Champions League Playoffs: Who Will Survive the Knockout Battle
Champions League Playoffs: 16 Teams Fight for Survival in the Knockout Round
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs are about to start for the first time ever. This week, some of Europe’s biggest clubs will fight for a place in the Round of 16.
The first leg matches are set for Tuesday and Wednesday (February 11 and 12), while the return legs will take place next week on February 18 and 19.
A total of 16 teams—Brest, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Atalanta, Monaco, Benfica, Celtic, Bayern Munich, Feyenoord, and AC Milan—are competing in this stage.
According to DAILY POST, only eight of these teams will move forward to join the eight clubs that have already qualified for the Round of 16: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Leverkusen, Lille, and Liverpool.
Champions League Playoff Fixtures
Tuesday’s Matches:
Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain: Brest has struggled in the Champions League, winning only two home games. PSG, on the other hand, has been solid, securing two away victories. Brest has never beaten PSG in their last 20 meetings.
Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven: Juventus has had a mixed run, winning two home games. PSV is also performing well, winning one away game. Juventus has never lost to PSV in their only previous meeting.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid: The Premier League champions have been inconsistent, winning two home games. Real Madrid has been strong, securing two away victories. City has won five out of 13 past clashes with Madrid.
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund: Sporting CP has won two home games but struggled overall. Dortmund has been impressive, winning two away games. Sporting has beaten Dortmund once in four encounters.
Wednesday’s Matches:
Club Brugge vs Atalanta: Club Brugge has shown mixed form, winning two home games. Atalanta has been better on the road, winning three away matches.
Monaco vs Benfica: Both teams have had similar runs, winning three home and away games, respectively. However, Monaco has never beaten Benfica in their past three meetings.
Celtic vs Bayern Munich: Celtic has won three home games, but Bayern has struggled recently, winning just once in four away matches. Celtic has never won against Bayern in four previous meetings.
Feyenoord vs AC Milan: Both teams have won two games in the competition. They have also defeated each other once in past encounters.
Expert Prediction
Speaking with DAILY POST, sports journalist Femi Fabunmi shared his thoughts on the new Champions League knockout format.
“Personally, I don’t like this new format, but it looks like it’s here to stay,”
Fabunmi said.
“Teams not playing home and away games doesn’t feel right. Maybe UEFA should allow teams to play on neutral grounds instead, because playing just once at home benefits some teams unfairly.”
On which teams will advance, he predicted:
“I see Real Madrid, PSG, PSV, Atalanta, Benfica, Milan, Dortmund, and Bayern making it to the Round of 16.”
