Champions League Playoffs: Second Leg Preview

 It’s Champions League week, and the final eight teams advancing to the Round of 16 will be decided in this Second Leg.
After an exciting first round of playoffs, the most thrilling matchup is undoubtedly Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, which ended 2-3 in England in favor of the Spanish side.

Another tightly contested duel is between Milan and Feyenoord after the Dutch side secured a narrow 1-0 victory at home.

Juventus also gained a slight advantage in Italy by defeating PSV 2-1, a similar situation to Brugge, who also won 2-1 in Belgium against Atalanta.

Champions League Playoffs Second Leg Betting Odds

Champions League Playoffs Second Leg: Milan vs. Feyenoord

Milan was the better side in the Netherlands and even turned goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther into the star of the match, as they couldn’t break through his resistance. The Italians are coming off a 1-0 victory over Verona in Serie A, and in this tournament, they lost their first home game against Liverpool but then won the next three.

Feyenoord pulled off a surprise win in that match thanks to a goal from Igor Paixão just three minutes in, with a shot that goalkeeper Mike Maignan could have done more to stop. Despite losing their top scorer, Santiago Giménez, who ironically joined Milan, the team has maintained its style of play. They won their first two away games in this Champions League campaign, then drew 3-3 with Manchester City, and finally suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat against Lille.

Milan vs. Feyenoord Betting Pick: Milan

Champions League Playoffs Second Leg: Atalanta vs. Club Brugge

Atalanta had a great group stage, but in the final match, they drew 2-2 with Barcelona and had to settle for the playoffs. In the first leg, they lost 2-1 due to a controversial penalty in the last play of the game. While it’s true that the Italian team’s level has dropped in their domestic league, the expected return of Ademola Lookman and Sead Kolašinac for this match is great news, especially for the forward.

Brugge pulled off one of the biggest surprises last week by defeating Atalanta with that penalty from Gustaf Nilsson and putting in a solid performance, effectively controlling their opponent. In their away games, they defeated Sturm Graz (0-1) in their first match, followed by a draw and two losses, one of them in Italy against Milan.

Atalanta vs. Brugge Betting Pick: Atalanta

Champions League Playoffs Second Leg: Real Madrid x Manchester City

Just another day at the office for Real Madrid. Despite numerous injuries, especially in defense, and trailing 2-1 in the 85th minute, they managed to turn the game around and win 2-3. The “Merengues” thrive in this competition and always have an ace up their sleeve. They will most likely field the same lineup, as they have limited options, and their attacking trio will look to exploit the spaces left by their opponent with speed.

Manchester City continues to be surprising this year—but for the wrong reasons. They lost at home to an opponent plagued by injuries, with a makeshift defense and players out of position. They were leading 2-1 in the 85th minute but couldn’t hold on. If not for Joško Gvardiol, things could have been even worse. Pep Guardiola has yet to find a solution for a team that seems to have lost its hunger for victory. Omar Marmoush is coming off a hat-trick against Newcastle and could be the game-changer.

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City Betting Pick: Real Madrid

Champions League Playoffs Second Leg: PSV vs. Juventus

PSV came close to taking a drawback to the Netherlands but ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat after a loose ball that was mishandled by Walter Benítez. Peter Bosz’s team played a solid match, although their opponent had more chances. They are winless in their last three games, including domestic league matches, but remain unbeaten at home in this Liga dos Campeões campaign—drawing their first match and winning the next three. Interestingly, in all three victories, their opponent had a player sent off.

Juventus arrives motivated and in great form. Not only did they win the first leg, but they are also on a four-game winning streak, the most recent being a 1-0 victory over Inter in the Derby d’Italia this past weekend, with a goal from Francisco Conceição, one of their standout players. They had already faced PSV earlier in the tournament, winning 3-1 on Matchday 1. Additionally, they remain unbeaten away from home, winning their first road game and drawing the next three.

PSV vs. Juventus Betting Pick: Draw