Champions League Qualifying Picks: AS Monaco vs. PSV, Royale Union SG vs. Rangers
Champions League Qualifying Picks: AS Monaco vs. PSV, Royale Union SG vs. Rangers
Soccer expert and handicapper Alex Campean is back with his best bets for Champions League Qualifiers on Tuesday across Europe. He's eyeing the games between AS Monaco vs. PSV and Royale Union SG vs. Rangers.
AS Monaco vs. PSV Prediction
When: Tuesday, August 8
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Click Here for AS Monaco vs. PSV Odds
This is by far the most anticipated clash of this round. Monaco finished third last season in the French top-flight league, two points behind Marseille so they are forced to play two qualifying ties in order to book their Champions League group stages spot.
They lost their most important player in the summer transfer window as midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni left the club to sign with the Champions League winners Real Madrid with Los Blancos agreeing to pay a fee of around $80 million. They cleverly reinvested a part of that bringing Takumi Minamino from Liverpool and Breel Embolo from Gladbach, two explosive players, a left winger, and a center-forward with great skills and pace.
This is Monaco’s first competitive match of the season. They’ve only played friendly matches so far, seven of them. They managed to win just twice and they enter this clash on the back of two defeats, to Southampton and Porto. The most important thing is that they managed to score in each fixture. If we look back, they managed to find the back of the net in their previous 18 games across all competitions.
They also have a new manager. They fired Niko Kovac, bringing former Club Brugge boss Philippe Clement. On the other side, PSV appointed Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy who signed a three-year contract with Eredivisie runners-up.
PSV already kicked off their domestic season in style beating champions Ajax 5-3 in the Super Cup with ex-Feyenoord loanee Guus Til scoring a hat-trick. PSV's most recent appearance in the Champions League group stage came in the 2018-19 edition. Last season, they’ve lost in the Conference League quarter-finals to Leicester City. PSV are on a three-game winning streak and in the process, they had scored a total of 12 goals. We expect a high-scoring affair between two attacking-minded teams.
AS Monaco vs. PSV Pick
- Both Teams to Score & 2.5 Goals (-110) with Unibet (Bet $110 to Win $100)
Royale Union SG vs. Rangers Prediction
When: Tuesday, August 8
Time: 2:45 pm ET
Click Here for Royale Union SG vs. Rangers Odds
Union SG secured their UCL qualifying spot by finishing second in their domestic league playoffs. They were only promoted back to the top flight of Belgian football in 2021, with the Brussels outfit returning to the top tier for the first time in 48 years. They kicked off their domestic league in style, earning four points in two games. They enjoyed a superb pre-season managing to stay unbeaten in six friendly games winning three games in the process. Union SG lost their leading scorer from last season in the summer and his replacement is still finding his feet there.
On the other side, Rangers kicked their domestic season off by beating Livingston 2-1 last weekend, but last season’s incredible Europa League performance may still be haunting them as they narrowly fell to a 4-5 defeat on penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.
Rangers will hope Alfredo Morelos is ready to feature at some stage, as Antonio Colak looked a bit out of touch on Saturday. The only problem is at the back as Rangers failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six European away games, including the final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.
Royal Union is unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions while Rangers have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight of their previous nine fixtures. We expect a close encounter with both teams having enough to contribute on the scoreboard.
Royale Union SG vs. Rangers Pick
- Both Teams to Score (-125) with Unibet (Bet $125 to Win $100)
Extra Picks:
- Benfica -1.5 vs. Midtjylland (-110) with Bet365 (Bet $110 to Win $100)
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Article Author
Alex Campean has been a soccer fan since 1990 when he watched the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He knows everything about the top 5 European leagues, Champions League and Europa League and he is well known for his “trade-mark” “Alex Classic” bet (both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match). He’s very disciplined, follows a strict set of rules, and has great bankroll management. He’s our European soccer specialist and he's having an average of 55 units of profit in the last 7 years with his soccer picks. He’s all about positive energy, respect, and long-term profit and if you ever hear “Alex’s last-minute goal” that means he did it again winning a bet in the last minute of the game, so never lose hope.