Recommended bets for Wednesday’s Champions League qualifying first legs
– Club Brugge vs RB Salzburg, 6pm Wednesday
– Tip: Christos Tzolis — first goalscorer
– Stake: 1pt at 13/2 (bookmakers quoted)
– Why: Salzburg struggled in last season’s Champions League group stage, losing seven of eight matches, and both sides have lost key players over the summer. Brugge winger Christos Tzolis has begun the season in strong scoring form — he has scored in two of his three appearances so far (including the Super Cup) and notched ten goals across his last 13 club and country outings in 2024–25. He also scored a memorable winner against Sturm Graz in last season’s competition, which supports backing him to open the scoring in what is expected to be a tight Austrian first leg.
– Nice vs Benfica, 8pm Wednesday
– Tip: Under 1.5 Benfica goals
– Stake: 2pts at 8/11 (bookmaker quoted)
– Why: Benfica remain a top European side but may find it hard to dominate a in-form Nice side at the Allianz Riviera. Nice won four of their last five Ligue 1 matches last season (including comfortable home wins and an impressive 3–1 away victory at PSG in April) and have strengthened in goal with Yehvann Diouf, who impressed for Reims. Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis scored in the Portuguese Super Cup, but given Nice’s recent defensive form and home confidence, limiting Benfica to fewer than two goals looks a sensible, value-backed selection.
– Feyenoord vs Fenerbahçe, 8pm Wednesday
– Tip: Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
– Stake: 2pts at 10/11 (bookmaker quoted)
– Why: Rotterdam fixtures under Robin van Persie were high-scoring last term (seven of Feyenoord’s last ten Eredivisie games had four or more goals). Despite summer departures, Feyenoord should still be involved in an open match against José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, who possess dangerous forwards including Jhon Durán and Youssef En‑Nesyri. The attacking personnel and recent patterns of both clubs point to an entertaining, high-scoring tie.
Other notes from European qualifying
– Salzburg and Brugge both finished second in their domestic leagues last season and have lost notable players (e.g., Salzburg’s Oscar Gloukh moving to Ajax; Brugge seeing departures such as Maxime De Cuyper, Chemsdine Talbi and Ferran Jutgla, and Ardon Jashari reportedly linked with Milan).
– Shelbourne’s hopes in European competition were ended by a 4–0 aggregate defeat to Qarabag; they now face Croatian double winners Rijeka in Europa League qualifying. Shelbourne’s domestic struggles (14 points behind Shamrock Rovers after 26 league games) underscore the challenge they face in Croatia.
Practical betting advice and commentary
– First-leg ties can be cagey; consider the value of backing specific scorers or low-goal markets for away legs and being cautious with heavy stakes.
– Live betting can offer additional value once the early tone of a tie is set (e.g., if a game opens up after a goal or a red card).
– Manage bankroll sensibly: stakes shown are illustrative of confidence levels and not a recommendation to overcommit.
– For more conservative bettors: consider handicap or draw-no-bet options for favourites, or goal-line alternatives (e.g., under/over 2.5) rather than multiple-leg accumulators.
Summary
Wednesday brings three intriguing Champions League qualifying first legs with contrasting outlooks: a tight, tactical contest expected in Salzburg where Tzolis looks a good first-goalscorer pick; a potentially low-scoring affair in Nice where Benfica may be kept to under two goals; and an open, high-scoring tie in Rotterdam between Feyenoord and Fenerbahçe. Each selection is based on recent form, squad changes and playing styles; however, as ever with qualifiers, approach markets with caution and sensible stakes.
Hopeful angle
These early European ties give players and managers the chance to make a statement and build momentum — a strong showing in qualifying can lift morale and kick-start a positive season for clubs and players alike.