Champions League Preview
Published on 27 Jul 2020 | Last updated on 01 Jul 2021 | Reading time: 3 minutes
With domestic seasons now completed, attention turns to the Champions League throughout August. The remaining last 16 ties will be played across the weekend of August 7th at the home team’s stadium. Once these ties are decided, the mini-tournament format will begin in Lisbon, Portugal.
In the unique structure, only one leg will be played for the quarter-finals and semi-finals with the losing side being eliminated immediately. Every fixture will take place in a busy two-week schedule between Wednesday, August 12th and Sunday August 23rd, when the final will be played at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, so if you are betting on any of the upcoming fixtures, here you can find the best Champions League offers
Some of the favourites still need to navigate the last 16 ties before the quarter finals. Manchester City face Real Madrid in the second leg at the Etihad on August 7th with City holding a narrow 2-1 aggregate lead. Pep Guardiola’s side remain one of the big favourites to lift the trophy in Lisbon following a disappointment of finishing second in the Premier League. Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid will give City a tough match in the return leg and if they progress will become one of the overwhelming favourites to go on to the final.
Outright favourites Bayern Munich look certain to progress after leading Chelsea 3-0 coming into the home leg. The Bundesliga champions have scored 27 goals in this year’s competition and lost just six games in all competitions.
If they progress, Bayern face either Napoli and Barcelona in the next round. They are locked in a 1-1 aggregate score which will be decided at the Camp Nou. Barcelona still remain amongst the favourites to win the Champions League despite their stalemate with Napoli. A poor domestic campaign for Barca, which they failed to win La Liga or the Copa Del Rey, will provide added incentive for the Catalan club. Napoli meanwhile remain outsiders for the Champions League, despite not losing once in their seven games in Europe.
Scudetto winners Juventus need to overturn a 1-0 deficit to French side Lyon to reach the quarter finals, which lessens their chances of European success. Lyon still remain rank outsiders despite their aggregate lead with odds as low as 100/1 to win the Champions League. The French side haven’t played competitive fixtures since the Ligue 1 season suspended in March.
Surprise quarter finalists Red Bull Leipzig will take on Atletico Madrid, who knocked out holders Liverpool after extra time in March. Both are not expected to reach the final but a young Leipzig team showed their quality to beat Spurs 4-0 on aggregate in the last 16.
Paris St Germain will face Atalanta in their quarter final fixture. PSG remain amongst the favourites to win their first ever Champions League, while free-scoring Atalanta will be a tough team to navigate. The Serie A side scored 96 goals in the league this season and put eight past Valencia across two legs in their last 16 tie.
Bayern Munich boast the two top-scorers left in the competition. Robert Lewandowski leads the charts with 11 goals in six matches. Team mate Serge Gnabry is tied second top-scorer with Napoli’s Dires Mertens (6 each).
PSG’s Kylian Mbappé has contributed to nine goals in seven Champions League matches this season (five goals and four assists). Only team mate Angel Di Maria and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez match Mbappé for assists.
In goal, PSG keeper Keylor Navas has kept five clean sheets in seven appearances and let in just four goals in this season’s competition.
