
TUESDAY:
CLUB BRUGGE V ASTON VILLA
Club Brugge have surprised a lot of people in reaching the last 16 this season as many of them were expecting them to go out in the League Phase.
They won this fixture 1-0 during the League Phase and they'll surely be confident of winning it again here.
Aston Villa have also surprised people in this competition by finishing in the top 8 of the League Phase, where no one expected them to finish.
They've done better in Europe than they have in the Premier League and they might possibly be the surprise package of the season.
Unai Emery's side will be the favourites to win this tie and I think they'll put themselves in pole position to do so by winning this first leg.
PREDICTION: 0-2
BORUSSIA DORTMUND V LILLE
Dortmund are having a tough season in the Bundesliga this season as they currently lie in 10th place. But results have improved since Niko Kovac replaced Nuri Sahin last month.
They reached the final of this competition last season despite having a challenging domestic season. But doing the same again will be a big ask because they're not as strong as they were.
Lille surprised a lot of people by finishing in the top 8 of the League Phase, during which they beat both Madrid clubs and got a draw against Juventus.
Those results will certainly give them confidence heading into this tie which is against another challenging opponent, despite finishing above them in the League Phase.
Dortmund might not be as strong as they used to be, but they still have some quality players and because of that, I think they'll go ahead in this tie.
PREDICTION: 2-1
PSV V ARSENAL
PSV beat Liverpool in their final game of the League Phase before coming from behind to beat Juventus in the play offs.
Those two results will give them confidence heading into this tie and also prove that they're not a team to be underestimated.
This competition is Arsenal's last hope of ending the season with a trophy as they're out of both cup competitions, and are very unlikely to win the Premier League.
But their chances of winning this competition are very slim due to the injuries they have in forward areas. They're without a recognised striker and are still without Martinelli and Saka, the latter of whom could be back very soon.
Their lack of a striker cost them in their last two games against West Ham and Forest, both of which proved that they should've bought a striker in January.
This tie does look winnable for Arsenal on paper, but due to the injuries they have I think PSV will gain the upper hand in the first leg.
PREDICTION: 1-0
REAL MADRID V ATLETICO MADRID
These two rivals have faced each other four times in the Champions League including twice in the final in 2014 and 2016. But this game will be their first meeting in the last 16.
It was 1-1 when the two sides met in La Liga recently in this very fixture and it was the same score in the game at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Real Madrid were my pre-season favourites to win this competition and they still are because of the history they have in the competition, and the fact that they get better as the competition progresses.
They tore Man City apart in the play offs thanks to Kylian Mbappe's hat trick and Mbappe himself has been on absolute fire since the turn of the year following a rocky start.
Real's attack including him, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Bellingham looks very danergous and is arguably the best in Europe.
Atletico Madrid are currently two points ahead of Real in La Liga in second and just a point behind Barcelona. This title race looks set to be the greatest in La Liga history.
Diego Simeone's side will set themselves up as they usually do in being difficult to beat and very well organised defensively. Their defensive record in La Liga is just incredible as they've let in just 16 goals all season.
They will make it difficult for Real like they supposedly did in La Liga, but I think Real's in-form attack will find a way and gain the upper hand in this tie.
PREDICTION: 3-1
WEDNESDAY:
FEYENOORD V INTER MILAN
Feyenoord have already beaten two big clubs in the Champions League this season in Bayern Munich in the League Phase, and AC Milan in the play offs last month. The play the rivals of the latter in this one.
They also pulled off an incredible comeback against Man City at the Etihad and their results from these games will show that they're not a side to be underestimated.
Inter Milan are the only Italian side left in this competition and there will be pressure on them to go beyond this stage because of that.
There was once a time when the Italian clubs were right up there among the best teams in Europe but in recent years, they have fallen so far from those heights.
Simone Inzaghi's side will be the favourites to win this tie because of the quality they have. But I do think Feyenoord will make it difficult for them though.
They should however have enough in them to go ahead in this tie.
PREDICTION: 1-2
BAYERN MUNICH V BAYER LEVERKUSEN
Both games between these two sides ended 1-1 in the Bundesliga where they both occupy the top two spots.
Bayern Munich lead the way by 8 points in the Bundesliga and I don't see that changing between now and the end of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen were never going to repeat the heights they hit last season when they went the entire season unbeaten. But their never say die attitude is still there though as they've got a lot of their results by scoring late goals.
This will definitely be an open game as both teams are attack minded and have quality players in forward positions.
Both teams will score, but I think Bayern will score more and put one foot in the Quarter Finals.
PREDICTION: 3-2
BENFICA V BARCELONA
This fixture was an absolute classic in the League Phase with Barcelona winning an entertaining game 5-4.
Benfica were 3-1 ahead by half time in that game courtesy of a Vangelis Pavlidis hat trick and were well on course to win the game. Until Barca pulled off a comeback form nowhere.
That game showed why Barca won't win the Champions League because of how vulnerable they were defensively.
They've been brilliant to watch going forward this season and they arguably have the best front three in Europe in Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, all of whom have been on fire this season.
But defensively they've looked vulnerable and that game was one of a number of games where that has been the case for them.
We should expect another great game, but maybe not as crazy as their last meeting.
Both teams will go for it and like last time, it will be another Barca win.
PREDICTION: 2-3
PSG V LIVERPOOL
PSG had a difficult start to their Champions League campaign this season and were very close to going out at the League Phase.
But three wins from their final three games kept them in the competition before they blew Brest away in the play offs.
Luis Enrique's side are still unbeaten in Ligue 1 and have a forward on fire at the moment in Ousmane Dembele who is finally beginning to fulfil his potential. His form since the turn of the year has been incredible.
Liverpool also have an in-form forward in Mo Salah who is already being talked about as the favourite for the Ballon D'or. If the reds win the Champions League and he signs that new contract, he might well be the front runner for the award.
A lot of people have the reds down to win the Champions League because of the form they've been in this season, and the fact that they finished top of the League Phase.
They won all but one of their games in the League Phase with that defeat coming in their final game against PSV, where they played a weakened team due to the relentless fixture schedule they had at the time.
Both teams will score here as they both have goals in them and are attack minded teams. But I think Liverpool will just edge it and put one foot in the Quarter Finals.
PREDICTION: 1-2
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