Champions League Predictions > Mar 9th - 17th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

The second legs of the 2020/21 Champions League last 16 are coming up over the next two weeks. The games will once again be staggered so take a look at the odds and ratings above then give us your predictions down below! 

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Borussia Dortmund

Their four-match winning streak is broken by Bayern Munchen. Obviously they are fatigued by the over-scheduled matches in these days. What’s worse, their key player, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Guerreiro will suspend due to injuries, which has an effect on their playing.

 

Sevilla

They are in low morale because of a three-match losing streak. And they are in poor condition, with only one scoring goal in recent three games. It seems that they are in poor condition owing to many fronts in these days.

 

Verdict:

In last round, Borussia Dortmund win a narrow victory over Sevilla. But as two key players of Borussia Dortmund are injured, it is hard to say whether they will defeat Sevilla in the upcoming game. Sevilla have the trend to win.

 

Borussia Dortmund VS Sevilla

Goals in Match: Over 3 goals

[malabgd]

Juventus FC vs FC Porto

 

 

Juventus FC

Doubtful: De Ligt (14/0 d), Chiellini (8/0 d)

Out (injuries/other): Bentancur (22/0 m, Covid-19), Dybala (11/2 f)

Suspended: Danilo (23/1 d)

 

FC Porto

Doubtful: Mbemba (19/1 d), Pepe (16/1 d), Corona (22/2 f)

Out (injuries/other): Mbaye (0/0 g)

Suspended:

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more then 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[StefanBB]

Borussia Dortmund vs Sevilla

The home side had a 2:0 advantage in Munich after just nine minutes into the game, thanks to Erling Haaland’s brace. However, they got back home with empty pockets. The defending champions equalized by half-time and scored twice more in the last minutes of the clash for a 4:2 win. Borussia Dortmund slipped to the 6^th spot in Bundesliga, being four points behind Eintracht Frankfurt. A defeat in Der Klassiker was their first after four straight victories in all competitions. They haven’t conceded three times in a row before the clash against Bayern. However, Borussia Dortmund is on a good track to securing a place in the next stage. They celebrated a 3:2 victory in Sevilla, which started their winning streak. Although the hosts will have selection troubles due to the increased number of injured players, they want to put another good performance.

On the other hand, Sevilla’s poor run started three weeks ago after losing against their upcoming rivals. The away side lost four times on the last five occasions and allowed Real Sociedad to get just three points behind them. Julen Lopetegui’s side lost twice against Barcelona in only four days. The latter was much more painful, as Sevilla spilled a 2:0 first-leg advantage in Copa del Rey. They went to the extra time after conceding in the last moments of the game and eventually lost 3:0. Youssef En Nesyri and the lads head to this match after another defeat last weekend, this time against struggling Elche. The visitors scored only once in the previous three games, and they need to improve their chance conversion. If they want to proceed to the next stage, Sevilla should win by at least a two-goal margin or net three times to get the chance for extra-time.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Although the hosts will miss several players, they are in better momentum, and we consider them slight favorites. We believe they can celebrate once more in this tie, and book a ticket for quarter-finals.

Goals Market Prediction

Borussia Dortmund has been involved in many high-scoring matches lately, and this one shouldn’t be much different. Sevilla doesn’t have time to wait, so we expect an open clash with at least three goals in total.

Borussia Dortmund to win @ 2.20

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.55

Correct score 3:1 @ 15.00

[StefanBB]

Juventus vs Porto

Juventus heads to this game after two confident victories in Serie A. Bianconeri sit in 3^rd place, being eight points behind Inter, but with one game in hand. The hosts hope they will remain in the title battle and get the chance to defend the title. Andrea Pirlo’s side hasn’t lost four times in a row, and they missed the opportunity to win only once during the course. Cristiano Ronaldo and the lads suffered only three defeats in Serie A, but they spilled too many points in draws. Juventus didn’t shine in the first leg, and they were lucky to get back home trailing just one goal. The home side is in great form at Allianz Stadium, and they want to put another confident display that can drive them forward to the quarter-finals.

