Football Tips Today

Real Madrid’s meeting with Inter Milan is undoubtedly one of the standout fixtures from the opening round of Champions League action, and I’m backing both teams to find the net at the Bernabéu.

Jose Mourinho’s men have been far from watertight during the early stages of his second spell in charge, failing to keep a clean sheet in three of their opening four LaLiga matches.

That sequence includes a 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad, so Los Blancos have tended to leave the back door open even when flexing their attacking muscles.

Inter are renowned for being a well-drilled machine under Cristian Chivu, but their opening three Serie A assignments have already produced a couple of high-scoring contests.

The Nerazzurri conceded in a 4-1 opening-weekend win over Monza before edging Napoli 3-2 in a thriller on Saturday night.

With both teams’ strengths lying in the final third, backing goals at both ends looks the way to go.

Real Madrid look like a team worth keeping an eye on in the card markets this season, and I’m backing them to collect at least two bookings against Inter Milan on Tuesday night.

Jose Mourinho’s teams have never been shy when it comes to showing their aggressive side, and that fiery streak has already surfaced during the opening weeks of his second spell at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos picked up three bookings despite cruising to a 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad, before collecting another four in Friday night’s 1-0 defeat at Real Betis.

Mourinho also went into the book during that loss, further highlighting the frustration that ran through the Real Madrid ranks.

Inter possess several technically gifted players who can cause the hosts problems, so it would be no surprise to see Mourinho’s men resort to the odd cynical challenge.

Moreover, Cristian Chivu’s side have drawn at least two cards from each of their three opponents in Serie A this season, further strengthening the case for Real Madrid to collect 2+ bookings at the Bernabéu.

With goals expected at the Bernabéu, Kylian Mbappe is the obvious candidate to score or assist on Tuesday night.

The Real Madrid superstar has hit the ground running in LaLiga, scoring four goals across his opening four appearances, including a hat-trick at home to Real Sociedad.

That tally could have been even higher had the Frenchman converted from the penalty spot against Real Betis on Friday night.

Mbappe will be determined to make amends, and an Inter Milan defence that conceded twice against Napoli at the weekend could struggle to contain him.

He also enters the Champions League fresh from an outstanding World Cup campaign, having registered 10 goals and four assists as France reached the semi-finals.

Mbappe also racked up 49 goal involvements in 42 appearances for Real Madrid last season, including 16 in the Champions League, adding further weight to the case for him to contribute again here.

Dean Huijsen looks worth backing to be fouled at least once when Real Madrid face Inter Milan on Tuesday night.

The Spanish centre-half has drawn a foul in two of his four LaLiga appearances this season, having averaged 0.57 fouls drawn per game last term.

He is set to face his sternest test of the season so far, which could play into our hands in this market.
Huijsen is likely to come under pressure from Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, with both Inter forwards renowned for pressing relentlessly and engaging defenders in physical battles.

Martinez is particularly prone to giving away free kicks, committing a team-high four fouls in Serie A this season, including two against Napoli last time out.

The Inter captain also committed seven fouls across his four starts for Argentina at this year’s World Cup, so Huijsen should have opportunities to draw at least one foul at the Bernabéu.

Both of these teams are in good form heading into this match, but we're backing Southampton to pick up three points on home soil.

The Saints have lost just once in this year's league campaign. They head into this match needing a win after a late equaliser denied them victory against Lincoln at the weekend.

Swansea won't be a pushover for them though, especially considering the Swans are top of the Championship table, and unbeaten so far in the second-tier this term.

Southampton are unbeaten in their last nine matches against Swansea, and they should be strong enough to win on Tuesday.

Wrexham have scored in all but one of their Championship matches so far this season, and they'll be confident of causing Burnley further problems.

Burnley threw away a 1-0 lead against Bristol City at home on Saturday, as they conceded twice late on.

They've struggled on their travels as well, having conceded seven goals in their opening two away matches, which have both resulted in defeats.

They do have some attacking quality though, and so we're expecting both teams to score in this match.

Bournemouth have looked sharp this season, and the Cherries should have more than enough quality to see off the challenge of Championship side Lincoln City in the EFL Cup.

Bournemouth deserved a point in their recent 2-2 draw with Newcastle at St James' Park, and should dominate proceedings against the Imps on Tuesday evening.

