UEFA Champions League round of 16

The UEFA Champions League, like every season, provides us with some very interesting match-ups in the round of 16, and it is worth noting that there is a lot of variety in that regard. Next, we’ll go over each encounter briefly.

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RB Leipzig vs Manchester City

Although RB Leipzig have put together a very good team and in recent years have gotten used to playing in the competition and advancing to these stages, this is possibly the most lopsided round of 16 match of the eight, with Manchester City being the clear favorite to advance.

Club Brugge vs Benfica

Both clubs have had some very good displays that are seeing their reward at this point in the Champions League and the match-up is quite interesting, especially for scouts because they bet on young players who later sell for considerably higher amounts to other bigger clubs.

This last is precisely one of the points that can tip the scales in favor of one of the two teams since before the round of 16, there is the January transfer window and the players from both clubs have many suitors. As thigs are right now, I would see Benfica as the main candidate.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

A reissue of the last Champions League final that seems to have the same winner without relying on the seasons that each of the teams are having. Real Madrid maintains the momentum that led them to win La Liga and the Champions League last season, while Liverpool have been very inconsistent to the point of being in sixth place in the Premier League, so Los Blancos should go to the quarterfinals, barring any surprises.

AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspurs

To the already established parity of the match, we must add the fact that the English club, accustomed to a much higher game pace (that of the Premier League) than that of Serie A, would start with a certain advantage. However, the history of Spurs manager Antonio Conte in this competition is not favorable at all, so it is difficult to choose a favorite.

If the English club has all their stars available, they would be a slight favorite over the Italians.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli

The German team has prioritized the international tournament over the Bundesliga and with the confidence of the previous season, they have become a dangerous rival although Napoli is having a great season that has them as leaders in Serie A.

The different treatment and the priority that each one gives to their local league will be the difference and that is why I think Napoli will prefer to focus on winning the Italian league and Eintracht will take that advantage to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea

Under normal conditions, Chelsea would be favorites, but the London club has not been doing well this season even after the arrival of manager Graham Potter, who seems to still be trying to find the right team and convey his playing style to his players.

Here there is a decisive factor and it is that in England the competitions resumed at the end of December while the Bundesliga returns at the end of January, so Chelsea would have a higher rhythm of play and that is why I visualize them moving on to the next round.

Inter Milan vs FC Porto

The quality of the Inter players seems to be the factor that is going to tip the tie in favor of the Italian club, especially the Dzeko-Martinez couple, in addition to the invaluable contribution of Barella in the midfield. However, FC Porto had a great group stage against rivals like Atletico Madrid and that surprise could carry over to this round of 16. Despite this, we see Inter a step ahead regarding favoritism in this match.

Paris Saint Germain vs Bayern Munich

Another anticipated final and another difficult match to predict since Bayern is always an offensively powerful team that has players of a high level in all positions and even on the bench. PSG depends a lot on the contribution of its offensive trident Messi-Neymar-Mbappe despite having very good players in the rest of the positions.

The cohesion between the players of the German club seems to be greater than that of the Parisian team due to different egos that come to light from time to time and that can harm them against the Bavarians. But if PSG trident is synced, Bayern stands no chance.