CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – GAMEWEEK 9
AC Milan vs Feyenoord
AC Milan have work to do after losing the first leg of their UCL knockout play-off 1-0 to Feyenoord last week. The omens are not good for the Rossoneri, who have failed to progress from five of their six UCL ties when losing the first leg. Home comforts will help them as they are unbeaten at the San Siro since late October.
Feyenoord are bidding to progress to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 50 years, but Italy is not a happy hunting ground for them as they have lost five of their last six UCL away games in Italia.
Only 1.06 Expected Goals (xG) were registered between the two clubs in last week's first leg - the second-lowest total of any UCL game this season – and a cagey affair is expected here. Check our AC Milan vs Feyenoord markets here.
Prediction – Under 2.75 @2.23
Bayern Munich vs Celtic
Celtic arrive in Munich needing to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat. They face a team who have not been beaten at home in the UCL in 20 matches (W16, D4) and are firmly up against it here.
Celtic have also been eliminated in their last nine major European knockout ties when they’ve lost the first leg and they are also winless in their last 12 UCL away games in the competition proper (D3, L9), a run which started with a 3-0 defeat at this ground!
Bayern is not setting the world alight in the Bundesliga, but it still sits on top of the pile by a comfortable eight points without hitting top form yet. I can’t see anything other than a home win. Check our Bayern Munich vs Celtic markets here.
Prediction – Bayern Munich -2.5 @ 2.33
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
A 92nd-minute winner in the first leg means that 15-time UCL winners Real Madrid are close to knocking Manchester City out of Europe for the third time in four seasons.
Real Madrid at least have history to fall back on in Europe; from the 39 previous occasions where they have won the first leg of a knockout game away from home, they have only failed to advance from two of them.
Ruthless at the Bernabéu, Real have found themselves on the scoresheet in all but one of their last 78 UCL home outings, averaging 2.65 goals per game in the process. When these two collide there’s normally a plethora of goals and we are expecting that to happen once again. The last time Real Madrid met Man City on home soil it finished 3-3 and we expect more of the same on Wednesday. Check our Real Madrid vs Manchester City markets here.
Prediction – Real Madrid -0.75 @ 2.16
PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus
Reigning Dutch champions PSV have work to do after losing the first leg of their UCL knockout play-off 2-1 to Juventus last week, the second time they’ve been defeated by the Italian side this term. History is firmly against PSV here, who have failed to progress from eight of their previous 11 European Cup/UCL knockout stage ties when losing the first leg, with the last exception coming in 1989/90.
On a positive note, PSV boast a 12-game unbeaten run in Europe on home turf, including wins from each of the last three - against Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk and Liverpool. PSV last failed to score in a home game over two years ago, so they will expect to push Juve all the way.
Juventus arrive here in solid form, winning four of their last five domestic games and while they have only lost one Serie A game this season, they have drawn 13! They will defend from the front and if PSV are to go through, they will earn it. Check our PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus markets here.
Prediction – Under 2.5 @ 2.20
