Champions League Qualifiers Top Betting Picks

Benfica vs Dynamo Kyiv

The Portuguese giants are now 90 minutes away from the Champions League group stages as they comfortably won 2-0 in the first leg of their qualifying playoff-round clash last Wednesday. The Ukrainian outfit was very lucky to knock out Fenerbahce, with the Turkish side missing a penalty and playing for the entire second half and extra time with a man down. They also needed extra time in the second leg with Sturm Graz, but they managed to qualify in the playoffs without playing a competitive match this year besides the UCL qualifiers.

Benfica enjoyed a superb preseason campaign, winning all five friendlies against teams like Nice, Newcastle and Fulham. They kicked off their domestic season in style, picking up maximum points from their opening two games against Arouca and Casa Pia, keeping two clean sheets in the process. In the previous qualifying round, they trashed Midtjylland, beating them 7-2 on aggregate. They enter this clash on the back of 11 wins across all competitions and we expect them to maintain the momentum, so we will include them in our soccer picks and parlays.

The 21-year-old Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos is Benfica’s new sensation and the perfect replacement for Darwin Nunez. Ramos has now been involved in 13 goals and assists in his last 12 games for club and country, including one goal in the 2-0 victory from the first leg. Benfica has never lost to Dynamo Kyiv, picking up four wins and a draw from five previous mutual encounters. The two sides played each other in the group stage of the Champions League last season with Benfica playing out a 0-0 draw in Ukraine before returning home for a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture.

The visitors will be forced to attack from the first whistle of the game and leave many gaps at the back. Benfica has an excellent pace in the final third and they are deadly on the break. They should easily win this clash from halftime and qualify for the Champions League groups.

Pick: Benfica HT/FT at +105

Trabzonspor vs FC Copenhagen

After a first-leg game full of emotions and goals, Trabzonspor and Copenhagen will meet again on Wednesday. Despite giving away the possession in the first leg, the Danish champions secured an important 2-1 home victory. That one-goal advantage will give them a little more peace of mind before visiting the home of the Turkish champions. They enter this clash as underdogs being priced at +290 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while the goal-line is set at 2½.

It’s now or never for Trabzonspor. They are unbeaten on soil since August 2021. The last time they lost was in the Europa Conference League qualifiers against AS Roma. The Turkish champions got off to a good start in their domestic title defense by winning their first two league games. Now, they will have to overcome a one-goal deficit in front of their fans if they are to return to the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12.

Trabzonspor allowed five goals away at Antalyaspor at the weekend, succumbing to a 5-2 defeat with three of the home team’s goals coming in the last 10 minutes of the game. We must note that they weren’t particularly interested in playing last weekend and rested many of their key players.

Enis Bardhi scored twice as a substitute and should earn a chance in a creative role, with Marc Bartra an option in the center of defense. Their attacking line is as usual at a required level, and we have to say that overall, that is the most potent and the most dangerous part of this squad. The Danish champions are known for having a good defense and keeping close scores, but it will be very hard for them to keep their opponents at bay on the road.

If you’re betting online, you must dig deep to find the best edge before placing your bets. It’s tough to predict a winner here because the two teams are equally balanced and the game can go either way. Instead, we’re going with the overs.

Pick: Over 2½ goals in the match at -120