We’ve got four more Champions League last-16 ties to get through and then we will know the 2018/19 quarter-finals line-up. With Tottenham Hotspur, FC Porto, Ajax and Manchester United already through, the competition is starting to look very open indeed.
Manchester City will expect to get the job done against Schalke 04 on Tuesday night – Pep Guardiola’s side did the hard work in the first leg. Defeat for the Premier League champions seems out of the question, with 888sport going 1/100 on City reaching the last eight.
Meanwhile, Juventus are up against it in their bid to advance to the quarter-finals. Cristiano Ronaldo and co fell short away at Atletico Madrid in the first leg; the Serie A giants will need to overturn a two-nil deficit to reach the next round.
Without further ado, let’s get down to business. 888sport’s bet calculator prices Tuesday’s tasty double at just over 3/1. Scroll down for my tips ahead of what could be a memorable night of Champions League action.
JUVENTUS vs ATLETICO MADRID
Massimiliano Allegri’s side continue to maintain their stranglehold on Serie A but fans are desperate for European success. Winning the Champions League would go down well with Juventus supporters but they will need a minor miracle to advance to the quarter-finals.
Now 11/4 in 888sport’s Champions League odds to reach the last eight, Allegri’s men have a real job on their hands. If there is one team you don’t want to be chasing a game against, it is Atletico. An early goal could shift the tie in Juve’s favour though; this is far from over.
Atletico are in a superb position ahead of the second leg in Turin and European football fans will expect Diego Simeone’s men to make themselves difficult to beat on Tuesday night. This may be one-way traffic for large parts but Atletico will be dangerous on the break.
With so much talent going forward, Juventus will have to be wary of Atletico catching them on the break. As the hosts push on in search of a crucial goal, the La Liga outfit could profit – the 8/5 available for Atletico to score in the second half carries plenty of appeal.
For me, both teams to score looks nailed on here. The stakes are high and Simeone will set his side up to defend the lead but Atletico will go forward and attack. 11/10 for both teams to score in an entertaining affair looks like the way to go.
TIP: Both teams to score @ 11/10
PREDICTED SCORE: Juventus 2-1 Atletico (Priced at 7/1 with 888sport)
MANCHESTER CITY vs Schalke
The quadruple is on. With one trophy already secure, Manchester City are now on the verge of the Champions League quarter-finals. Pep Guardiola will have his side fired up and ready to go ahead of Tuesday’s clash – getting this done with minimal fuss will be the plan.
Sergio Aguero has been in fantastic form in recent weeks and he could get City off to the ideal start on Tuesday night. 5/2 for the Argentina striker to open the scoring is a solid bet – he should see plenty of chances to get his name on the scoresheet.
Schalke shot themselves in the foot in the first leg. Leading 2-1 and with City reduced to 10 men, the Bundesliga outfit crumbled. They couldn’t do much about Leroy Sane’s superb free-kick but some woeful defending handed Raheem Sterling the winning goal.
I’m not expecting too much from Schalke here – that late winner in the first leg crushed any hopes of an Etihad miracle. The 8/11 for under 0.5 away goals carries plenty of appeal – City have conceded two goals in their last eight home games in all competitions.
With that in mind, opting for Manchester City to win both halves is a decent bet at 10/11. Pep’s side have had to work hard to create chances in recent weeks but Schalke need to chase the game and City can take full advantage.
TIP: Manchester City to win both halves @ 10/11
PREDICTED SCORE: Manchester City 3-0 Schalke (Priced at 6/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