Lincoln aren't a possession-based team, and Bournemouth have the players in their squad who are capable of breaking through a stubborn Imps defence.

West Ham picked up a much-needed win last time out, beating Derby County 3-0 in their strongest performance of the season so far.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side dominated from start to finish in that win over the Rams, limiting the visitors to just four shots in the 90 minutes.

They've got a good opportunity to follow that up with another win on Tuesday, as they travel to Bolton.

Bolton head into this one off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Millwall, and they're likely to be pushed onto the back foot for the majority of the contest against West Ham.

Bournemouth have looked sharp this season, and the Cherries should have more than enough quality to see off the challenge of Championship side Lincoln City in the EFL Cup.

Bournemouth deserved a point in their recent 2-2 draw with Newcastle at St James' Park, and should dominate proceedings against the Imps on Tuesday evening.

Lincoln aren't a possession-based team, and Bournemouth have the players in their squad who are capable of breaking through a stubborn Imps defence.

Real Madrid look like a team worth keeping an eye on in the card markets this season, and I’m backing them to collect at least two bookings against Inter Milan on Tuesday night.

Jose Mourinho’s teams have never been shy when it comes to showing their aggressive side, and that fiery streak has already surfaced during the opening weeks of his second spell at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos picked up three bookings despite cruising to a 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad, before collecting another four in Friday night’s 1-0 defeat at Real Betis.

Mourinho also went into the book during that loss, further highlighting the frustration that ran through the Real Madrid ranks.

Inter possess several technically gifted players who can cause the hosts problems, so it would be no surprise to see Mourinho’s men resort to the odd cynical challenge.

Moreover, Cristian Chivu’s side have drawn at least two cards from each of their three opponents in Serie A this season, further strengthening the case for Real Madrid to collect 2+ bookings at the Bernabéu.

Man City have made a perfect start to their Premier League campaign, taking nine points from three matches against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry.

Their most recent victory was far from convincing, but Erling Haaland’s first-half header ultimately proved enough to secure another three points - even when they aren’t at their best, City have shown they can grind out the three points.

Porto have also started strong with five wins from five in the league, but this matchup against Man City promises to be their toughest test yet.

The Portuguese side has typically struggled against English opposition in the Champions League, and City should once again have more than enough quality to start their European campaign on a high.

Porto have only conceded one goal in their five league matches so far, highlighting how they tend to dominate matches.

Despite that, they still have an average of 13.8 fouls per game, which ranks them third in the division for total infringements.

Porto are a side who like to be aggressive in their press, making life hard for their opponents.

Even against a side like Man City, they are unlikely to sit back and drop off, especially at the Dragao Stadium.

However, Porto are definitely not going to exert the same level of control as they are normally accustomed to - the visitors should see more of the ball.

That means Porto’s defensive workload will be higher than usual, which makes cards a target.

Antoine Semenyo has registered five shots across Man City’s opening three Premier League matches, landing this selection against both Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

He has also contributed two assists, highlighting his importance in the final third.

That includes sending in the cross which Erling Haaland headed home as the only goal against Coventry last time out.

The Ghana international recorded the third-most shots in the Premier League during the 24/25 campaign, and he followed that up with an average of 2.33 shots per 90 in the league last season.

He completed his move to Man City in January, and his shot figures remained high - Semenyo finished the campaign with 17 goals under his belt.

His overall season average sat at 2.33 shots per 90, and 49% of those efforts hit the target.

In addition to that, Semenyo had an average of 1.58 fouls per 90, which is incredibly high for a winger.

Even this campaign, Semenyo has committed seven fouls in four matches across all competitions, maintaining that aggressive approach.

Semenyo is a player who likes to press from the front and look to put opposing defenders under pressure, which can often lead to him committing soft fouls.

Alberto Costa usually starts at right back for Porto, meaning he will be directly up against Semenyo.

The 22-year-old is comfortable carrying the ball forward, and he has drawn three fouls in his three starts for Porto this season.

Even last season, he had an average of 1.37 fouls drawn per 90.

Pablo Rosario is expected to start at the base of Porto’s midfield, giving him the responsibility of protecting the back four and disrupting Man City’s attacks.

He should find himself directly up against Rayan Cherki, who has arguably been City’s best performer this campaign, proving difficult to stop.

