TUESDAY:
BARCELONA V PSG
After a poor start to the season, Barca have picked up some form since new year by recording 8 straight wins which have moved them up to 3rd in La Liga. They were 12th at a few months ago and an improvement in form and results has seen them rise up the table over the last couple of months. They probably won't win the league but they're in a better position than they were earlier in the season. Lionel Messi is still doing what he does despite there being a question over his future and Antoine Griezmann is playing his best football since he joined the club. This will be a huge tie for Barca because they'll want to show that they're still one of the best teams in the world and this game could show us if they are as it is against one of the best teams in Europe. Ronald Koeman's side have let themselves down in this competition over the last few seasons by throwing away big leads plus they hit a real low last season with their humiliating defeat to Bayern Munich in the Quarter finals. They haven't been the same Barcelona we saw a decade ago and they'll need to win this tie if they're to show why they're still one of the best.
PSG haven't had their best season in Ligue 1 this year because they're not top of the league which is where we've been used to seeing them. They're 2nd in the table and 1 point behind leaders Lille which is very surprising because we're used to seeing PSG top because of the quality and money they have. I was surprised they sacked Thomas Tuchel at the end of December but his replcement in former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has done pretty well with 7 wins from his first 9 games which is pretty good for a new manager in his first few games at a new club. The Parisians will be without Neymar for the first leg which will be a big blow because of the talent he is and how important he is to this team. But they do have Kylian Mbappe available and he will be vital to their chances of getting through this tie. PSG will want revenge on Barca from when they met at this stage in 2017 where PSG blew a 4-0 lead to lose the second leg 6-1 and the tie 6-5 on aggregate. They'll want to win the first leg to give themselves a chance of going through in the second leg which will be at the Stade de Paris.
I think the first leg will be a draw because Barca are in good form and should have enough to get a result. PSG are also in good form but with Barca likely to throw it away in the second leg, I can see this one being a draw.
PREDICTION: 1-1
RB LEIPZIG V LIVERPOOL
RB Leipzig are a team not to be underestimated. They made the semi finals last season when no on e expected to and they just got out of group containing PSG and Man United where not many people expecting them to get out of. After losing Timo Werner in the summer, they're coping pretty well without him as they're 2nd in Bundesliga and four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They're a team without any real superstars who enjoy being the underdogs. Manager Julian Nagelsmann who is just 33 years old is one of the best young coaches around and has done an incredible job since he's been at Leipzig by leading them to the semi finals of this competition last season and leading them to 2nd in the Bundesliga as well as getting them out of a tough group earlier in the season. Having beat Man United and PSG in the group stages, they'll feel that they can beat Liverpool because they believe that they can beat anyone. They're a team who should be taken seriously.
This is the only hope Liverpool have left in terms of winning a trophy with their Premier League title hopes all but over plus they're out of the other cup competitions as well. Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that side win this tie in order to address their current slide because they've lost their last three games in the league and a win in this one could give his side the confidence they haven't had since Christmas. They must be aware of the threat that Leipzig pose because the German side beat Man United and PSG earlier in the season and with the reds not in great form at the moment, they need to be alert. I hope they play Henderson in midfield because he's been a huge loss in the middle over the last month and I also hope they play an actual centre back pairing in Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips. Phillips has done okay whenever he's played this season and I was surprised that he didn't play in the defeat to Leicester on Saturday. Liverpool will hopefully start him in this one because they need Jordan Henderson back in midfield.
I'm going for a Leipzig win in the first leg because they're at home and have proven that they can beat anyone on their day. With Liverpool not in good form, I can see them pull of a result in this game.
PREDICTION: 2-1
WEDNESDAY:
PORTO V JUVENTUS
Porto finished 2nd in their group behind Man City as they booked their placed in this round of the competition. They last won this competition back in 2004 when Jose Mourinho was the manager and they haven't reached those heights ever since. They've had the odd appearance in the quarter finals from time to time but they've never gone beyond that stage since they last won it because they haven't had the quality the best teams in Europe currently have. The Portuguese champions have been well off the pace in terms of challenging for the Portuguese Primeira title this season as they're 10 points behind unbeaten leaders Sporting Lisbon and just 1 point above 3rd placed Braga. They'll be clear underdogs in this one because Juventus are a far superior team and have more quality than them. But as they're at home, they may fancy themselves to get a result to take with them into the second leg in Turin.
Juventus haven't had their most ideal season in Serie A this season because they're used to being top of the table and being far ahead of everyone else. They find themselves in 4th place at the moment and 8 points behind leaders Inter Milan. They've drawn a lot of games this season and that is something manager Andrea Pirlo will want to address between now and the end of the season. They haven't won this competition since 1996 and have lost in 5 finals since then in 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015 and 2017. They were surprisingly knocked out by Lyon at this stage last season and Pirlo will not want that to happen again because he'll want side side to go far in this competition. They have a player who they can rely on to take them through in Cristiano Ronaldo who is still delivering the goods at 36 years old. He'll be crucial to their chances of going through because of the amount of goals he's scored this season.
I'm going for a Juventus win in the first leg because they have more quality than Porto. With the likes of Dybala and Ronaldo in their attack plus Weston McCkennie, they'll have enough to take a lead into the second leg.
PREDICTION: 0-2
SEVILLA V BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Last seasons Europa League winners have an opportunity to show their Champions League credentials in this one because it's a winnable tie for them and they have shown that they can beat anyone on their day over the years. They're having another good season in the La Liga as they're 4th in the table and have the second best defensive record in the league with just 16 goals conceded. It's their ideal season because they're never expected to finish in the top three a top four finish for them is usually a good season behind Barcelona and the two Madrid clubs. They're solid defensively which the stats show and they have good players going forward including Youssef En-Nesyri who is their top goal scorer with 17 goals in all competitions. He'll be their go to man if they're to win this tie as well as this game.
I'm surprised that Dortmund are 6th in the Bundesliga because with the quality they have in their squad, they should be fighting it out for the title with Bayern Munich. Especially when you have attacking players like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland. I imagine that their problems lie at the back because they've let in 31 goals which is more than the teams around them their defence has probably been one of the reasons why they haven't been able to challenge Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga. They have quality in attack but defensively they are not the strongest. They haven't gone very far in this competition since making the final back in 2013 with the Quarter finals being the furthest they've been since then. They've been knocked out at the last 16 for the last two seasons at the hands of Spurs and PSG and manager Edin Terzic will want his side to avoid another one by winning this tie and reaching the Quarter finals in the process.
I'm going for a Dortmund win in the first leg because of the attacking talent they have. Sevilla are strong defensively but with the talent that Dortmund have going forward, I can see them edge out in front.
PREDICTION: 1-2
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