Champions League Qualifying Picks: Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz, Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris
Champions League Qualifying Picks: Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz, Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris
Soccer handicapper Alex Campean is here with his best bets for Wednesday's Champions League Games between Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz and Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris.
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz Prediction
When: Wednesday, August 3
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Click here for Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz odds
After knocking out Fenerbahce in the previous round, Dynamo Kyiv will look to move yet another step closer to booking their place in the Champions League group stages when they take on Sturm Graz on Wednesday evening.
Don’t get absorbed by that upset. Those who watched the road game against the Turkish giants realized how lucky Dynamo Kyiv was. They were dominated for most of the game and they took advantage of Fener’s red card with the Turkish outfit playing 40 minutes with one man down and also missing a penalty in the second half.
Let’s give them some credit because they were very organized at the back and given what’s happening in Ukraine, competitive action has been somewhat off for the hosts who have been playing their home games in Poland. They’ve won just one of their last five games across all competitions, with three of those games ending in defeat.
Striker Ibrahim Kargbo is still on the long road to recovery from a tibia and fibula fracture, while left-back Volodymyr Kostevych is also ruled out. On top of that, Benjamin Verbic came off injured in the last match and will probably miss out on this encounter.
Sturm Graz finished second in the Austrian Bundesliga last season behind Salzburg. They last appeared at this stage of the qualifiers back in the 2011/12 campaign, but they failed to make it to the group stages. They will probably enter this clash with better fitness and match sharpness as they already kicked off their domestic league two weeks ago.
After being kept to a 1-1 draw by Wolfsberger AC, they managed to beat champions Salzburg 2-1 on home soil. They have a great chance to qualify further in the competition and take advantage of Dynamo Kyiv’s lack of competitive football and injury issues. They are an entertaining team who’s always playing positive football on the front foot. We will not risk a bet on a straight win because this is a two-legged tie, but we do expect the visitors to return home with a positive result.
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Sturm Graz Pick
- Sturm Graz +0.5 at (-143) with Bet365 (Bet $143 to win $100)
Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris Prediction
When: Wednesday, August 3
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Click here for Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris odds
The Lithuanian outfit produced the upset of the round knocking out Malmo in the previous qualifying stage, beating them twice, and keeping two clean sheets in the process. That’s huge given the difference between the two sides. They only suffered two defeats in their last 26 competitive games. That amazing run has put them one point clear at the top of their domestic league while also one step away from reaching the playoffs of the Champions League.
With five wins in a row at the Aspmyra Stadion and 22 goals scored in the process, Bodo/Glimt has been playing with a real swagger in front of their fans in recent weeks, and the Norwegian champions enter this fixture as huge favorites being priced at -330 on the three-way moneyline with Unibet. They overturned a one-goal deficit against Linfield in style in their previous round of fixtures scoring eight goals on home soil to secure their place in the third round.
The two teams have played each other three times across all competitions, with all the games taking place in the qualifying phases of the Europa League and Europa Conference League, with Bodo winning twice with the game finishing in a draw.
Bodo is by far the better team between the two, and the experience is on their side. They won their last five home games, covering the spread in each of them and keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Bodo/Glimt vs. Zalgiris Pick
- Bodo/Glimt -1.5 (+102) with Bet365 (Bet $100 to win $102)
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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.