We are just three weeks away from the last 16 round of the Champions League and with first-leg ties taking place on the 13th and 14th of February, the business end of the competition is soon to be in full swing. The group stages brought the occasional shock and upset this year with teams like Napoli and Inter Milan departing, but in the main the European big boys all feature in the latter stages of the competition. We are lucky to have football expert Ahmed Nashaat with us to make some predictions for the a selected group of upcoming ties.
Manchester United vs Paris St Germain
This meaty fixture is one that everyone is excited for and had this article been written a month ago, we would have talked about nothing other than a consummate PSG victory. The Red Devils however have parted company with Jose Mourinho after a torrid time and United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has taken the reigns and lead the team to 7 victories on the bounce. This renewed form and the reinvigoration of players like Pogba and Rashford could certainly help United in this tie. Nonetheless PSG are a team dripping with riches and over the course of two legs, we think that Neymar, Mbappe and co will have enough to scrape through.
Spurs v Borussia Dortmund
Another mouthwatering tie is this clash between Spurs and Dortmund, two sides who like to attack and both are energetic and youthful. Spurs will struggle greatly in the first leg without the likes of Kane, Alli and Son, all of whom look like they’ll be unavailable. Dortmund have been a revelation this year and currently sit at the top of the Bundesliga. With this being said the German side do have a leaky defense and players like Alacacer, Reus and Sancho have had to pull them out of trouble on more than one occasion. If Spurs can limit the Dortmund attack in the first leg they may have a chance, lose by more than 2 at home and even Kane and co. can’t save them. This will be an attacking and exciting game which Dortmund look likely to edge.
Bayern Munich v Liverpool
Liverpool were unlucky not to lift the Champions League last year and if they want to reach the final again they will first need to get over this tough hurdle. Munich have struggled somewhat in the Bundesliga and they do have an aging team. Despite this they have a team of World Cup winners and Champions League winners who know what it takes to get over the line. The second leg home tie plays into Liverpool’s favor here and if they are able to limit the Bayern attack in Munich, Anfield will be rocking for the second leg where we believe Liverpool will emerge victorious. The tie could go either way but Liverpool are irresistible this year and their confidence should see them through.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.
