Back this 5/1 UEFA Champions League acca on Tuesday

(Featured image: Alamy Images)

Written by: Brad Walker

The Champions League proper is BACK with a whole new format for us to get our heads around.

Gone are the days of the mundane group stage where the top sides would have qualified for the knockout phases with two games to spare. Now, every point will count as each team looks to secure automatic qualification in the top eight spots of the new 36-team league.

Confused? Don't worry, I'm sure this will all culminate in Real Madrid winning the competition as usual come May.

In an increasingly complicated sport, we thought we'd keep things simple with a tasty little accumulator for you to dive into across the first night of Champions League action on Tuesday. Vamos!

Brad Walker's best Champions League bets for Tuesday, September 17th, 2024

Juventus to beat PSV (5/6) - 1 pt

Aston Villa to beat Young Boys (7/10) - 1 pt

Liverpool to beat AC Milan (39/40) - 1 pt

Juventus, Aston Villa & Liverpool treble (5.07/1) - 0.5 pts

TOTAL POINTS STAKED: 3.5 pts

Selection #1 - Juventus to beat PSV Eindhoven (5/6)

The Old Lady have made a solid start under new manager Thiago Motta. The Italian won his first two Serie A games in charge in Turin, though their two subsequent outings have ended in 0-0 draws at home to Roma and away at Empoli.

Nevertheless, Juventus are yet to concede a goal in a competitive match this season and welcome a PSV side which has struggled to pickup away victories in Champions League fixtures in recent times.

The Dutch outfit have just three wins in their last 10 on their travels in the competition since August 2021. PSV also registered just one clean sheet in their 12 Champions League matches last season.

Peter Bosz's side haven't struggles for goals, mind. They've already scored 20 times in the Eredivisie, but come up against a well-organised Juventus side which is well-versed in keeping opposition forwards at bay.

The Italians might have finished 23 points off Serie A champions Inter Milan last season, but still averaged just 0.82 goals conceded across their 38 league outings, and only 0.58 at home.

Adding their impeccable defensive record this season, I'll be backing the home side to edge out a narrow victory to kickstart their Champions League campaign in a tight affair.

Juventus have been superb in defensive quarters since Thiago Motta took over as manager this summer. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

Selection #2 - Aston Villa to beat Young Boys (7/10)

Unai Emery's Aston Villa are finally set for their Champions League debut in Switzerland on Tuesday evening and their confidence couldn't be higher after a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Everton at the weekend.

Despite trailing 2-0 in the first half, Villa fought back to level the score through an Ollie Watkins double before a stunning long-range strike from Jhon Duran completed the turnaround with under 15 minutes remaining.

The win continued an impressive start for Emery's side, who have taken nine points from a possible 12 in the Premier League and currently sit fifth in the table.

Questions do remain over Villa's ability to balance domestic and European commitments moving forward, but that shouldn't be an issue here.

Emery's men face a struggling Young Boys side who have picked up just three points across six matches in the Swiss Super League, failing to win a single match in the process.

Their record against English opposition is also unconvincing. Young Boys have won just two of their 12 games against clubs from England - the most recent being a 2-1 home win vs Manchester United in 2021 - and have also lost four of their last seven home European fixtures.

All in all, anything other than an away victory would be a big shock in this one.

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran rose from the bench to complete his side's comeback against Everton at the weekend. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

Selection #3 - Liverpool to beat AC Milan (39/40)

Two European juggernauts are set to trade blows at Milan's historic San Siro on Tuesday evening. Both AC Milan and Liverpool boast a combined 13 Champions League/European Cup titles between them and met in both the 2005 and 2007 finals earlier this century.

They are also both finding their feet under new managers after undergoing changes over the summer. Former Roma and Lille boss Paulo Fonseca has endured a mixed bag since taking over in the Milan dugout but did pickup his first win with a 4-0 victory over Venezia on Saturday.

The game also saw the Rossoneri register their first clean sheet under the Portuguese manager, after shipping six goals in their first three Serie A matches of 2024-25.

The opposite could be said of Arne Slot's Liverpool prior to their meeting with Nottingham Forest at the weekend. Three wins, including three clean sheets, from their first three league matches saw the Dutch head coach hit the ground running in his first weeks in the job.

However, a 1-0 loss to Forest saw the Reds' form hit a stumbling block. The defeat was Slot's first since taking over at the Anfield helm, as Liverpool languished in the final third and failed to create any significant chances.

Nevertheless, Liverpool have overall impressed early on in Slot's reign and, despite a languid attacking performance at the weekend, can still trouble Milan's defence with their forward options.

Mohamed Salah's form has been particularly impressive. The Egyptian scored twice in Liverpool's two victories against Milan in the 2021/22 group stage and has found the net three times so far in 2024-25.

Ultimately, I expect the visitors to return to put the Forest match behind them and return to winning ways in Italy on Tuesday against a home side which has made habit of giving chances away under Fonseca so far this campaign.