The Champions League returns this evening kicking off with early action from Italy and Switzerland as Juventus host PSV & Young Boys entertain Aston Villa… whatever floats your boat Unai Emery!! As well as another 4 games kicking off at 8pm. All the way through to Thursday night. Remember when playing on Thursday nights meant you were a bit shit?

The new UCL format is more confusing than a secondary school teacher trying to remember their students pronouns in 2024. So let’s try and simplify it for them/they.

So it’s no longer a ‘group stage’. It’s a league phase. There will be 36 participants and each team will play 8 ‘league’ games, 4 at home and 4 away. All games will be against different opponents. The top 8 sides at the end of the league phase will qualify automatically for the round of 16, those who finish 9th-24th will compete in a two-legged knock out round play-off to qualify for the round of 16. Those who finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition and will not qualify for the Europa League.

Comprende? Me neither, loads more pointless footy to bet on though!

💰 Punt: Tanguy Zoukrou Over 0.5, Over 1.5 & Over 2.5 Tackles
📗 Bookie: Bet365
🎲 Odds: 1.83 (5/6), 4.33 (10/3) & 8.00 (7/1)
⚽️ Game: Young Boys vs. Aston Villa

Across 12 Ligue 1 appearances during his time at Troyes, 21 year-old French centre-back Tanguy Zoukrou attempted 3.1 tackles per 90 mins with 2.3 of those tackles being successful. In Ligue 2, he was awarded more playing time although his tackle numbers decreased to 0.7 tackles per game. He’s made 5 appearances in the Swiss Super League this campaign, starting 4 times and is currently averaging 0.8 tackles per game.

Opposition CB tackle numbers vs Aston Villa this season:

• West Ham - Mavropanos (3) & Kilman (2)

• Arsenal - Gabriel (0) & Saliba (5)

• Leicester - Faes (0) & Okoli (3)

• Everton - Keane (2) & Tarkowski (5)

I can’t say I’m an expert on Young Boys (unlike you reading this, you filthy pervert). So who knows if big Tangfastics will start but if he doesn’t, bet365 will void the bet.

• Tanguy Zoukrou Over 0.5 Tackles @ 1.83 (5/6)

• Tanguy Zoukrou Over 1.5 Tackles @ 4.33 (10/3)

• Tanguy Zoukrou Over 2.5 Tackles @ 8.00 (7/1)

💰 Punt: Ryan Gravenberch to commit 1+ fouls on Youssouf Fofana & Ryan Gravenberch to commit 2+ fouls on Youssouf Fofana
📗 Bookie: SkyBet & Paddy Power
🎲 Odds: 4.50 (7/2) & 23.00 (22/1)
⚽️ Game: AC Milan vs. Liverpool

Ryan Gravenberch seems to have found a new lease of life under new Liverpool manager Arne Slot. The former Ajax and Bayern man was bit of a forgotten figure under Jurgen Klopp and never really got a consistent run of minutes in the starting XI. The Dutch midfielder has had an impressive start to the 24/25 season and has slotted in to that midfield trio alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister nicely, pardon the pun.

Gravenberch has committed 9 fouls in the opening 4 Premier League games and I can see that trend continuing in Milan tonight. Hopefully, we’re in for a bit of a midfield battle with the likes of Fofana and Gravenberch going back and forth with each other as well as the aforementioned Argentine Mac Allister & Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

The Player Foul Matchups market gives us a new form of entertainment. You’ll see Youssouf Fofana driving forward in the Milan midfield and your eyes will be scanning the TV screen like a self-checkout till in Aldi (other low-cost German supermarkets are available) looking for Ryan Gravenberch. Finding yourself screaming internally “FUCKING HIT HIM THEN!!!’ It doesn’t get much better in all honesty.

• Ryan Gravenberch to commit 1+ Fouls on Youssouf Fofana @ 4.50 (7/2) - SkyBet

• Ryan Gravenberch to commit 2+ Fouls on Youssouf Fofana @ 23.00 (22/1) - Paddy Power

• Ryan Gravenberch & Youssouf Fofana To Be Booked @ 22.00 (21/1) - SkyBet

• Ryan Gravenberch, Youssouf Fofana & Dominik Szoboszlai To Be Booked @ 161.00 (160/1) - Bet365