There are some mouthwatering matches on Wednesday as the Round of 16 for the Champions League concludes it’s first legs. With Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich facing off, Barcelona traveling to Lisbon to take on Benfica, Inter Milan against Feyenoord, and the Premier League’s best team heading to Paris to take on the best team of Ligue 1, PSG. We have predictions for every match on Wednesday.
Inter Milan at Feyenoord
Coming off a draw against Napoli, the team they are battling for the Serie A title, and dealing with a rash of injuries in the backline, Inter Milan are not brimming with confidence as they travel to Rotterdam for a match with underdog side Feyenoord. With the Rotterdam side sitting 4th on their domestic league table, the Champions League is their shot at glory this season. The twist to this tie is that Feyenoord is no strangers to Milan, having beaten Inter’s derby rivals, AC Milan to reach this stage.
Robin Van Persie is the new manager of Feyenoord. One of the most decorated strikers in Dutch football history, Van Persie will come up with an attacking plan that is sure to feature Igor Paixao, who has a case for the best player in the Dutch league and was the key man against AC Milan. Feyenoord will be missing Ayase Ueda and Calvin Stengs among others, that weakens the attack, meaning Feyenoord may be parking the bus for this clash.
Josep Martinez has been great in goal replacing Inter’s injured starter, while Lautaro Martinez (no relation) remains the focal point of the Inter Milan attack. Inter are not in roaring form, but Feyenoord may be out of magic regardless. Prediction: Inter Milan 1 Feyenoord 0
Bayer Leverkusen at Bayern Munich
Despite their overall domination of German football, Bayern Munich’s greatest challenge of late has been Bayer Leverkusen. The defending Bundesliga champions are without loss in six consecutive matches against their Bavarian rivals, while Leverkusen remain 8 points shy of Bayern in the current Bundesliga table, Xabi Alonso’s side will still be confident as they head south to try to put one foot into the Champions League quarterfinals.
Bayern Munich struggled against Celtic but did defeat them to reach this stage. Knowing what awaits them in the return leg, they will have to fight hard to leave Munich with a lead to defend next week. Harry Kane is in the trophy hunt and will have every chance to put something on the board, while Florian Wirtz is the talisman for Leverkusen. These teams aren’t separated by much talent wise, and a draw feels suitable, especially for Leverkusen who will take any result short of defeat. Prediction: 1-1 Draw
Barcelona at Benfica
Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga and a slightly rotated squad humiliated Real Sociedad on the weekend, as the high scoring Hansi Flick managed side is one of the favorites to win Europe’s top trophy this season. A trip to Lisbon is never easy, and they did face Benfica in the initial stage of the tournament, conceding four, but responding with a huge comeback effort and winning a 5-4 goalfest against the team in red.
That result will sap Benfica of some confidence, but they need to avoid a loss at home if they expect to pull off an upset in Barcelona. Vangelis Pavlidis, the Greek striker, helped Benfica avoid defeat in a thriller against Monaco in the knock out phase, and he will need to be at his best, as Angel Di Maria is set to miss this game. Wojciech Szczęsny has been a revelation for Barcelona in goal, while teenager Pau Cubarsi is one of the best CBs in the world. With Lamine Yamal, the prolific Robert Lewandowski, and Raphina ready to rock, Barcelona should find out ways to continue to create goals, and I’m not sure Benfica has the firepower to match them. The Barca boys will be hoping they can let off a bit next week by building a meaningful lead. Prediction: Barcelona 3 Benfica 1
Liverpool at PSG
PSG have been on fire both domestically and in Europe, a young and hungry squad led by Ousmane Dembele that is scoring and having fun, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been a solid addition as well. Liverpool remain favorites in this tie, as the Ligue 1 is not perceived as strong, and unlike PSG, Liverpool were strong enough in the initial phase of the tournament they didn’t have to play in a knockout tie. Mohamed Salah leads a Liverpool side that plays well together and knows what the mission is. With the Premier League title nearly in hand, an incredibly difficult feat itself, it’s the Champions League that this team will put their energy and resources into targeting.
Liverpools form has fallen off, but that was from a red hot start and Virgil Van Dijik should be able to muster a defence that can pin down Dembele. I feel more optimistic about PSG’s chances than most do, a trip to Anfield will be a challenge, but this is perhaps the best team PSG has ever had, despite the fact they signed so many superstars in the last decade. PSG will force Liverpool to comeback in the return leg. Prediction: PSG 3 Liverpool 2
Main Photo Credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
