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We're halfway through February and the long awaited UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is finally here.
The UEFA Champions League draw courted a fair share of controversy and confusion. After the officials screwed the pooch with the draw, the whole thing had to be redone. So that's why even though it was teased at first, we won't be able to see a Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo tie just yet.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to feature some exciting encounters
The Round of 16 will kickstart on Tuesday with PSG going up against Real Madrid and Sporting squaring off against Manchester City. RB Salzburg host Bayern Munich and Inter Milan welcome Liverpool to the San Siro on Wednesday.
The remainder of the Champions League Round of 16 games will take place next week. Chelsea will play Lille at Stamford Bridge while last year's Europa League winners Villarreal lock horns with Juventus at home next Tuesday.
Manchester United will travel to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid next Wednesday. The last of the Round of 16 fixtures features two underdogs, namely Benfica and Ajax and it's the former's turn to host.
Without further ado, let's predict the outcome of the first leg of each UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
#8 Benfica vs Ajax
It's one of the low-profile matchups of the Champions League Round of 16. However, it would be unfair to overlook this game off since both sides pack a lot of quality. In fact, on current form, Benfica and Ajax sides have what it takes to put on two exciting encounters.
Benfica beat Barcelona emphatically in the group stage and then kept four clean sheets as well. But Ajax were simply unstoppable. Fuelled by Sebastian Haller's prolific goalscoring, the Dutch outfit won all six of their group stage games to progress to the knockout stages.
Benfica will fight the good fight but Ajax have looked exceptional this season and they should be able to get a win away from home.
Prediction: Benfica 1-2 Ajax
#7 Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Atletico Madrid have been uncharacteristically frail in defence this season. They have the seventh worst defensive record in La Liga, having conceded 33 goals 23 games. They've lost three of their last five games heading into the first leg against Manchester United.
But one good thing for the Rojiblancos is that they've been scoring a lot of goals. At the same time, Manchester United have not been able to convert good performances into results. Something has got to give or the misery will continue for Manchester United.
We're expecting Atletico Madrid to win at home next week but Manchester United will be able to get something out of it and set up a tasty showdown at Old Trafford.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Manchester United
#6 Villarreal vs Juventus
After a topsy turvy start to their season, Juventus are steadying their course in Serie A. The same applies to Villarreal, who have oscillated between the sublime and the downright ordinary this term.
Having added Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria to their side, the Bianconeri are much stronger now than they were in the group stage. Villarreal haven't lost any of their last five home games across all competitions.
Unai Emery will want his men to dig their heels in and eke out a positive result here as going to Turin and getting a win is a difficult thing to do. But we expect Juventus to win the first leg at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
#5 Chelsea vs Lille
Chelsea got it good in the knockout stages. They are up against Lille, who have struggled massively in the league this term. Lille are 10th in the Ligue 1 table and have lost three of their last six games. They were also thumped 5-1 by PSG a week ago.
Chelsea have just won the Club World Cup but have not really been at their best over the past couple of months.
But Thomas Tuchel is very efficient at setting his team up to do specific jobs and this one should be no different. The game could be a bit of a dull affair with the Blues very likely to put one over on their French opponents at Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Lille
#4 Inter Milan vs Liverpool
This is going to be one of the most exciting encounters of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Inter Milan are currently second in Serie A, a point behind AC Milan. But they've got a game in hand over their rivals and this title race is set to go down to the wire.
Inter Milan have some notable absentees going into the game against Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek. Joaquin Correa and Robin Gosens are both ruled out with injuries and Nicolo Barella is suspended for the first leg.
Liverpool, meanwhile, were incredible in the group stage and after not being at their best for a short spell in December, they're back to their best. Jurgen Klopp's men are on a six-match winning streak across all competitions right now.
Both teams are well matched and it will be a very exciting encounter and the Nerazzurri just might be able to hold Liverpool down to a draw here.
Prediction: Inter Milan 2-2 Liverpool
#3 RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
RB Salzburg just about scraped through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich made the group stage all about their strengths. The Bavarians were unstoppable and won all six of their group stage encounters.
However, Bayern did lose their latest Bundesliga game against freshly promoted Bochum this past weekend.
But otherwise, they have looked quite good of late and have won 10 of their last 12 matches across all competitions. Players like Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry have all been in good form. This should be easy pickings for the Bundesliga giants.
#2 Sporting vs Manchester City
Sporting have qualified for the group stages for the first time since the 2008-09 season. They lost that Round of 16 tie by an aggregate score of 12-1 to Bayern Munich. Sporting picked up three wins and conceded three losses in the group stage but managed to do just about enough to get through to the knockout phase.
Manchester City are among the favorites to win the Champions League this season. They will be confident about winning the first leg. Sporting won't go down without a fight and are likely to get on the scoresheet when they host City this week.
However, Pep Guardiola's men have too much quality here to not fly back to the Etihad with a win under their belt.
Prediction: Sporting 1-2 Manchester City
#1 PSG vs Real Madrid
This is the most high-profile of all the Round of 16 encounters and the match is set to take place at the Parc des Princes this Tuesday night. PSG have welcomed Neymar back from the nursing room right in time for the tie. Messi and Mbappe have been in good form of late and the Real Madrid backline will have their hands full.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be hoping to have Karim Benzema fit for the game. The Frenchman has missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury but will reportedly be available on Tuesday.
Benzema and Vinicius Jr. have combined to great effect this term and Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping for more of the same from the dynamic duo.
Real Madrid have the edge in midfield with Pochettino still trying to figure out the perfect combination in the center of the pitch. This will be a tight contest with very little to separate the two sides.
Prediction: PSG 1-1 Real Madrid
