With both teams heading into this week’s Champions League encounter with nothing to show for their efforts from their opening two matches in the competition, the emphasis is on Borussia Dortmund to claim a much-needed three points against APOEL Nicosia. However, the home side will be quietly confident of causing an upset, with the German giants on a poor run of form.
Champions League – GSP Stadium, Strovolos – Tuesday 17th October – 19:45 UK Time
Match Preview
Cypriot champions APOEL take on Dortmund in the hope of claiming a first Champions League victory of the season, however the home side are the undoubted underdogs heading into the clash. Dortmund sit top of the German Bundesliga standings, with Peter Bosz’s men having scored a fantastic 23 goals from their opening eight matches. Given their tag as the favourites heading into the match, there are a number of betting markets worth considering. First, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the Cypriot champions.
APOEL Nicosia Team News & Form
Manager George Donis has not been able to lead his club to a single point from their opening two Champions League fixtures this season, with two 3-0 defeats against Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur effecting their chances of progression in either this tournament or the Europa League. Belgian striker Igor de Camargo is likely to lead the line for the home side, with the veteran striker having starred in attack following his arrival in Cyprus last year. A lack of standout names means that APOEL are a team based more on hard work than talent, with Donis’ men having their work cut out to earn a first point of the campaign.
Borussia Dortmund Team News & Form
Despite having suffered a first home Bundesliga defeat in 41 matches at the weekend, Dortmund have made a fine start to the Bundesliga campaign. However, defeats to Tottenham and Real Madrid have left them in danger of being left behind in group H, with nothing but three points suiting the visitors. With the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mario Goetze and Christian Pulic likely to make up an attacking looking line-up for Dortmund, with defensive issues having effected their results so far.
Head to Head
The two teams have never previously met in any competitive fixture, with Dortmund’s trip to Cyprus this week a completely new venture for the German giants and former Champions League winners. As a result, there are no conclusions to be made in this area when looking to make predictions surrounding this encounter.
Betting Odds and Predictions
With Dortmund the overwhelming favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers, with Ladbrokes offering the German side odds of 2/9, it is worth looking further afield when it comes to wagering on this match. The Cypriot side can be backed at odds of 14/1 with the same bookmakers, betting on their being over 2.5 goals is another attractive market. Finally, betting on their being over 2.5 goals is available at odds of 1/2 at William Hill.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score at any point during the 90 minutes, which can be found at best odds of 2/5 at Ladbrokes.