Reigning Champions under Pressure in the Best European Leagues
Published August 25, 2019 by Florin P
PSG, Manchester City and Barcelona have started the season poorly and seek the first win in the leagues they have comfortably won last season.
Winning back-to-back trophies in the strongest European championships is not easy and aspiring teams need to start the season on a positive note. Manchester City, Barcelona and PSG are the reigning champions and the main favorites once again, but so far, their performance leaves a lot to be desired. Manchester City had to settle for one point against Tottenham, while Barcelona and PSG were defeated on the road by opponents they used to dominate.
Manchester City have the First Chance against Bournemouth
Manchester City were unable to defeat Tottenham after they had a goal denied in the last minutes of overtime. Now they don’t have home pitch advantage, but even though they play on the road against Bournemouth, they are the overwhelming favorite to prevail. 888 Sport only offers odds of 1/5 on an away victory and these are fully justified by the head to head record and the recent results. Manchester City should be able to pick up three points with relative ease and won’t settle for a narrow margin victory. Punters willing to take a leap of faith with the hosts will be paid at 12/1 on a home win and 6/1 on a draw.
Barcelona go for Crushing Win over Betis
Barcelona had to play without Messi in the opening round against Athletic Bilbao and they were swiftly defeated after conceding a goal in the last minute. They return to Nou Camp with high expectations and they have no room for error in the match against Real Betis. Barcelona has won the overwhelming majority of matches against these opponents, but the last time they came to town, Betis caused a huge upset. The 4-3 defeat is still very much alive in the minds of Barcelona fans and players, but another loss is highly unlikely. Odds of 1/4 at bet365 Sports on the hosts to prevail are low, but they reflect the difference between the two teams; the same can be said about the value of 10/1 on a Betis win.
PSG Return Home after Horrible Away Match
PSG rarely lose matches in the domestic championship, regardless of the opponent and venue. The fact that they were defeated by Rennes came as a shock, especially after the reigning champions have scored the opening goal. The return to Paris is expected to bring the first victory this season, a comfortable win over Toulouse. Odds of 1/7 offered by Winner Sports are not high enough to encourage players to bet on the home side. The same bookmaker offers even odds on PSG to cover the -2.5 goals handicap.
