The UEFA Champions League group phase goes on this week with the 5th round matches, and in this preview we’ll take a closer look to the Group A games set for Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017, when Basel hosts Manchester United at St. Jakob-Park, while CSKA Moscow welcomes Benfica at VEB Arena.
Down below you will find some fresh tips and betting predictions, so don’t waste your time and join the action here on GetMoreSports.
BASEL vs. MANCHESTER UNITED
3-Way: 1: Basel +325; X: +260 Draw; 2: Manchester United +110 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Basel -108; Manchester United +104
Total +2.5: Over +116; Under -118
BASEL
Basel had a great opportunity to secure the second spot of the Group A in the previous round of the UEFA Champions League when they were beaten by CSKA Moscow, 2:1, in front of the home fans. They were leading into the halftime after Luca Zuffi’s goals in the 32nd minute, but in the second half their game fail apart, and The Horses earned a well-deserved victory.
After the first four rounds of the UEFA Champions League Basel is in the second place of the Group A table with six points, an 8:5 goal difference, and a 2-0-2 record. If they win against The Red Devils, and CSKA Moscow lose their match at home with Benfica, the Swiss side will go through. However, it seems like we’ll have to wait for the sixth round to see who will clinch the second spot.
The 20-year old talented striker Dimitri Oberlin, who’s playing on loan from Salzburg, is the team’s leading scorer in the Champions League with three goals in four appearances, while five other players scored one goal apiece. The 28-year old striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel will be another threat for Manchester United’s defenders, as he scored seven goals in Swiss Raiffeisen Super League so far.
The manager Raphael Wicky can count on all players for the next game, besides the midfielder Taulant Xhaka, who will serve the yellow card suspension.
MANCHESTER UNITED
The Red Devils need one more point from the remaining two rounds to qualify as group winners, and they will certainly try to stay undefeated on Wednesday evening so they can wait for the last game in a relaxed manner.
After the first four rounds of the UEFA Champions League Manchester United is sitting on the top of the Group A table with 12 points, and a 10:1 goal difference. They have convincingly won all previous four matches, showing some attacking football along with the responsible defending. The 24-year old striker Romelu Lukaku is a team’s leading scorer in the Champions League with three goals in four appearances, while the 20-year old forward Marcus Rashford added two goals and one assist to his name in four matches. The 21-year old winger Anthony Martial is another key player with a goal and three dishes in four apps.
The manager Jose Mourinho is surely happy with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return after the injury, and we could see the legendary striker on Wednesday evening, at least coming off the bench. The 36-year old midfielder Michael Carrick (calf injury) and the 25-year old centre-back Phil Jones (wound) are both sidelined for the next game.
BASEL vs. MANCHESTER UNITED – Match Prediction
The Red Devils are favorites in this one, and they’ll probably stay undefeated to secure the top spot of the group table. On the other side, Basel will try to play their best football, and they are always a tricky opponent at the home stadium, so I expect to see them scoring in this one.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-105)
CSKA MOSCOW vs. BENFICA
3-Way: 1: CSKA Moscow +123; X: +260 Draw; 2: Benfica +290 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: CSKA Moscow +114; Benfica -120
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -114
CSKA MOSCOW
After four rounds of the UEFA Champions League group stage, CSKA Moscow is in the third spot of the Group A table with six points, same as the second-placed Basel, but the Swiss side has a better H2H score. The Horses cannot qualify after the fifth round, while they need a victory over Benfica to stay in the race with Basel for the second spot.
In the previous round of the Russian Premier Liga CSKA Moscow traveled almost 4000 miles to meet SKA Khabarovsk, so there will be some tired legs among the squad when they host Benfica on Wednesday afternoon. The 24-year old Brazilian winger Vitinho is CSKA’s best player this season with six goals and five assists in all competitions, while the 27-year old midfielder Alan Dzagoev added five goals and five dishes to his name. In the UEFA Champions League, five different players scored one goal each in the previous four rounds.
The manager Viktor Goncharenko doesn’t have any serious injury problems among the squad, as all players are healthy and ready to go, so he can field his best eleven against Benfica.
BENFICA
The Eagles still stand a chance to reach the second spot of the UEFA Champions League Gropu A table, but they need to win the remaining two games against CSKA Moscow on the road, and Basel at home, while they also need The Red Devils’ victory at St. Jakob-Park. Likewise, they need a better H2H score against these two teams. First, they have to beat The Horses on Wednesday with at least two goals in CSKA’s net, after the 2:1 loss at home in the first round of the UEFA Champions League Group A.
Benfica had a horrible campaign so far, as they have lost all four matches with a 1:10 goal difference. The 25-year old striker Haris Seferovic, who joined the club this summer from Eintracht Frankfurt, scored the only goal against CSKA Moscow, while he bagged six goals in 15 appearances this season in all competitions. The 33-year old experienced forward Jonas is the team’s top scorer with 14 goals in 17 apps in all competitions.
The manager Rui Vitoria will probably miss the defensive midfielder Ljubomir Fejsa due to a muscle injury, while the centre-back Ruben Dias (appendectomy), and the midfielder Filipe Augusto (wound) are both doubtful for the next game.
CSKA MOSCOW vs. BENFICA – Match Prediction
Both teams desperately need a win in this one, so I expect to see a great battle and probably a couple of goals on both ends of the pitch. If Manchester United take an early lead at Basel, Benfica’s players will have a huge motive to win against The Horses, who will be also waiting for the same news from St. Jakob-Park.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-110)
