TUESDAY:
CHELSEA V PORTO
Chelsea were completely dominant in their win over Crystal Palace at the weekend by playing some good football and having several shots at goal as well as seeing the ball more than their opponents did. Kai Havertz impressed in the no.9 position which could well be the position he plays for them in the long term having started there in the 2-0 win over Everton last month where he also impressed. Chelsea may still need a top quality striker, but Havertz's recent performances in that position could make them change their mind about signing one in the summer.
They put in a solid display in the first leg of this tie and Thomas Tuchel will want the same again so they can put both feet in the semi finals as they already have one in from the first leg win last week. Another good performance in this leg will surely see them through to the next round because they're 2-0 up and they have two crucial away goals.
Porto will need a good start in this game if they're to stand a chance of going through because they're behind in the tie and on away goals. As they're the away side in this one, they'll definitely need a good start so they can get a crucial away goal which will hopefully give them the confidence to grab another. Their chances in this tie will depend on how well they start the game.
The Portuguese side had a lot of chances in the first leg but they were denied by Eduoard Mendy a number of times in the Chelsea goal. They were probably kicking themselves for not taking their chances because they had enough to win the game and if they took them, they would have a better chance of going through. They'll need to take their chances in the second leg if they're to have any chance of overcoming the 2-0 deficit.
I'm going for Chelsea to win the tie and this game because they have enough in them to hold on to their 2-0 lead and they also have the ability to extend it. With the lead they have and the quality they have overall, they should make it through without any problems.
PREDICTION: 2-0
PSG V BAYERN MUNICH
PSG are halfway to getting their revenge on Bayern Munich from last season as they have a 3-2 lead going into this game and three crucial away goals. They caused Bayern problems with the pace and movement of Neymar and Mbappe with Mbappe scoring two very good goals. The Parisians may not have had as many chances as Bayern did in the first leg, but they were more clinical which is all that matters. As long as you take the chances you have, the better chance you have of wining a game of football.
Mauricio Pochettino may not have yet stamped his full mark on this PSG team, but he has beaten two of European football's biggest giants in Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The managers before him didn't get many wins against the top teams with Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel only managing one win each against a top side with Emery beating Barcelona in 2017 and Tuchel beating Real Madrid in the groups stages last season. Once the Argentine has stamped his authority on this team, he'll hopefully get more wins against the top sides.
Bayern Munich really missed Robert Lewandowski in the first leg because of the amount of chances they had to the game. They had 31 shots in the first leg with 12 ending up on target including the two goals they scored. If Bayern had their Polish hit man on the pitch they might be leading the tie because he would've taken any chance he had in front of goal due to the kind of player he is. He's a natural goal scorer which is what Bayern lacked in the first leg of this tie.
As well as Lewandowski, Bayern will be without a few key players for this game including Serge Gnabry and Corentin Tolisso. Tolisso has been out since February with a ripped tendon whilst Gnabry is self isolating following a positive COVID test. Tolisso brings steel and solidity to the midfield alongside Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry adds pace and more goals to Bayern's exciting attack. With those three all out, Bayern may once again struggle.
I'm going for PSG to win the tie and this game because Bayern are still without their best player in Robert Lewandowski. With the Parisian's leading tie and ahead on away goals along with having their two best players available, they should have enough in them to reach the next round.
PREDICTION: 2-1
WEDNESDAY:
BORUSSIA DORTMUND V MAN CITY
Borussia Dortmund were much better defensively than I thought they would be in the first leg because they've looked vulnerable defensively pretty much all season. The German side made it difficult for City throughout the 90 minutes by being solid and well organised which is not said a lot about this Dortmund side. They had some good chances going forward like they usually do but defensively they were much better than I thought they would be. If they can be as well organised defensively as they were in the first leg, they have a good chance of winning this game because they have some talented players going forward and a crucial away goal from the first leg.
With someone like Erling Haaland at the top end of the pitch, Dortmund have every chance of going through because of the player he is and the goals he scores. With Dortmund only needing a goal to go through, they'll be counting on Haaland to get that goal when they need it most.
Man City had to work for their win in the first leg and they may have to do the same if they're to get over the line. Marco Reus' equaliser for Dortmund made the game pretty tense in the final few minutes before Phil Foden netted the winning goal late on to give City the upper hand in the tie. With leading leading the tie by just one goal, they'll want to add another to their score because that goal will make sure they're in that semi final.
Their title win suffered a setback at the weekend as they lost to Leeds where they were surprisingly not at their best. Ruben Dias was a miss at the back because they missed his leadership and John Stones didn't play as well without him as he does with him. Kevin De Bruyne didn't even play which was surprising because you need a player of his talent on the pitch against a team like Leeds. They missed his creativity because they didn't have someone who can play a killer pass in behind a low block defence which is what Leeds played with on the day.
I'm going for City to win the tie and this game because they're leading the tie on aggregate and they should have enough to see this game through with the talent they have. Dortmund will pose a threat because of the talent they have going forward, but I think City will still have enough in them to win the game.
PREDICTION: 1-3
LIVERPOOL V REAL MADRID
Liverpool were second best throughout most of the first leg despite making a decent start to the second half. They were not at it defensively with Trent Alexander Arnold heading the ball into the path of Marco Asensio for Real's second goal and it was a poor display from them overall. Jurgen Klopp will want a better performance from his players in the return leg because his side are 3-1 down and will need to be at their best if they're to reach the next round.
If we were living in normal circumstances, the reds would definitely have a chance of turning this tie around because of the way the fans get behind their team and especially on European nights. The fans played a huge role in their semi final win over Barcelona two seasons ago where they were 3-0 down and won the second leg 4-0 to reach the final 4-3 on aggregate. The reds have really missed their fans this season because they always get behind their team which has played a huge part in the reds' poor form at home since the turn of the year. Without fans in this one, Liverpool's chances of a comeback look pretty unlikely.
Real Madrid were briefly top of the La Liga at the weekend following their 2-1 win over Barcelona in El Clasico until Atletico Madrid picked up a draw against Real Betis which put them back at the top over their city rivals. Real are the in form team in the La Liga title race as they have won their last four games and are unbeaten in 10 which has kept them in touching distance of Atletico at the top. They've really turned their season around since the turn of the year after an inconsistent start and Zinedine Zidane deserves a lot of credit for that.
Real are currently in control of this tie as they lead 3-1 on aggregate and they looked like the team in control during the first leg. They may not be the same team they were three or four seasons ago, but they still know how to win the big games which they showed in the first leg. The experienced players in Toni Kroos and Luka Modric stepped up by getting an assist for both of Vinicius Junior's goals with Kroos playing a delightful over the top for the Brazilian's first goal and Modric playing simple pass into him which he hit first time into the back of the net. They may not be the players they were, but they still have the ability to make an impact.
I'm going for Real in win the game and this tie because Liverpool will not have the support of their home crowd. The crowd at Anfield has played a huge part in their successes on European nights and I think they'll once again struggle without it.
PREDICTION: 1-2
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