Our football guru previews the second leg of the 2019 UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches, which gets underway on Tuesday 5 March 2019.
It’s time to step up or step on out! The second leg of the UEFA Champions League’s round of 16 gets underway on Tuesday night.
Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund look set to face the exit door after suffering heavy defeats in the first leg, while Roma and title-holders Real Madrid will need to keep Porto and Ajax at bay after their respective 2-1 victories in the first leg. Let’s get to it.
Tuesday 5 March
Dortmund 19/20
Draw 26/10
Tottenham 24/10
Borussia Dortmund were absolutely pummelled in the first leg with Tottenham running riot. Three second half goals from Mauricio Pochettino’s men saw Spurs into the second leg with a comfortable 3-0 victory.
BVB are unbeaten at home this season but their form overall leaves a lot to be desired. It will come down to who wants it more and if Tottenham can frustrate the German side, they might be able to snatch the win as well. Spurs are tipped to edge the win.
Real Madrid 6/10
Draw 33/10
Ajax 36/10
An 87th minute winner gave Real Madrid a narrow 2-1 lead heading into the second leg. The three-time defending champions have been nowhere near their best this season but their Champions League pedigree should get them over the line.
Ajax’s team is full of young players with tremendous quality but lack experience. Some might argue that a team as young and exciting as theirs won’t fear these types of situations but when they come up against Real Madrid’s superstars, they just might fall short. Back the Galacticos to finish the job with a win.
Wednesday 6 March
Porto 1/1
Draw 51/20
Roma 51/20
Porto will be looking to bounce back from their first leg 2-1 defeat. The Portuguese side won all three of their home games in the group stage and impressively collected 16 points from a possible 18 to finish top of Group D. No team performed better in the group stages of the competition, although it would be fair to say that they did have a relatively easy section.
The Italian giants, Roma only just squeezed into the round of 16 in second place behind Real Madrid, winning three of their six group games. The Giallorossi have only kept one clean sheet in their last nine away games in all competitions and will need to tighten up at the back if they are to keep Sergio Conceicao’s side at bay. This will likely go down to the wire but take Porto on the ‘To Qualify’ market at 16/10.
PSG 9/20
Draw 7/2
Manchester United 52/10
Last but certainly not least, Paris Saint Germain will play host to Manchester United after ousting the English giants 2-0 in the reverse tie. The Parisians have been a dream to watch this season and Kylian Mbappe will be their main attacking threat. The 20-year-old has been absolutely brilliant in the absence of Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
Speaking of absentees, the Red Devils will be without eight first team players, including the resurrected talisman Paul Pogba who is facing suspension after seeing red in the first leg. Man United’s new found form with ‘Ole at the wheel’ gives their fans plenty of optimism about the future but I don’t think they are capable of turning around a two-goal deficit at the Le Parc des Princes. However, I do feel they are capable of getting a goal. PSG are tipped on the Matchbet & Both Teams to Score – PSG + Yes – market at 18/10.
QUAD TIPPED @ 40/1!
Tottenham Win 24/10
Real Madrid Win 6/10
Porto To Qualify 16/10
PSG & BTTS 18/10
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