Porto is pretty far from the top spot in Primeira Liga, as they are ten points behind Sporting. It seems nobody can stop the Lions, who are the only undefeated team in the league. The visitors spilled too many points in draws lately, as they missed the chance to win three times on the previous five occasions. Sergio Conceicao’s side has been pretty productive, but they need to improve defensive work. The Dragons lost only once on the road this season, however, they have been conceding one goal per game. Porto played very well in the first leg, and they want repetition in Torino on Tuesday evening. However, the visitors need to be very disciplined if they wish to defend their advantage

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Although they are one goal down on aggregate, we believe Juventus is still a favorite to proceed further. Juventus to win is our first selection for this game.

Goals Market Prediction

Their head-to-head clashes have usually been pretty tight, and we don’t expect this one to be much different. Therefore, we shouldn’t see more than two goals, especially since Porto should be defensively oriented.

Juventus to win @ 1.40

Under 2.5 FT @ 2.10

Correct score 2:0 @ 7.50

Edited March 8, 2021 by StefanBB

[harry_rag]

Dortmund v Sevilla: 25 points on 4-6 cards shown at 11/10 with Hills

Juventus v Porto: 25 points on <40 booking points at 13/8 Sky Bet or PP

Very much led by the ref stats here.

Cakir in the former game fairly consistently hits the middle band whereas Kuipers in the latter has been tending towards unders for a while.

[harry_rag]

Probably a sign that there's not many games today and I've got too much time but I've found an assist bet I fancy for each team. PP not keen to offer me my desired stake in that market.

14 points on Morata (Juventus) at 11/4 PP

3 points on Corona (Porto) at 14/1 PP

20 points on Reus (Dortmund) at 19/5 Lads

8 points on Jordan (Sevilla) at 15/2 Hills

[harry_rag]

10 points on Ronaldo to have >2 shots on target at 3/1 Hills and sell his goal minutes for 1 point at 40.

As is often the case with Hills "flash odds" the original price of 6/4 is unappealing but the boosted price looks worth taking. He averages 2 shots on target per game so probably shouldn't be 3/1 to go one better in this one. Goal minutes generally a sell for me at that sort of price but Ronaldo is one of the select band of players who can only be watched from behind the sofa when opposing them! 

[StefanBB]

PSG vs Barcelona

The home side heads to this match in a good mood and after three straight wins on the road. PSG celebrated against Dijon and Bordeaux in Ligue 1 while still being in the Coupe de France trophy battle. Mauricio Pocchetino’s side managed to keep the clean sheet in all these games while being clinical in the front. However, Kylian Mbappe and the lads are two points behind Lille in the French top-flight. With ten more rounds to go, it is going to be a very exciting title race. On the other hand, PSG wants to reach another continental final. The hosts are on a good track of progressing to the quarter-finals after beating Barcelona 4:1 on the road. However, we all remember their tie in the 2016/17 season when PSG dropped a four-goal advantage. Moise Kean and Neymar won’t be there to help, but the hosts search for a confident display that will see them through.

Barcelona also improved its form in a previous couple of weeks. After losing in the first leg match and snatching a point against Cadiz at home, Leo Messi and the lads celebrated four times in a row. They were confident in La Liga, and victories against Elche and Osasuna could see them back in the title battle. They also reached the Copa del Rey finals after an excellent turnaround against Sevilla. Ronald Koeman’s side has also been very disciplined in the back lately. Barcelona hasn’t conceded in the previous four matches, and they want to keep up in the same fashion. However, the visitors need to attack from the very start of this game if they wish to proceed to the top eight.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

It is going to be another exciting game, and despite PSG’s advantage, it can go in either way. Neither side has been so confident this season compared to the previous ones. We believe Barcelona can win this match, and we’ll see if it will be enough for staying in the competition.

