High-octane PSV to forge ahead in our 13/1 Champions League acca
- Lee Bassin
- 20 July 2021
A free-scoring PSV side look to have too much firepower for Galatasaray, while Malmo and Legia Warsaw should also enjoy comfortable evenings at home.
The second qualifying round of the Champions League continues with a standout match that wouldn't look out of place in the latter stages of the competition.
Which is great for neutrals, but not so good for PSV and Galatasaray supporters who were probably hoping for an easier path to the next stage.
PSV Eindhoven vs Galatasaray
Last year's Eredivisie runners-up looked super-slick in an undefeated pre-season campaign, and including the last seven games of the previous season, Roger Schmidt's men have not lost in 11.
Galatasaray were meant to play Olympiacos in their final pre-season friendly but instead found themselves at the centre of a diplomatic spat, denied entry into Greece after allegedly failing to comply with COVID testing rules.
That was not the ideal preparation and having not played in 11 days we reckon they may struggle against a high-powered PSV attack containing Israeli striker Eran Zahavi and English midfielder Noni Madueke, who have nabbed three goals each in four pre-season matches.
So it's PSV who are the first name on the acca team sheet.
Olympiacos vs PFC Neftci
Fresh from breaking a seven-year Qarabag stranglehold on the Azerbaijan Premier League, Neftci continued their impressive run with a pair of 2-1 victories over Dinamo Tbilisi to secure their passage to the second qualifying round.
Lying in wait are Olympiacos and the Greek giants will be confident they can take advantage of the undoubted gulf in class between the two sides.
However, just like their new best mates Galatsaray, the Greek champs could find themselves lacking in sharpness after a whopping 18 days without a game.
And with Neftci on a roll, both teams to score is the play here.
Malmo vs HJK Helsinki
Helsinki will not relish a trip to their Nordic neighbours, as Malmo have won their last four home games in all competitions by a combined score of 9-0, with a 5-0 victory at Degerfors last time out for good measure!
The Swedish champs are far more experienced when it comes to the heat of the Champions League battle, having qualified for the group stage twice in the last seven years and reached the third qualifying round in 2018.
Helsinki have failed to advance past this point in their last two seasons and have not qualified for the group stage since the late 1990s.
The league leaders also suffered an acca-busting loss at bottom club Oulu last time out, which doesn't bode well as they prepare to face a team in a different league to most of the clubs they face on a week-to-week basis.
So Malmo to win to nil is our next selection.
Legia Warsaw vs Flora Tallinn
Estonian champions Flora Tallinn have never advanced past this stage of the Champions League, and face an uphill battle if they are to buck that trend as standing in their way are Polish giants Legia Warsaw.
And after losing the Polish equivalent of the Community Shield on penalties last time out, we reckon the hosts might be a teeny bit ticked off and looking to take it out on the visitors.
The Legionaries were in decent form heading into that match, having won four and drawn one of their previous friendly games, so we're backing them to continue that run and win to nil against Flora.
