UCL Betting: Arsenal Guns for Top Spot vs PSG
Arsenal (+140) vs PSG (+210), Draw (+250)
In two weeks’ time (Wed, Nov. 23), Paris Saint-Germain (3-1-0, 10 points) will travel to Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal (3-1-0, 10 points) for the second time in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage.
As it stands, the two teams are level on points at the top of Group A. The winner will more than likely enter the knockout round at the top of the group, earning a softer matchup in the Round of 16. The loser is still likely to advance, but will face a group-winner when the knockout stage commences.
Their first game was a tight-fought draw (1-1) in Paris. PSG took an early lead when Edinson Cavani opened the scoring in the first minute. Arsenal later equalised in the second half, when Alexis Sanchez tallied in the 77th minute.
If PSG had been able to convert their chances, it would have been a blowout. Cavani may have scored PSG’s only goal, but he also missed two blatant goal-scoring opportunities, as well as a handful of decent chances. Though PSG have a strong front three (Cavani, Blaise Matuidi, and Angel di Maria), every missed chance makes you wonder how much better they would be if they still had Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Domestically, the two teams are in similar standing. Arsenal (7-3-1, 24 points) sits fourth in the English Premier League, and PSG (8-2-2, 26 points) sit at third in Ligue 1. The level of play in the Premier League is undisputedly higher than that of Ligue 1, and many have speculated that that gives PSG an advantage in competitions like the Champions League. They’re able to rest their players in league games so that they are fresh for the Champions League.
But there are also those who believe the opposite is true: teams in stronger leagues have more experience playing stronger teams, and are therefore more prepared for the Champions League.
The argument goes back and forth and, at the end of the day, it’s just punditry. What we do know is that these two teams are very evenly matched, both on the field and on paper. Arsenal will have home-side advantage and the bookmakers have them as very slight favorites. But I see another draw being the best value on the board.
Pick: Draw (+250)
Photo credit: “Mesut Ozil on the ball.” by joshjdss (Flickr) [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/].
Don Aguero is a man of many talents, writing about nearly anything you can put odds to. Don has been writing for SportsBettingDime since 2015, covering sports, entertainment and politics. You name it, he's covered it! He is also a steadfast West Ham fan, and has learned to embrace that suffering.
