Europe Champions League Round of 8 (2nd leg)

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Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Chelsea:
Kepa; Chalobah, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Kovacic, Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

Borussia Dortmund:
Meyer; Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Ozcan, Can, Bellingham; Brandt, Haller, Reus

Chelsea welcome Borussia Dortmund to Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Last-16 Champions League tie. The Germans secured a narrow 1:0 win in the reverse fixture played at Westfalen three weeks ago. The Blues have missed some good chances, particularly Joao Felix who hit the crossbar in the first half. Reece James also forced two fine saves out of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel in the second half. The hosts were struggling to create many chances but were clinical in the 63rd minute when Karim Adeyemi scored a brilliant solo goal. Chelsea pushed for an equalizer and Emre Can swept the ball right off the goal line as Kalidou Koulibaly's deflected strike looks to end into the net. Enzo Fernandez thought he'd find the back of the net in the stoppage time, but his long-range strike was superbly saved by Kobel.

Chelsea have a turbulent season. The Blues are in the middle of the table with 34 points and the fans are disappointed. New American owner Todd Boehly spent more than £323 million in January, but the results are still poor. Manager Graham Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel, came under big pressure and the Champions League is the last chance for silverware this season. On Saturday they managed to beat Leeds United 1:0 and I believe the players confidence is higher. But Potter has some injury issues ahead of this match. Key defender Thiago Silva is sidelined with knee ligament injury. Cesar Azpilicueta, Edouard Mendy and Armando Broja are also out, while three players are rated as doubtful - Christian Pulisic, N'Golo Kante and Reece James. Finally, Mason Mount is suspended, and Benoit Badiashile is ineligible.

Borussia Dortmund will try to continue the winning series. The Yellow and Blacks have won the last 12 matches across all competitions. They are the most in-form team in European Big 5 Leagues. Borussia are successful in all three competitions - the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal. On Friday they beat Leipzig 2:1 courtesy of Emre Can and Marco Reus's efforts. Coach Edin Terzic is doing a fantastic job and the fans are pleased. But he has some injury and suspension worries ahead of the trip to Britain. Full-back Julian Ryerson will serve a ban, while the hero from the first leg, Adeyemi is out with a thigh injury. Five more players are also sidelined through injuries - Youssoufa Moukoko, Mateu Morey, Abdoulaye Kamara, Donyell Malen and Julien Duranville. Regular goalkeeper Kobel, who missed the match with Leipzig due to a thigh complaint. is rated as doubtful. Alexander Meyer should deputize if necessary.

Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Prediction:

Chelsea needs a victory to stay in the game. This is a bad season for them - out from the Top Four in the Premier League, out of the FA Cup and out of the League Cup. The Champions League is the only remaining competition for them, and another failure could be rated as catastrophe. Manager Graham Potter is feeling a huge pressure, as well as the players. Chelsea will attack from the very first minute, but Dortmund have talented players able to score from the fast counter attacks. I expect an efficient match with goals on both sides.

Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.81 with Pinnacle

 

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Tottenham vs Milan Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Tottenham:
Forster; Romero, Lenglet, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son

Milan:
Maignan; Kalulu, Kjaer, Tomori; Saelemaekers, Krunic, Tonali, Hernandez; De Ketelaere, Giroud, Leao

Tottenham host Milan in the second leg of their Champions League Last-16 tie on Wednesday. The Italians won 1:0 in the first leg three weeks ago, and they are small favorites for progress. Brahim Diaz's goal from San Siro is important, but guarantee nothing. Tottenham failed to establish domination, but there is a reason. Conte was missing two key midfielder as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was suspended, while Rodrigo Bentancur was out injured. They were replaced with inexperienced and youthful duo of Pape Sarr and Oliver Skipp. As a result, the Spurs failed to create many opportunities and their front three of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski were well shackled by a disciplined home defense. In the end, Tottenham could be happy with the narrow defeat as Belgian midfielder Charles de Ketelaere and German defender Malick Thiaw missed two excellent opportunities.

Tottenham will definitely try to give the best to secure progress. However, the actual form is poor. First, they suffered a painful elimination from the FA Cup, losing to second-tier Sheffield United. Just three days later they lost another match, this time at Wolverhampton in the Premier League. The Spurs are still fourth, but in-form Liverpool are closer after the brilliant performance against Manchester United. Nevertheless, the home form is good, and they have recorded three victories on the last three home games. The Spurs managed to beat Manchester City, Chelsea and West Ham. They also kept the net untouched on these three occasions. Manager Antonio Conte is still recovering from gallbladder surgery, but could lead the team. Some important players will miss the game due to injury. Captain Hugo Lloris is ruled out with a knee injury and Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a cruciate ligament's injury. In addition, Eric Dier must serve a suspension after picking up his third yellow card.

