The wait is finally over as The Champions League returns this week. A number of round of 16 ties are set to start. – By Madellene Kalunda.
Some of these ties include: Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool v RB Leipzig and Chelsea v Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona v PSG:
Tonight, Barcelona welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Nou Camp, as PSG seek to up their game since their last game with the La Liga giants four years ago.
When these two teams last played each other in 2016/2017, PSG dominated Barca with a score of 4-0 in the first leg in Paris. It became a remarkable 6-1 defeat in the second leg in Spain, where Barca scored 3 times in the last 7 minutes to progress on away goals.
Beaten finalists in last year’s edition of the tournament, PSG will return to the venue of that historic loss this evening. They hope to get even closer to the quarter finals this season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are in good shape having won eight straight fixtures across all competitions.
Liverpool v RB Leipzig:
Reds have only won five out of 15 games since the end of the Champions League group stages.
As we await the game, here’s what Jurgen Klopp had to say about the game: ” if you’re in the last 16 of the Champions League, you want to go to the wuarter finals of course and that’s our plan. It will be difficult, no problem for me.
The last 16 means the 16 best teams in Europe and we’re still part of them. And accordigly, we eould like to go for it.
We know how difficult it is against Leipzig. I assume Leipzig know how difficult it is against us. And we’ll just try to make sure that our football, that can still be excellent, wins. It just hasn’t been the results recently and that’s whay we’re going to start changing on Tuesday night.”
How much of a difference could Covid-19 make?
All three English teams have had their away games moved to neutral venues.
RB Leipzig v Liverpool and Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City will both take place in Budapest, Hungary.
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea next week will now be in Bucharest.
These changes are all as a result of international travel restrictions between the UK and other countries because of the coronavirus.
All second legs are to be held in England but that could possibly change.
Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard in January, despite taking them through the group stages with no defeat. They are unbeaten in six games under Thomas Tuchel, with only one conceded goal. Atletico Madrid on the other hand, have let in 13 goals in 21 La Liga games this season.
Record breakers, Manchester City will play Borussia Monchengladbach. They have won 16 games in a row in all competitions which is a record for an English top-flight side.
Pep Guardiola’s side are second favorites to win the tournament are still in with a chance to win this season.
They are top of the Premier League table, they are in the FA Cup quarter-finals and the EFL Cup final.
Bayern Munich won the Champions League last season. So far they have won 7 games and drawn one from their last 8 games in all competitions. Can anyone stop them this time round?
