TUESDAY:
MAN CITY V PSG
Man City have the advantage in this tie as they lead 2-1 on aggregate following their win in the first leg. They were on the back foot at the beginning of the game but they eventually grew into it later on in the game as they kept possession of the ball well and scored two very good goals through Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez. Knowing how dangerous PSG can be going forward, City will need to produce another solid display if they're to get through this second leg because the French Champions will punish you if you make at least one mistake.
City moved within a win of winning the Premier League title at the weekend by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 with Sergio Aguero back on the score sheet. He'll want to start this one because of the performance he put in at the weekend against Palace. He looked sharp and hungry against Palace and his performance has hopefully convinced his manager to start him in this second leg.
Having made a bright start to the first leg, PSG completely fizzled out later on in the game as Man City grew into it. They were not as clinical going forward as they usually are because they didn't take most of the chances they had early on with Neymar and Mbappe being kept quiet for most of the game. If they're to win the second leg and reach the final they need to start this game well and take their chances because they're both behind in the tie and on away goals.
The Parisians have been kept off the top of Ligue 1 for most of the season and off the top is where they currently find themselves. They're in 2nd place in the table and a point behind surprise leaders Lille which nobody saw coming at the start of the season. They've had a more challenging season than they tough they would as they're experiencing something different to what they've been used to. Can they rise to the challenge they have ahead of them in chasing the team at the top in Lille?
I'm going for a City win because I think they'll have enough in them to win this game and tie. They're better defensively and have more match winners in their side which is why I think they'll win this game.
PREDICTION: 2-0
WEDNESDAY:
CHELSEA V REAL MADRID
Chelsea played well in the first leg and they arguably should've won it. Had enough chances early on to go more than a goal up but all of them were not taken and Real went up the other end and scored the equaliser. The only advantage Chelsea have in this game is that they have a crucial away goal which will send them through if this game ends goalless. They'll definitely go for the win because of the opportunity it presents but they would still take a 0-0 draw draw because of the away goal from the first leg.
The Blues took a big step towards securing a top four finish at the weekend by beating Fulham 2-0 with Kai Havertz scoring twice. This up and down season they're having could turn out to be a good one for them because they're on course to finish in the top four and have the opportunity to win two trophies. They're in the FA Cup final against Leicester in two weeks and they have the opportunity in this one to reach the final of the Champions League. They could win an unlikely double which along with a top four finish looks like a good season.
Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard will both be returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time since they left Chelsea back in 2018 and 2019 respectively. They've both had contrasting times at the club with Courtois faring slightly better despite having a difficult first season at the Bernabeu. Hazard will be the one with a point to prove because he'll want to show that he's still one of the best players in Europe and what Chelsea have been missing since he left them.
Real Madrid grew into the game after going behind in the first leg but couldn't find a way past Chelsea's solid backline which restricted them to just one shot on target with the shot being Karim Benzema's equaliser. With Chelsea likely to play for a goalless draw because of their away goal, Real will need Modric and Kroos to be at their best because they both have the ability to play passes that can split a defence. If they can play those passes into Benzema up top, they have a good chance of going through.
I'm going for a Chelsea win because they know how to win these kind of games and Real Madrid are not the same team they were a few seasons ago. It will be a fairly close game and I can see Chelsea just edging it.
PREDICTION: 1-0
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