After Matchday 3 Hat-Trick, Man City’s Raheem Sterling Sees UCL Top Scorer Odds Shorten From 14-1 to 6-1
- Raheem Sterling has climbed from a +1400 to a +600 bet to lead the UEFA Champions League in goalscoring
- Sterling potted three goals in Manchester City’s 5-1 victory over Atalanta earlier this week
- With five goals to his credit, Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski continues to lead the way as a +400 favorite
Raheem Sterling continued his stellar performance this season with another big outing in UEFA Champions League action this week, potting three goals to power Manchester City to a lopsided 5-1 win over Atalanta in their Group C matchup.
UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer Odds
| Player | UCL Goals | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Lewandowski | 5 | +400 |
| Raheem Sterling | 4 | +600 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 3 | +900 |
| Sergio Aguero | 2 | +900 |
| Lionel Messi | 1 | +1000 |
| Erling Haaland | 6 | +1200 |
| Serge Gnabry | 4 | +1200 |
| Mohamed Salah | 3 | +1200 |
| Harry Kane | 4 | +1400 |
Odds taken October 24, 2019.
Sterling Enjoying a Breakthrough Campaign
Sterling’s hat-trick now leaves him with four goals through three UCL matches and has lifted him to an attractive +600 second-favorite to lead the Champions League in goal-scoring this season after lagging at a lengthy +1400 prior to Tuesday’s contest.
The 24-year-old also potted the match-winner in City’s 2-0 blanking of Dinamo Zagreb back on October 1 and has scored eight times in seven Champions League contests since February. And Sterling’s goalscoring prowess has not been limited to UCL action. He has also scored six times in eight Premier League appearances, putting him on pace to top his career-best 18-goal campaign back in 2017/2018.
🏴 Raheem @Sterling7 vs @Atalanta_BC:
🎯 34’ – Assist
🎯 38’ – Assist
⚽ 58' – Goal
⚽ 64' – Goal
⚽ 69' – Goal⏱ 11 minute hattrick.
🎩 First @ChampionsLeague hattrick.
🔥 Unstoppable form. pic.twitter.com/7D3dp1lbyr
— SPORF (@Sporf) October 22, 2019
With three matches still remaining in group stage action, Sterling will have plenty of opportunity to pad his goalscoring numbers. City’s Group C schedule continues with a rematch on the road against Atalanta, who have posted just four wins in 10 matches across all competitions, and been outscored by an 11-2 margin in three UCL group stage defeats.
City have also dominated in recent meetings with Shakhtar Donetsk, outgunning the Ukrainian side by a 12-0 margin in three straight wins, and will aim to build on that success when they close out their Group C schedule against Dinamo Zagreb on December 12.
Lewandowski Emerges as Europe’s Most Prolific Scorer
However, Sterling still faces stiff competition, most notably from Bayern Munich sniper Robert Lewandowski, who leads the way as a +400 favorite. Lewandowski has tallied at least one goal in each of Bayern’s eight Bundesliga outings, for a total of 12 on the season, double the number scored by his nearest competitor, Timo Werner.
While Lewandowski has been the most prolific goalscorer in Europe this season, his bid to be UCL top goalscorer will hinge on Bayern’s ability to avoid another early tournament exit, after advancing no further than the quarterfinals in two of the past three years.
Lewandowski has also scored five times over three UCL outings, capped by a two-goal performance in Bayern’s narrow 3-2 win over Olympiakos Piraeus earlier this week. But while Lewandowski has been the most prolific goalscorer in Europe this season, his bid to be UCL top goalscorer will hinge on Bayern’s ability to avoid another early tournament exit, after advancing no further than the quarterfinals in two of the past three years.
Robert Lewandowski already has 2️⃣0️⃣ goals this season. TWENTY.
It's not even Halloween. 😱 pic.twitter.com/P0kpkotffX
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 22, 2019
The same concern exists for Lewandowski’s teammate, Serge Gnabry, who sits alongside Mohamed Salah and Erling Haland as a +1200 bet after scoring four times over Bayern’s first three contest. Listed at +1400, Harry Kane may only enjoy a short Champions League run with Tottenham Hotspur, who have mustered just four wins in 13 matches across all competitions this season.
Aguero, Messi Offering Early Value
That leaves two intriguing options to consider further down the UCL goalscorer odds. City’s Sergio Aguero finally snapped a four-match goalscoring drought across all competitions with a pair of markers in City’s win over Atalanta, and now sits as an attractive +900 wager. And defending UCL leading scorer Lionel Messi is pegged as a +1000 bet to claim a seventh career Champions League goalscoring crown.
https://twitter.com/TeamAguero10/status/1186948690474422277?s=20
Aguero got off to a torrid start in Premier League action, leading the league with eight goals. Like Sterling, the Argentine veteran is likely to benefit from what is expected to be a deep run by City in this year’s Champions League but has work to do to top a career-best eight goals scored in UCL action three seasons ago.
Messi Back on Track Following September Injuries
Hobbled by injury last month, Messi picked up his first goal in three outings in Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Slavia Praha on Wednesday, to remain well off his pace from last season, when he opened the tournament with six goals in three outings.
Most goals for Barcelona in the last 3 UCL seasons:
Lionel Messi – 19
Own Goal – 7 pic.twitter.com/jEZ2ysWQ7Z— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 23, 2019
However, with three goals in his past three matches across all competitions, Messi looks to be fully recovered from injury. And with Barcelona pegged as a +650 second-favorite to emerge as this season’s Champions League winners, the Argentine superstar is likely to have plenty of time to get back in the scoring race, making him a solid value bet.
Pick: Lionel Messi to be UEFA Champions League top goalscorer (+1000)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
