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Benfica vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will travel to Portugal this Tuesday to face 22022/23 Champions League dark horses Benfica in the first leg of their quarter-final doubleheader.

The hosts have enjoyed a remarkable UCL campaign and come into this tie as one of the four sides yet to lose a game in this campaign. They finished top of their group ahead of PSG and qualified for this stage by beating Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate.

While it could be argued that they faced arguably the weakest team in the last round, the Portuguese side can point to their two-legged draw against PSG and two wins in two group games over Juventus as a proof that they deserve to be here.

They have lost just once in their last nine games (W8), a narrow 2-1 loss to title rivals FC Porto last Friday, and will fancy their chances here and bid to extend their impressive home record against Italian clubs (W7, D4, L3) when Inter Milan comes to town.

Claiming a first-leg advantage in this quarter-final tie will likely be essential to Benfica’s chances of progression. The Eagles are in a position to do so after losing just three of their last 25 European matches on home turf (W16, D6).

Meanwhile, Inter Milan will travel to Estádio da Luz in dire form, having failed to win any of their last six competitive games (D3, L3). Furthermore, their last outing was a dour 1-1 draw with lowly Salernitana, which means their top-four quest this season is now officially under threat.

That also means that the future of manager Simon Inzaghi is also under scrutiny. The former Lazio man will be desperate to find some reprieve here. But Inter’s record at this stage in the UCL era is uninspiring, as they have fallen at this hurdle in four of their six quarter-final jaunts.

However, they qualified for this stage of the UCL by beating Portuguese side FC Porto 1-0 on aggregate in the previous round. Unfortunately, the only win in that tie came at the San Siro, meaning they may struggle again on the road. The fact that only once have they ever won away from home against Portuguese opposition (D5, L4) also makes for grim reading for even the most optimistic Inter fans.

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Manchester City vs Bayern Munich: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The Champions League returns this week as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final round.

Both teams are among the few favourites to win the title this year, given their quality and wealth of resources, and will have a go at each other on Tuesday when they face off in the UK.

But Pep Guardiola’s side come into this tie slightly ahead of their rivals on the form table. The Cityzens are on a run of eight consecutive wins in all competitions and are unbeaten in their last 12 games (W10, D2).

They have scored a whopping 21 goals in their last four games and will fancy their chances of continuing their brilliant run in the Champions League. City have finished first in their UCL group for a sixth successive season and holds an impressive 24-game unbeaten run in European home games (W22, D2). They can make history here as one more win, or a draw will set a new record for the longest UCL undefeated home run of any Premier League side.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel will travel to the Etihad in a good mood, having won each UCL game this season. They are the only team to do so in this UCL campaign, beating PSG 3-0 on aggregate in their last round.

However, the manager that led them to seven straight UCL wins this season, Julain Nagelsmann, has since been sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Tuchel.

But the German has a good record against City and Guardiola, having pipped them to the UCL title when he was Chelsea’s boss in 2021. So he will hope for another solid performance in this fixture. His side have claimed a result from five of their last seven away games against English (W3, D2, L2) and have progressed from 63% of their UCL quarter-final ties (W20, L12).

However, Bayern have been eliminated at this stage of the UCL in the last two seasons and are at risk of failing to reach the semi-final stage for three straight seasons since 2008/09.

That said, we can expect an entertaining game between both sides.

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Napoli vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

After their impressive weekend showing in Serie A, Napoli will turn their attention to their quest to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.

The Partenopei responded to just their second loss of the Serie A season by comfortably beating Atalanta last time, increasing their gap at the summit to 18 points. A first Scudetto since 1990 now looks like a formality, so they can turn their attention to reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in their history.

After a dominant 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg, Luciano Spalletti’s men are firmly in the driver’s seat ahead of the return fixture. The hosts have lost just one home game by a three-goal margin since 2013, so they will be confident of another dominant home win here.

Eintracht Frankfurt travel to Naples amidst a four-game winless run (D2, L2), with the Eagles’ latest setback coming in a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Stuttgart in the Bundesliga last weekend.

Coach Oliver Glasner believes his side is ‘capable of extraordinary achievements’, and their positive record against Italian sides on the continental stage suggests they could pull another rabbit out of the hat (W5, D2, L3). First, however, they travel to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, a Stadium where no one has beaten Napoli in the UCL since 2017 (W8, D3).

Although the German outfit saw two of their three group-stage victories come on the road, they’re the lowest scorers still left in the competition (GF: 7), so overturning a two-goal deficit appears unlikely.

Meanwhile, Napoli’s UCL matches average four goals per game this season – the second-highest among teams remaining in the competition. So we can expect an over 2.5 goals game this Wednesday in Naples.

