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As we head into the final day of the UEFA Champions League Knockout Phase Playoffs, only eight clubs will advance to the playoff Round of 16. Today is the deciding factor for several clubs, and some will need to pull off an immaculate performance to retain any shot at claiming the trophy. Tuesday’s games have concluded, but four games follow suit today, with Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting, Real Madrid vs Manchester City, PSG vs Brest and PSV vs Juventus.
Check out our extensive analysis and predictions for today’s Champions League games, which you can either fade or follow.
12 of the 16 spots in the Round of 16 Knockout stage have already been filled, although the main difference between yesterday’s matches is that multiple teams are facing 3-goal deficits on aggregate today.
Last week’s game between Sporting and Borussia Dortmund saw Sporting putting up 13 shots (6 on target) against Dortmund’s 16 (7 on target), to which Dortmund tucked away 3 of those with goals from Guirassy, Grob and Adeyemi all within quick succession of each other in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Similarly, PSG would shut out Brest last week on the same 3-0 scoreline with 2 goals from Ousmane Dembele in the second half after Vitnha scored a PK in the 21’. Both teams would have 16 shots, although PSG would come out on top.
In Real Madrid’s game against Man City last week, possession meant absolutely nothing, with Madrid retaining the ball for 45% of the contest to still pull off 20 shots and 3 goals, 2 of which came after the 86’. City would solely rely on Erling Halaand and his 19’ goal and 80’ penalty, although it would not be enough to overcome the firepower of Kylian Mbappe with a goal in the 60’, Brahim Diaz in the 86’, then Jude Bellingham with a signature 90+’ added time goal to steal the win at Manchester.
Juventus would experience a slimmer comeback last Tuesday after Weston McKennie scored an absolute cracker goal to put his team up 1-0. PSV’s Ivan Perisic tucked away a clean equalizer in the 56’, before Samuel Mbangula netted the 82’ game-winner. PSV outshot Juventus 15 to 12, although Juventus put 8 on target for the 2-1 victory.
Listed below are the four games on today’s schedule with their current aggregate scores:
Wednesday, February 19
It’s looking up for both PSG and Borussia Dortmund, and if both teams can hold their respective leads, advancing to the next round of the Champions League should be in the bag. Manchester City and Real Madrid will continue to have a scrap fight for last-minute goals, and PSV will look for an early equalizer to keep their playoff hopes alive.
While desperate times call for desperate measures, one thing remains consistently true throughout the history of the Champions League, which is that Real Madrid does not lose. That said, Manchester City is by far one of the toughest opponents they’ll come up against, and Erlin Haaland, with 6 goals in his last 6 EPL games and 3 goals in his last 4 Champions League games, will be their #1 threat.
Hopefully, Ousmane Dembele starts against Brest once again, as we expect him to put away at least 1+ if he continues his form from his previous Champions League match. PSG should have a relatively easy walk in the park at their home, Parc des Princes, while most likely looking to extend their lead, so Brest will need to give it their all to force this game to a possible overtime.
Dortmund also faces Sporting CP at home with a comfortable 3-0 lead, which will most likely hold unless Sporting can find a way to out-possess, out-pass and out-shoot their German opponents. Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres will need to step it up for his team as he leads the way for scoring in the Portuguese League with 22 goals in 21 games.
Juventus vs PSV will be a close brawl, as PSV may have fallen last time to a 2-1 deficit, yet they managed to take more shots, out-pass and out-possess their Italian opponents with 53% of the ball. A final finishing touch from an experienced player like Ivan Perisic could be a game-changer, but they’ll still have to overcome the grittiness of Juventus.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.