The road to Wembley Stadium has entered the knockout rounds as 16 clubs embark on the final sprint to Champions League glory in the second week of February.
Fresh off a flawless group-stage campaign, reigning champions Manchester City take on surprise package Copenhagen in what many consider a ‘David vs Goliath’ last-16 tie.
Last season’s beaten finalists, Inter Milan, face a formidable challenge in the shape of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, while record-time winners Real Madrid play Bundesliga powerhouse RB Leipzig.
Madrid’s bitter rivals Barcelona commence their first Champions League knockout journey in three years against soon-to-be-former Serie A champions Napoli.
In other noteworthy ties, Arsenal’s first season at Europe’s top table in the post-Arsene Wenger era continues against Porto, while one of the tournament favorites, Bayern Munich, encounter Lazio.
With the first set of round-of-16 fixtures taking place this week, let’s look at our Champions League last-16 predictions.
Copenhagen vs Manchester City
It takes no rocket science to assume the perennial Premier League champions’ quarter-final progression should be a mere formality despite Copenhagen’s valiant effort in the group stages.
Pep Guardiola’s men have timed their return to form to perfection, stringing together ten consecutive wins in all competitions, including a 2-0 triumph against Everton at the weekend.
With that in mind, it’s barely a surprise all expert Champions League tips view Man City as near-certain quarter-finalists at the expense of a spirited Copenhagen side.
The Danes upset the apple cart in the group stages, leaving Manchester United, among others, in their wake to secure a Champions League knockout berth for the first time in over a decade.
But this should be a step too far for Jacob Neestrup’s side.
Lazio vs Bayern Munich
With talks of Jose Mourinho taking Thomas Tuchel’s place at the Allianz Arena filling the headlines, Bayern will be out to atone for a woeful Bundesliga campaign with a statement win against Lazio.
According to talkSPORT, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has started taking German lessons as he bid to take over the record-time Bundesliga champions less than a month after being sacked by Roma.
However, Tuchel should oversee Bayern’s first-leg trip to the Stadio Olimpico to meet Lazio, only days after Bayer Leverkusen humbled his side 3-0 in the league’s top-table six-pointer.
Despite the Germans’ recent struggles, this should be a walk in the park for Harry Kane & Co, not least because the Italians have endured a troubled campaign themselves.
RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
Leipzig’s misfortune in the Champions League draw threatens to halt their continental journey prematurely, as happened last term when Man City thumped them 8-1 on aggregate at this stage.
Marco Rose’s men are about to trade tackles with a high-flying Madrid side, whose confidence is skyrocketing following a 4-0 rout of La Liga title rivals Girona.
Though Carlo Ancelotti’s team solidified their position at the top of the tree, a statement win against the Catalan outfit came at a hefty price, with Los Merengues losing Jude Bellingham to injury.
As per the Daily Mirror, the standout playmaker sprained his ankle in Saturday’s match at the Santiago Bernabeu and could face up to three weeks on the sidelines.
Bellingham’s absence could derail Madrid’s chances against Leipzig, but it’s hard to see the Spanish heavyweights waving goodbye to their favourite competition this early.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad
If constant speculation over Kylian Mbappe’s future proves valid, this could be the quicksilver forward’s last Champions League campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.
He was on the bench alongside other first-team stars as PSG thumped Lille 3-1 in the build-up to their last-16 first-leg clash against Sociedad at the Parc des Princes.
Luis Enrique’s side made it out of the Champions League group stages by the skin of their teeth, finishing runners-up to Borussia Dortmund in the so-called ‘group of death.’
But they’re lucky to be tackling the San Sebastian strugglers at this point, with Imanol Alguacil’s underperformers taking this trip amidst a four-game scoreless run in competitive action.
That’s a massive opportunity for PSG to put this tie to bed in the first leg, and we expect them to do just that.
