October 1st 2024.
If Harry Kane can stay healthy, Aston Villa may have some trouble on their hands when they face off against Bayern Munich. The two teams will meet on Wednesday night in a highly anticipated match, reminiscent of their 1982 European Cup final in Rotterdam.
Back then, Bayern Munich was the clear favorite to win, even before Aston Villa encountered a setback in the ninth minute when their goalkeeper, Jimmy Rimmer, had to leave the pitch due to a neck injury sustained during training. Despite this, Villa was able to rally and secure a remarkable victory, thanks to a clean sheet from replacement goalkeeper Nigel Spink and a goal from Peter Withe.
After their relegation from the English top flight three years later, it has taken Aston Villa quite some time to make their way back to the top table of European football. However, they are finally back after finishing fourth in the Premier League last season. While they have started this season off strong, they missed a golden opportunity to move up to second place behind Liverpool due to a draw with Ipswich on Sunday.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will need to bring his A-game against Bayern Munich. Emery is undoubtedly a skilled manager and the type that Manchester United could use at the helm, but it is not the first time his team has struggled under pressure. They missed multiple chances to take the top spot last season, and they will need to be in top form to fend off the competition from Bayern.
One of the biggest challenges for Aston Villa will be dealing with the likes of Harry Kane. The English captain has already scored ten goals in seven appearances across all competitions this season. If he is able to play after sustaining an ankle injury in Saturday's draw with Bayer Leverkusen, he will surely be looking to add to his record of five goals at Villa Park for his club, Tottenham.
Bayern also has their own threats, including former Arsenal and West Brom forward Serge Gnabry, who has scored eight goals in nine games against English opponents in this competition. In fact, Bayern has won 23 out of 48 Champions League matches against Premier League clubs. They are the favorites to win this match, with odds of 4/5 from Coral. However, Kane is not one to be underestimated and is currently 7/2 to score the first goal and 20/21 to score at any time with bet365.
If you're looking for other potential goal scorers, Gnabry is 14/5 with BetUK, while Jhon Duran is 10/3 with bet365 to score for Aston Villa. A 2-1 victory for Bayern is priced at 15/2 with William Hill, bet365, and BoyleSports.
Moving on to other matches, Liverpool is also expected to have a strong performance when they take on Bologna at Anfield. Both teams have only suffered one loss this season, but Bologna has struggled to secure wins, with only one under their belt compared to Liverpool's seven. They have also only kept one clean sheet, making a bet on Liverpool to win and both teams to score at 15/8 with Betway and BoyleSports a solid option. If you're looking for a specific goal scorer, Cody Gakpo is currently 19/10 with BetUK and Unibet. For a possible scoreline, a 3-1 home win for Liverpool is priced at 11/1 with William Hill.
Lastly, for those looking to place a double bet, consider Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday to both win their matches against Swansea and Bristol City, respectively. This 5/1 double is available with William Hill. And for more football news, it seems that Barcelona is preparing a hefty £60m bid for a player that Manchester United previously sold for half the price. There are also rumors swirling about Graham Potter potentially replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, while England's cricket team is facing a tough challenge against Australia, with plenty at stake for players like Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum.
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