LEICESTER look to confirm their place in next year’s Last 16 by securing a point against Club Brugge on Tuesday. Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) previews the action for us.
Leicester v Club Brugge | Tuesday 19:45 | BT Sport Europe
I may as well start the article by focusing on my central point and that is that I’m surprised at the price of Leicester on Tuesday night. I had expected them to be on the shorter side of 4/6, but no, the English champions are best price 8/11 at the time of writing.
Two factors
Why so big? Well it probably relates to a couple of factors. Firstly, the Foxes don’t need to win. They sit three points clear at the top of the group and five clear of the third place FC Copenhagen.
A place in the Last 16 looks a certainty but by securing a point on Tuesday night that will be confirmed. Will the intensity be there with just a point required?
Secondly, Claudio Ranieri’s side aren’t in great form at the moment with just one win in their last seven Premier League matches and three defeats in their last five in the league. The Foxes lie in 14th position.
I’m happy to side-step both the above points here. I think this Leicester side are well and truly plugged into this competition and will be striving hard to win every match.
Everest
To win the group would be a major achievement and on paper this looks the easiest match of the six they’ll face in Group G.
Their drop off in form in the Premier League is simply an inability to reach the same mental levels as they did last season. They reached the summit of the Everest, to ask them to go back up is well beyond them. The Champions League is a different mountain though and should engage the players a lot more.
Beyond Brugge
It’s been a miserable campaign for Belgian champions Club Brugge. They’ve now lost six straight matches in this competition and have zero points from their four matches in the group.
Leicester hammered them 3-0 on their own park back in mid-September and FC Copenhagen also dished out a 4-0 scudding to them two weeks later.
Even a place in the Europa League looks beyond Brugge now and I think odds of 5/1 on them winning in Leicester are pretty cramped.
With a strong home record this season (one defeat in nine) alongside the release of playing in the Champions League I think Leicester will be too strong for Brugge here and I’m happy to back them -1 on the Asian Handicap at 17/14 with 188BET.
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Leicester v Club Brugge – Leicester -1 Asian Handicap (17/14 188BET)