Goals Market Prediction

Both sides possess a massive attacking potential, and their head-to-head clashes have always been very efficient. Despite recent good defensive displays from both teams, we expect to see goals in both nets.

Barcelona to win @ 2.70

BTTS Yes @ 1.40

Correct score 1:3 @ 17.00

[StefanBB]

Liverpool vs RB Leipzig

Liverpool has been hugely underperforming lately. The latest kick in the teeth happened last weekend when struggling Fulham celebrated a 1:0 victory at Anfield. The Reds lost six times in the previous seven rounds in the Premier League. That terrible streak saw Jurgen Klopp’s side declining to 8^th place, and there is a fair chance that we won’t see them in the Champions League next season. The hosts are seven points behind the 4^th-placed Chelsea, who improved recently. Mo Salah and the lads have severe troubles converting their chances into goals. Obviously, something strange is happening in the locker room since nothing else could explain this slump. Liverpool scored just once in the last five matches at Anfield, and they need to get back to the winning track urgently. Nevertheless, Liverpool has a 2:0 first-leg advantage, which they want to keep intact.

RB Leipzig is in a much better momentum as they celebrated four times in a row after losing to their upcoming rivals. They are still active in the title battle, being only two points behind Bayern Munich. The Red Bulls also have a chance to lift the DFB Pokal, especially after Bayern got knocked out. Julian Nagelsmann’s side managed to keep the clean sheet three times on the last four occasions. A comeback against Borussia Monchengladbach is still fresh, and RB Leipzig managed to overturn a 2:0 half-time advantage of their rivals. Yussuf Poulsen and the lads have been pretty productive lately as they scored less than three goals only once in the previous four matches. They need to keep the same level of efficiency in this clash as well if they want to stay in the competition.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Liverpool is in very poor form, and players’ confidence hit bottom last weekend. Despite their first-leg advantage, we expect to see a great battle. We think RB Leipzig is more than capable of beating their rivals on Wednesday evening.

Goals Market Prediction

The English side has been involved in many low-scoring games lately, mostly because of their poor productivity. RB Leipzig is doing well in the back recently, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they keep their net intact once again.

RB Leipzig to win @ 2.80

BTTS No @ 2.30

Correct score 0:2 @ 15.00

[betcatalog]

It is difficult to support Liverpool to impose themselves at the moment, but as long as Leipzig can not reduce the mistakes that cost them so dearly, then we can see an open match. Leipzig must play with passion and aggression, as it needs two goals to have hopes of qualifying. Both teams have excellent offensive lines and can offer us a great match with goals.
LIVERPOOL vs RB LEIPZIG @@ +2.50 Over, odds 1.70

Barcelona's defensive stability has been very good lately, but if the visitors do not seek to score in this game, they will be excluded from the sequel. Such an approach could prove to be completely ineffective or utterly deadly against the impressive Paris Saint-Germain and its attackers. The repetition of the 2016-17 upset is nothing more than a dream, which should avoid another blow. I think we will easily have more than two goals.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN vs BARCELONA @@ +2.50 Over, odds 1.45

[StevieDay1983]

It's a tricky pair of fixtures tonight. If the games were more evenly balanced coming into these second legs then I'd have no hesitation backing both Liverpool and PSG to get the job done. Unfortunately, with the home teams keen to protect their aggregate leads we could see the games take on a different complexion. I still feel Liverpool could catch an attackingly emphasised RB Leipzig team on the counter attack to get the win on the night and I'm still fairly certain PSG have enough to beat a weaker Barcelona.

Liverpool Draw No Bet @ 1.97 with Unibet

PSG to Win @ 2.68 with SBK

I'll also put on a cheeky low risk double of both teams to score @ 2.09 with Bet365.

