UEFA Champions League Round of 16 - First Leg Predictions
We're halfway through February and the long awaited UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is finally here.
The UEFA Champions League draw courted a fair share of controversy and confusion. After the officials screwed the pooch with the draw, the whole thing had to be redone. So that's why even though it was teased at first, we won't be able to see a Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo tie just yet.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to feature some exciting encounters
The Round of 16 will kickstart on Tuesday with PSG going up against Real Madrid and Sporting squaring off against Manchester City. RB Salzburg host Bayern Munich and Inter Milan welcome Liverpool to the San Siro on Wednesday.
The remainder of the Champions League Round of 16 games will take place next week. Chelsea will play Lille at Stamford Bridge while last year's Europa League winners Villarreal lock horns with Juventus at home next Tuesday.
Manchester United will travel to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid next Wednesday. The last of the Round of 16 fixtures features two underdogs, namely Benfica and Ajax and it's the former's turn to host.
Without further ado, let's predict the outcome of the first leg of each UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
#8 Benfica vs Ajax
It's one of the low-profile matchups of the Champions League Round of 16. However, it would be unfair to overlook this game off since both sides pack a lot of quality. In fact, on current form, Benfica and Ajax sides have what it takes to put on two exciting encounters.
Benfica beat Barcelona emphatically in the group stage and then kept four clean sheets as well. But Ajax were simply unstoppable. Fuelled by Sebastian Haller's prolific goalscoring, the Dutch outfit won all six of their group stage games to progress to the knockout stages.
Benfica will fight the good fight but Ajax have looked exceptional this season and they should be able to get a win away from home.
Prediction: Benfica 1-2 Ajax
#7 Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Atletico Madrid have been uncharacteristically frail in defence this season. They have the seventh worst defensive record in La Liga, having conceded 33 goals 23 games. They've lost three of their last five games heading into the first leg against Manchester United.
But one good thing for the Rojiblancos is that they've been scoring a lot of goals. At the same time, Manchester United have not been able to convert good performances into results. Something has got to give or the misery will continue for Manchester United.
We're expecting Atletico Madrid to win at home next week but Manchester United will be able to get something out of it and set up a tasty showdown at Old Trafford.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Manchester United
Yannick Carrasco will miss Atlético Madrid's #UCL tie against Manchester United after being banned for three matches
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#6 Villarreal vs Juventus
After a topsy turvy start to their season, Juventus are steadying their course in Serie A. The same applies to Villarreal, who have oscillated between the sublime and the downright ordinary this term.
Having added Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria to their side, the Bianconeri are much stronger now than they were in the group stage. Villarreal haven't lost any of their last five home games across all competitions.
Unai Emery will want his men to dig their heels in and eke out a positive result here as going to Turin and getting a win is a difficult thing to do. But we expect Juventus to win the first leg at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
#5 Chelsea vs Lille
Chelsea got it good in the knockout stages. They are up against Lille, who have struggled massively in the league this term. Lille are 10th in the Ligue 1 table and have lost three of their last six games. They were also thumped 5-1 by PSG a week ago.
Chelsea have just won the Club World Cup but have not really been at their best over the past couple of months.
But Thomas Tuchel is very efficient at setting his team up to do specific jobs and this one should be no different. The game could be a bit of a dull affair with the Blues very likely to put one over on their French opponents at Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Lille
Chelsea may have a few players missing for their Champions League tie against Lille #CFC
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