Champions League preview: Liverpool hoping for change of fortune

Matchday three of the 2022/23 Champions League offers some enticing match-ups as we approach the halfway mark of the group stage. Two of the English sides are finding qualification somewhat problematic, whilst the San Siro hosts a seismic encounter between two European heavyweights.

We preview three fixtures below.

Liverpool vs Rangers 

Last year’s finalists Liverpool would have hoped for a reinvigorated performance against Brighton on Saturday following a much-needed international break, but Jürgen Klopp’s side slipped to a frustrating 3-3 draw to prolong what has been an underwhelming campaign so far. Klopp’s men are still heavy favourites at 1/7 to beat Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side at Anfield, but should be wary of the fact they’ve won just one of their last six games against the Glaswegians.

Leandro Trossard’s opening strike on Saturday means Liverpool have conceded the first goal in six of their nine matches in all competitions, with Rangers 15/4 to net the opener in Tuesday’s contest. The Reds’ previously imperious defence has displayed continuous signs of vulnerability recent weeks and both teams have scored in seven of their fixtures this campaign – a feat priced at evens in this fixture.

With their matchday one conquerors Napoli winning at the Ibrox a fortnight ago, Klopp will acknowledge the significance of picking up three points on Tuesday in their quest to top Group A – with their current price of evens demonstrating that such an achievement is far from guaranteed.

They will turn to their marksman Mohammad Salah to provide the necessary spark to penetrate this Rangers back line, with the Egyptian 19/10 to have over two shots on target. Meanwhile, Rangers, a huge 18/1 for victory here,  will hope for more Champions League heroics from their captain and penalty taker James Tavernier, who is 9/1 to score anytime for the visitors.

Check out all the latest betting offers at William Hill

Chelsea vs AC Milan

New Chelsea boss Graham Potter will recognise that any honeymoon period at the helm in west London is usually short lived, even with a completely different ownership model overseeing his appointment last month. Saturday’s late 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace gave Potter a commendable first victory, but perhaps his most prominent issue is his side’s current bottom-place position in Group E of the Champions League after picking up just a solitary point from their opening two matchdays.

Only once in 18 years have the 2021 winners failed to qualify from the group stage, with their price of 6/4 to win Group E showing the consequences of a winless opening two fixtures. Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan side, conversely, are favourites at 4/5 to top the tree.

Odsonne Éduoard’s early opener at Selhurst Park means the Blues have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last eight games across all competitions, with both teams to score priced at 8/11 for Wednesday’s visit of the in-form Italian champions. Saturday’s frenetic 3-1 win away at Empoli kept Milan within touching distance of league leaders Napoli, with Rafael Leão continuing his impressive form by netting his side’s third and final goal to clinch the match. The Portuguese forward is 15/2 to be the last goalscorer against this unsettled Chelsea defence.

Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened his account for Chelsea on the weekend and generally looks sharper following a two-week rest over the international break. The 33-year-old is the shortest price at 13/10 to score anytime against an injury-hit Milan back-line that have kept no clean sheets in their last six fixtures in all competitions.

Inter Milan vs Barcelona

Inter Milan suffered back-to-back defeats in Serie A for the first time since March 2020 after a 2-1 loss at home to Roma on Sunday, with Simone Inzaghi’s men languishing in ninth place and eight points adrift of league leaders Napoli in these early stages of the season.

Inter’s Champions League campaign likewise hangs in the balance after a sobering 2-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich on matchday one, although they restored some parity in Group C by beating Viktoria Plzeň two weeks later. Edin Džeko netted the opener in that fixture and is 7/1 to repeat the feat against Xavi’s exciting Barcelona side.

Despite netting the opening goal in seven of their eight league fixtures, with six of those arriving in the first half, the Nerazzurri are developing a habit of surrendering leads after starting games brightly. In-keeping with these recent trends, Barcelona are 23/10 to win at the San Siro with both teams scoring, and are generally favoured at 4/5 to win the contest.

The Catalonians leapfrogged Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table on Saturday with a sixth straight league victory away at Mallorca. Robert Lewandowski scored the deciding goal in that contest, taking his tally to 12 for the season, and is 23/10 to be the last goalscorer on Tuesday.