Arsenal fans got some great news ahead of UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 as they prepare for their match with Sporting. He last appeared with the Gunners in the 2023 Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley.
He spent last season with Real Sociedad on loan and has been dealing with a hamstring issue so far this season.
However, he has taken part in training and is expected to appear Tuesday. Arsenal may also have Declan Rice available.
The midfielder was an available bench player this past weekend against Nottingham Forest, but he did not come in the 3-0 victory.
So the only people on the shelf for Arsenal are Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White, both dealing with knee problems.
Their last Champions League match was a loss at Inter Milan, and now the Gunners sit 12th in the Champions League table with a pair of wins, a draw and that setback. That makes seven points; they are three points back of Sporting.
Let’s peruse the schedule for Matchday 5 and then discuss our top sports betting picks for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Soccer Odds & Betting Analysis: UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 Preview
Sparta Praha +450 vs Atletico Madrid -168
This is Sparta’s hope to bounce back. They got four points out of their first two games and then took a 5-0 whipping at the hands of Manchester City. Against Brest, they had a lot better shot but still lost, 2-1 after they made too many mistakes on defense. Atletico pulled off a surprise win in Matchday 4, taking a 2-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain. Angel Correa came off the bench to deliver a curling shot into the net on the game’s final shot. Sparta have only lost two of their last 13 UEFA home competition matches (seven wins, four draws) Also, Atletico have won just twice in their last 11 away Champions League matches, with two draws and seven losses. However, that huge win in Paris should give them all kinds of confidence.
Champions Pick: Atletico to win.
^Bayern Munich -185 vs PSG +400
Bayern got by Benfica in 1-0 fashion on Matchday 4, as the team made Jamal Musiala’s goal stand. This matchday brings another top-shelf opponent to town, and PSG comes needing a win in the worst way. Thanks to that last-second loss at home to Atletico, they have backed themselves into a corner. Bayern have not lost a home Champions League group stage or league phase since 2013, when Manchester City beat them 3-2. Since then, they have won 30 matches and drawn twice. Can PSG elevate their game and get this win?
Champions Pick: Bayern to win.
^Sporting +214 vs Arsenal +117
A game for Joao Pereira’s chance to show that his managerial skills are on par with his predecessor, Ruben Amorim, who got Sporting through the first four matchdays with three wins and a draw. Pereira’s league phase debut is a difficult one; Sporting were able to stop Manchester City on Matchday 4, and now they play last year’s English Premier League runners-up. Arsenal lost to Inter on Matchday 4, although they did get captain Martin Odegaard back from an ankle injury. Can Sporting keep that momentum going at home?
Champions Pick: Sporting to win.
^Aston Villa +128 vs Juventus +206
A repetition game of the European Cup quarterfinals back in 1982-23, when Juventus took down Villa, 5-2, on aggregate to get to the final. That was the last time Villa made the top competition in Europe until this year. They’ve already picked up two big home wins – Bayern Munich and Bologna. Juventus, have gotten seven points out of four matches, and forward Dušan Vlahović has three goals already. Can Juventus get this huge road win?
Champions Pick: Take the draw.
^Liverpool -120 vs Real Madrid +280
Liverpool, have not beaten Real Madrid in Champions League play since 2009. Since then, “Los Blancos” have won seven times, with one game ending in a draw. Liverpool lead the table here, with the only perfect record through four matches after they routed Bayer Leverkusen, 4-0, behind a hat trick from Luis Diaz. Real Madrid lost at home for the first time in 15 Champions League matches when AC Milan came in and took a 3-1 result. Only three teams have more goals than the 10 that Liverpool have notched during the league phase so far.
Champions Pick: Liverpool to win.
^Celtic -101 vs Club Brugge +250
This is the next part of Celtic’s shot at getting to the knockout rounds of Champions League play for the first time in 11 years.Their win over RB Leipzig on Matchday 4 has them in 15th place now with seven points. They are looking for their fourth straight home Champions League win. Club Brugge beat Aston Villa, ending their perfect run, in Matchday 4. Can they continue a win over British sides on Wednesday?
Champions Pick: Celtic to win.
^Bologna +135 vs LOSC +196
A great game for the Bologna’s next chance at their first win in the league phase. They pushed unbeaten Monaco hard at home but fell, 1-0, as Thilo Kehrer got the game’s only goal in the 86th minute to take the win. Bologna face elimination with just one point out of four matches. Entering the second half of the league phase, it’s time for Bologna to get more aggressive. LOSC drew with Juventus their last time out. They currently sit in 14th place and have an excellent chance to move closer to automatic advancement if they can get these three points on the road.
Champions Pick: LOSC to win.
Monaco +119 vs Benfica +204
Can Monaco take this opportunity to go further? They have beaten Barcelona, Crvena Zvezda and Bologna and took a tough draw at GNK Dynamo for 10 points. Benfica beat Crvena Zvezda and Atletico Madrid to start their run, but they fell to Feyenoord and Bayern Munich. Monaco have only lost once in their last eight UEFA competitive matches, with five wins and two draws.
Champions Pick: Monaco to win.
^UEFA Champions League Schedule for Matchday 5
Tuesday, November 26
(all matches at 3:00 pm ET unless otherwise indicated)
- Slovan Bratislava (+1175) vs AC Milan (-575) (Draw +600) (12:45 pm ET)
- Sparta Praha (+450) vs Atletico Madrid (-168) (Draw +285) (12:45 pm ET)
- Manchester City (-549) vs Feyenoord (+1175) (Draw +590)
- Barcelona (-625) vs Brest (+1250) (Draw +640)
- Bayern Munich (-185) vs PSG (+400) (Draw +360)
- Inter Milan (-250) vs RB Leipzig (+600) (Draw +370)
- Young Boys (+590) vs Atalanta (-248) (+370)
- Bayer Leverkusen (-575) vs RB Salzburg (+1175) (Draw +610)
- Sporting Lisbon (+214) vs Arsenal (+117) (Draw +244)
Wednesday, November 27
(all matches at 3:00 pm ET unless otherwise indicated)
- Crvena Zvezda (+330) vs VfB Stuttgart (-145) (Draw +310) (12:45 pm ET)
- SK Sturm Graz (+226) vs Girona (-101) (Draw +285) (12:45 pm ET)
- Aston Villa (+128) vs Juventus (+206) (Draw +228)
- Monaco (+119) vs Benfica (+204) (Draw +250)
- PSV (-255) vs Shakhtar Donetsk (+590) (Draw +390)
- Liverpool (-120) vs Real Madrid (+280) (Draw +285)
- Celtic (-101) vs Club Brugge (+250) (Draw +255)
- Bologna (+135) vs LOSC (+196) (Draw +226)
- Dinamo Zagreb (+340) vs Borussia Dortmund (-150) (Draw +310)
Top 10 to Win the UEFA Champions League
- Manchester City +350
- Real Madrid +450
- Barcelona +550
- Liverpool +600
- Arsenal +890
- Bayern +890
- Inter +1800
- Leverkusen +2800
- PSG +3900
- Sporting +4000
Before MD5 👀
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 2024
Any surprises? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/r4Mu3ECB8w
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