Martin's Picks (1 Live)
PSG cruised to a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash last week. The Parisians really should have won by a higher margin, as they were completely dominant in that game. The action now shifts to Anfield for the second leg, but PSG should be the better team once again. They haven’t played since beating Liverpool last week, so they’ll be fresh. Liverpool beat Fulham 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday, which should boost their morale, but they’ve still lost three of their last four games. PSG also beat Liverpool at Anfield last season, and they won’t fear a trip to Liverpool.
PSG's players will be well-rested when they step onto the pitch to face Liverpool this week. The French authorities moved their Ligue 1 game against Toulouse forward by a day, giving them extra time to rest and prepare for this clash with Liverpool. PSG won that game 3-1 on Friday, extending their winning streak to four matches. Meanwhile, Liverpool lost 4-0 to Man City on Saturday. The players could be low on confidence, and they also look exhausted. They now have to travel to Paris for a daunting game against the European champions, and they could be outclassed.
Arsenal should be too strong for Sporting Lisbon when the teams clash in the Portuguese capital this week. The Gunners finished top of the Champions League group, with a 100% winning record, before beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. They've had a recent wobble, losing to Man City and Southampton in cup competitions, but they should return to winning ways on Tuesday. They thrashed Sporting 5-1 on the road last season, before signing Sporting's best player in the summer. Viktor Gyokeres will be keen to make an impact against his former club, and he could fire Arsenal to victory.
PSG's players will be full of confidence after thumping Chelsea 5-2 in Paris last week. They've had all week to rest, so they should be raring to go by the time they step onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge for the second leg of this Champions League clash. By contrast, Chelsea had to play Newcastle at the weekend, and they lost 1-0. The players could be tired and disheartened, while they're also missing captain Reece James through injury. Chelsea will need to take risks in a bid to overturn the three-goal deficit, but that leaves them vulnerable to PSG's pace on the counterattack.
Tottenham Hotspur are in danger of being relegated from the Premier League following an 11-game winless streak. They’re fighting for survival, so the last thing they need is a two-legged Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid. Key players are injured, the players lack belief, and new manager Igor Tudor has been unable to galvanize the squad, so the club is in a real mess right now. Atlético Madrid should be able to capitalize. Los Rojiblancos have won their last three league games, and they have enough quality to exploit Spurs’ defensive frailties. They have home advantage for this game, they’re more motivated than Spurs, and their superior quality should shine through.
Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last 18 games in all competitions, so they should be full of confidence right now. They rested star striker Harry Kane for their game against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the weekend, but they still won 4-1. That result left the Bavarians 11 points clear of their closest rivals at the top of the Bundesliga table, so they can afford to focus 100% on the Champions League. Kane should return to the starting lineup for this game, and he should fire his team to victory over Atalanta, who are currently seventh in Serie A.
Bayer Leverkusen outclassed Olympiacos when the teams met in Greece last week. Two goals from Patrik Schick earned them a 2-0 away win, so they now have a decisive advantage in this two-legged clash. If they win, draw, or lose by a single goal in the second leg, they will qualify for the Round of 16. However, it would be risky to simply sit back, soak up pressure, and aim for a draw. Bayer Leverkusen should go for the jugular on Tuesday, and they have enough quality to beat Olympiacos in front of their home fans.
Benfica’s chances of reaching the knockout stage look slim after losing five out of seven games so far. They’re third in the Portuguese league, and they recently crashed out of both Portuguese cup competitions, so it’s shaping up to be a dismal season. Manager Jose Mourinho will make them difficult to break down, but they could struggle to keep Real Madrid’s world-class forwards at bay for 90 minutes. The likes of Kylian Mbappé and VinÃcius Júnior should lead Real Madrid to victory here.
Barcelona should outclass Slavia Prague in this game. The Spanish champions have scored 2.7 goals per game this season, with Lamine Yamal, Ferrán Torres, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Marcus Rashford leading the charge. They have a great deal of firepower in their squad, and they could run riot against this struggling Slavia Prague team. Slavia have only scored twice in six Champions League games this season, and they've conceded 11 goals. They're coming off a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, and they could suffer a similar fate on Wednesday.
PSG have a strong record in this season’s Champions League: four wins, one draw, and one defeat from six games. They’re third in the standings, but they’re only 3 points ahead of Barcelona, who are 15th. The table is looking really congested, so the Parisians need to keep winning to boost their chances of securing automatic qualification for the Round of 16. They should be able to grind out an away win against Sporting Libson today. The Portuguese champions lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich in their last Champions League game, and they may struggle to cope with PSG’s attacking brilliance, so PSG should win this game.
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is under huge pressure after his team lost 2-0 to Celta Vigo at the weekend. Los Blancos have just 1 win from their last 5 league games, and they're now 4 points below Barcelona in La Liga. They were poor when losing to Liverpool in the Champions League last month, and they could struggle against Man City. Pep Guardiola's men are on a three-game winning streak, and Erling Haaland is on fire right now.
PSG should be far too strong for Athletic Club in this game. Athletic Club have struggled in this competition, with just one win in five games. They were heavily beaten by Dortmund, Arsenal, and Newcastle. They could only draw with a weak Slavia Prague team, and their only win came against Qarabag. Their league form has been underwhelming too, so I expect them to be outclassed by the reigning European champions in Bilbao.
Chelsea should be full of confidence after scoring 10 goals in their last three Champions League games. The Blues cruised to a 3-0 victory over Barcelona last time out, and they look dangerous in attack. However, Chelsea’s defense is leaky. They’ve conceded a goal per game this season, and they may struggle to contain Atalanta’s forwards on Tuesday. Atalanta have picked up three wins and a draw from their last four Champions League matches, so they also have a great deal of momentum, and this could be an entertaining game.
Liverpool desperately need a morale-boosting win after enduring a dismal run of results. The Reds have fallen into the bottom half of the Premier League table after losing six of their last seven games. Their EPL title defense now lies in tatters, but they’re still going strong in the Champions League. Liverpool have won three of their four Champions League games, and they beat Real Madrid last time out. The Reds are in a full-blown crisis, but they could take out their frustrations on PSV, whose defense is brittle.