talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Wednesday 10 December

The League Phase of the Champions League takes centre stage on Wednesday night, with mouthwatering clashes wherever you look across Europe.

Antonio Conte’s Napoli take a testing trip to Lisbon this week to face Benfica as the Italian tactician finally renews his bitter rivalry with Jose Mourinho, after a seven-and-a-half-year hiatus.

The biggest battle of all is likely to take place at Estadio Bernabeu, where Xabi Alonso really needs his Real Madrid side to get a result against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

With qualification, knockout seeding and simmering feuds on the line, we’ve picked out three bets to consider adding to your Wednesday coupon.

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Wednesday’s football betting tips

Bet of the Day – Villarreal – Villarreal Half Time/Full Time @ 11/10

FC Copenhagen are really struggling at the moment with Sunday’s defeat to Sønderjyske leaving Jacob Neestrup’s side languishing in fifth place in the Danish Superliga.

Neestrup described his team as being “burnt out” after a mentally tough year as key players have missed time through injury and others have lost their confidence amid a spiralling sequence of results.

They go into Wednesday’s clash at Estadio de la Ceramica three points ahead of the Yellow Submarines, who have fading hopes of making it into the knockout phase play-offs.

Marcelino’s men have had a tough run in Europe, but are back in winning ways in La Liga after securing six points from their last two games.

They were ahead at the break in both of those and can get in front of the demoralised Danes quickly enough to land a Half Time/Full Time bet in Spain.

Special of the Day – Heorhiy Sudakov to score first v Napoli @ 14/5

Benfica’s clash with Napoli is full of intrigue because of the coaching rivalry of Mourinho and Conte, which reached an apex of acrimony when the two tacticians were in charge of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Circumstances have kept them apart for far too long and all eyes will be on the pre-match greetings and post-match handshakes – if there are any.

Scott McTominay also has Mourinho to thank for launching his United career and he could play a major part in deciding Wednesday’s game, but so should Benfica star Heorhiy Sudakov.

The Ukraine international put in a stellar performance as Benfica drew 1-1 with Sporting in the Lisbon derby at the weekend, scoring the Eagles’ goal.

Sudakov has four domestic goals this season and three of those have been the opening strike, so he looks worth backing to get things started against a Napoli defence which has conceded in four of their last six matches.

Longshot of the Day – Erling Haaland to score in both halves v Real Madrid @ 7/1

The headline fixture of the night sees Real Madrid host Manchester City in a clash of European giants. These two sides last met in February when Carlo Ancelotti’s men dumped the Citizens out in the knockout phase play-offs.

It was billed as a bout between City marksman Erling Haaland and Madrid hotshot Kylian Mbappe with the Frenchman’s second-leg hat-trick at the Bernabeu proving decisive.

Haaland missed that match after injuring his knee in a Premier League game against Newcastle between the two legs and he will be desperate to make a statement here.

The Norwegian is four goals behind Mbappe in the Champions League scorers list but will relish the opportunity of facing an injury-riddled Madrid defence that looked bereft of leadership during Sunday’s home defeat to Celta Vigo.

Haaland scored in both halves of his last outing against Los Blancos and is tastily priced to serve up another double helping of misery with strikes before and after half-time.

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Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*

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