Barca can overwhelm Inter's weak right flank
Inter Milan v Barcelona
Tuesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 4
Inter Milan have lost four of their last six matches and each of their last two, sinking to ninth in Serie A and putting Simone Inzaghi - with his conservative, reactive football - under pressure.
It is in stark contrast to the rising Barcelona, whose Guardiola-inspired possession football under Xavi makes the broad tactical pattern of this match easy to read: Barca will dominate the game and look to break down a stubborn shell.
They shouldn't find it very difficult. Inter have been poor on their right side in particular, where Denzel Dumfries is repeatedly struggling to forge a relationship with right-sided centre-back Milan Skriniar.
Six of the ten goals Inter have conceded during this run have come down that side and resulted from obvious positional errors, while three more were from set-pieces.
Barca are unlikely to capitalise on dead balls but they have the pace on that left side to win the match against Dumfries and Skriniar.
Ansu Fati already has five goal contributions in La Liga despite only starting one game, and he is in line for a rare start thanks to Memphis Depay's injury. It should be a simple win for the away side.
Back Barcelona to win at 1.84/5
Hosts' possession could work against them
Frankfurt v Tottenham
Tuesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 3
Last year's Europa League winners have not had the best start to the Bundesliga this time around, although the tactical preferences of manager Oliver Glasner are better suited to European competition.
His team play quick and vertical possession football when possible, building out from the back and looking to turn their opponents in the transition, not unlike how we have seen Sevilla play in recent years.
Consequently they tend to play better when forced onto the back foot, meaning they are able to exploit the opponent's high line and pressing to pierce through via Daichi Kamada and Randal Kolo Muani.
To take the starkest examples, in the Europa League they managed a 0.66 xG when holding 61% possession in the semi-final against West Ham, but beat Barcelona 3-2 in the Camp Nou with 30% of the ball.
Antonio Conte's desire to deploy a midblock and rarely press, which made them so passive against Arsenal at the weekend, is therefore the right approach in Germany. Spurs, whose 3-4-3 mirrors Frankfurt's, can fairly easily nullify their hosts, while Frankfurt's defensive disorganisation at home so far in 2021/22 points to success for Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.
Back Spurs to win at 2.111/10
Entirely new test for Potter
Chelsea v AC Milan
Wednesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 2
Graham Potter's first two matches as Chelsea manager have been against defensive teams willing to sit back and stop his side from playing, but AC Milan are aggressive and attack-minded under Stefano Pioli with an emphasis on using high full-backs to attack with width.
This presents a new problem for Potter, who will want to ensure his team are ready to play their part in a more end-to-end game.
Raheem Sterling has already been deployed in three different positions in just two games, but whatever the role he is essentially operating as the most direct attacker from wide areas - and not contributing too much in his own half. This may hand AC Milan an advantage given the importance of Fode Ballo-Toure and Davide Calabria in how the Italian side attack, and will likely force Potter to move back to his hybrid 3-5-2.
In this system, Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta could together ensure they block Ballo-Toure, while Chelsea can swing into a back four to allow Sterling to get forward to join Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the counter-attack.
Considering AC Milan and Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last combined 12 matches, there is likely to be goals at both ends.
Back BTTS at 1.84/5
Haaland headers the key for City
Man City v FC Copenhagen
Wednesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 3
There is really only one way for a team of Copenhagen's quality to play this game: stick everyone behind the ball and hope for the best. They are in a poor run of form domestically, winning just one of their last three, and face the onslaught on Wednesday of a Manchester City team playing at the top of their game.
Copenhagen managed to draw 0-0 with Sevilla earlier in the group stages, but that result had more to do with the Spanish side's profligacy; Julen Lopetegui's side, struggling for rhythm themselves, held 63% possession.
Man City will more likely top 80%, and therefore will ultimately need to get the ball wide and swing crosses into the box for Erling Haaland.
He is incredible in the air and, with Kevin de Bruyne crossing from the right, we may be about to see another advantage of having a traditional nine in the team; even when Man City can't pass through their opponent, they now have a direct route to goal.
Back Man City to win with a -2 handicap at 1.75/7