Sports Blog 15/09/2015: Match Preview – UEFA Champions League, Tuesday 15th September 2015

The Champions League proper finally gets underway tonight, with both Manchester sides in action.

First up is Manchester United, who visit PSV Eindhoven at 7.45pm on BT Sport 2. PSV have gotten off to a decent start to the 2015/16 season, winning 3 and drawing 2, including an impressive 3-1 win over Feyenoord and a 6-0 win over SC Cambuur. Frustratingly for the Dutch champions, like many smaller, but still top, European sides, PSV were plundered over the summer, losing 2 of their 3 top scorers in the process; Memphis Depay, of course, went to United whilst Georginio Wijnaldum went off to Steve McClaren’s Newcastle. It still leaves them with Luke de Jong, second top scorer last season with 26 goals, who has been trying to make up for the gaps in PSV’s front line, already getting 5 goals in the league to leave him at a Super Mega PGM spread of 22-27 and at 6/1 to score first.



Since Wayne Rooney is injured Memphis Depay, revisiting PSV for the first time, will be the focus, and with 2 goals in the Champions League qualifiers he sits at a Super Mega PGM spread of 18-22. Fans will also be interested in seeing if Anthony Martial (at 5/1 to score first) can match his explosive debut against Liverpool, with his superb solo sealing a 3-1 win over Brendan Rodgers’ beleaguered side. Some of United’s best form this season has come in Europe, where they beat Club Brugge 7-1 over two legs; their league form, however, has been slightly more inconsistent, leaving our Spreadex traders to offer a slim Manchester United/PSV (h) Goal Supremacy spread at 0.15-0.35 with a Total Goals spread of 2.5-2.7.

In theory the other Manchester side face a much tougher task, as City host Juventus at 7.45pm on BT Sport Europe. Yet the Italian side haven’t yet matched the force they displayed last season. So far they have been eerily similar to Chelsea’s lifeless start to the year, losing their first 2 games to Udinese and Roma, their best result being a 1-1 draw against Chievo. One of the few bright spots has been the progress of Paulo Dybala, signed for around €40 million from Palermo and scorer of both of Juve’s league goals. This leaves the young Argentinian at a Super Mega PGM spread of 15-19, ahead of Juve’s other star-striker-signing Mario Mandzukic who, though yet to find the back of the net for the Italian champions, is at 9/1 to score first.



In comparison it is no understatement to say Manchester City’s season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Not only are they the only team to win all 5 games so far this season, but they haven’t conceded a single goal in doing so, a feat not matched since Portsmouth somehow managed it in 2009. The absence of Sergio Aguero this evening could complicate matters for City; however, it gives Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne space to shine. The young Englishman is at a Super Mega PGM spread of 16-20, whilst the Belgian winger is at 7/1. Whilst last season this match would have looked much closer, at the moment City seem unstoppable, leaving them at a Manchester City/Juventus Goal Supremacy spread of 0.6-0.8 with a Total Goals spread of 2.35-2.55.