Chris Boline
The Champions League round of 16 is upon us. There are still some of Europe’s best in the competition, which makes it difficult to know how things will progress to the latter stages.
The reigning champions Bayern face Italian giants Lazio, as well as an epic showdown between Neymar and his former club with PSG facing Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Our In-house soccer experts have assessed the soccer odds from the very best sportsbook providers and league performance of the teams in contention. We have a number of picks for the first round of 16 below!
🗓️ Ronaldinho & Rooney star in this last-16 classic, 11 years ago today! 😋
♦️ Milan 2-3 @ManUtd ♦️#UCL | #OTD pic.twitter.com/aVPuWHcnMh
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 16, 2021
Liverpool (-133) vs Leipzig (+206)
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are facing some torrid times at the moment. Unable to get a win in the league, Liverpool looked a weaker side than what we saw back in 2019. Nonetheless, this is a different competition with different pressures.
RB Leipzig seems to be the last team in the Bundesliga capable of challenging Bayern Munich for the 2020/21 title. They lost key striker Timo Werner to Chelsea in the summer, but seem to be sharing the goals amongst the team, with Emil Forsberg the top scorer in the league for Red Bull.
Knowing that the league is lost, Klopp will be able to focus his players on this competition. Expect to see a strong Liverpool showing at Anfield.
Ahead of tomorrow’s game, Julian sat down for a virtual chat with his opposite number, Jürgen Klopp! 💻
Check it out 👉 https://t.co/cHLKoeHtkH pic.twitter.com/VoA4c7O8eH
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) February 15, 2021
Barcelona (-104) vs PSG (+274)
Both clubs started this season fresh, with Ronald Koeman taking the reins at Barcelona and Mauricio Potchechino taking over at the Parisian club. Both managers face an uphill battle, with Koeman likely to face more severe issues.
PSG currently sits second in Ligue 1, just behind the leaders Lille. While this may not look so good, under the restructuring with Potchechino in charge it may take some time. He is a top drawer manager and with Neymar and Mbappe in the side, this team is capable of anything.
Barcelona retains Messi after a very hectic summer transfer window, but still lacks the bite of some of the other top teams in the competition. Expect them to win this fixture, but doubts over either teams’ ability to win the competition.
G⚽️AL OF THE DAY
🇧🇷 @Neymarjr pic.twitter.com/9WewpnM6NB— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 16, 2021
Sevilla (-133) vs Dortmund (+110)
Dortmund has been lacking in certain departments this season, with an unsuccessful title campaign they will look elsewhere for success. The club’s forwards are some of the most sort-after players in Europe.
The likes of Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho are among the top players and will be key in this fixture. Dortmund is capable of beating any team in Europe on their day, it’s just integral that they start off on the right foot.
Sevilla is in great form in the league at the moment, winning their last 5 games, sitting 4th in the league and looking certain of securing the Champions League place for next year. But, do they have what it takes to stop this Dortmund side?
Champions League excitement levels! 🏃⚽️ #UCL pic.twitter.com/6f9t7xQSUF
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) February 15, 2021
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
