Quarter-final showdown in the Champions League: Will German clubs maintain their ground?
Three German squads have progressed to the elimination phase of the UEFA Champions League. RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund will face off in the round of 16 to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Can the German teams hold their own against their opponents, and what odds are the betting providers offering?
Lazio Rome vs. Bayern Munich
Football giants Bayern Munich from Germany will take on Lazio Rome today in the round of 16's first leg. The game will be held at 9 PM CET at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
As per specialists, the stakes are high for Bayern Munich. Following their 0-3 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga top match last week, their 12th consecutive championship title is now remote. The gap to Leverkusen now stands at 4 points. The early exit from the DFB-Pokal caused a crisis mood a few weeks back.
Lazio Rome's current season is not going much better. The club is currently in 8th place in Serie A and has a 23-point gap to the league leaders. Even the qualification for the 2024/25 Champions League season is at risk for the traditional Roman club.
Bookmakers favor Bayern Munich in the direct matchup:
- Bayern win: 1.70
- Lazio Rome win: 4.75
- Draw: 3.90
- Bayern to advance: 1.09
- Lazio Rome to advance: 6.00
The game will be streamed by DAZN at 8:15 PM CET. The second leg will take place on March 5 and will be shown by Amazon Prime Video.
Unfortunate loss for RB Leipzig against Real Madrid
German club RB Leipzig has already played the first leg of the round of 16 and lost unfortunately against Real Madrid. The Leipzig team took an early lead in the 2nd minute, scoring what appeared to be the first goal. However, the linesman called it offside. The video assistant referee confirmed the decision.
Coach Marco Rose of RB Leipzig, commenting on the incident, said, "Bitter on this level. Unfortunately, the referee's performance was unusual, but he is also only human. I hope he learns from it."
The commentators of the game and the experts present could not justify this decision and described it as a clear mistake. Neither UEFA nor the referee team has commented on the incident so far.
RB Leipzig did not let the controversial decision deter them and dominated the game for significant parts. However, they missed several high-quality chances and went into halftime with a 0-0 draw. Shortly after the restart, Real Madrid took advantage of a Leipzig defense lapse and scored the winning goal.
RB Leipzig still has a chance to overturn this result in the return leg. Led by coach Marco Rose, 47, the team must win at Santiago Bernabeu with at least a 2-goal advantage on March 6 to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
PSV Eindhoven vs. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will face Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in their round of 16 first leg on February 20. This season, the club from Dortmund has been up and down.
At present, they sit in 4th place in the Bundesliga table, 15 points behind the leader, Bayer Leverkusen. The team has already ruled out the championship. After they were also eliminated from the DFB-Pokal, advancement in the Champions League could still salvage the season.
To do this, Borussia Dortmund first needs to beat PSV Eindhoven. The club currently leads the Dutch Eredivisie by 10 points and has a good chance of winning its 25th title.
Bookmakers give the Dutch team an edge in the direct matchup:
- Borussia Dortmund win: 3.20
- PSV Eindhoven win: 2.10
- Draw: 3.70
- Advancement for Borussia Dortmund: 1.70
- Advancement for PSV Eindhoven: 2.05
The match will be streamed by Amazon Prime Video on February 20. The second leg will take place in Dortmund on March 13 and will be shown by DAZN.
Other Matches in the Round of 16
The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 promises several thrilling matches. The following odds are provided by bookmakers for the first legs:
- PSG – Real Sociedad: PSG (1.72), Draw (3.70), Real Sociedad (4.80)
- Inter Milan – Atlético Madrid: Inter Milan (1.83), Draw (3.50), Atlético Madrid (4.40)
- FC Porto – Arsenal: FC Porto (4.60), Draw (3.60), Arsenal (1.75)
- Napoli – Barcelona: Napoli (2.55), Draw (3.50), Barcelona (2.65)
All matches will be held at 9 PM CET and can be viewed on DAZN. The round of 16 return legs will take place on March 5 and 6, and March 12 and 13.
Following their disappointing loss against Real Madrid, RB Leipzig now faces a tough challenge to advance in the Champions League. They need to win at Santiago Bernabeu with at least a 2-goal advantage on March 6 to progress to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, football powerhouse Bayern Munich is set to take on Lazio Rome in the round of 16's first leg, with bookmakers favoring Bayern Munich for the win.
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