In this preview, we take a look at arguably this year’s competition’s toughest Champions League group, Group H. The first match will see APOEL and Dortmund play the reverse fixture in Germany, where APOEL will hope to achieve a similar result to before when they bagged a point in front of their home crowd. The second match will be one of the highlights of the week, with Tottenham hosting Real Madrid, in a match that could determine who finishes top of the group as both teams currently occupy the top two spaces with seven points each.
Dortmund (Ger) vs. APOEL (Cyp)
Three-Way: 1: Dortmund -588; X: +1250 Draw; 2: APOEL +4300 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -2.5: Dortmund -120; APOEL +122
Total +3.5: Over -123; Under +104
Dortmund
Despite currently occupying the second position in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund’s recent form has been disappointing. In the Germany’s top flight, they have lost twice and drawn once in their last three games, including a 3:2 loss to rivals RB Leipzig who are now just a point behind. Dortmund’s form could worsen as their next match comes against league leaders Bayern Munich.
Further woes for Dortmund came in the Champions League, as they failed to beat the weakest team of the group, APOEL. In fact, the German side could have easily lost the match after going 1:0 down in the second half, but they were saved by a Sokratis Papastathopoulos header to equalize later on. The draw, that would have felt like a loss, puts Dortmund on the edge of an early exit, as they will have to win all three of their next games to have any chance of qualifying, including in an away match against Real Madrid. Not qualifying for the last sixteen would be a kick in the teeth for a Dortmund side who have qualified in each of the last five seasons.
Manager Peter Bosz will be missing Marco Reus (ruptured cruciate ligament), Erik Durm (hip), Sebastian Rode (bone stress) and Lukasz Piszczek (ruptured knee ligament) through injury.
APOEL
By the Cypriot champions’ standard, they have been in awful form domestically, having gained just eleven points from seven games as they sit in the eighth position in the league table. A recent 3:1 loss to league leaders AEK Larnaca would have been particularly damaging to a side that has won the last five championships.
Thankfully for APOEL, they had some joy in their most recent Champions League fixture. The Cypriot side struck first as veteran striker Mikael Poté scored in the 62ndminute, but Dortmund deservedly equalized later in the second a half. A1:1 draw against Borussia Dortmund may not be enough to qualify, but they will have been delighted to get a result in an extremely competitive group in which qualification was never really on the cards for a side that has only done so once before.
Manager Georgios Donis will have a fully fit squad for Wednesday’s match.
Dortmund (Ger) vs. APOEL (Cyp)- Match Prediction:
The last match between these two sides will have been a cause for embarrassment for a German side that has hugely underachieved in the Champions League this season so far. Not only will Dortmund be eager for the win, they will show absolutely no mercy whatsoever, and with a team as strong as theirs, they are more than capable of winning convincingly in front of their home fans.
MY PICK: Dortmund –2.5 AH (-120)
Tottenham (Eng) vs Real Madrid (Spa)
Three-Way: 1: Tottenham +229; X: +286 Draw; 2: Real Madrid +127 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Tottenham -133; Real Madrid +127
Total +3: Over -115; Under +112
Tottenham
Despite going on an unbeaten run of eleven games recently, Tottenham’s domestic form has suffered in the last week as they registered losses in the league cup to a struggling West Ham side after initially taking the 1:0 lead. Also, their most recent Premier League fixture saw them lose 1:0 at Manchester United, keeping them in third position in the table and eight points behind Manchester City.
Just before their two losses, Tottenham was ecstatic to be able to compete with one of Europe’s big boys as they drew 1:1 against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The great result started with Tottenham opening the scoring, as Harry Kane’s run forced Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane to touch the ball into his own net. Luckily for Real Madrid, they responded later in the first half as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty, however, from open play Tottenham were tough to break down and difficult to manage on the counter. Their performance only solidified the high-opinion of this Spurs side and in particular manager Mauricio Pochettino who produced another tactical masterclass.
Mauricio Pochettino will be without winger Erik Lamela (hip) and defensive-midfielder Victor Wanyama (knee) through injury.
Real Madrid
Although Real Madrid has been picking up wins in most of their recent fixtures, their domestic start to the 2016/17 season can be described as nothing else but disastrous. Their most recent match resulted in a 2:1 loss away at Girona, with Real Madrid’s attack seemingly out of sync with each other and unable to perform at similar levels to last season. This issue was further displayed in their recent Copa Del Rey win over third-tier Fuenlabrada, with both of their goals coming from a penalty in the second half.
Real Madrid’s continental form has been slightly better, but a 1:1 draw against an albeit strong Tottenham side will have been disappointing for themselves and their home fans. The Spanish side struggled to penetrate a tightly-knit Tottenham defense, despite having arguably the best attacking force in Europe, and were matched tactically and physically throughout the match. The draw still means that Real Madrid will probably qualify and that they extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League group stage to 30 games, but a loss to Tottenham in their next game could not only represent a shift in power away from Madrid but also away from Spain as a whole.
Manager Zinedine Zidane will be without centre-back Raphael Varane(wound), central midfielder Mateo Kovacic (patella rupture) and right-back Daniel Carvajal (virus) through injury, while goalkeeper Keylor Navas will also be doubtful as he recently suffered from a tear in the abductor’s muscle.
Tottenham (Eng) vs Real Madrid (Spa) – Match Prediction:
This will possibly be the most interesting Champions League match of the week, as Tottenham have a real opportunity to show Europe that they can not only compete with Europe’s best, but also defeat them too. A win would also be a huge sign of English clubs taking over Europe again, but Tottenham will need to quickly overcome their last two matches to have any chance. That being said, Real Madrid are not in good shape either, and their attack is firing on very few cylinders at the moment, so I could really see Tottenham getting the win they desire while conceding no more than a goal.
MY PICK: Tottenham to WIN (+229)
