NaturalFootballFan returns with his latest Champions League Tips for tonight's (7:45pm KO) Mondogoal contests.
The importance of each fixture is very mixed tonight; the majority of clubs are still fighting for progression, while a few are more or less safe, sitting at the top of their respective group. For these reasons, we expect some open encounters with both sides fighting tooth and nail for the three points. Gone are the cautious approaches from the underdogs; they have nothing to lose now, instead everything to win.
Our aim is to assist you towards banking the big bucks on
Mondogoal, so let's cut to the chase; here are the fixtures and our recommendations.
Fixtures
Malmo vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Real Madrid
Manchester United vs. PSV Eindhoven
Atletico Madrid vs. Galatasaray
Juventus vs. Manchester City
Borussia M.Gladbach vs. Sevilla
(*All matches have a 7:45pm KO, check starting lineups 1hr before KO here*)
Cleansheet Potential
1. Atletico Madrid
2. Paris Saint-Germain
3. Manchester United
4. Real Madrid
5. Borussia M.Gladbach
Goalkeeper Tips
There are two goalkeepers who stand out for us tonight and the first of these is
Jan Oblak (9.9m) of Atletico Madrid. When the Spanish side are playing at the Vincente Calderon they are one of the hardest clubs in world football to break down. On home soil, in La Liga this season, Atletico have conceded just 6 goals, which is half as many as giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. The home side only need a draw to secure their place in the knockout stage so will be in no rush to score and with Simeone's main principal, as it so often is, to not concede � a cleansheet seems likely.
Our second recommendation and a lot lighter on the bank this time out is
Yann Sommer (6.7m). Borussia M.Gladbach are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions, managing cleansheets in half of these. Yes, they were demolished in the reverse fixture, however, the 5th placed Bundesliga club are a different side on home soil. Sevilla have been in terrible form recently; firstly defeated by second tier side Lugo, followed by a disappointing 2-nil loss to Real Sociedad. Gladbach will aim to take advantage of this and with Sommer scoring 9.8 points in each of his last 2 fixtures on
Mondogoal; he could prove a decent alternative at this price.
Defender Tips
Moving onto the defence and the first name that springs to mind is
Juanfran (8.4m). The full-back is an ever present body in the Atletico backline and is clearly a favourite of Diego Simeone. This is credit to his consistency over the years domestically and in Europe and is highlighted by his points per game average of 8.53 on
Mondogoal. Juanfran is a great attacking outlet and has assisted on 6 occasions in his last 26 Champions League fixtures. Madrid face Galatasaray, a side that have failed to win 11 of their last 12 CL matches, including qualifying.
For this reason, we are going to advise doubling up on the home club's defence by selecting
Diego Godin (9.4m). The skipper has been playing out of his skin as of late, with 2 Man of the Match awards in his last 3 fixtures - Godin has always been the type of player that stands out in a defence, but that really is impressive for a centre-back. Another reason we favoured the experienced Uruguayan is the fact that he's perhaps the most serious goal threat from a defender tonight. The 29-year-old… yes, we thought he was older as well, has scored 10 goals in his last two seasons for Atletico. If you have spare cash and a defensive slot, don't hesitate.
Our final defender tip is Paris Saint-Germain's
Marquinhos (9.4m). This is one of the fixtures we noted down as a miss-match - we can't see Malmo putting up much of a fight, having found the net just once in Group A and the French Champions should ease through this tie. Marquinhos is the cheapest certain starter in the PSG backline and offers a similar output to the even more expensively priced Thiago Silva. He is calm in possession, brings the ball out from the back quickly and due to his physical build, can cause problems for the opposition in offensive set-piece situations. In his single Champions League fixture this year, Marquinhos made 6 successful tackles and the upside of the Brazilian is that he tackles cleanly. This is important when taking
Mondgoal's -0.5pts deducted for every foul committed, into consideration. With David Luiz missing out through suspension, we are almost certain that Marquinhos will start; but make sure to check just in case.
