The return of the Champions League is just around the corner with some fixtures perhaps more befitting of a final than a Round of 16 tie. Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain is the standout match as the holders welcome the most expensive attack ever assembled. Another side with money to burn is Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s men travel to Switzerland to take on FC Basel with two other English sides in action in week one alone. It promises to be an intriguing two days of football but what can we expect from the return Europe’s premier club competition?
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Juventus Stadium on 13 February hoping to prove that they can mix with Europe’s elite. Mauricio Pochettino’s men haven’t gotten further in the Champions League than their 2011 quarter-final with Real Madrid but they’re still a hurdle short of that level.
Juventus are experiencing a strange season in Serie A. Despite winning 18 of their 22 matches, Max Allegri’s men still don’t sit top of the league table with Napoli but will still expect to progress in this competition. With two lost finals in the last three years, the Old Lady will want to go one step further this time.
You’d expect the two-star strikers to play significant roles for their respective teams. Both Gonzalo Higuain and Harry Kane have scored a lot of goals for their clubs domestically but only the latter has really performed in Europe. A 2-1 Spurs victory is a decent punt at 12/1 on Betway as of 2 February. However, don’t be shocked if Spurs win the first leg away only to surrender the tie on the return trip to Wembley.
FC Basel v Manchester City
FC Basel will be looking to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history but it will be a difficult test. Aside from coming up against the most expensive squad in football history, Basel will have one eye on the domestic front. They may have won eight consecutive Super League titles but for the first time in a number of seasons, another crown is in doubt. Will they aim for a historic Champions League quarter-final or a history ninth-consecutive domestic crown?
Pep Guardiola’s team will attract the majority of the attention in the lead-up to this match which is probably deserved given their domestic form. City remain 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League which will give them more than a little wiggle room to focus on Europe. It’s something which has evaded the club in its history, English clubs in recent years and rather surprisingly, Guardiola himself for seven whole years.
It’s hard to look beyond Manchester City for this one but their away form in the Champions League will give Basel some hope. City have won just two of their last seven matches in Europe on the road, keeping just one clean sheet. Don’t be surprised if someone like the invigorated Ricky van Wolfswinkel pops up with a goal to avenge some of his Premier League demons. There are dozens of potential bets here but Manchester City to win and both teams to score is 19/10 on Betway.
FC Porto v Liverpool
FC Porto have lost just two of their last 44 matches at home so what better way to see just how good Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are than a trip to the Estádio do Dragão? Both sides lifted the trophy in the mid-2000s and are now facing off in what promises to be an exciting fixture.
The Portuguese side are once again locking in a three-horse title race domestically but this one promises to be the tightest one for a decade as just three points separate the top three teams in the Primera Liga. They haven’t reached the quarter-finals since 2015 and didn’t exactly convince in what was a relatively comfortable qualification group.
There is always more than a little uncertainty surrounding Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side. Will the team which beat Manchester City show up in Portugal or will it be the one which lost to Swansea City just eight days later? Only Paris Saint-Germain have scored more goals than the Reds in the Champions League this season but will that prove more difficult without FC Barcelona’s newest addition, Philippe Coutinho. Defensive reinforcement may have come in the shape of Virgil van Dijk but don’t be surprised if this Liverpool defence is still a little shaky in Portugal. Both teams to score seems a safe bet at 3/5.
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Of course, the tie everyone is waiting for is this one. Real Madrid versus Paris Saint-Germain sees the European champions come up against the side determined to take their crown. The Ligue 1 outfit have certainly spent like they mean business with the acquisitions of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe over the summer. The pair has certainly settled in a PSG side which has scored an incredible 114 goals in all competitions already this season. Manager Unai Emery will be hoping that the summer acquisitions can help the French club go a few steps further than the quarter-finals which have been the norm in recent seasons.
Unlike their opponents, Real Madrid are having a tough time domestically. Things are a little shaken up in Spain with Madrid sitting in fourth place and a full 19 points behind leaders, FC Barcelona. You get the feeling that this is a team on the verge of significant change but that certainly hasn’t stopped them from historically being a sound bet in Europe, particularly in recent seasons.
You get the feeling that Real’s woeful domestic form will only increase the importance of their European matches which doesn’t bode well for their opponents. Even with Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly on the decline, this is still a squad stacked with quality and they have far more experience than their opponents. Paris Saint-Germain haven’t historically stepped up to big matches and, of course, the last time they played a Champions League tie in Spain they were trounced 6-1 by FC Barcelona. The scoreline will probably be closer this time but we can expect goals. A Real Madrid win and over 3.5 goals seem a decent punt at 7/2 on Betway as of 2 February.
