The 2016 Champions League continues this week as we have reached the second leg of the quarterfinal stage. Continue reading for our Champions League quarterfinal leg 2 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Manchester City vs Paris Saint Germain (Wednesday 4.45am AEDT)
Manchester City will enter this contest with a lot of confidence after snatching a 2-2 draw in Paris. The two away goals will be a massive boost for the side that is looking to enter the semi-finals in the Champions League for the first time. The side will also have Yaya Toure back in the side, as he will be fit whilst David Silva is expected to overcome a knock he suffered in the win against West Brom on the weekend. There is also a slight chance of captain Vincent Kompany being a potential inclusion, however it is unlikely.
The pressure is all on Paris Saint Germain as they will need to earn a victory in Manchester or at least score two away goals. After having three straight quarterfinal exits, they need to advance to be taken seriously in the competition and for the team to move to the next level. PSG has proven they can come to England and get the required result after already defeating Chelsea this season in the round of 16 whilst they did the same a year earlier. Germain has a lot to offer in attack and they should be able to penetrate a City defence that has looked far from convincing this season, because of this we will be backing PSG to earn the victory in this one and advance into the semi-finals.
TIP: Paris Saint Germain @ $2.60 with William Hill
Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg (Wednesday 4.45am AEDT)
The football world was shocked as Wolfsburg completely outplayed Real Madrid in the opening leg of this tie as they raced to a 2-0 lead and defended brilliantly to prevent the Spanish Giants from crawling their way back into the match.
On the back of the goals from Maximilian Arnold and Ricardo Rodriguez the Wolves will be full of confidence with their two goal advantage but it will be incredibly difficult for them to hold on as they will be playing in one of the most hostile environments. The Bernabeu will be especially tumultuous having had a less than impressive season in the La Liga and eager to help their team rise to the challenge and advance in the Champions League.
Real Madrid bounced back with a 4-0 win over the weekend with Cristiano Ronaldo finding his name on the scoring sheet as he leads the La Liga and Champions League this season in goal scoring. He will need to be instrumental in this match, along with Gareth Bale. Since Zidane took over midseason, Real Madrid has scored 64 goals in 17 home matches at 3.8 goals per match, whilst their opponent Wolfsburg is highly skilled, we are backing the Real Madrid to win by more than two goals and advance.
TIP: Real Madrid -2 @ $2.10 with Sportsbet
Benfica vs Bayern Munich (Thursday 4.45am AEDT)
Bayern Munich came out of the blocks firing against Benfica in the opening leg as they took an early 1-0 lead in the second minute after an Arturo Vidal strike found the back of the net. Benfica were able to weather that early storm and stay competitive and head to their home soil in a position they would be happy with.
The Portugese side earned a victory in the Primeira Liga over the weekend which will give them confidence heading into this one. However, the task of defeating the German giants packed with world class players who have been dominating the German league and reaching the semi-final stage of the Champions league on a regular basis will be incredibly hard. We expect the Germans to come out strong again and this time continue to dominate throughout the entire match.
TIP: Bayern Munich @ $1.67 with CrownBet
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona (Thursday 4.45am AEDT)
This could easily be the most entertaining match of the second leg as the two Spanish sides face off to advance in the Champions League after a controversial opening leg. Fernando Torres was sent from the field after being given two yellow cards whilst Luis Suarez got away with some questionable behaviour before scoring the two crucial goals that saw the Barcelona side be victorious 2-1.
Meanwhile Barcelona again slipped up midweek in the La Liga as they lost on the road to Real Sociedad. This has not only tightened the title race but it has also made Barcelona look beatable rather than the impenetrable force that was on a 33 game unbeaten streak before Real Madrid defeated them two weeks ago.
You can expect a fiery contest in this one with the home crowd being incredibly vocal whenever a foul is made by Barcelona. They will be searching for a reason to celebrate, however you can’t bet against the current defending champions and a team that has the best player in the world, one of the best strikers in the world and one of the best young talents.
TIP: Barcelona @ $2.20 with Ladbrokes
You can find the full champions league schedule here.
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
