Champions League Round of 16 - Leg 2 of 2: Preview and Betting Odds
Published March 5, 2018 by Sol FH
There are four matches this week, and it is "do or die" for those that lost the first leg.
This is where things really heat up in the UEFA Champions League competition. There are only 16 teams remaining and four of the eight matches will be played this week. After the first leg, we now have a more clear picture of the teams most likely to move on, but anything can happen and it should be a wild week of Champions League action.
Tuesday, 19:45 GMT - PSG vs Real Madrid
This was one of the most anticipated first leg draws and it ended in favor of Real, scoring a 3-1 home win. The task of winning the second leg in Paris would have been more conceivable if Neymar wouldn't have gone down to injury, but, PSG has not lost a home match in any competition since March of 2016. Paris will need to overcome the Real attack, and, they will also need to score numerous goals if they are to move on. The odds to advance are not in PSG favor, as international online bookmaker 888 Sport has posted odds of 1.26 for Real to move on, and 3.80 for PSG. Outright is another story as PSG are favored to win at 2.04, and Real Madrid at 3.35.
Tuesday, 19:45 GMT - Liverpool vs Porto
It was one of the biggest away wins in Champions League Round of 16 history, as the Reds destroyed Porto 5-0, thanks to a hat-trick by Sadio Mane, and goals from Mohamed Saleh and Roberto Firmino respectively. Tonight, playing at home, Liverpool will undoubtedly advance to the Quarterfinals, but the question is will they be able to hold off the Porto attack? All of the online sportsbooks in the world believe that they will, as bookmakers like Betfair Sports posted odds in favor of the Reds at 1.57, while Porto is at 6.50 respectively.
Wednesday, 19:45 GMT - Tottenham vs Juventus
One of the most anticipated matches of the Round is between the Spurs and the Old Lady. After a first round draw (2-2), both teams have a chance to move on, but Tottenham seems to be the favorite to do so. The Spurs have been playing quite well in the Premier League and have taken fourth place from Chelsea. Juventus and Napoli are in a cat and mouse chase for first place in the Serie A, with Juventus currently in second place but with a match advantage over Napoli with just one point separating the two. 888 Sport agrees that Tottenham is the favorites to win on Wednesday night, posting odds for the Spurs at 2.20, and for Juventus at 3.40.
Wednesday, 19:45 GMT - Manchester City vs FC Basel
After a 4-0 romping, Basel looks to be out of gas. To add insult to injury they must now face City in Manchester. City had 75% ball possession in the first leg and made Basel look like a squad from a lesser league. After a huge win against Chelsea in the Premier League last night, City looks better than ever and they should easily move onto the next round. Betfair Sports has City as the favorites to win at 1.15, and, 21.0 for Basel in the most lopsided odds of the contest.
