Champions League Matchday 5 preview: Haaland returns to the yellow wall and Liverpool travel to Ajax

European giants collide once again in the Champions League with only two more opportunities to grab remaining points and seal a place in the knockouts.

We preview some of the key Matchday five fixtures below.

RB Salzburg v Chelsea

Looking to top their group after a mixed early run in the Champions League, Chelsea will first have to overcome RB Salzburg and make amends for the points they dropped when they hosted the club in September.

The Blues, who are still undefeated since that 1-1 draw, which coincidentally was Graham Potter’s first game in charge, are the firm favourites to this time escape with all three points at 8/11. They look to be in one of their best runs of form of the season so far and shouldn’t have too much trouble defeating the 18/5 underdogs.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has arrived in central London in style, chipping in with a number of goals in important matches. Still not looking like his most threatening self, the rapid frontman surely has more in his locker, so a boosted 5/1 for him to score first could be a clever bet.

Chelsea have been developing a possession-based style under Graham Potter and while the players haven’t clicked completely playing under their new manager, it is likely that Chelsea will once again establish themselves as one of the best sides in the competition.

If they manage to produce their world-class football in this match, we could see a lot of goals from the English side. They are 13/8 to score in both halves, something they have managed to do three times in their last six outings.

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Dortmund v Manchester City

Erling Haaland will return to the Westfalenstadion for the first time since his move from Borussia Dortmund, and probably not even the man himself could have predicted how much of an impact he has had on the football world since.

Now being included in conversations of the best ever and breaking the records of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Haaland has well and truly established himself as one of, if not the best, striker in the world. It comes as no surprise, then, to see that he has been priced at just 4/7 to score at anytime in this fixture. The goalscoring machine is also 23/10 to score first in the match, significantly better odds than every other player in the betting.

Manchester City have had a great season so far and based on their start in the Champions League, look set to qualify top of their group and challenge the world’s best teams for the trophy.

Causing trouble for City in the first fixture, Dortmund will certainly put up a fight and backed by their ferocious home crowd, it is easy to imagine the fortunes falling in favour of the yellow wall. BVB are 4/1 to win in 90 minutes which doesn’t seem completely out of the picture.

On a good day, however, City shouldn’t have much trouble brushing aside the side fifth in the Bundesliga and are 3/1 for Erling Haaland to score, to win and with both sides to score.

Ajax v Liverpool

Liverpool are the favourites to win this game and triumph over Ajax for the second time in this season’s Champions League. The Reds are at 4/5 to claim another win, which would be their fourth in Europe this season, but it must be said that Ajax’s 3/1 odds of victory will be an attractive opportunity for sceptics.

After his record-breaking hat-trick against Rangers in the last round, Mohamed Salah is priced at evens to score at anytime in the tie and is 10/3 to register the first goal of the game. The threat of Darwin Nunez will no doubt be one Ajax are worried about, and with the striker at 13/10 to score at anytime it’s easy to see why.

Brian Brobbey and Steven Bergwijn will be the Dutch side’s dangermen and are both 27/10 to score in the fixture. If they fire on all cylinders alongside Liverpool’s attackers, who tend to show up on the big occasions, we could be in for a high-scoring affair.

The match is 8/15 to feature over 2.5 goals and only 6/5 to see over 3.5.

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