Milan are seven-time European champions, but that was long time ago. The tie with Tottenham is the club first knock-out fixture since the 2013/14 season. Milan were in good form until the weekend, when the series of four victories ended. Milan suffered a narrow 2:1 defeat to Fiorentina. Theo Hernandez scored for Milan, but his goal wasn't enough for a positive result. The reigning champions are huge 19 points adrift of first-placed Napoli. Coach Stefano Pioli has a nearly fully-fit squad, but the first-leg hero Brahima Diaz is rated as doubtful due to a knee sprain and will be assessed on Wednesday. The first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan has recovered from the calf injury and is expected to start from the first minute. Sergino Dest, Yacine Adli, Tiemoue Bakayoko and veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic are not in contention.

Tottenham vs Milan Prediction:

Tottenham lost the first leg, but they won't give up easily. The Spurs are experienced side with two players able to make a difference in every match - Kane and Son. Tottenham have managed to progress from two of their last three continental ties when losing the first leg. This fact should not be underestimated. Milan will probably missing Diaz and that's a handicap. I expect Tottenham to win the match.

Tottenham vs Milan Pick: Tottenham to win @ .97 with Pinnacle

 

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Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Bayern Munich:
Sommer; Stanisic, Upamecano, De Ligt; Coman, Kimmich, Goretzka, Davies; Sane, Musiala; Choupo-Moting

Paris Saint-Germain:
Donnarumma; Pereira, Marquinhos, Ramos; Hakimi, Ruiz, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe

Bayern Munich welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The German champions are closer to the quarterfinals as they won 1:0 as guests three weeks ago. Frenchman Kingsley Coman scored the winner in the 53rd minute. PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could react better during the goal, although the Italian made up for it later with superb saves to deny Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Pavard. Coman also scored the goal when Bayern overcame the Parisians to win the trophy three years ago. Mbappe's entry gave new energy to PSG and they scored in the 82nd minute. However, the celebrations were cut short, as the goal was ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee (VAR). One other player wrote the history on this match - Warren Zaire-Emery became the youngest player ever to start a Champions League knockout stage fixture with 16 years and 343 days.

Bayern Munich showed some weaknesses during the season in Bundesliga. For example, they failed to beat FC Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt at home in January, while suffered a 3:2 loss in Monchengladbach. However, the Bavarians have won the last two matches and the players confidence is higher. Bayern beat 3:0 Union Berlin and beat 2:1 Stuttgart. The atmosphere in the squad is now better, but coach Nagelsmann has some problems in the defense. Pavard was sent off in the first leg and must serve a one-match suspension, while Lucas Hernandez continues his recovery from knee injury. First-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Noussair Mazraoui are also out injured. Sadio Mane has just recovered, making an appearance off the bench against Stuttgart, but Nagelsmann said he must fight for a place in the starting eleven. According to the German press, another substitute outing is very possible for the Senegal international.

PSG won 4:2 against Nantes in the Ligue 1 during the weekend. Furthermore, that match will go down in history as Kylian Mbappe became the club's all-time top goalscorer. He had 200 goals for PSG and was level with Edinson Cavani heading into the match. Mbappe netted the fourth and final goal in the finish of the match before letting emotion take over. I believe the atmosphere in the squad is good, while the players confidence is high. But there are some issues too. Galtier will once again miss Neymar. The Brazilian superstar will probably miss the rest of the season as he prepares to undergo ankle surgery. Presnel Kimpembe and Renato Sanches are also out with an achilles and hamstring injury respectively. On the positive note, Marco Verratti is back from a domestic suspension and should replace Zaire-Emery. The situation with right-back Achraf Hakimi is very confusing. The Moroccan international has been indicted for rape and placed under judicial supervision. Hakimi is prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi at his home. He is currently free to leave the country and should be available for selection.

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain Prediction:

I expect an open and efficient game. PSG are guests, but they must go for victory. This is probably a "Do or Die" match for coach Christophe Galtier. With Messi and Mbappe ready, the guests are able to score more than once. Bayern have one-goal advantage from the first leg, but they will not calculate. That's not a part of German mentality. Bayern will accept the challenge, so I expect a high scoring encounter.

