Best Champions League & Europa League Bets (Real Madrid vs. Dortmund, Barcelona vs. Bayern, Fenerbahce vs. Man Utd)

Let's preview three of the juiciest matchups of the week.

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After the international break, we are back in action with a new and exciting slate of Champions League and Europa League games. Thanks to the new format of the tournaments, soccer fans get multiple high-profile games each gameweek and this one is no different. 

After losing in Week 2, giants like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich look to bounce back and get on the right track. However, both heavyweights have difficult matchups, Bayern visiting Barcelona while Real Madrid takes on the Champions League runner-ups, Borussia Dortmund. 

This week, the electric matchups extend all the way to Thursday. In Europa League, Manchester United will go to Istanbul to take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe. With both teams struggling and both managers on the hot seat, the stakes are as high as ever.

Let’s take a look at one game from each day of the mid-week slate. 

Top Champions League & Europa League Picks and Predictions Today 

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Real Madrid vs. Dortmund: Dortmund +0.5 +170

• Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: Bayern Munich +170

• Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United: Man Utd +140

Real Madrid vs. Dortmund: Dortmund +0.5 +170

The re-match of the 2024 Champions League final is upon us. Real Madrid was the victorious side then but Borussia Dortmund had real chances to come out with the upset win. 

Since that day, Dortmund has continued to improve under new manager Nuri Sahin. They won their first two Champions League games with a combined goal margin of nine. They will be missing a few key players like Karim Adeyemi and Pascal Gross but they still have enough speed, athleticism, and talent up front to cause real problems for the Real Madrid defense. 

Even though Real Madrid is undefeated in La Liga through the first ten games, they have looked less than convincing. So far, Carlo Ancelotti’s side is relying on their elite talent to win games but Kylian Mbappe has still not been able to build chemistry with his teammates. They are desperately missing Toni Kroos in the midfield as they weren’t able to replace his combination of passing, playmaking, and physical intensity. 

Real hasn’t looked good in either of their Champions League matches so far, losing to Lille in Gameweek 2. They certainly have the talent to beat Dortmund at home and should be favored to do so. 

At the same time, +170 for Dortmund not to lose is a can’t-miss value considering the on-field product in Madrid. 

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: Bayern Munich +170

Barcelona wasn’t able to score in their last four games against Bayern, losing all four. The last time they scored in this fixture was in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals when they lost 8-2. Bayern’s manager at the time was Hansi Flick who is now in charge of Barcelona. 

Flick is off to a much better start than anyone expected after Barcelona had another slow transfer window. The only signing of note was Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo from Leipzig but he has only been able to play in three games after suffering an early-season injury. 

Barcelona is relying on its young stars out of their Academy like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, and Marc Casado for its success. They have scored 39 goals in 12 games in all competitions so far, making them one of the highest-scoring sides in Europe.

Bayern Munich, however, is a different beast and they are coming off a disappointing loss at Aston Villa in Champions League gameweek 2. They will be highly motivated against their former coach and their former star Robert Lewandowski. 

As good as Barcelona has been to start the season, Bayern simply has too much firepower. Barcelona’s shaky defensive backline will give the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise plenty of chances to get on the scoreboard. A high-scoring affair can be expected and Bayern will likely come out on top. 

Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United: Man Utd +140

This may be a Europa League affair but it is one of the juiciest matchups on the slate this week. Jose Mourinho is facing his former team while trying to re-establish his declining career in Türkiye with Fenerbahçe. 

Things are not going particularly well for Mourinho in his new challenge. The Special One is already eight points behind the leaders Galatasaray and fans have already started groaning about his reactive style of play. After only four months on the job, the Portuguese manager’s seat is already getting hotter. 

Talking about a hot seat, Man Utd manager Erik Ten Hag earned himself some more time in charge with a comeback win over Brentford on Saturday. However, after failing to win in his first two Europa League games, a disastrous result in Istanbul could still seal his fate. 

Fenerbahçe has plenty of attacking talent with Allan Saint-Maximin, Fred, Dusan Tadic, and Edin Dzeko. Their individual brilliance can create chances against the shaky Man Utd defense. However, the Turkish side has been performing at a level lower than the sum of its parts. 

United has an excellent opportunity to get back on track and build momentum with a win against a fellow underwhelming and disorganized group. They will not miss their chance. 

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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