Champions League Tips: Back Bayern to beat Barca in 46/1 acca

• Chelsea to stutter at Salzburg
• Haaland to strike on old stomping ground
• Mane and Gnabry to dismantle Barcelona
• Spurs' struggles to continue

Chelsea to be squeezed out by hard-pressers

Salzburg v Chelsea
Tuesday, 17:45
Live on BT Sport 4

Chelsea have stuttered to two consecutive draws as the players begin to absorb Graham Potter's methods but struggle with some of the more complex elements of his 3-5-2 formation. Against both Brentford and Manchester United the wing-backs were isolated, needing better support to create space, while central midfield became clogged up.

This is of particular concern considering the tactical style of Tuesday's opponents. RB Salzburg are good at playing in the transition, pressing quickly and effectively to win the ball back before counter-attacking, and do this chiefly by cramming the middle of the pitch in their narrow 4-3-1-2 formation. Salzburg have made the most pressures (686) and the second most tackles and interceptions (143) in the Champions League this season.

Chelsea will not enjoy the amount of harassment, the volume of bodies in the middle, or how they are forced to shunt the ball into wide areas where only one wing-back tries to create chances. In games like this, which won't be too far off how United defended on Saturday, it becomes obvious that Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang isn't the right player to lead the line.

De Bruyne to enjoy more space in Germany

Dortmund v Man City
Tuesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 2

In the reverse fixture Borussia Dortmund were surprisingly defensive as Edin Terzic looked to restrict space in behind for Erling Haaland, his team holding firm until a triple substitution from Pep Guardiola changed the rhythm of the match and led to the late turnaround. Both goals were created in half-spaces by the Man City full-backs Joao Cancelo and John Stones, which could be their route to goal again.

At the Etihad, the full-backs tucked infield to link with the number eights and the wingers to create three-man overloads out wide, an important feature considering Dortmund had sat deep in their 4-5-1 and denied space centrally. Guardiola will want to attack with this feature from the outset on Tuesday, and with Giovanni Reyna on the right of midfield again Man City should find joy.

But perhaps more importantly, Dortmund will be more attacking on home soil, deploying a higher defensive line and engaging Man City in their own half. Consequently there will be more space between the lines for Kevin de Bruyne and in behind for Erling Haaland, who seems almost certain to score on his old stomping ground. One way or another, Man City will find a way to win.

Mane and Gnabry to tear down flanks

Barcelona v Bayern Munich
Wednesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 5

Barcelona are entering a period of crisis under Xavi because they are incapable of winning matches against the bigger sides. They are on the verge of crashing out of the Champions League and have fallen behind in the title race after a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid. In both cases it is the result of leaving far too much defensive room for strong opponents, particularly in the wide areas.

Xavi's possession-centric 4-3-3 is similar to Pep Guardiola's, but he doesn't have the defensive players for the system to work as it should, and as soon as strong opposition start to push them back Barca seem vulnerable. They will be forced to defend in their own half for periods, and when they do the flaws of Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso, coupled with the lack of support from Ousmanne Dembele and Raphinha, will be exposed.

Bayern Munich are particularly adept at moving quickly through the gears on the flanks. The direct dribbling of serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane on either side will strike fear into the hearts of the Barcelona full-backs, and with two brilliant overlapping full-backs in Benjamin Pavard and Alfonso Davies, Bayern should make light work of this.

Sharp transitions to create entertaining game

Tottenham v Sporting CP
Wednesday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 3

Ruben Amirom masterminded a 2-0 win over Tottenham in Lisbon but Sporting could easily have lost what was a surprisingly wild game that ended with two goals in injury time. He is normally a cautious manager in Europe and his Sporting side are not big pressers, even domestically, which made the style of the match - full of counters and quick attacks after turnovers - so surprising to see.

There is likely to be a similar dynamic here, given that Antonio Conte encourages opponents to come onto his Tottenham team, and considering that Dejan Kulusevski's absence - cutting off the link from the midfielders to the attackers - all but guarantees Spurs will be on the back foot. However, as Sporting spread out they will leave plenty of room for Heung-Min Son and Richarlison to get in behind.

Marcus Edwards, the ex-Spurs academy product excelling at Sporting, played superbly in the two sides' first meeting and, leaning out to the left, should be even better now that Christian Romero is injured. Without Romero Tottenham's defence is falling apart, a situation made even worse by Hugo Lloris's errors against Newcastle United on Sunday. Put all that together, and it isn't looking very encouraging for Tottenham.