We round up the action in Matchday 3 with a closer look at movements in the Top Goalscorer market.
Mo Salah answered his recent critics with a brace against Red Star on Wednesday night. Many had branded Liverpool’s star man with the ‘second season syndrome’ tag after a string of sub-par performances, but his two goal return at Anfield saw him break the record for the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the club’s history.
Finishing up with 10 goals in last year’s competition, the same as teammates and fellow scorers last night, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane; Salah is leading the running in the market for the Reds. Starting out yesterday as far as 33/1, the result against Red Star has seen odds on Salah to be Top Scorer slashed to as short as 12/1, at a best price of 22/1. After the Egyptian held off Harry Kane for last season’s Premier League Golden Boot, he sits third in that market this year behind Aguero and Kane, at a current best price of 6/1.
Harry Kane’s goal against PSV has not stopped his price drifting considerably in the markets, with bookies well aware that Spurs are likely to be heading for an early exit from the Champions League. His odds have lengthened from as short as 12/1 yesterday to a best price of 50/1.
The current market leader is unsurprisingly Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. However, having sat out their clash with Inter Milan with a fractured arm that will keep him out of action for the next three weeks, bookies have lengthened his odds marginally from odds-on in places to a best price of 2/1.
There is a considerable gap to the second favourite, Neymar. After his blank against Napoli, some bookies have lengthened odds on the Brazilian to 10/1 to bag the most goals in the competition.
Other highlights influenced by Matchday 3 include Edin Dzeko shortening from 33/1 to as short as 9/1, with a best price of 16/1. His brace in Roma’s 3-0 victory over CSKA Moscow coupled with his form for the Bosnian national team has alerted bookies and punters alike.
Argentinian Paulo Dybala has seen his odds cut from 45/1 to as short as 12/1 after he netted at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, out of form Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku drifted out to 100/1 after a dismal display against Juventus on Tuesday night, with the dust having settled at a current best price of 66/1.
Away from the goalscorer markets, Matchday 3 also caused shifts in the outright winner grids. Liverpool have been clipped in from 9/1 to 15/2 with some bookies, while Tottenham sit at a current best price of 100/1 almost across the board and Man United have drifted from 25/1 to 45/1.
Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek: “It was another eventful week in the Champions League with some real stand-out individual performances.”
“Many observers have all but written Mo Salah off this season, but he was always bound to return to form and he has unfinished business with this competition after heartbreak last time. Edin Dzeko is one to watch at a best price of 16/1 if Roma can keep it up, he’s been in fantastic form for club and country.”
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