Red Star Belgrade vs Bayern Munich: UCL Matchday 5 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- Undefeated in group-stage action, Bayern Munich travel to Belgrade as heavy -325 favorites
- The FCB have not allowed a goal since making a coaching change earlier this month
- Red Star are on the brink of elimination after back-to-back UCL losses to Tottenham Hotspur
Bayern Munich can clinch top spot in the Group B table with a win when they visit Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday (Nov. 26) as lofty -325 favorites in the UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 odds.
Red Star Belgrade vs Bayern Munich UCL Matchday 5 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds to Win Group B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Star Belgrade | +1.5 (+105) | +750 | O3.5 (+100) | n/a |
| Bayern Munich | -1.5 (-125) | -325 | U3.5 (-120) | -8000 |
| Draw | N/A | +190 | N/A | N/A |
Odds taken on Nov. 21.
Bayern Dominating in Group-Stage Action
The FCB have dominated in Group B action so far this season, posting wins in each of their four contests to date, outscoring opponents by a wide 15-4 margin going into Tuesday afternoon’s matchup at Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Lewandowski on Niko Kovač's dismissal: "The bosses made the decision. It just did not work. Hansi Flick did a great job in just a few days to set us up tactically very well. The players believed directly in him and his words, he has breathed a new life into us" pic.twitter.com/UuJ8UwR8lJ
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 20, 2019
Bayern’s success in UCL action is the highlight of their season so far. The club has struggled at times in Bundesliga play, opening on a 5-3-2 run that spelled the end of head coach Niko Kovac, who was sacked in the wake of a stunning 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt on November 3.
Coaching Change Paying Early Dividends
However, the club has been steady with interim bench boss Hans-Dieter Flick at the reins. Bayern assured themselves of a spot in the knockout stage with a 2-0 blanking of Olympiakos Piraeus in Flick’s coaching debut, and followed up with an impressive 4-0 victory over rival Borussia Dortmund in league action on November 9.
4-0 Bayern at half over Dortmund 🤭
“I’d be more comfortable watching an actual murder than this.” @ryanmacwaddup pic.twitter.com/f3grXQJoM8
— mikey (@mikeyfowler18) April 6, 2019
Tuesday’s contest will mark the club’s first away match under Flick. The FCB have surrendered 14 total goals over their past five road contests. But Bayern have proven reliable when playing on the road in Champions League contests, going undefeated in their past 11 matches.
Robert #Lewandowski, striker of @FCBayern and captain of @Polish national #football team announced that he will undergo a #surgery of his groin during the winter break of #German #Bundesliga.@lewy_official @pzpn_pl @Bundesliga_EN #sport #Poland
More:https://t.co/JT3yewmlpz pic.twitter.com/kwX8jo4iSX— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) November 12, 2019
The other concern is the health of star striker Robert Lewandowski. The club’s leading scorer reportedly needs surgery for a groin injury, but has opted to put off the procedure until the winter break, which is set to begin on December 21.
Red Star Belgrade vs Bayern Munich Stats
| 314/136 | Number of European Wins / Number of games | 264/472 |
| 536/1.71 | Number European goals scored / Per game | 939/1.99 |
| 409/1.30 | Number of European goals conceded / Per game | 488/1.03 |
| 1 | Number of European trophies won | 8 |
| 30 | Number of domestic league titles won | 29 |
| 3 | Number of European finals | 9 |
Red Star on Verge of Elimination
Red Star Belgrade are pegged as lengthy +750 home underdogs as they look to keep their faint hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive. The Red-Whites currently sit third in the Group B table with just one win through four matches, trailing second-place Tottenham Hotspur by four points.
https://youtu.be/rNMO3eSBWiE
The club was blown out by the Spurs in each of their past two group-stage contests, losing by a combined 9-0 margin. But Red Star have performed well in other competitions, going 9-1-0 over their past 10 matches, and enjoying a commanding seven-point lead atop the Serbia Super Liga table.
Tuesday will mark the third all-time meeting between these two clubs. Bayern manhandled the Serbian side in their first UCL meeting of this season, a 3-0 victory in Munich back on September 18. The FCB needed a pair of late goals to eke out a narrow 3-2 victory in their only previous visit to Belgrade, a 3-2 win in UEFA Europa League action back in 2007.
But with Bayern now riding the momentum of their two recent wins, Tuesday’s matchup is unlikely to be that close.
Picks: Bayern Munich -1.5 (-125); OVER 3.5 (+100)
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.
