Who will come out with the W in the round of 16 in the Champions League? Read on to find out!
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
The Puskas Arena, in Hungary, hosts RB Leipzig and Liverpool in the first leg of their round of 16 meeting, the match will mark the first time the two teams have met in a competitive match.
Leipzig could not be running any differently to the English giants at the moment, having won three games on the trot domestically, they are refusing to take the pressure off league leaders, Bayern Munich.
Julian Nagelsmanns’ side are playing brilliant football at the moment, with just 18 goals conceded this season, they boast the tightest defense in the Bundesliga.
Leipzig head into this Champions League tie with far less experience than the 2018/19 winners, however, after dispatching Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 on aggregate in last year’s competition, they have proven that they have the ability to perform against the best English Clubs.
We’re in this together, Reds ✊🔴 pic.twitter.com/pPpS4Z2p6m
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 15, 2021
In stark contrast to the German sides’ form, Liverpool have consecutively lost their last 3 league appearances, all but relinquishing their hopes of a successful title defense against runaway leaders, Manchester City.
This slump in form is consistent with Liverpools’ entire season, who have shown glimpses of the team they are capable of being, however, have ultimately failed to perform at the level they set in their 2019/20 campaign.
It would be a disservice to Liverpool to ignore the crippling effect that injuries have had on their season, having been mired with long term outs to many key players throughout the campaign.
The result of these injuries is such that Liverpool have been forced to play a makeshift defence, consisting of players who are either inexperienced, or playing out of their favoured position.
Considering the form of both teams, Leipzig, who have had no trouble scoring goals this season, and Liverpool, who, while defensively depleted, have the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino up front, it’s hard to imagine that there aren’t goals in this match.
It is very unlike this Liverpool side to stay down for too long, and after 3 painful defeats in a row, it is only a matter of time before they bounce back, however, this Leipzig outfit doesn’t look like the team to allow that to happen.
Champions League Prediction: RB Leipzig +290
Best Prop: Over 2.5 goals -116
Barcelona vs PSG
Paris Saint Germain travel to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16 in what is historically, an iconic match up, with 32 goals across their last 8 Champions League ties, an average of 4 per game.
Both teams face a similar position in their respective leagues this season, with neither performing to the level that their reputation commands. After a shaky start to the season, Barcelona now sit in 3rd place, 8 points from the top of the table, however, since the turn of the new year, the Blaugrana have been running hot, failing to drop a point in 7 games.
PSG are neck and neck with surprise contenders, Lille, who lead the table by a point, a position which has grown to be quite unfamiliar for the Parisian powerhouse.
Never say never. #BarçaPSG pic.twitter.com/XBGC1ROqwK
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 16, 2021
With a record of 17-3-5, this season PSG have characteristically rolled over the leagues’ smaller teams, but have been defeated by the top table sides, a statistic that doesn’t bode well when facing Barcelona away.
This fixture favours Barcelona, who are attempting to make the Champions League Quarter Finals for the 14th consecutive season, and have knocked PSG out of the tournament the last 3 times they have faced.
If PSG are going to win, they will be doing so without the aid of their talisman, Neymar, or Angel Di Maria, which would be quite the feat considering Barcelona have only ever lost once at the Nou Camp to a French side.
Champions League Prediction: Barcelona +200
Best Prop: Match Result / Both Teams to Score: Barcelona / Yes +340
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*Odds correct at time of writing, thanks to Bet365.