[StefanBB]

Manchester City vs Borussia Monchengladbach

Manchester City managed to get back on the winning track after losing in the Manchester derby. Pep Guardiola’s side was confident in London against Fulham and booked a 3:0 victory. The Citizens are 14 points clear from Manchester United, with one extra game played. Gabriel Jesus and the lads have been very productive in the last two matches, as they netted eight times. The hosts have a 2:0 first-leg advantage, and they want to confirm a ticket to the quarter-finals. However, they need to host Gladbach in Budapest due to the Covid-19 measures, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the English team.

On the other hand, Borussia Monchengladbach continues its slump. Last weekend, they suffered the sixth straight defeat in all competitions. The latest one came against Augsburg on the road, and Gladbach is far from securing a continental spot next season. Marco Rose’s team managed to remain undefeated just once on the previous eight occasions and slipped down to 10^th place in Bundesliga. Lars Stindl and the lads scored only five goals during that poor run, and they need to improve in the final third. The possible reason for this bad series is the fact that Marco Rose leaves the bench at the end of the season. He will move to another Borussia, but the one from Dortmund. His move will trigger other departures from Monchengladbach, and the morale in the team is pretty low. The away side cannot hope of getting anything from this tie unless they pull a miracle and score at least two goals.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Manchester City is a firm favorite in this clash, and they should secure a place in the quarter-finals with another victory. Having their rival’s form in mind, we believe City will win by at least two goals.

Goals Market Prediction

The hosts have been very efficient in the last two games, while Gladbach conceded at least twice four times in the previous six matches. We believe this clash should go over a 2.5 margin.

Manchester City AH -1.5 @ 1.70

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.55

Correct score 3:0 @ 7.50

[StefanBB]

Real Madrid vs Atalanta

Real Madrid got back in the title race in La Liga after celebrating a 2:1 victory over Elche. At the same time, Atletico Madrid took only a point against Getafe. Los Blancos are now just six points behind their local rivals and are in a bit better momentum. Zinedine Zidane’s side trailed in the last three La Liga matches but managed to remain undefeated in all three. Karim Benzema and the lads were on the verge of a defeat in the Madrileno derby, but they equalized at the very finish of the match. The hosts lost three times at Alfredo di Stefano Stadium this season but failed to win only once on the last four occasions. Real Madrid booked a narrow 1:0 win in the first leg, mostly thanks to an early red card for Atalanta. They need to put a disciplined performance to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

Atalanta heads to this game after beating Spezia in Serie A last weekend. They remained in the top four,  being two points ahead of Napoli and Roma. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side booked five victories in the previous six Serie A rounds and played very well lately. Luis Muriel and the lads are the second-most productive team in the league, with 63 goals scored so far. They have been very good on the road, as La Dea lost on only two occasions from 13 outings. However, Atalanta needs to chase their rival’s advantage as they missed the chance to secure a positive result at the home ground. The match might have gone in a different direction if Remo Freuler hadn’t been sent off early in the game. The visitors search for another good display and a chance to advance to the next round.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

It is going to be a very tight clash, and Atalanta shouldn’t be written off in this game. The match can go either way, and we won’t be surprised if it ends in a draw.

Goals Market Prediction

Atalanta needs to attack from the very start of the match, and we expect to see an open clash. Both teams should be able to score, and we should see goals in both nets.

Draw @ 3.75

BTTS Yes @ 1.60

Correct score 2:2 @ 12.00

[betcatalog]

Real Madrid is not considered one of the favorites of the tournament this season. However, her experience should not be underestimated. Atalanta will visit Madrid for the first time, but they succeeded against Spanish Valencia, defeating it. As I have already written, Atalanta made three doubles in the group. The Italians have to reverse the score and therefore attack from the beginning to find goals. Both teams have excellent points and can score a total of over two goals.
REAL MADRID vs ATALANTA @@ +2.50 Over, odds 1.67

Manchester City's defense seemed slightly more volatile than usual in recent weeks, but Guardiola's men should have no problem repeating their performance and doing the job in style. Gladbach and their coach can't find inspiration from anywhere on the pitch right now, and we expect City to achieve another two-goal victory.
MANCHESTER CITY vs BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH @@ -1.50 Ah MANCHESTER CITY, odds 1.73

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Manchester City

Even if their long winning streak is ended by Manchester United, they get a two-match winning streak again, which shows their great competitiveness. And they are in good condition now.

