FOOTBALL: THE CL QUALIFIERS ARE UPON US!

After hitting two great bets yesterday, we carry the momentum into tonight's Champions League qualifiers, which feature several close encounters. I believe I've found a few promising tips to share.

THE REIGNING SWEDISH CHAMPIONS VS. THE GREEK CHAMPIONS

Malmö hosts the Greek champions PAOK in what promises to be the closest match of the evening. Malmö FF leads the domestic league, but their form hasn't been perfect lately, with two losses in their last three matches. However, I’m not too worried as their focus has been on the Champions League, leading to significant rotation in the squad. Malmö has managed to keep their successful coach, Henrik Rydström, despite interest from the British Isles. They lost their key center back Cornelius to Marseille but strengthened their attack with Sead Haksabanovic from Celtic. Malmö comes into the match with a nearly full squad, with no notable injuries or suspensions.

IS THE GREEK GIANT BACK?

PAOK won the league last season, a feat they hadn’t achieved since the 2018-19 season when they also won the double. The Greek season hasn’t started yet, so they've only played friendly matches and the previous qualifying round, where they won both legs against Borac Banja, 3-2 at home and 0-1 away. Usually, winning teams from smaller leagues see their best players leave, but PAOK has retained most of their squad, though Konstantelias is frequently rumored to be on his way out. They’ve also added two interesting forwards: Tissoudali from Gent and Chalov from CSKA Moscow, both of whom scored over 10 goals in their respective leagues last season.

ANALYSIS: GO FOR GOALS

Given that the Swedish league has been underway for a while, Malmö's players are fully match-fit and in good form, giving them an edge. PAOK is still in pre-season mode, with several players just returning. This is a factor, as evidenced by their conceding two goals at home to Borac Banja. Malmö's attack, featuring Nanasi, Bolin, Botheim, and Kiese-Thelin, can pose problems for PAOK. At the same time, Malmö lacks a solid replacement for Cornelius, and their defense has looked shaky. I’m betting on both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at odds of 1.95.

SPARTA PRAGUE VS FCSB - THIS IS SPARTA!!!

Sparta Prague has become the new powerhouse in Czech football, winning two consecutive league titles, a cup, and reaching the Europa League quarterfinals last year. Czech football is on the rise, as seen in the Euros. They've started the league with three straight wins and lead the table. In the previous round, they comfortably defeated Shamrock Rovers with a total score of 6-2. In terms of transfers, they’ve only lost Krejci to Girona and haven’t signed a direct replacement. However, they’ve brought in a new first-choice goalkeeper, Vindahl from Denmark, and former Malmö FF player Birmancevic from Toulouse. Both have seamlessly integrated into the team. Additionally, they've retained their young defensive general, Vitik. There are no significant injuries to mention. Their attack, featuring Birmancevic, Hersalin, and Kuchta, is very strong, with the latter two maintaining their form from the Euros.

CAN FCSB PULL AN UPSET LIKE THEIR NATIONAL TEAM?

The former FC Steaua București, now known as FCSB, are also reigning champions. The former giants have had a tough period, with this being their first league title in nine years. They aim to make a surprise run to the Champions League knockout stages, just like the national team did in the Euros. However, their start has been less than ideal, currently sitting second last in the league after three rounds. They did manage to progress against Maccabi Haifa with a 1-0 away win. Their defense has been problematic, conceding too many goals. They’ve lost their star player Florinel Coman to Qatar, hoping to replace him with the small, technical player Ștefănescu from Sepsi.

ANALYSIS: THIS WILL BE TOO MUCH FOR FCSB

Sparta seems to be in great form, unlike their opponents. They have several players from the Czech national team who performed well in the Euros. Sparta's new signings have been excellent, with Birmancevic already becoming a key player. FCSB knows they can’t afford mistakes in such a crucial match, which often leads to overthinking and errors. Sparta is likely to win, and I’m betting on a handicap of -1 on Sparta at odds of 1.83. If they win by one goal, it’s a money-back guarantee.

RB SALZBURG VS. TWENTE - THE BULL AND THE HORSE

Red Bull’s favorite team in the Champions League is undoubtedly Salzburg. The Austrian team has made it to the group stage for the past five years, and although they’ve never progressed past the groups, it’s still impressive. They’re more motivated than ever after losing their 12th consecutive league title to Sturm Graz. Many expected them to make a major effort to bring in new players, but that hasn’t happened. They’ve lost both their center back Pavlović and central midfielder Susic. This might worry some, but not me. They played with an extremely young team last season, and all those players have gained experience and muscle. There’s no chance they won’t win the league this year, having started the season perfectly with victories in both the league and cup. Karim Konate looks as good as expected, and it will be hard to keep him in the winter, the same goes for left-back Dedic who’s attracting a lot of interest. They have no injuries or suspensions and can go full throttle.

FC TWENTE - FROM RAGS TO RICHES?

FC Twente is a team with many faces, having nearly gone bankrupt twice in the past 20 years. The first time was in 2008, after which they sorted out their finances and made it to their first Champions League. The second time was just eight years ago when they were relegated to the second division. But they’ve bounced back once again, finishing third in the league last season, which is very impressive. Reaching the group stage would secure their finances for at least 10 years. They’ve been in pre-season for the past month and haven’t played any competitive matches yet, making this a tough start. Michal Sadílek looks set to miss the match due to a cycling accident, which also ruled him out of the Euros for the Czech Republic this summer. Otherwise, the squad is injury-free. On the transfer market, they’ve been cautious, with Sam Lammers, who returns from Glasgow Rangers, being the most notable signing, while Robin Pröpper has moved in the opposite direction.

ANALYSIS: EXPERIENCE MATTERS IN THESE SITUATIONS

Salzburg has already started the season, putting them about two weeks ahead of Twente in preparations. Additionally, Salzburg is accustomed to Champions League play, aiming for their sixth consecutive group stage appearance. If Twente advances, it will only be their second time, and experience usually proves decisive in these matches. Salzburg has started the season perfectly, with players like Konate already scoring goals. A Salzburg win currently offers odds of 1.68, which I’d say is a take-my-money-and-run situation.