Big Winners from Wednesday's Champions League football

Are Manchester United back on track to qualify from their Champions League group?

Well they’re now top of Group F, which after losing the first game away at Young Boys, is positive, and last night they won their second straight game in the competition, beating Atalanta 3-2, but whether the frenetic comeback from 2-0 down at half-time was a display of spirit and will to win, or merely papered over the cracks of another disjoined display, is questionable. United were booed off at the break, behind to goals from Mario Pasalic and Merih Demiral. Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire both finished smartly to drag United level, and nine minutes from time, who else but Cristiano Ronaldo completed one of the great European comebacks with a clinical header from Luke Shaw’s cross.

Headed Goal Minutes (settled at 110)

With Ronaldo in the game, there’s always the chance of a headed goal or two. The fact the Portuguese legend is so good at everything else almost takes away from what a fantastic leaper and header of a ball he is, but buyers of Headed Goal Minutes were rewarded when he got up to nod home United’s winner. Buyers of the pre-match spread, set at 26-29, had already enjoyed visiting defender Demiral heading Atalanta’s second goal. In all buyers of Headed Goal Minutes pocketed 81 times their bet.

Did Chelsea make it an English Champions League double and win their game too?

Chelsea got their campaign back on track with a 4-0 thrashing of Swedish side Malmo. After Andreas Christensen opened the scoring, Jorginho scored a penalty in each half, with Kai Havertz also on the scoresheet as the holders rebounded from their loss at Juventus last time out. The Blues are now second in Group H, three points behind leaders Juve, who beat Zenit St Petersburg.

Penalty Goal Minutes (settled at 78)

When Jorginho scores, it’s invariably from the penalty spot, and that was the case twice yesterday against Malmo. The midfielder shook off his recent problems from 12 yards, including missing one in Italy’s shootout victory against England in the final of Euro 2020, to despatch both penalties, settling the Penalty Goal Minutes market, as well as his own Goal Minutes, at 78. Buyers of Penalty Goal Minutes, set at 18-21, made 57 times their stake, and buyers of Jorginho Goal Minutes, set at 16-19, trousered 59 times their stake. Despite the, albeit remote, possibility Jorginho could score from open play, his goal minutes were set lower than Penalty Goal Minutes because that market would include any Malmo spot kick, plus someone else might have taken a Chelsea penalty.

Did anyone else catch the eye in Europe yesterday?

With Locomotiv playing this evening, Spartak Moscow’s Europa League game with Leicester was switched to Wednesday afternoon and the two teams played out a classic that ended 4-3 to the Foxes. Spartak went 2-0 up but Patson Daka, Leicester’s £22million summer signing from Red Bull Salzburg, scored 4 times in 23 minutes either side of half-time to turn the match on its head. Alexander Sobolev, who had opened the scoring in the 11^th minute, scored again four minutes from time to make sure it wasn’t easy for Leicester, but they held on to grab their first win in Group C to move up to 2^nd place.

Patson Daka Super Mega Minutes (settled at 381)

Chances have been few and far between for Zambia international Daka since his summer move, but he took his chance with both hands against Spartak, scoring all 4 of Leicester’s goals. Daka’s Player Minutes spread was set at 18-21, and his Super Mega Minutes at 28-33, and buyers in both markets made big profits. Daka’s Goal Minutes settled at 225, giving buyers a profit of 204 times their bet, and Super Mega Minutes, which doubles the minutes of a 2^nd goal and trebles those of a 3^rd goal, settled at 381. Buyers of Super Mega Minutes made 348 times their stake.