This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
The second matchday of the UEFA Champions League ends with nine thrilling matches Wednesday. Just like Tuesday's nine-game slate, there are intriguing teams taking the field, with sides such as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich aiming to collect three more points to their accounts.
UCL Best Bets for Juventus at RB Leipzig
Over 2.5 goals between RB Leipzig and Juventus -110
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RB Leipzig have been scoring goals for fun in recent weeks, as evidenced by their 4-0 thrashing of Augsburg in the Bundesliga this past weekend. They also engaged in a high-scoring affair in their UCL opener against Atletico Madrid, though they came up short and had to settle for a 2-1 defeat. Juventus showed signs of their quality in their UCL debut and defeated PSV Eindhoven by a comfortable 3-1 score, and they're also coming off a 3-0 victory at Genoa in Serie A on Saturday.
There's not a lot separating these two sides in terms of quality. While Leipzig might have a few more difference makers in the attacking third, it would be too quick to rule Juventus out of putting up a fight, especially since they're undefeated in competitive matches under Thiago Motta (W4, D3). With four of Leipzig's and seven of Juve's competitive matches hitting the 2.5-goal mark across all competitions, the same outcome could be bound to happen at Red Bull Arena.
UCL Best Bets for Atletico Madrid at Benfica
Both teams to score between Benfica and Atletico Madrid -150
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Benfica have been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks and it seems the appointment of Bruno Lage has rediscovered some of the mystique the team was missing under the tutelage of Roger Schmidt. The Eagles are trending in the right direction, opening their UCL campaign with a 2-1 away win at Red Star Belgrade. They're riding a four-game winning streak across all competitions while averaging 3.5 goals scored per game. However, they also face their toughest test of the season in Atletico Madrid.
Los Colchoneros debuted in the 2024/25 Champions League with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over RB Leipzig at Wanda Metropolitano. They're also coming off a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the derby this past weekend, signaling they seem to have what it takes to compete against the top teams in Europe.
Benfica are far from that echelon, but it's never easy to play at Estadio Da Luz, a venue where Benfica haven't lost in competitive matches (excluding penalties) in the entire calendar year. Atletico Madrid have enough quality to pose more than a few challenges to Benfica's defensive line and given that they've scored at least one goal in all but one of their nine matches this season, this one could easily end with both teams finding the back of the net.
UCL Best Bets for Bologna at Liverpool
SGP: Liverpool to win and under 3.5 total goals +120
Liverpool are hefty favorites against Bologna and with the game being played at Anfield, it seems the question shouldn't be whether the Reds are going to win or not, but rather how big the margin will be. Arne Slot's team has won seven of their eight competitive matches this season with the lone defeat coming to Nottingham Forest. Since that Forest loss, they've been firing and have bagged 10 goals across their last three matches.
Still, it would be foolish to overlook Bologna in this game. Italian teams know a thing or two about playing a defensive style of soccer, and aside from debuting in the current UCL campaign with a scoreless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna have conceded less than two goals in four of their last five matches across all competitions.
Liverpool will surely be their toughest test to date, but even if the Reds secure the win, expect Bologna to keep it a tight, relatively low-scoring affair.
UCL Best Bets for Bayern Munich at Aston Villa
Bayern Munich to beat Aston Villa -138
Bayern Munich can't be left out of your bets after they netted nine goals past Dinamo Zagreb in the UCL opener. Playing Aston Villa represents a far bigger challenge for Vincent Kompany's men, but Die Roten are reasonably considered favorites and they shouldn't have major problems securing the victory. Even if they're playing in England, Bayern have gone 41 matches without losing in the group stage (or equivalent) in a European competition (W37, D4).
Aston Villa will probably have something to say about that record and the Villains are playing at a high level as well, going undefeated in six matches in all competitions (W5, D1). Villa's lone defeat in the 2024/25 campaign came against Arsenal in a match that was fairly even.
It remains to be seen how Villa will handle Harry Kane, who bagged four goals against Dinamo Zagreb and has netted nine times across 13 matches against the Midlands club in his career. Unai Emery is plenty familiar with Vincent Kompany after meeting twice last season, but Bayern Munich are a much different level than Burnley. The home side will put up a fight, but in the end, expect Bayern to come away with the three points.
Champions League Betting Picks Wednesday, Oct. 2
- Over 2.5 goals between RB Leipzig and Juventus -110
- Both teams to score between Benfica and Atletico Madrid -150
- SGP: Liverpool to win and under 3.5 total goals +120
- Bayern Munich to beat Aston Villa -138
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