 

Borussia Monchengladbach

They are the top team, but they suffer from injuries recently, getting a six-match losing streak in various Leagues and Tournaments. It seems that they are unlikely to win in the upcoming game.

 

Verdict:

Manchester City are more experienced than Borussia Monchengladbach in European games. And Manchester City have home advantage. They are more confidence and stress-less as they win over Borussia Monchengladbach at 2-0 in last round. So it is predicted that Manchester City will win in the upcoming game.

 

Manchester City VS Borussia Monchengladbach

Prediction: 3-0, 3-1

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester City vs Borussia Monchengladbach

The penultimate night of action in the Champions League last 16 second leg phase gives us a double header of matches with Manchester City taking on Borussia Monchengladbach and Real Madrid versus Atalanta. Both games kick-off at 8pm GMT but I'm going to focus my attention on the game taking place at the Puskas Arena between the Premier League leaders and the Bundesliga underdogs.

Manchester City are one of the in-form sides in European football right now. Pep Guardiola's men have only lost 1 of their last 31 matches across all competitions. The Citizens have also won 10 of their last 11 fixtures in this competition as the home team. The fact they have scored an average of 3.5 goals per game during that run shows how lethal a side they have become on home territory in Europe. This may not be at the Etihad Stadium but we can expect a similar level of attacking intent from City. The team hold a 2-0 aggregate lead from the first leg and given that they have won 4 and drawn 1 of their 5 meetings with Borussia Monchengladbach then you can understand why they might feel confident heading into this game.

Borussia Monchengladbach face an uphill battle to come back from this 2-0 first leg deficit. Marco Rose has come out and said that his team need something that is "more than extraordinary" to save this tie. Die Fohlen are in 10th place in the Bundesliga and qualification for European competition next season is looking in doubt. Questions have to be asked over how Rose's future appointment as Borussia Dortmund head coach must be affecting the team psychologically. It's not an ideal situation. The club have lost their last 4 league games and have also lost their previous 3 matches in Europe. It's awful form and suggests that not all is well within the camp. The German side have never defeated an English side as the away team in this competition.

You have to say that things are looking pretty grim for Borussia Monchengladbach heading into this game. They stand on the brink of elimination from this competition, they have exited the DfB Pokal, and their league form has gone down the toilet. How can we expect anything other than another solid Manchester City win? It's just a case of determining how many City are going to win by and if they'll keep a clean sheet or not.

Manchester City -1 @ 1.70 with Sporting Index

Manchester City HT/FT @ 1.80 with SBK

[harry_rag]

Even allowing for the strong possibility of a stroll in the park for Man City tonight, I'm still surprised at how low the bookings lines are (spreads are 30-33). You could keep it simple with a buy at 33 or take PP's 7/5 for >30 points. I favour taking Hill's 4-6 cards shown with cover on >65 points.

26 points on 4-6 cards shown at 21/10 Hills and 5 on >65 points at 12/1 Sky Bet.

Ref has a strong trend for awarding penalties in European competitions but at a best price 17/10 it doesn't quite tempt me in. It's largely academic in that market as you can set your clock by there being a penalty when I don't bet and none when I do! 

[StefanBB]

Bayern Munich vs Lazio

Bayern Munich remained on the top of the Bundesliga after last weekend’s win away to Werder Bremen. The home side managed to increase their advantage over RB Leipzig to four points after their rivals drew against Eintracht Frankfurt. Hans Flick’s side celebrated four times in a row in all competitions and was very productive. Robert Lewandowski and the lads scored at least three goals in each of the previous four matches. Their streak started against Lazio when the defending champions booked a convincing 4:1 victory. However, Bayern hasn’t been in good shape defensively, as the hosts conceded on the last six occasions. Bayern wants to keep up where they left off and secure a place among the best eight teams in the Champions League.

