Champions League Combo Treble – Broadcast

Arsenal lost the return fixture in Lens 2-1 but they won the XG battle 1.5 to 0.7 and they’ll be expecting a very different outcome on their home turf.

The Gunners are in control of the group but they still need a result here to be certain of qualification. They’ll be keen to get it wrapped up at home against Lens and avoid needing to get something in a tricky away fixture at PSV.

Arsenal have been strong at home in the Champions League this season, scoring four against PSV and two against Sevilla.

After a shocking start to the season, Lens’ defensive record has improved of late, but they’re up against an attack that has scored 24 goals in 9 home games this season, with only Manchester City preventing the Gunners from scoring two or more when they lost 1-0.

Arsenal and corners is one of the safest bets knocking around at the moment. They top the Premier League for this stat, picking up an average of 8.77 per game, way ahead of second-placed Man City who average 6.85.

They managed five corners in the defeat to Lens earlier this season and have also managed at least 5 in every Premier League game they’ve played at the Emirates. With the chance to secure qualification to the knockout stages tomorrow, I’d expect Arsenal to be pressing and for that corner target to get knocked over with ease.

Lens did only pick up the one card in their first game against Arsenal but the stats suggest they’ve been kicking their way through the other group games, picking up a ridiculous 18 cards across three games.

That means that on average they’ve been leaving the field with more than half a team in the book.

That game against Lens was also the only time that Arsenal’s opponents haven’t picked up at least two cards against them in the Champions League, with eight coming across their other three games.

Bayern have scored two or more goals in every Champions League game so far, including the 2-1 away win at Copenhagen. In fact, they’ve scored 11 goals across four games and are averaging three goals in their home group games.

Harry Kane has settled in rather nicely at the Allianz Arena and with him spearheading the attack they’ve bagged 43 goals in just 12 Bundesliga games.

Copenhagen are conceding an average of two per game in the Champions League this season and this bet would have landed in three out of their four groups games so far.

With so much goalscoring talent at their disposal and the home crowd behind them, I’m backing Bayern to get us at least a couple of goals here.

Bayern have managed at least six corners in all four of their group games this season. Their attacking intent has seen them win 28 in total at an average of seven per game. They managed eight in the return fixture away at Copenhagen.

Copenhagen have conceded 25 corners across the first four games at an average of over six per game. The only match in which they didn’t concede at least four was one of their games against Man United. Against Bayern and Galatassaray they conceded 17 in just two games.

You’d expect them to come under a fair bit of pressure here and I can see Bayern knocking over our corner target with relative ease.

Copenhagen picked up three cards at home to Bayern and all in all they’ve picked up nine across the first four group games.

Bayern have drawn eight cards from opponents so far in the group, averaging two per game.

Copenhagen have a lot riding on this game. They’re second in the group and they know that a good result here puts them within touching distance of the knockout stages.

I think that extra intensity will play its part and I can see scenarios developing within the game where it may be wise for Copenhagen players to pick up a yellow to prevent counter attacks.

Sociedad beat RB Salzburg 2-0 away in the return fixture, and although their passage to the knockout stages is secure, they’re in a battle with Inter to top the group so I don’t see them taking their foot off the pedal in this one.

They’ve been in good goalscoring form in November, bagging eight goals in their last three matches. Topping the group could all come down to goal difference between them and inter and for that reason I think they’ve got a good chance of kicking on and grabbing a couple here.

Sociedad have managed 27 corners across their four group games so far, that’s an average of 6.75 per game.

That average goes up to 8.5 when looking at their home fixtures in the competition. They managed five in the return fixture against Salzburg back in October.

Salzburg for their part have conceded at least 4 corners in every Champions League group game this season, averaging 4.5 per game.

Salzburg have picked up at least two cards in every group game so far. In total they managed 11, at an average of 2.75 per game.

They’re on a bit of a run with cards in the Austrian Bundesliga too, picking up 13 in their last four games.

You have to go back as far as September before finding an away game where at least two Salzburg players weren’t carded.

Sociedad are one of those teams that draw cards out of the opposition. Their opponents have received at least two cards in their last 11 La Liga fixtures, with 36 in total coming during that those matches at an average of 3.27 per game.