Tuesday 24th October 2023

In Across the Leagues today:

• UEFA Cups acca – now 1,559/1…
• ‘Keeper Card prices for the early kick-off…
• EFL treble at 32/1…

Galatasaray v Bayern Munich picks – KICK OFF 5.45pm…

I’ve got what my old man calls a ‘pig of a cold.’ I got in trouble for waking the baby with my coughing last night…

The throat can still just about belt out a few strains of the Champions League anthem, though…

And the action continues apace this week. With the international break behind us, we can concentrate fully on the unfolding 2023/24 season – in both the leagues and cups…

It’s UEFA Matchday 3 this week. With Champions League fixtures today & tomorrow, and then the Europa League and Europa Conference League on Thursday.

If you’re not on our pre-season picks for these UEFA club cup competitions. Catch up in full with my original article and advice on our website, here. Including a big-price Each Way underdog for Champions League top scorer, and a cup-winner Trixie.

And for a nice shiny look at our three individual European cup picks – along with our whopping four-figure-odds treble, now trading at 1,559/1. Feast your eyes on this Across the Leagues UEFA Cups 2023/24 Report. My colleague Shaun has got his colouring pens out, and made a fine job of the presentation…

Check out your UEFA Cups Report here >>

Stats Picks for tonight’s games…

As well as eight Champions League ties. The Tuesday fixture list also includes a big programme in the English Football League (EFL). With action in the Championship, League One, and League Two…

Let’s start in Europe…

We were talking recently about goalkeepers being booked. We didn’t hit on the big goalie prices in the weekend’s Merseyside derby. But there was another ‘keeper carded in the Premier League last night, with Tottenham stopper Guglielmo Vicario shown a yellow card for ‘delaying the game’ (that’s two bookings in nine league games for Vicario this season)…

Time-wasting and European cup football has long gone hand-in-hand. They weren’t all dished out for the same offence, but so far in the Champions League this season, there have been three yellow cards shown to goalkeepers. One on Matchday 1, and two on Matchday 2. Making that three from 32 games (9.38%).

Looking at this evening’s schedule, a standout card-candidate ‘keeper is set to line up in the early, 5.45pm kick-off…

Galatasaray v Bayern Munich

Champions League
TNT Sports 5.45pm

The Turkish club’s no.1 is 37-year-old Fernando Muslera. The Uruguayan goalie has both recent form and ‘a bit of previous’ for getting in trouble with referees…

Indeed, Muslera has been booked in his last two games – both for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct.’ Including in the Turkish league at the weekend, where the opposing team’s goalkeeper also got in hot water, shown a straight red.

To be fair to the Galatasaray stopper, Muslera also won praise in that weekend match against Besiktas. Nudging an opposing player out of the way, to prevent a nasty sliding collision with the goalpost. View the clip here.

• Overall, Muslera has received 3 yellow cards from 9 Turkish Super Lig appearances this season. Making him Galatasaray’s most-carded player in the league in 2023/24, as shown by the Team Stats on our website

Muslera also got five yellow cards in the league last season, and one in the Turkish Cup.

And during Galatasaray’s last European adventure, reaching the 2021/22 Europa League through the Qualifying rounds, Fernando chalked up four cards from nine games – three yellows, and a straight red. With three of those four cards, including the red, coming at home.

Add in the fact that Bayern Munich are big-name visitors this evening. Packing a serious threat up front, spearheaded by penalty-taking striker Harry Kane. And the chances of another card for the Galatasaray ‘keeper look lively here…

Consider, too, that the Turkish outfit have a bit of a fiery reputation over the years. Backed up by some noteworthy red-card form this season:

• There has been a red card shown in both of Galatasaray’s Champions League Group games so far this season. And 4 reds in 8 games if we include the Qualifying rounds in August

Playing the markets for today’s teatime kick-off then, these are the prices that appeal. See below for bookies…

• Over 4.5 Cards @ 11/10

• Sending Off in the Match: Yes @ 5/1

• Player to be Carded: Fernando Muslera @ 6/1

Other options include: Most Cards/ Booking Points: Galatasaray. First Carded Player, and Player to be Sent Off/ get Red Card.

EFL Win & BTTS selections at 32/1…

Off to the EFL now, and with a stack of games on tonight’s schedule, plenty of broth in the pot for our latest trio of stats-based Win & Both Teams to Score selections…

Three highly-rated contenders that catch the eye for a big-odds Win & BTTS combo this evening:

Championship, Sky Sports 8pm
Leicester v Sunderland – LEICESTER @ 2/1

League One, 7.45pm
Cambridge v Portsmouth – PORTSMOUTH @ 3/1

League Two, 7.45pm
Notts County v Newport County – NOTTS COUNTY @ 7/4

The Win & Both Teams to Score treble pays 32/1. The advice is a Trixie, splitting a stake four ways across three doubles & the treble (eg. 0.25 points x 4 = 1 pt total stake).

TODAY’S PICKS

See above for full details 

Galatasaray v Bayern Munich – KICK OFF 5.45pm:

• Total Cards: Over 4.5 Cards @ 11/10 (2.1) Bet365 , or Total Over Booking Points: 50+ Booking Points @ Evens (2.0) Skybet . Markets also available with Betway, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, Unibet, William Hill, Sporting Index Fixed Odds, SpreadEx

• Sending Off (Red Card) in the Match: Yes @ 5/1 (6.0) William Hill , 4/1 (5.0) Bet365, Boylesports, Unibet, 7/2 (4.5) Skybet, Paddy Power, Sporting Index Fixed Odds

• Player to be Carded: Fernando Muslera @ 6/1 (7.0) Skybet , Sporting Index Fixed Odds , 5/1 (6.0) William Hill, 49/10 (5.9) 888 Sport, 9/2 (5.5) Betway, LiveScoreBet, 7/2 (4.5) Bet365

English Football League:

• TRIXIE. Win & Both Teams to Score: Leicester, Portsmouth, Notts County – best odds William Hill , Bet365 (32/1 the treble), BetVictor (31/1)

Time-saver: where possible, the bookie links above go directly to the matches/ markets in question.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more Champions League stats and advice for you.

Enjoy the football…

Best wishes,

Oliver Upstone

Across the Leagues