Lazio managed to get back on the winning track after beating Crotone in Serie A last weekend. The away side broke its three-game losing streak with that victory. Simone Inzaghi’s side remained in the battle for the top four, and they are six points behind Atalanta with one game in hand. Ciro Immobile and the lads have been doing well in front of the oppositions’ net, but their defense was pretty poor. Biancocelesti conceded at least twice in each of the previous four games. Although Lazio puts good performances on the road, they lost in the last three outings. It is going to be a very tough task for the visitors to try to get back into the tie. They need at least four goals, and the opponent cannot be stronger as they face the defending European champions.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Bayern Munich is a firm favorite in this game as well, and they should book a place in the quarter-finals without much trouble. We believe they will win this clash by at least two goals.

Goals Market Prediction

Both teams have been involved in many efficient matches recently, and this one shouldn’t be much different. We expect to see at least four goals in total.

Bayern Munich AH -1.5 @ 1.95

Over 3.5 FT @ 1.90

Correct score 3:1 @ 10.00

[StefanBB]

Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid

After a poor period in December and a change on the bench, Chelsea improved its results significantly. Thomas Tuchel still hasn’t lost a match after taking over the Blues, and the hosts got back into the race for the Champion League spot next season. Chelsea sits in 3^rd spot, being three points ahead of West Ham, but with an extra match played. However, the home side celebrated only twice in the previous five Premier League rounds. Mason Mount and the lads have been very disciplined lately, and Chelsea conceded just two goals on the last 12 occasions. On the other hand, they haven’t scored more than twice in a single match during that period. The Blues also improved their home displays and lost only twice at Stamford Bridge this season. The English side has a minimal 1:0 advantage in this tie, after Olivier Giroud’s stunning goal.

Atletico Madrid cannot be satisfied with its recent performances, as other title contenders got very close. Diego Simeone’s side missed the chance to win in derby Madrileno despite their 1:0 lead. Karim Benzema equalized late in the game and kept Real Madrid in the title race. Los Colchoneros are four points ahead of Barcelona and six of their local rivals. Joao  Felix and the lads head to this game after a goalless draw at Getafe, while they also need to stabilize their form. The visitors are still the best defensive team in La Liga, with only 18 goals conceded, despite their recent instabilities in the backline. Atletico Madrid has been excellent on the road this season, losing only one game at the away grounds. They need another good display to neutralize their rival’s advantage and eventually win this tie.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

It is going to be a very tight clash that can easily go in either way. Atletico Madrid will try to proceed to the next round, but we think the hosts are more than capable of remaining undefeated. Therefore, we won’t be surprised if this clash ends in a draw.

Goals Market Prediction

Both sides are well-known for their disciplined style of play, with the primary focus on keeping their net intact. We don’t expect to see more than two goals in total in this match, so it should stay under a 2.5 margin.

Draw @ 3.30

Under 2.5 FT @ 1.60

Correct score 1:1 @ 6.50

[harry_rag]

4 hours ago, harry_rag said:

Ref has a strong trend for awarding penalties in European competitions but at a best price 17/10 it doesn't quite tempt me in. It's largely academic in that market as you can set your clock by there being a penalty when I don't bet and none when I do!

Pleasantly surprised to be matched for 20 points at 3.25 on a penalty taken in the Man City game.

[harry_rag]

20 hours ago, harry_rag said:

Ref has a strong trend for awarding penalties in European competitions but at a best price 17/10 it doesn't quite tempt me in. It's largely academic in that market as you can set your clock by there being a penalty when I don't bet and none when I do!

 

16 hours ago, harry_rag said:

Pleasantly surprised to be matched for 20 points at 3.25 on a penalty taken in the Man City game.

 Well that all ended predictably. No penalty and only 3 cards so 0 from 3 and -51 points.

[Life Is Windy]