Real Madrid vs Liverpool: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Real Madrid and Liverpool will renew their European rivalry this Wednesday when both sides meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League knock-out tie.

Both sides played an entertaining first leg at Anfield, with Real Madrid securing a massive 5-2 win despite falling 2-0 before the first half-hour. That win at Anfield extended Real Madrid’s Los Blancos’ unbeaten run in this fixture–it was their sixth win in seven unbeaten games against the Reds (D1).

So they will come into this fixture with the psychological advantage given their superiority in this fixture and the fact that they face Liverpool at home, where they have won each of their last four UCL games by a combined scoreline of 12-3.

However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have performed uncharacteristically since that whopping win at Anfield, with their 3-1 win over Espanyol at the weekend their only win in the four subsequent matches (D2, L1) since the win over the Reds. But, despite that patchy form, history is firmly on their side here as out of the 37 ties in UEFA competition where Real Madrid were victorious in the first leg away from home, they’ve failed to progress to the next stage only twice.

Liverpool are still looking to get their season on track after a series of false dawns. The Reds led Madrid 2-0 in 25 minutes at Anfield and could have been four goals up in that game. Yet they capitulated severely in front of their fans when it mattered the most. A 7-0 win at Anfield followed the loss to Madrid, yet an embarrassing 1-0 loss at the weekend to Bournemouth brought them back to earth.

They will travel to Madrid looking to do what many of their fans will consider impossible–overturning a three-goal deficit at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, if there’s any side that can stage a comeback in the Champions League, it has to be Liverpool, who are one of just four teams to have overturned a UCL first-leg deficit of 3+ goals when they did so against Barcelona at Anfield in 2019.

To succeed here, Jurgen Klopp’s men must emulate a performance similar to their second-leg display in the 2008/09 UCL last 16, where they inflicted what is still Madrid’s heaviest UCL defeat with a 4-0 win.

Meanwhile, both teams have found the net in 16 of Real Madrid’s last 20 home UCL matches. So the best bet here will be a BTTS/GG prediction.

Manchester City vs RB Leipzig: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City and RB Leipzig will face off at the Etihad this Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League knockout tie.

Pep Guardiola’s side come into this tie on a run of four consecutive wins since their 1-1 draw with Leipzig in the first leg. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, a win that kept them close to Arsenal in the title race.

The win extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games (W6, D2), so they are the favourites to win this tie and progress to the quarter-finals of this competition for a sixth consecutive season.

Meanwhile, City are currently on a six-game winning run at the Etihad, so Leipzig must be at their best to win this game. The German side are a formidable opponent these days under Marco Rose. However, they come into this tie in good shape, having won six of the eleven games they have played this year, losing just twice (D3).

A 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach at the weekend kept them on course for a top-four finish in Bundesliga. So the goal here will be to secure a place in the UCL quarter-finals for the first time since the 2019/2020 season when they reached the semifinals.

However, they have a bad record against English teams in this round, with their last entry into the UCL Round of 16 ending at the hands of English opposition, one of two multiple-goal defeats they suffered on trips to England (5-0 and 2-0) in 2020/21.

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Porto vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will look to seal their place in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when they travel to Portugal this Tuesday to face Porto in the second leg of their knockout tie.

Porto were narrowly beaten 1-0 in the first leg in San Siro, with a late Romelu Lukaku goal the difference that night. The defeat in Milan was followed up by another narrow 2-1 loss to Gill Vicente in the Portuguese league. However, ahead of this game, they have won back-to-back league wins, with a narrow 3-2 win over Estoril last weekend.

With eight points behind Benfica in the Portuguese league, they will be desperate to go far into UCL to keep their season alive. Yet, history indicates their prospects of progressing beyond this state are slim, especially as the Portuguese side have been eliminated from six of their last seven two-legged UCL ties when trailing after the first leg.

However, Inter Milan come into this tie on the back of a poor showing in the league. Like their hosts, they are sitting second in the title race, a long way off Napoli after a shock 2-1 loss to strugglers Spezia.

The three-time UCL winners will look to immediately bounce back by building on their advantage from the first leg, but a less than inspiring record of just one win from their last eight away matches to Portuguese sides in European competition (D3, L4) indicates there is still plenty of work to be done.

Also, the fact that Porto have won each of their last four home European games against Italian sides should give the hosts some confidence that they can take advantage of Inter’s poor form and advance to the last eight for a third successive time.

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Tottenham vs AC Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tottenham and AC Milan will face off in North London this Wednesday for the second leg of their Champions League knockout tie.

Tottenham lost 1-0 in the first leg at the San Siro, with an early goal by Brahim Díaz the difference on the night. But, unfortunately, it was by the same scoreline that the hosts fell to defeat in Premier League action at the weekend, too, going down against relegation-battling Wolves.

