The time has almost come for the elimination phase of the most popular football tournament, the UEFA Champions League to begin. A lot of adrenaline-pumping action awaits us, as the best clubs around Europe are about the meet each other and fight for the Champions League cup. The first matches of the Round of 16 are on 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th February.
PSG vs. Chelsea
The clear favorite here is Chelsea and it’s really hard not to see it that way. The club led by Jose Mourinho is sitting atop of the Barclay’s Premier League and they have played magnificent all season long. The situation in PSG is a bit different – it’s not like they have no chances, but lately the team has been underperforming. Ibrahimovic and company aren’t likely to win any of the matches, so their biggest hope is drawing the two games.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munchen
Here everything seems over before it even began. Shakhtar Donetsk don’t have much chance against their opponents and it’s not even likely that the will be able to score a goal. Bayern Munchen is one of the favorites to win the Champions League trophy and it should be easy for them to reach the quarterfinals. Expect nothing different than Bayern advancing.
Basel vs Porto
Both matches should be quite interesting, even though Porto are considered the big favorites her. Basel is a pretty decent team and they showed it throughout the group stage. Porto, however, have been playing with confidence since the start of the season. In my opinion Basel will be able to play good only in their home game and maybe get a 1:0 win or something like that. Nevertheless, Porto is more likely to move on to the quarterfinals.
Schalke 04 vs Real Madrid
Here the situation is similar to Shakhtar vs Bayern. It’s almost impossible to even think that Schalke 04 is going to eliminate Real Madrid. Los Blancos won the Champions League last year and they will be determined to do everything in order to win it again. Expect Real Madrid to win in both matches.
Manchester City vs Barcelona
Even though this is maybe the most anticipated battle from the Round of 16, it is hard to see how Manchester City is going to eliminate Barcelona. The Catalonians are a class above their opponents and shouldn’t have too much trouble advancing to the quarterfinals. Manchester City will surely give everything they have, but it’s doubtful that will be enough. Barcelona will be the winner here.
Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Usually, Dortmund will be the main favorite here, but this season things are a bit different. The German club has been having all sorts of trouble in their domestic league, playing worse than ever. They are in danger of playing in Bundesliga 2 the next season, something that nobody expected from Klopp and his men. Juventus, however, has been playing very stable in the Serie A. The Italian club is thought to be the favorite to advance to the quarterfinals, however I would not bet on it yet. Dortmund should not be underestimated, even though they are in terrible state at the moment.
Arsenal vs Monaco
It’s really hard to predict which of the two teams is going to advance through the competition, as both have been playing well in the season. Arsenal is the logical favorite, however Monaco should not be overlooked. The French club has shown some pretty good form this campaign and it won’t be a big surprise if they eliminate the Gunners from the Champions League . This could be the most exciting battle of the Round of 16.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid
Even though Bayer Leverkusen is a pretty decent team, Atletico is the team that will most likely advance in the tournament. Madrid is playing great this season and it shouldn’t be a problem for them to defeat their opponents. Leverkusen has been so-so in the Bundesliga and it’s not easy to see them beating Atletico even once.
Preview of Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League
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