The first four of eight UEFA Champions League knockout round ties will take place on Tuesday, these deciding legs are all currently within a 1 goal margin, so we should see competitive football on a European night. Here is your preview and prediction for Tuesday’s Champions League games.
Feyenoord at AC Milan
(Feyenoord leads 1-0 on aggregate)
AC Milan won their Serie A clash on Saturday, while Feyenoord played out a dull scoreless draw in the Netherlands. The Dutch side punched above their weight at home in leg 1, with Igor Paixao showing some world class talent to give them a 1 goal lead heading into the deciding clash in Milan. Interim Feyenoord manager Pascal Bosschaart took a squad riddled with injury problems and steered them into a winning position after the first leg, but AC Milan will have to attack here with Rafael Leao possibly coming in for Christian Pulisic, and Santiago Gimenez desperate for a goal (or two) against his former team that would see his new team through to the next stage of the Champions League. Milan’s side is not the most encouraging right now, but playing at home, and with Feyenoord missing Quinten Timber and Ayase Ueda, they probably survive this challenge. Prediction: AC Milan 2, Feyenoord 0 (AC Milan 2-1 on aggregate)
AS Monaco at Benfica
(Benfica leads 1-0 on aggregate)
A goal from Vangelis Pavlidis has allowed Benfica to host this tie with a 1 goal advantage, and they would make it six straight wins in all competition if they win on Tuesday. Angel Di Maria may be injured and out of the lineup for the hosts, but they should have enough of a squad to at least manage a draw and go through against a Monaco side that has struggled away from home. Prediction: 1-1 Draw (Benfica 2-1 on aggregate)
Club Brugge at Atalanta
(Brugge leads 2-1 on aggregate)
The first leg of this matchup appeared headed for a draw until a late penalty went against Atalanta, this was a very controversial “soft” penalty call that means Brugge now has an advantage heading into the final leg. The Italian side then failed to score in their league match on the weekend, which isn’t a great endorsement of their attack in a game where they must score. Gianluca Scamacca and Ademola Lookman are two key attackers who would be out for the hosts, and the Belgian side will likely play a low block and try to lock the game down with their advantage in this one. Goals should be hard to come by. Prediction: 0-0 Draw, (Brugge 2-1 on aggregate)
Celtic at Bayern Munich
(Bayern Munich leads 2-1 on aggregate)
A goal from Daizen Maeda gave Celtic a slim reed of hope as they travel to Germany looking to stun the Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich’s attack failed to fire on the weekend and they weren’t amazing at Celtic Park, but an advantage is an advantage against a Celtic side that usually beats up on weaker defences in the Scottish league and will need to get at least one goal past Manuel Neuer. Look for Bayern to try to score early and then lock the game down to leave no doubt. Prediction: Bayern Munich 2, Celtic 1 (Bayern Munich 4-2 on aggregate)
Main Photo Credit: IMAGO: Atalanta