The latest result has put their chances of finishing in the Premier League top four in jeopardy, with perennial top four chasers Liverpool just three points behind with a game in hand.

So, though highly unlikely, winning this competition is becoming increasingly for Spurs, who are seeking to overturn a first-leg deficit for the third time in four such instances in European competition. The return of manager Antonio Conte to the dugout after a brief spell on the sidelines could be the best omen of all for Tottenham, given the Italian boss has won five of his last six managerial home games against Milan in all competitions.

Like their hosts, AC Milan suffered a similarly poor domestic result at the weekend, going down 2-1 against Fiorentina. As a result, they have lost ground in the race for second in Serie A, with their away form much to blame for their failed title defence this season.

Things could worsen in North London as the visitors have a poor record against Premier League teams. The San Siro side have five defeats from their last six two-legged knockout ties against English opposition. Stefano Pioli’s men have also lost by an aggregate 9-1 score on their previous three visits to the English capital in European competition.

So, they must do better than their previous visits to England to secure their first UCL quarter-final appearance in 11 years. But, with 37 wins out of 43 UEFA competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, Pioli’s side should have some belief.

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Bayern Munich vs PSG: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena this Wednesday as both sides battle for a place in the quarter-finals round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season.

The Bavarians hold a slender advantage going into this second leg after a 1-0 win in Paris a fortnight ago. The win forms part of a run of five wins from their last six competitive games (L1). After reclaiming the top spot in the Bundesliga race thanks to a 2-1 win over Stuggart at the weekend, confidence should be high heading into this clash.

Meanwhile, the Bavarians have been impressive on the European stage this season, with an unblemished seven wins from as many UCL games this term representing their best showing at this stage since lifting the trophy back in 2019/20, when they defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the final. However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side can’t rest on their laurels, though, with a perfectly split head-to-head record against PSG (W6, L6) indicating this tie is far from over.

Paris Saint-Germain made it three wins in a row last weekend when they beat Nantes 4-2. The win showed that their recent wobble is now truly behind them, while the four goals they scored in the game made it three consecutive games they have scored 3+ goals.

And so, they will travel to Munich in a confident mood. They can take heart from their impressive return of five progressions from six overall knockout ties against German opponents.

However, Christophe Galtier’s men have been eliminated in four of their last six round-of-16 ties. Moreover, they have only come back from a first-leg deficit to progress once in 19 such UCL ties, although that was against German opposition Borussia Dortmund in 2019/20.

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Benfica vs Club Brugge: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The Champions League returns this Tuesday with high-flying Portuguese side Benfica hosting Club Brugge in the second leg of the knockout round.

The hosts have one foot in the next round after a 2-0 win over their visitors in the first leg of this tie. Since that win in Belgium, the Primeira Liga leaders have won three successive league games by a two-goal margin.

So confidence should be sky-high as they aim for a second straight UCL quarter-final appearance. The Eagles haven’t lost a UCL game since their quarter-final home leg loss against Liverpool last April (W9, D3).

Only PSG held Benfica to a draw at home during that run (W4), and since May, they have not lost a competitive home fixture (W16, D2). So they will be confident of getting through here, with a draw enough to see them through.

Club Brugge are up against an uphill task here, as Benfica have never lost to a Belgium side (W8, D2). The visitors travel to Portugal in poor form, as a run of one win in their last six fixtures (D3, L2) leaves them fourth in Belgium’s First Division.

Even more worrying is a lack of goals, as they haven’t scored more than twice in one game – which they must do here to win without penalties – since October 29th.

So given that Benfica have won 20 out of 21 previous European ties in which they won the first leg away from home (L1), we can expect a direct win for the hosts here.

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Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Borussia Dortmund will look to advance to the next round of the Champions League when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for the second leg of the knockout round.

The Blues are looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit after falling to a narrow defeat in Germany courtesy of a goal by Karim Adeyemi. The loss formed part of a recent run of three consecutive defeats for Graham Potter’s side.

But that run ended at the weekend as they secured a 1-0 home win over struggling Leeds United in the Premier League. The result also ended a run of six games without a win for Chelsea, who will now hope to make it back-to-back competitive wins for the first time since October.

However, it will be tough to do so against this high-flying Borussia Dortmund side, who come into this fixture on a run of ten consecutive wins. The German Bundesliga side are arguably the most in-form team in Europe in 2023, having won all their games this year by a combined total of 26-8 while keeping four clean sheets.

After struggling early in the season, they have rekindled their season and now sit level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the league table. In the Champions League, they are unbeaten in their last five games (W2, D3) and even held Manchester City to a draw in that period.

Edin Terzić will be hoping for more of the same from his boys as they try to advance to the quarter-final stage of the UCL for the fifth time in their history.

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