The UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs will begin on Tuesday. Manchester City will face Real Madrid on Tuesday in the pick of the fixtures, but there is more to look forward to.
Soccer betting enthusiasts can also look forward to UEFA Champions League clashes between historic clubs such as Juventus and PSV, Celtic and Bayern, and more.
UEFA Champions League: Tuesday, 11 February
Manchester City will host Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. However, before that, Brest and Paris Saint-Germain will face off in a French derby at the Stade du Roudourou. In other Tuesday fixtures, Portugal’s Sporting CP will host Germany’s Borussia Dortmund at the Estádio José Alvalade, and Italy’s Juventus will host Dutch side PSV at the Allianz Stadium.
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid
Manchester City (2.36) have been in inconsistent form. One constant has been an abundance of goals. There have been at least three goals in each of City’s last nine games in all competitions with goals at both ends in each of their previous five.
Real Madrid (2.80) are coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid and have also seen goals at both ends in each of their last two fixtures.
Juventus vs. PSV
Juventus (1.96) recovered from back-to-back defeats to Napoli and Benfica with back-to-back wins over Empoli and Como. They have scored goals at both ends in both of their most recent games, while PSV (4.00) has scored goals at both ends in eight of their last nine. The trends suggest that there will be goals galore in this fixture.
Brest vs. Paris Saint-Germain
PSG (1.34) have won all of their last four games by at least two goals, including a 5-2 win over Brest (8.60). The two teams’ form in the UEFA Champions League has been relatively even, but PSG have shown in Ligue 1 that they are well clear of Brest in terms of quality.
Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund
Sporting (2.34) are top of the Liga Portugal, while Dortmund (3.15) are 11th in the Bundesliga. However, the teams are relatively evenly matched on paper and both have had inconsistent results in their last few games. A draw is worth looking at for this game. Viktor Gyokeres has been recovering from thigh problems but came off the bench against FC Porto and is a player to watch in the anytime goalscorer market because he has 22 league goals for Sporting this season.
UEFA Champions League: Wednesday, 12 February
On Wednesday, there will be more clashes between historic clubs. Celtic will host Bayern Munich at Celtic Park in Glasgow, while Feyenoord will welcome AC Milan to De Kuip. Elsewhere, Belgium’s Brugge will host Italy’s Atalanta at the Jan Breydel Stadium and Monaco will host Portuguese giants Benfica at the Stade Louis II.
Club Brugge vs. Atalanta
Club Brugge (3.65) has hit an inconsistent patch, so Atalanta (2.08) are visiting at a good time. Mateo Retegui scored four times in their 5-0 win over Verona and has 20 Serie A goals this season, so he is a player to watch.
Celtic vs. Bayern Munich
Bayern (1.39) have won their last four games and are top of the Bundesliga with an eight-point lead. Celtic (7.00), managed by Brendan Rodgers, is in strong form in Scotland but the gap in quality between them and Bayern is sizeable and the Scottish side lost 4-2 to Aston Villa in their last UEFA Champions League game.
Monaco vs. Benfica
Monaco (2.35) is fourth in Ligue 1 and Benfica (2.95) is second in the Liga Portugal. The two teams are both in inconsistent form and evenly matched, so there is value in a draw here.
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan
Two historic clubs go head-to-head at De Kuip. Feyenoord (3.30) is fifth in the Eredivisie, while Milan (2.17) is seventh in Serie A. Given that both teams have been erratic lately and the weaker side on paper will host the game, there is value in a draw here.
The Champions League knockout phase is here with an intriguing mix of fixtures. Most teams are coming in with inconsistent form, which could lead to some surprises. While City-Madrid grabs the headlines, the even matchups and potential for goals across other games make this an interesting week of European football.