Phil Foden and Semenyo also tend to cut inside, which will make Rosario’s life even tougher.

The 29-year-old is averaging 1.61 per 90 this season in the league, with a total of seven fouls.

He also committed three fouls against Totteense in the Super Cup final, which was the first game of the season.

Rosario was booked in that game; he has a big defensive responsibility for Porto, and he tends to be strong in his tackles.

Aston Villa have undoubtedly made a stuttering start to the season and remain a team in transition, but they should still have enough quality to avoid defeat in Belgium on Tuesday evening.

Unai Emery’s side collected their first Premier League point of the campaign in Saturday’s 0-0 draw away at Hull, having also given a decent account of themselves in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their previous outing.

Villa are likely to view this as one of their better opportunities to put points on the board, with tougher assignments against the likes of Barcelona, PSG and Borussia Dortmund still to come, along with a trip to Galatasaray.

Club Brugge have lost some key players over the summer and failed to win seven of their 10 Champions League matches last season.

With Emery no stranger to delivering results in Europe, I think Villa look capable of taking at least one point from Tuesday’s trip to Belgium.

Aston Villa's knack for drawing cards from their opponents makes Club Brugge collecting at least two bookings a tempting proposition on Tuesday evening.

No Premier League side drew more yellow cards from their opponents last season than Villa, whose opposition averaged 2.37 per game.

That trend continued in Villa’s opening Premier League game of the season away at Brighton, with the hosts collecting two bookings inside the opening 11 minutes, while both cards shown in Saturday’s clash with Hull went to the Tigers.

Club Brugge have picked up at least two bookings in each of their last two Belgian Pro League matches, including three yellow cards and one red in a 2-1 defeat at Gent.

The Belgian side also collected at least two cards in two of their three Champions League meetings with Villa during the 2024/25 campaign, adding further weight to this selection.

Back Emiliano Buendia to attempt at least two shots against Club Brugge on Tuesday evening.

The Aston Villa playmaker is rarely shy when a shooting opportunity presents itself, registering multiple attempts in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hull City.

Buendia also cleared this line against Brighton on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign and in last month’s UEFA Super Cup final against PSG.

Those numbers are no great surprise when you consider that he averaged 2.50 shots per game in the Premier League last season, along with 1.81 per 90 in the Europa League.

With Buendia operating in a number ten role of late, there should be further opportunities for him to let fly against a Club Brugge side that posted just one clean sheet across their 10 Champions League matches last term.

Look for Boubacar Kamara to commit a minimum of one foul against Club Brugge on Tuesday evening.

The Aston Villa midfielder has been his typically combative self since returning from injury, committing six fouls across his three Premier League appearances this season.

That includes one offence against Hull on Saturday, while he averaged 1.02 fouls per game before injury brought his campaign to a premature end last term.

Further encouragement comes from the fact that Kamara committed a combined total of four fouls across Aston Villa’s two visits to Club Brugge in the 2024/25 campaign.

Kamara could be kept particularly busy by Romeo Vermant, who was fouled twice against Lommel SK last time out.

The Club Brugge ace also drew an average of 2.32 fouls per game in the Belgian Pro League last season, so there is plenty to like about Kamara being penalised at least once on Tuesday night.

Cherki has already been directly involved in four Premier League goals this season, scoring twice and providing another two assists.

He failed to land this selection against Coventry last time out, but Cherki still had three shots, with one of those hitting the woodwork, so he was unfortunate not to score.

Also, he provided three key passes, including one big chance created.

The Frenchman looks set to operate in his preferred number ten position against Porto, and he will hope to be amongst the goals again.

The Portuguese side have a solid defensive record, but Cherki is adept at picking gaps and working his way out of tight spaces.

He showed just how efficient he can be against Crystal Palace a couple of weeks ago - he scored two excellent goals, and he is playing with confidence at the moment.

William Gomes has quickly established himself as one of Porto’s most important attacking players, and the Brazilian has contributed two goals and two assists across five league appearances this season, including scoring the winner during Friday’s 2-1 victory over Moreirense.

Gomes starts on the right side of Porto’s front three, and he should come into this match full of confidence.

Being left-footed, he is always looking to cut inside and look to find the far corner with a curling effort.

