Champions League play-off betting tips: Selections for the knockout round this week

The Champions League play-offs conclude this midweek with eight teams ready to take their places in the last-16 of Europe’s premier event.

The likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are holding slender leads, while Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge played out the only first-leg draw and teams like Newcastle and Galatasaray will feel they have one foot in the next round after handsome first leg successes.

We’ve selected our best bets across two nights of exciting Champions League knockout football.

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Champions League play-off tips

• Atletico Madrid to beat Club Brugge & both teams to score @ 31/20
• Borussia Dortmund to beat Atalanta @ 11/5
• Bodo/Glimt to beat Inter Milan & both teams to score @ 15/1

Atleti to come through Brugge battle

Diego Simeone will be disappointed that his Atletico Madrid side didn’t return from Brugge with a lead. They were 2-0 and 3-2 ahead but the hosts responded to share six goals.

Simeone has never lost a home Champions League knockout game with Atleti, who indeed last tasted defeat in such a contest on their own patch nearly three decades ago.

They can come through here, but they will likely need multiple goals as the La Liga side are 0-9 in pursuit of a Champions League shutout this season. Club Brugge have seen both teams score in nine of their 13 games since they lost 4-0 against Arsenal in December.

With eight goals scored in two home games previously, Atleti should have the firepower to outscore Ivan Leko’s plucky side at the Metropolitano.

Dortmund can progress with style

Atalanta must try and chase down a two-goal deficit as they welcome Borussia Dortmund to Bergamo.

La Dea have been excellent domestically in 2026, unbeaten in nine Serie A games (W7, D2) and dumping Juventus out of the Coppa Italia, but in the Champions League they have lost three from three as Athletic Bilbao, Union Saint-Gilloise and Dortmund put them to the sword.

Since Gian Piero Gasperini departed Atalanta have dropped off somewhat in terms of goals scored and in four home games in Europe only Slavia Prague have failed to score against them.

Dortmund, meanwhile, have found the net in 17 of their 18 away games this season in all competitions, their only blank coming in last month’s loss at Tottenham when they were reduced to 10 men just beyond the 20-minute mark.

They don’t have the strongest track record in Italy, with just one win in the last eight, but Niko Kovac’s outfit find a good spot to double that tally against an Atalanta side that may ultimately get caught out chasing the game.

Underestimate Bodo/Glimt at your peril

Bodo/Glimt are as big as 10/1 to win against Inter Milan in the San Siro, while it’s a whopping 15/1 that they do so in a game where both teams score.

Over 3.5 goals in this second leg is an odds-on chance and Inter boss Cristian Chivu has promised the second leg ‘will be an attacking match, our approach will be front-footed’ as his side trail 3-1 from their trip to northern Norway.

Bodo/Glimt were Europa League semi-finalists last season and manager Kjetil Knutsen has further developed his side this term.

Their last three wins have come against Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter and they have scored two or more goals in seven of their nine games from Matchday 1 onwards, including the last five.

They are underdogs for sure heading to Milan, but Inter have lost four of their last five in this competition – two at home – and the price on Bodo/Glimt is too good to ignore.

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Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*

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