Attacking Potential
1. Paris Saint-Germain
2. Atletico Madrid
3. Real Madrid
4. Manchester United
5. Borussia M.Gladbach
Midfielder Tips
To kick off our midfield recommendations is
Angel Di Maria (14.3m). The winger has turned his struggling form in the Premier League on its head and is back to his best in Paris. Di Maria has flourished when playing off and around Ibrahimovic and this partnership has been further aided by Laurent Blanc's decision to allow the slight midfielder almost complete freedom. The Argentine is back to his best and will look to roam with and without the ball tonight � just like he did in his most successful Real Madrid days. Di Maria was given time to put his feet up on Saturday, having been rested for his side's trip to Lorient. This is not good news for Malmo, as he will turn up fresh and motivated to match his goal and Man of the Match performance during the first meeting.
Adding to the midfield and a player we think has great potential, taking into the account the fixture and his position on the field, is
Lars Stindl (9.4m). The German is classified as a midfielder on Mondogoal, but has been utilised as a spearhead in attack, for the most part, this season; scoring 7 goals in all competitions in the process. Stindl's stats also prove appealing for
Mondogoal managers, per match in the Bundesliga this season he has attempted 2.3 shots, made 1.4 key passes and won 2 fouls. This is the kind of productivity you would expect from a striker. If you are in search of a player, who many will turn a blind eye upon, then look no further than Borussia Gladbach's Stindl.
Forward Tips
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (19.3m), we meet again! If you have been following our weekly Ligue 1 column, you will know that we have joked about handing the big Swede his own permanent slot. The 34-year-old has contributed with a goal or assist in 17 of his 24 appearances for club and country in 2015, so if the French Champions find the net in Malmo, there's a 70% chance of Ibrahimovic being involved � going by that loose theory obviously. Having 5 efforts at goal in the reverse fixture without converting, the marmite striker will be hoping to demonstrate more cutting edge this time out, to leave a mark on his hometown.
His out of form strike partner
Edinson Cavani (9.1m) did not feature on Saturday, so keep an eye on the starting lineup; there's a small possibility that the Argentine will be included in the starting XI. His manager could see this as the perfect opportunity for him to rediscover his early season exploits, which saw him lead the club's scoring chart for a couple of months.
If you fancy Manchester United to do the business tonight, the player who will be in the spotlight is
Memphis Depay (9.5m). His side welcome his former employers to Old Trafford in a tie where both teams are jousting for the top spot in Group B. Depay comes into the match on the back of an impressive display as a CF on Saturday; scoring his first goal since September. Surprisingly, with Manchester United involved, this game still seems destined for goals. Our money would be on Depay to net against his old club.
Again, turning to Atletico Madrid for forward options is a good idea. The obvious and best choice is
Antoine Greizmann (9m). We felt his price is very respectable and with Colombian striker Jackson Martinez missing out through injury, Greizmann will be heavily relied upon to contribute on the frontline. The Frenchman is very much hit or miss on
Mondogoal with his last three totals of 3, 16, 3. Nevertheless, vs. Galatasaray, who have conceded at least 2 goals in 8 of their last 9 Champions League matches, we have a hunch that tonight Greizmann will be a hit.
Last but not least is
Cristiano Ronaldo (17.2m). Going by his recent form, he probably doesn't deserve a place in our tips; nevertheless, you don't forget how to be a Ballon D'or worthy performer overnight. Similar to Messi and Neymar, you can never 100% overlook the Portuguese on
Mondogoal, without a little voice in the back of your head telling you that you've made a grave error. Real Madrid and Ronaldo travel to Ukraine to play Shakhtar, and if they can keep up their run which has seen them unbeaten in 27 of their last 30 Champions League matches, it all looks good for Cristiano.
Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow's expert Europa League Tips provided by
JamieFPL. Good Luck!
