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Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
The remaining second leg fixtures from the Champions League Round of 16 will be played out this week before the draw for the Quarter Finals takes place on Friday 18th at 11:00am. Who will progress to the next stage?
Check out our Champions League live on TV page to find out where to watch this week’s games!
Manchester United v Atletico Madrid
Manchester United host Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford after Elanga’s late equaliser saw the game end in a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metrapolitano last week.
United will go into this game with more confidence after Cristiano Ronaldo’s sublime hat trick saw them beat Spurs at the weekend. This was the 39th career hat trick for the Portuguese, who returned to the side after reportedly “refusing to play” after being told by coach Rangnick that he would not start their previous game.
Manchester United – Atletico Madrid
Tuesday 15th March at 20:00.
⚇ First leg: 1-1
📺 BT Sport 2 & 4K UHD
🏟️ Old Trafford
Ronaldo has an ongoing feud with Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid. This began during his time in Madrid, continued after he came up against them again whilst at Juventus, and now at United. Atletico Madrid will hope that this will be the last they see of Ronaldo, should he be the decisive factor that sees them exit the competition this evening.
Atletico have now moved up to third place in La Liga with four consecutive wins. Simeone will once again be reliant upon Joao Felix, who scored a brilliant goal in the first leg. Additionally, Luis Suarez will form part of the squad for the game.
Lastly, with the removal of the away go rule, whoever wins the game will progress to the quarter finals, and any draw score will result in extra time.
Ajax v Benfica
The Dutch side have not lost a home game since losing to AZ Alkmaar in mid-December and have won seven times since then. In the first leg at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz, Ajax took a two-goal lead but were unable to beat Benfica in the end. The game resulted in a 2-2 draw.
The spectacular draw in the first leg sets the tone for an exciting occasion in the second leg, where anything can happen. Ajax, with their strength at home and having more individual quality than Benfica, remain the favourites to go through.
Ajax – Benfica
Tuesday 15th March at 20:00.
⚇ First leg: 2-2
📺 BT Sport 3
🏟️ Johan Cruijff Arena
Juventus v Villarreal
Juventus need to beat Villarreal at home to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In the first game, the Spaniards put in a good performance, putting pressure on the Juventus back line, but ultimately failing to equalize despite their best efforts.
New signing Vlahovic will be the focal point for the Bianconeri, supported by Morata and Cuadrado. In midfield, we expect Massimiliano Allegri to start Arthur and Locatelli.
Juventus – Villarreal
Wednesday 16th March | 20:00
⚇ First leg: 1-1
📺 BT Sport 3
🏟️ Allianz Stadium
Villarreal’s ‘yellow submarine’ have scored 48 goals in La Liga. Coach Emery appears to be counting on 19-year-old midfielder Yeremi Pino after the promising talent caused a stir with four goals in the game against Espanyol a few weeks ago.
Whilst Juventus are still slight favourites to progress, Allegri’s men need to go into this game fully prepared to produce a stellar performance, as Villarreal do not give in easily. They’ve shown how resilient they can be after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final last year, and after narrowly losing to Chelsea on penalties in the Super Cup.
Lille v Chelsea
The Round of 16 will be completed as Lille take on Chelsea. The Blues are managing to stay focused on the pitch so far, despite the financial and legal difficulties that the club is currently going through at the moment. Their owner, Roman Abramovich, has had his assets frozen, leaving the club in financial limbo. The club is also unable to sell merchandise, and cannot continue to sell tickets to fans. Yet, so far, they are managing to stick together and dig out wins.
When asked how the team will travel to the game in France, Tuchel responded brilliantly by saying “My last information is that we have a plane, that we can go by plane and come back by plane. If not we go by train, if not we go by bus – if not, I’ll drive a seven-seater! And I will do. Mark my words I will do; I will arrive there.”
After a comfortable 2-0 first leg win over Lille, the Blues are the clear favourites to progress. The goals on the night were scored by an in-form Kai Havertz, and Pulisic for Tuchel’s side.
Lille – Chelsea
⌚ Wednesday 16th March | 20:00
⚇ First leg: 0-2
📺 BT Sport 2 & 4K UHD
🏟️ Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Lille, on the other hand, are experiencing a season of ups and downs. They’ve won three and drawn two of their last five league games, leaving them 6th in the table.
The French club are going to have to give it their to have a chance at progressing, and their chances have not been helped after it was confirmed that Renato Sanches will not be available for selection. However, with an intimidating home support, and Chelsea’s current off-field dilemmas, Lille might be able to take advantage on the night.
Champions League Quarter Final Draw
The draw for the Champions League Quarter Finals will take place on Friday 18th at 11:00 am in Nyon. The event will be streamed live on UEFA’s official website. You can also watch the draw live on BT Sport.
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