Gomes is one of Porto’s biggest transitional threats, which is important against City, and the 20-year-old is averaging 3.49 shots per 90 in the league this season.

Over half of those shots have hit the target, which shows he tends to be accurate.

Alberto Costa has committed ten fouls across only 281 minutes in the Portuguese top flight this term, which works out to 3.19 fouls per 90.

He has been fortunate to escape a booking so far, but his tally of seven yellows in 25 starts in the previous campaign shows that one might be due.

Costa will be directly against Semenyo on Tuesday night, so it could be another difficult night for the fullback.

Semenyo likes to be direct and beat his man, which bodes well for this selection.

Cherki does also tend to drift wide at times to create overloads, so Costa is likely to have his hands full on the defensive front.

Victor Froholdt has been an important part of Porto’s midfield, and he looks set to start alongside Rosario in the double pivot.

The 20-year-old is more comfortable receiving possession under pressure, looking to turn and progress forward with the ball.

Porto should look to play through Froholdt whenever they manage to get on the ball, and the Danish international might have to buy soft free-kicks at times to alleviate pressure on his side and allow them to establish a foothold in possession.

That is something Froholdt excels at - last season, he had an average of 1.21 fouls drawn per 90.

Man City can be an aggressive side off the ball, particularly under Enzo Maresca, with a double pivot of Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez expected to start midweek.

Newcastle have made a better start to the season than many expected, and I'm backing them to maintain that momentum by seeing off Millwall on Tuesday night.

Matthias Jaissle named an extremely strong side against West Brom in the previous round, suggesting that he has every intention of taking this competition seriously.

The Magpies have strengthened since then, leaving Jaissle with even greater depth to call upon at the Den.

Newcastle have scored multiple goals against both Liverpool and Bournemouth at St James' Park, either side of an impressive 2-0 victory away at Tottenham.

Millwall may have swept Bolton aside 4-0 on Saturday, but the scoreline was slightly misleading, as the Lions led just 1-0 until a late flurry of goals put a flattering gloss on the result.

With Alex Neil's side also suffering heavy Championship defeats against Southampton and Wrexham in recent weeks, Newcastle look worth backing to come out on top.

Newcastle's matches have delivered plenty of goalmouth action during the early stages of the season, so over 2.5 goals looks worth backing at the Den on Tuesday night.

The Magpies have already drawn 2-2 with both Liverpool and Bournemouth, as well as recording a 3-2 victory over Championship opposition West Brom in the previous round.

While I expect Newcastle to come out on top, their early results suggest that Millwall could play their part in pushing this contest beyond the over 2.5 goal line, even if it is only through a consolation strike.

Further encouragement comes from the fact that four of the Lions' opening five league games have produced over 2.5 goals, including all three at home.

Harvey Barnes looks a prime candidate to register at least one shot on target on Tuesday night.

The Newcastle winger scored a wonderful goal to drag his side back into Saturday's clash with Bournemouth, taking his tally for the season to three.

His other two strikes came against West Brom in the previous round of the EFL Cup, when he fired off three on-target efforts.

Barnes has picked up where he left off last term after averaging 0.96 shots on target per game in the Premier League.

Millwall could field an understrength side due to fixture congestion, while the Lions have also shown signs of defensive vulnerability after conceding eight goals across recent Championship defeats against Southampton and Wrexham.

Their pragmatic approach under Alex Neil is likely to invite plenty of pressure from the visitors, which should leave Barnes with no shortage of opportunities to test the goalkeeper.

Lyndon Dykes looks worth backing to commit at least two fouls during Tuesday night's EFL Cup tie.

The Millwall striker is an old-fashioned centre-forward who leads the line with plenty of aggression and is never afraid to impose himself physically.

Following his summer move to Millwall, Dykes came off the bench in each of his first three league appearances and committed one foul in all three games.

He has since been handed back-to-back starts, committing five fouls across those two matches and reaching the 2+ foul mark in both.

That continues a trend from last season, when he averaged 2.05 fouls per game in the Championship across his spells with Birmingham and Charlton.

Dykes also committed two fouls in just 16 minutes for Scotland against Haiti at the World Cup earlier this summer.

He is likely to come up against Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman, who have each made four starts for Newcastle this season and drawn seven fouls between them.