Tip #1: Back Man Utd & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.66 with bet365.com

Tip #2: Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.60 with bet365.com

advertisement

Our recommended offer for September is Up to £200 first deposit bet* from Bet365.com. *T&C apply

Man Utd v Basel Champions League Betting Tips: Match Preview

Get more winnings from your accumulators with the bet365 accumulator bonus, up to 100%!

Manchester United

Man Utd’s victory in the 2017 Europa League final ensured that the club would enter the draw for the 2017/18 Champions League group stage as pot one seeds. The reward for this status has been to get drawn alongside Benfica, CSKA Moscow, and FC Basel in the winnable group A.

Man Utd fans do have reason to be optimistic after spending last season out of the Champions League. Now, they must get off to a winning start at home to FC Basel, who won the Swiss Super League in the previous campaign.

However, history would suggest that an encounter with FC Basel could be more challenging than fans desire. Back in 2002, Man Utd did win 3-1 away in Basel, but this was followed by a 1-1 at Old Trafford in March 2003. Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge of Man Utd when the Red Devils drew 3-3 at home against Basel, while the away match ended 2-1 in favour of their Swiss opponents.

Basel have previously been tricky foes for Man Utd, but the improved attacking standards give Man Utd the edge. The purchase of Romelu Lukaku has added much-needed pace, in turn opening up more room for Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to wreak havoc with their passing.

Enjoying our Man Utd v Basel Champions League Betting Tips preview? Browse through more previews on our Betting Tips section here.

Basel

FC Basel have won eight consecutive Swiss Super League titles, making them the undisputed force in their native land. In the past decade, they have also reached the last 16 of the Champions League on two occasions, while their Europa League achievements include quarter-final and semi-final appearances.

Basel could turn out to be the trickiest opponents in the group, even if their squad is largely unrecognisable by Man Utd fans. The Swiss Super League is not noted for generating revenue, so Basel have been forced to develop young players and seeking out bargain acquisitions instead.

For Premier League viewers, the most recognisable name in the Basel line-up will be striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel. After notching up more than 50 total league goals in the Eredivisie and Primeira Liga, then delivered only one goal in 25 Premier League appearances with Norwich City.

The Dutchman, however, has since rediscovered his touch, scoring six goals in his first six league games of the season. If midfielders Renato Steffen and Luca Zuffi can provide decent service, then van Wolfswinkel could redeem his reputation in England.

Verdict

Following the 2-0 league win against Leicester City, José Mourinho revealed that the suspended Eric Bailly and slightly injured Phil Jones would be replaced by centre-backs Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelöf for the Benfica game.

Bailly and Jones began the season with three consecutive clean-sheets in the league, so there might be a minor degree of instability in defence. Nevertheless, Man Utd should be able to exhibit the attacking quality needed to kick-start their Champions League campaign with three points.

Tip #1: Back Man Utd & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.66 with bet365.com

Tip #2: Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.60 with bet365.com

If you enjoyed our Man Utd v Basel Champions League Betting Tips preview you can follow us on twitter @footybettingtips or subscribe with email to get frequent updates.

For more information on recommended sportsbooks visit our Sportsbooks section

Category: Champions League
No comments »

Comments are closed.