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain Pick: Over 3.5 goals @ 2.05 with Everygame

 

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Porto vs Inter Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Porto:
Costa; Mario, Pepe, Cardoso, Sanusi; Grujic, Uribe; Franco, Pepe, Galeno; Taremi

Inter:
Onana; De Vrij, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku

Porto welcome Inter to Estadio do Dragao. in the second leg of their last-16 tie. The reverse fixture played in Italy ended with Inter taking the slimmest of advantages. Substitute Romelu Lukaku came on in the 58th minute for Edin Dzeko and became the match-winner after he reacted quickest when his header hit the woodwork in the 86th minute. Porto could score earlier when they had a double chance but Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana denied both Zaidu Sanusi and Mehdi Taremi. But probably the crucial moment of the match happened in the 78th minute when Otavio saw a red card. It was very hard for 10-men Porto to escape the defeat. Both sides will regret missed opportunities. Bastoni, Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez weren't clinical for the hosts, but Porto also had their moments when it was goalless.

Porto are in solid form at the moment. They have recorded two victories in domestic Primeira and the players confidence is higher. Porto have beaten both Chaves and Estoril, scoring six times in the process. However, it wasn't easy against Estoril last Friday. Grujic and Andre Franco netted in the first half, but the opponents also scored twice and were close to remain unbeaten. Nevertheless, Mehdi Taremi converted a penalty in the 72nd minute and secured three points for his team who trail Benfica by five points. Coach Sergio Conceicao has some injury and suspension worries ahead of this match. Otavio is banned after his red card in Milan, so Andre Franco or Stephen Eustaqio should deputize. Few more are struggling with injury. The Canadian international Eustaquio sustained a heel injury against Estoril, and he is rated as doubtful. The Brazilian Evanilson will probably miss the match due to a thigh injury.

Inter played three matches in Serie A since the victory against Porto, but the results are poor. The Nerazzurri have suffered two defeats on those three matches, collecting just three from the possible nine points. What is important to be mentioned, both defeats came away from home. Inter lost 1:0 to Bologna and lost 2:1 to Spezia three days ago. The players confidence isn't at desired level and that could be a big problem. Coach Simone Inzaghi will probably make several changes in the starting eleven. Goalkeeper Andre Onana should return to the starting eleven after being rested on Friday. By the way, his replacement Samir Handanovic was criticized for his performance against Spezia. Joaquin Correa has recently returned to training but could start from the bench. This match comes too soon for Milan Skriniar. The medical staff will tr to solve his back problem in time for Sunday's Derby D'Italia against Juventus.

Porto vs Inter Prediction:

Both Porto and Inter are former European champions. Interesting to be mentioned, Jose Mourinho was the coach of both teams at the moment of glory. Inter have one-goal advantage from the first leg, but Porto have the home advantage. The Nerazzurri will probably defend at Dragao, trying to remain unbeaten. Nevertheless, I expect the Dragoes to win the match. That means nothing for the progress as the match could easily go to extra-time, or even penalties.

Porto vs Inter Pick: Porto to win @ 2.67 with Pinnacle

 

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Real Madrid vs Liverpool Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Real Madrid:
Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Liverpool:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Jota, Nunez; Gakpo

Real Madrid welcome Liverpool to Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday night. The Spanish champions fought back from 2:0 down to register a phenomenal 5:2 win in the first leg at Anfield three weeks ago. Los Blancos became the first side to score five goals at Anfield in Europe. Liverpool had a dream start when Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah found the back of the net in the first 14 minutes, but that was all they did. From that moment Real have dominated the match. Carlo Ancellotti's men have humiliated the Reds as they scored five times, something unseen at Anfield in European competitions. Vinicius Junior's brilliant 21st-minute strike and Alisson's mistake changed the whole emphasis of the contest. Real took advantage early in the second half through Eder Militao, while Benzema added two more in space of 12 minutes.

Real Madrid are very close to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The players confidence is very high at the moment, despite the narrow 1:0 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. On Saturday they registered a comfortable 3:1 win over Espanyol. Vinicius, Militao and Marco Asensio scored the goals in the absence of Benzema. The Frenchman missed the win against Espanyol as a precaution due to an ankle injury. He will definitely lead the line. Left-back Ferland Mendy is also ready after recovering from a thigh issue. David Alaba, who came off with a thigh injury in the first leg, will skip the match at Bernabeu. Eduardo Camavinga played at left-back position against Espanyol and wasn't bad at all. However, Rudiger or Mendy should start on that position.

