Nov 23: Champions League Preview

IT was quite a night in the Champions League with loads of goals and the highest-scoring match in history.

Hopefully there will be a repeat on Wednesday but sometimes the opposite is the case.

Dortmund 8, Legia Warsaw 4 beat Monaco's 7-3 win against Deportivo and well done to anyone who was on over 11.5 match goals.

So let's start with Celtic v Barcelona. When they clashed in September the Nou Camp side were on the rebound after losing at home to Alaves.

Tonight Barca are on the cusp of a crisis after being held 0-0 by Malaga at the weekend and not certain to top Group C after losing at Man City. They've got something to prove and Celtic could suffer again.

The constant with the Alaves and Malaga shockers was the absence of Lionel Messi but MSN will be reunited after the Argentine recovered from a sickness bug.

Bookies have written Celtic off with bet365 going a best 11-1 while Barca are 3-10 with Ladbrokes and draw 21-4 at McBookie.

To have any chance Celtic must play even better than in drawing 3-3 with Man City and at a higher level than their famous 2-1 win in 2012. And they need Messi to be less than 100 per cent fit – and Luis Suarez and Neymar misfiring.

Celtic went from the high of Man City to the low of losing to Borussia M'gladbach and that worries me. If you thing Brendan Rodgers can conjure a result consider Celtic not to lose at 29-10 with 888sport.

It won't be another 7-0 but if it's as open as it was against City there will be loads of goals. I like the chances of over 3.5 at 5-4 with McBookie. Barca are 21-20 to score three or more while both teams to net pays 10-11 at 10Bet.

Celtic should have notched at the Nou Camp with Moussa Dembele missing a penalty. The leading marksman is 41-10 at Marathonbet to score and 10-1 at McBookie to break the deadlock.

Messi is 3-1 favourite with William Hill to score first and I'd back him after his hat-trick in the 7-0 romp. Suarez is 10-3 at Betfred with Neymar 17-4 with McBookie.

Borussia M'gladbach haven't won in four and I'm on Man City at 5-6 with Coral and take Sergio Aguero to score first at 7-2 with McBookie.

In truth it's a little short but Borussia are winless in six in the Bundesliga and couldn't put Celtic away at home after taking the lead.

City win 4-0 at the Etihad and on the h2h have won three out of three against the Germans. I like the look of over 2.5 goals at 11-18 with 188Bet.

Take Sergio Aguero to score at evens with 888sport and what about Lars Stindl to net for the Germans. He notched home and away against Celtic and against Man City in Germany last time they met. He also scored in the 2-1 weekend defeat by Cologne and is 3-1 at Paddy Power to hit the target.

Arsenal face a shoot-out for top spot in Group A at the Emirates with both sides having taken 10 points from four games.

They look as tough to split as they were in Paris when it finished 1-1. Both sides are missing key players and it could be another draw at 5-2 with McBookie and bet365.

Whipping boys Ludogerets and Basel also drew their first meeting and a Europa League is up for grabs when they meet in Bulgaria. Not sure about a winner but an open game should see both scoring and that pays 6-7 at 888sport.

Group B is more exciting with Besiktas, Benfica and Napoli battling for the top two places. Besiktas tackle Benfica in Turkey and again it's a tough one to call.

Both sides are in good form but Benfica aren't always great travellers so consider the home win at 13-8 with bet365.

Napoli will be looking to take three points at home to Dynamo Kiev before travelling to Benfica in their last outing. They beat the Ukraine outfit 2-1 away but two-goal hero Arkadiusk Milik remains sidelined so Dries Mertens could be the go-to guy and he is 9-2 at bet365 to hit the opener.

Napoli are no bigger than 4-9 with the likes of bet365 so consider Napoli -1 at 6-5 with Ladbrokes.

Group D is again a two-horse race between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich and both should win to set up a decider in Germany.

Atletico will be hurting after their 3-0 weekend defeat by Real and that's three defeats in four league games.

Diego Simeone's success was based on defence and his aim will be to shut out PSV at the Vicente Calderon. I'm on the Spanish to win but they're short so try Atletico and under 2.5 goals at 9-4 with Betway.

Bayern also lost at the weekend but face a Rostov side they routed 5-0 at home. They are extremely short at 2-7 so for value try Bayern -1 at 4-5 with Paddy Power and consider Robert Lewandowski to score first at 14-5 with McBookie.

Bets to Consider

Celtic v Barcelona over 3.5 goals

Aguero to score

Arsenal v PSG draw

Ludogerets v Basel btts

Mertens to score first

Napoli -1

Atletico & under 2.5 goals

Bayern -1

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