A heavyweight matchup between Chelsea and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge headlines Tuesday's Champions League action.
The pregame narrative: These sides sport identical 2-1-1 UCL records heading into Matchday 5, with Barcelona one spot clear of Chelsea based on goal differential. The visitors are nearly back to full health with Raphinha's long-awaited return up front.
Check out my best Champions League Matchday 5 prop picks for Nov. 25, featuring a prediction from Napoli vs. Qarabag.
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Champions League Matchday 5 prop picks: Nov. 25
Best bet: Raphinha to score or assist (+115)
All signs point toward Raphinha starting for the first time since September.
The Brazilian forward had a dry run over the weekend, coming off the bench and playing 10 minutes for Barca in a stress-free 4-0 victory over Athletic Club.
Everything went well, and now, it's go time.
Raphinha adds another dimension to Hansi Flick's offence. Just look at what he did playing alongside Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal in this tournament last year:
- 13 goals (most)
- 9 assists (most)
- 8.31 FotMob rating (best)
- 1+ goal or assists in 11 of 14 matches
-> Bet on Raphinha and Barcelona
He was off to another hot start this year before getting injured, posting three goals and two assists in seven matches across all competitions for Barcelona.
Chelsea is a solid team, but this is expected to be a shootout. Barcelona's 1.5-goal projected total shades to the over at -125 odds, and both teams to score carries an unplayable -295 price tag.
If the visitors are going to find the net, it'll likely involve the talented winger in some capacity.
Key stat: Raphinha's 21 goal contributions last year tied Cristiano Ronaldo (2013-14) for the most in a single Champions League campaign.
-> Bet on Tuesday's Champions League matches
Napoli vs. Qarabag prediction
Scott McTominay to score or assist (+110): McTominay helped Scotland punch its World Cup ticket on Nov. 18 by scoring the opening goal against Denmark, and he returned to club action by providing an assist in Napoli's 3-1 win over Atalanta.
The forward is on top of his game right now, and I think he can stay hot in a big mismatch.
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Qarabag tops the Azerbaijan Premier League and has turned plenty of heads so far with a 2-1-1 record. But the club allowed two goals to Chelsea and three to Athletic Club in its last two matches, which isn't great by any means.
Napoli, fresh off a Scudetto run in Serie A, is a well-oiled machine that's playing at home.
I expect the Italian side to rout Qarabag and for McTominay to be involved.
Champions League Matchday 5 prop picks made at 3 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2025.