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" - that's the easiest way to explain this season's Liverpool. Some 10 days ago they destroyed 7:0 Manchester United, while then lost to the bottom-placed Bournemouth. Defeat on the South Coast is a big blow in the race for fourth place in the Premier League table. I think the match against Real is irrelevant, but Klopp refused to wave the white flag. However, we have to be honest, the away form is really poor. The Reds only have two away wins in their eight contests on the road in 2023. Klopp remain without Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara, Calvin Ramsay and Joe Gomez for the trip to Madrid. Naby Keita is rated as doubtful, so Jordan Henderson is expected to start. Diogo Jota is also pushing for a place in the starting eleven as the attacking trio of Nunez, Gakpo and Salah was awful on Saturday.

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Prediction:

Real Madrid are almost in the quarterfinals, they have a three-goal advantage from the first leg. Liverpool have pulled off spectacular comebacks before, like a 4:0 win against Barcelona in 2019. However, playing away is a big problem for the Reds this season. It would be truly extraordinary if they turned this one around at the Bernabeu. I don't think they are able to obtain even a simple victory. This season is lost for Klopp and his players, I doubt they will play in the Champions League next year. Real Madrid become a nightmare for Liverpool last seasons. I expect another victory for Real.

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Pick: Real Madrid to win @ 2.25 with Everygame

 

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Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Napoli:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia

Eintracht Frankfurt:
Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, Ndicka; Buta, Sow, Rode, Max; Kamada, Gotze; Borre

Serie A leaders Napoli is close to secure a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday when they host Eintracht at Stadio Maradona. The Italian outfit registered a 2:0 win in Frankfurt. After Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a penalty saved, Osimhen struck in the first half turning in Hirving Lozano's superb pass. To be worse, Frankfurt's key player Kolo Muani was dismissed for standing on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's foot as they challenged for possession. His red card was probably the crucial moment in this tie. First of all, it was lot easier for Napoli to control the game against 10-men Eintracht. The Vesuvians then scored a second as Di Lorenzo finished superbly from Kvaratskhelia's backheel. But there's more: Muani's absence in the second leg is a huge handicap for the guests, he is simply irreplaceable.

Napoli played three matches since Frankfurt and won two of them but lost 1:0 at home to Lazio. During the weekend they beat 2:0 Atalanta. Kvaratskhelia broke the deadlock just before the hour-mark with a dazzling solo goal, while Amir Rrahmani netted the second. The Georgian international play a terrific season. He is the most deserved for Napoli success in the Champions League, but also in Serie A. Spalletti's side have 18-point lead atop the Serie A standings, and it is surely they will become new champions. First-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is rated as doubtful after he withdrew following the warm-up ahead of the match with Atalanta. Central defender Kim Min-jae is also an injury doubt after left the Saturday's game due to a knock, while Hirving Lozano could start from the bench after shaking off a muscular injury. Giacomo Raspadori remain sidelined with a thigh injury.

Eintracht Frankfurt failed to register a victory on three Bundesliga matches since Napoli's defeat. They lost to Red Bull Leipzig, while shared the points with Wolfsburg and Stuttgart. As a result, Oliver Glasner's men are now five points shy of the Top-Four. However, Frankfurt will not travel to Naples without hope. They have won by a three-goal margin or more on five separate occasions this season. Furthermore, they have found the back of the net in all three of their Champions League away games this year. Frankfurt managed to beat Marseille in France and Sporting in Portugal. As I wrote above, key striker Kolo Muani is banned, while Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe and Jesper Lindstrom are both sidelined due to injuries. The Japanese international Daichi Kamada will probably start up-front as he is the club leading scorer in UEFA competitions with 14 goals. He and Borre have scored several crucial goals last season and their experience could be very helpful in this game.

Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Prediction:

Napoli have a two-goal advantage, but the Germans are known as a team that never give up. Frankfurt lifted the trophy in Europa League last season, and they had some remarkable results, like the away victory in Barcelona in April last year. Frankfurt fans became famous for their unconditional love and support. They always find a way to secure tickets, paying big money to the home supporters in exchange for their ticket. Nevertheless, Frankfurt are very handicapped with the absence of the key player Muani through suspension. Considering that, I expect a low scoring match in Naples.

Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 2.19 with Pinnacle