guilty of committing cynical fouls, and they could come into play against a side like Viking. The Norwegian side drew three yellows and a red from Bayern Munich last week, so they can be a frustrating side to face

I’d argue that Jeremy Jacquet has been Liverpool’s best performer so far this season, and certainly their best signing over the summer window.

They had to go early to secure his signature too, Chelsea and United were also interested in the former Rennes man but Liverpool managed to get the deal over the line and he’s slotted in really well next to Van Dijk.

One of his best attributes is his strength. It makes him perfectly suited for Premier League football, as he doesn’t get bullied by the over aggressive forwards and has a solid fouls won record as a result.

Jacquet has won seven fouls across his seven starts in the Premier League this term (1.06 per 90), ranking him in the 71st percentile when compared to other centre backs in the Premier League for the same metric.

Jacquet also maintained an average of 0.91 fouls won per 90 for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season across 19 starts - showing that this is a consistent part of his game.

Majer is likely to be AEK Athens’ main source of creativity here, and I can see City hauling him down at least once to limit his influence.

Majer has won four fouls across his two starts in the Champions League this season (2.25 per 90), most recently drawing two fouls against Shakhtar as AEK Athens fell to a 3-1 defeat on the road.

Majer has also maintained a solid record when it comes to winning fouls domestically, winning eight fouls across his five starts (1.61 per 90). 

He’ll line up either on the right hand side, or in central midfield - with both positions likely to see Majer be able to win at least one foul, possibly when AEK Athens try and put together a counter attack.

Barcelona will have to keep a keen eye on Hakimi as well as all the attacking talent of this PSG side if they are to come away with a positive result here.

The PSG right-back has long established himself as one of the best fullbacks in Europe, being just as comfortable going forward as he is looking after some of the best wingers in the Champions League. 

Hakimi’s runs forward make him a good player to target to win fouls. He’s so positive with the ball, and will even pop up in number 10 and winger positions to try and impact the game.

He’s won seven fouls across his five starts in Ligue 1 this term (1.54 per 90), and his direct opponent here is likely to be Anthony Gordon - which is a battle worth watching. Hakimi also maintained an average of 0.94 fouls won per 90 across 13 starts in the Champions League last season, showing that this is a consistent part of his game.

Rodri has taken this Barcelona side to another level. 

They were already definitely the best attacking side in Europe, but it was Flick’s insistence to play with a high line that saw them fall short defensively - particularly in the Champions League.

Putting Rodri into midfield has pretty much solved this issue, mainly because Barcelona are not turning over the ball as much as they did last season. 

This isn’t something that’s really obvious at the moment, but I think it will be key in these sorts of games and in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Rodri has won five fouls across his six starts in LaLiga this term (0.87 per 90), and was also fouled twice in Barcelona’s win over Galatasaray last time out. 

He’ll be up against a PSG midfield who are instructed to counter press by Luis Enrique, committing 11 fouls in Manchester with four of these being on Anderson and Fernandez in midfield. 

With that being said, Viking benefit massively from their artificial home surface, which they won’t have midweek. The Norwegian side were comprehensively beaten in round one by Stuttgart. The German side recorded 17 shots and four big chances worth 2.18 xG, while the visitors managed just nine shots worth 0.63 xG in return. 

Viking are battling at near the summit of the Norway Eliteserien, but there is a significant gulf in quality between that level of football and the Premier League, and Aston Villa just seem to be finding their feet. They come into this match having beaten Newcastle 1-0 at St James’ Park at the weekend, after winning 6-0 against Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

Viking have shown real courage in their opening two Champions League fixtures this season, which have produced a total of ten goals. That includes a six-goal thriller against Bayern last time out, with the goals shared three apiece. The Norwegian side have shown that they can threaten stronger sides, and they will be confident of at least finding the back of the net. 

However, their main challenge will be keeping Villa at bay. Unai Emery’s men ran riot in their last European outing against Fenerbahce. The hosts racked up 20 shots worth 3.11 xG - Ederson finished the game with five saves in addition to conceding six goals, which shows just how effective Villa were going forward.

It was fitting that Zlatko Tripic was the one who scored Viking’s first Champions League goal - the 33-year-old has spent eight seasons at the club. He had three shots in that round one matchup against Stuttgart, of which one hit the target. He also played an important role in Viking’s draw with Bayern, providing two assists against the German heavyweights. 

Tripic is always involved in the final third, and he will have to play a massive role at Villa Park if his side are to get anything out of it. He is a natural goalscorer, recording double-digit goal counts in his last three full domestic seasons as a Viking player. He will be their primary threat in the final third.

In addition to his output in the final third, Tripic is also averaging 2.54 fouls drawn per 90. He is the main outlet for Viking on that left wing, and Matty Cash is likely to have the tough task of trying to keep him quiet. Tripic usually sees plenty of the ball, which will bring Cash into the game often. 

The Polish international has recently returned from injury, and he has committed multiple infringements in all three starts since then. That includes three fouls against Newcastle last time out. Cash is much more comfortable going forward than he is at defending one-on-one, which bodes well for this selection.

Erik Botheim is another player to target for fouls midweek. The Viking striker is averaging 2.68 fouls per 90 across all competition in the last ten matches for his side, which is the highest figure in the squad. That includes three fouls against Fredrikstad at the weekend, which was enough to earn him a yellow card. 

The striker likes to be aggressive in his duels, and intense in his press up front. He has committed at least one foul in each of his last eleven successive appearances, despite three of those being off the bench. That includes one foul in round one of the Champions League, despite only playing for the final 28 minutes.