The 2019-20 UEFA Champions League continues this week with the Round of 16. There are plenty of saucy matchups taking place over the Wednesday and Thursday morning’s in the next two weeks, which should make for some excellent viewing.
Here, we take a look at some of the biggest fixture of the week and give our best betting tips. Good luck to everyone following!
UCL Round of 16 Betting Tips
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool
Wednesday 19th, 7am AEDT
Atletico Madrid finished second in a pretty soft group to progress through to the knockout stages once again. They haven’t looked as strong as in previous campaigns, which has also been the case in the Spanish La Liga. They’re currently fourth in the league and effectively out of the title race a lot earlier than you would expect from a top club.
Liverpool were also the beneficiaries of a soft group and were able to finish on top as a result. They only lost the one game from their six fixtures and will no doubt be eyeing off a repeat of last season’s title winning run. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that Liverpool have all but sewn up the EPL title, which will be their first time in 30 years.
This is a fantastic matchup in the Round of 16 and one that we expect to be decided in the Anfield tie. We expect this first meeting to be a low scoring affair with one goal likely deciding the outcome. Atletico have only managed four goals from their past seven games in all competitions and are one of the best defensive teams in the world, so don’t expect a seven goal thriller on Wednesday morning.
Tottenham Hotspur vs RB Leipzig
Thursday 20th, 7am AEDT
Tottenham Hotspur weren’t the most convincing in the group stages of the UCL, losing twice to the only other top tier team in their group in Bayern Munich. They finished up with a 3-1-2 record that got them through to the knockout phase pretty easily. They’ve also been really inconsistent in the EPL with a managerial change seemingly making little difference to their success.
RB Leipzig are full of money and have made big leaps in success as a result. They topped their group with a 3-2-1 record and the only loss they suffered was in the final game when they had already secured top spot. Leipzig have also been in great form in the Bundesliga and look like they’ll be pushing perennial German champions Bayern Munich all the way in the title race this season.
It’s always hard to measure the success of clubs between top leagues, however, Tottenham have a big advantage in experience at this stage in the UCL. They were last season’s runners up and on their home deck, should be too good for the up and coming German side.
Chelsea vs Bayern Munich
Wednesday 26th, 7am AEDT
Chelsea have had a really tough time securing points in the Premier League since the turn of the new year, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fare in the UCL. Their young stars seem to have hit the wall a little bit, which is to be expected considering how many fixtures key players play these days. The Blues did fairly well to navigate their way out of a difficult Group H, but finishing second has seen them draw one of the powerhouses in world football in the Round of 16.
Bayern Munich were the most impressive team in the group stages of the UCL, winning all six of their fixtures and kicking 24 goals in the process. Their group certainly wasn’t stacked, but you can only beat who’s in front of you and they did that in spades. In terms of their Bundesliga results, Munich haven’t been quite as dominant. Their 14-4-4 record through 22 games certainly isn’t going to challenge any league records, but it’s currently good enough for first place.
Chelsea simply haven’t shown enough in their recent games to indicate they’re ready to take down one of the big boys in world football. Bayern Munich’s squad is far more solid across the board and even on the road, we expect them to get the job done relatively comfortably.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Thursday 27th, 7am AEDT
Real Madrid are again playing their part in a fascinating La Liga title race. They’re currently one point clear of rivals Barcelona at the top in what is clearly a two horse race. Real were also pretty good in their UCL group stage, losing just once from six games and finishing second behind PSG. They certainly aren’t the powerhouse side they have been in the past, but they look to be building along nicely in their post Ronaldo era.
Manchester City have had a pretty poor season by their loft standards, slipping up in the EPL far more times than we’ve come to expect and are now playing for second. Despite their league disappointment, City were dominant in the group stages of the UCL with four wins and two draws from their six fixtures.
This is a very intriguing matchup and one you’d usually see deeper in the tournament. Both of these clubs are contenders in their own right and we expect home ground advantage to be key here. Look for Real to take advantage of this tie with a home win and put the pressure on City to respond at the Etihad.
