The UEFA Champions League round of 16 continues Wednesday with two spots in the quarterfinals on the line. You can catch all the action on Paramount+. Barcelona, facing a Mount Everest-like climb, look to pull off another stunning comeback against PSG, while Liverpool are hoping that they can snap out of their horrific form at Anfield and knock out RB Leipzig.
Ahead of the action, our experts make their picks as the quarterfinals begin to take a little bit of shape.
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Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona
Time: Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
PSG +116; Draw +280; Barcelona +205 (odds via William Hill Sportsbook)
Rongen’s take: A three-goal cushion thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s stunning hat trick at Camp Nou will prove to be too much. No heroic comeback this time for Barca. Pick: PSG 2, Barcelona 2 (PSG advance 6-3 on aggregate)
Romano’s take: Another remontada is almost impossible. PSG in the Champions League have a different mentality and Barca will have a difficult game. Lionel Messi won’t be enough. Pick: PSG 1, Barcelona 1 (PSG advance 5-2 on aggregate)
Echegaray’s take: Barcelona are on a great, great run right now and everything seems to be going their way. Another remontada is not totally unrealistic and I think Barcelona will be better in Paris, but it won’t be enough to put them through. Pick: PSG 1, Barcelona 2 (PSG advance 5-3 on aggregate)
West’s take: PSG shocked us all with their imperious performance in the first leg, but I don’t think we’re getting la remontada 2.0. I see Barcelona winning this one, but by a slim margin. Pick: PSG 1, Barcelona 2 (PSG advance 5-3 on aggregate)
Johnson’s take: It will not be like the first leg, but the French giants will exploit the Blaugrana’s defensive vulnerabilities in a closer encounter that sees Neymar make a cameo appearance against his former side as they reach the quarterfinals. Pick: PSG 2, Barcelona 1 (PSG advance 6-2 on aggregate)
Benge’s take: I want to predict another remontada or at least a grand attempt in vain, but this is still the same Barcelona that PSG cut to ribbons last month. Why should anything have changed? Their press is non-existent, their midfield is defensively questionable and much of their defense is too slow for top tier European football. Oh and Neymar might be back for the hosts. Pick: PSG 2, Barcelona 0 (PSG advance 6-1 on aggregate)
Gonzalez’s take: PSG can afford to rest some players, but they don’t, capitalizing on Gerard Pique’s absence for Barca by sending the team to another humiliating defeat. Pick: PSG 3, Barcelona 1 (PSG advance 7-2 on aggregate)
Herrera’s take: PSG absolutely dominated a limping Barcelona in the first leg and they’ll do it again in the second leg with another strong performance from Kylian Mbappe and the potential return of Neymar. Pick: PSG 3, Barcelona 2 (PSG advance 7-3 on aggregate)
Goodman’s take: Barcelona staged a three-goal comeback in the Copa del Rey last week, but they’ll need four to do it against PSG. The Parisian side hasn’t conceded four home goals at any point in the last decade. Barcelona might make it interesting, but that’s about all. Pick: PSG 1, Barcelona 2 (PSG advance 5-3 on aggregate)
So who should you back in the UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see this week’s best bets for the UEFA Champions League, all from the European soccer insider who’s generated over $17,600 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season!
Liverpool vs. RB Leipzig
Time: Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
Liverpool +127; Draw +245; RB Leipzig +210 (odds via William Hill Sportsbook)
Latest Odds:
Liverpool
-0.5
Rongen’s take: The Reds are unbeaten in 11 games with German clubs since a 2002 defeat at Leverkusen (three draws). I have the Reds making it 12. Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 1 (Liverpool advance 3-1 on aggregate)
Romano’s take: The habit of playing these games can make a real difference. That’s why Liverpool can close the case after the first leg win. Pick: Liverpool 2, RB Leipzig 0 (Liverpool advance 4-0 on aggregate)
Echegaray’s take: In many ways, this is Jurgen Klopp’s biggest game of the season, purely because he needs something — ANYTHING — to get his squad to wake up again. Six straight league losses has shown so many cracks with the defending EPL champions, but most importantly, the fire these players once had has faded. I don’t know if this enough for Leipzig to win the round, but there is no better time to face Liverpool. Question is, do the Germans have enough to take it? Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 2 a.e.t. (Liverpool advance 3-2 on aggregate)
West’s take: Liverpool’s entire season rests on the Champions League. They’re struggling domestically, they’ve been ravaged by injury, and the only way to salvage anything out of this season is by winning — or at least going deep in Champions League. I think they’ll get the job done and keep the dream alive with a tight win at home against Leipzig. Pick: Liverpool 2, RB Leipzig 1 (Liverpool advance 4-1 on aggregate)
Johnson’s take: The Germans will give it everything and come close to forcing extra time by reversing the 2-0 first leg result, but the Reds will have just enough to scrape into the quarters. Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 2 (Liverpool advance 3-2 on aggregate)
Benge’s take: This is going to be a close one. The win in Budapest felt like a relief for a team who had largely been losing to good teams beforehand but now Liverpool have the air of a team that could lose to a pub team, let alone an RB Leipzig side who have built a head of steam since the first leg. The boldest prediction right now feels like suggesting that Jurgen Klopp’s team will score but they do have the attacking talent required to get that one goal and for all their defensive difficulties of late you feel they might be able to hold Leipzig to one or two. Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 2 (Liverpool advance 3-2 on aggregate)
Gonzalez’s take: The home woes for the Reds continue early, but they manage to bounce back to advance through a Sadio Mane goal, albeit uncomfortably. Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 1 (Liverpool advance 3-1 on aggregate)
Herrera’s take: Liverpool had a strong first leg after limping back into UCL on a streak of poor form in EPL. They’re facing a similar scenario once again and will be motivated, but will advance based on aggregate. Pick: Liverpool 2, RB Leipzig 2 (Liverpool advance 4-2 on aggregate)
Goodman’s take: Liverpool are a mess right now, and that means Leipzig will have a chance to stage a real comeback. But, despite Klopp’s defensive woes, and the inability to find a central defensive pairing that can both stay in front of defenders and stay healthy, they manage to do just enough to sneak through while not doing enough to stop their home losing streak. Pick: Liverpool 1, RB Leipzig 2 (Liverpool advance 3-2 on aggregate)
So who should you back in the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool and RB Leipzig? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see this week’s best bets for the UEFA Champions League, all from the European soccer insider who’s generated over $17,600 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season!
Thanks for checking us out, and good luck with your picks!
