15/02/2021
The UCL Round of 16 Preview: Week 1
After a 2 month hiatus and the January transfer window coming to a close, teams are just days away from the Champions League Round of 16. An exciting group stage round has whittled down the competition to only the best that European club football has to offer.
However, with 16 different teams from 6 different leagues getting ready to face off, keeping up with each team and every match is a tall task. From Liverpool’s recent lull to Sevilla’s sneaky streak of success, here are the key components for this week's games.
Game 1: RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
Date: 16/02/2021
Location: Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary
Due to Germany’s travel policy because of COVID-19, Leipzig’s home game will be held on a neutral field. This decision was made when Germany’s government instituted a travel ban from England effective until February 17th, one day after the match. Because of this, UEFA has confirmed that the match will take place in Budapest and will be played during its originally scheduled time. Yet, despite not playing on their home field, Leipzig will try to continue their recent good form with a win in the first leg against Liverpool.
So far throughout their Bundesliga campaign, Leipzig sits in second place with a comfortable 3 point cushion over 3rd place Wolfsburg. The team is hopeful to have center forward and tied leading scorer Emil Forsberg back after having missed their last 3 games due to a knee injury. With budding young talents like Dayot Upamecano, Dani Olmo, Tyler Adams and Angelino as well as more experienced, steady handed players like Willi Orban, Forsberg and Kevin Kampl, Leipzig has struck a nice balance in their play that has led to the second best goal differential in the Bundesliga and that might be able to extend Liverpool’s woes from the Premier League.
In their last 5 games, Liverpool have only 2 wins and are currently coming off humiliating losses at the hands of both Manchester and Leicester City. The Reds this season have struggled tremendously with injuries that have kept some of their best players out for stretches as well as completely decimating their back line with injuries to key pieces such as Virgil Van D**e and Joe Gomez. This lack of healthy defenders has made defending potent offenses.
Being outscored 8-2 in their last 3 games, Liverpool will need to sure up their defense before matching up against Leipzig who have scored 4 goals and 3 goals in their last two wins. With this current streak of form and fitness not looking to get any better, the PL title holders could be in trouble this week against Leipzig if Klopp cannot design a better defensive scheme. With a more talented roster, Liverpool has high expectations for their team to take a lead in the aggregate count but with their recent poor showings and seemingly non-existing defense, nothing is guaranteed.
Who will qualify for the quarter-finals?
Liverpool
Leipzig
39
VOTES
Game 2: FC Barcelona vs PSG
Date: 16/02/2021
Location: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
For the second match of Day 1, Barcelona will host Paris Saint Germain. The two perennial super powers will face off for the first time in nearly four years, their last contest being Barcelona’s epic 6-1 win in the second leg of the 2017 Round of 16 matchup. However, since that time a lot has changed for both clubs.
Since these teams played last, Neymar and Mbappe joined PSG to create their deadly duo, and Lionel Messi is the sole remnant of the legendary MSN front three. With both teams coming off of wins in their respective leagues, each side is feeling comfortable in their results and play ahead of the knockout stage this week.
As the host team, Barcelona cannot afford to go down in the first leg as they did in the last iteration of this Champions League match. Barcelona is currently decimated by injuries with consistent contributors on the backline such as Gerard Pique, Sergio Dest, and Sergi Roberto not playing in Barcelona’s most recent game. Crucial players such as Phillipe Coutinho and Ansu Fati are also currently on the injured reserves.
The team needs to find a rhythm while attacking and find ways to create and finish chances through the midfield for players such as Antoine Greizman and Ousmane Dembele. With a majority of the scoring and playmaking burden falling on the shoulders of Messi, the team cannot reach its full potential without another serious threat. This lone soldier offense, combined with a compromised backline, was the reason for Barcelona’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. However, this weekend Barcelona bounced back with a roaring offensive masterclass. The team scored 5 goals against Alaves with Leo Messi and Francisco Trincao contributing 2 goals each to the scoring party.
Paris Saint Germain are coming off a big win in their own right. After beating OG Nice 2-1 on Saturday, PSG retook first place in Ligue 1 currently leading off of goal differential. PSG fans however are currently only focused on one thing, Neymar’s health. The Brazilian came off limping partway through PSG’s win over Caen in the Coupe de France due to an adductor muscle (thigh) injury and will miss the faceoff with his pal Messi. Joining Neymar on the injury reserves, Angel Di Maria will also be sidelined on Tuesday because of a right thigh injury.
Despite these critical blows, PSG’s bench is loaded with talented players that can contribute to important wins in this crucial part of the season. With attackers such as Mauro Icardi, Julian Draxler, and Moise Kean at the ready, PSG is equipped to handle Neymar’s absence at least for the first leg, and to try and extend their current 4 game win streak at Camp Nou.
Who will qualify for the quarter-finals?
Barcelona
PSG
40
VOTES
Game 3: FC Porto vs Juventus
Date: 17/02/2021
Location: Estádio Do Dragão, Porto, Portugal
As the Portuguese legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, returns to his home country to play old rivals, FC Porto, he will try and start his knockout round campaign for a 6th Champions League trophy with a bang. However, with FC Porto remaining unbeaten since October of 2020, they’ll hope to extend that streak with a win against Juventus.
Currently sitting in second place of the Portuguese Liga and having only lost 2 matches since the season’s start, Porto are coming into this game feeling good about their chances against star-studded Juventus. With a play style that doesn’t rely on one particular attacker to carry the load of scoring, Porto can create opportunities for a multitude of players to score.
This offensive flexibility can help Porto by stretching Juventus’ defense and opening up gaps in the back line. However, against world-class defenders such as Matthijs de Ligt and Giorgio Chiellini, among others, not having a dangerous scorer of the same caliber can be the Achilles heel for this Porto attack.
Winning 2 of their last 5 matches while drawing 3 consecutively is not the ideal run of form for Porto supporters looking ahead to Wednesday, but with the unbeaten streak sitting at 13 games fans will hope that Porto can do enough to extend the streak for at least their home leg.
Despite a narrow loss to Napoli over the weekend, with Ronaldo leading the attack, Juventus supporters should feel confident heading into Wednesday’s match. The Portuguese international has scored more than anyone in history in the Champions League and so far this season between Champions League and Serie A, Ronaldo has scored 20 goals and has assisted on 4 in just 23 appearances. Behind Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata, and Juan Cuadrado have been able to create chances for their team as well as net some goals giving the team an added layer of depth that can be the difference in their match against Porto this week.
However, Juan Cuadrado has been ruled out of the match due to a muscle injury. He will join other main stay starters such as Paolo Dybala, Aaron Ramsey, and Arthur on the injured list. Even though their potent attack, Juventus’ defensive capabilities will be the key to the match. Currently sitting at a Serie A low of 19 goals allowed, the Old Lady will try to clamp down on Porto in order to keep their offense low scoring.
With Ronaldo up top and a strong defense that can get clean sheets, Juventus has all of the makings of a team that can get a win in the Round of 16 and carry that momentum far into the tournament.
Who will qualify for the quarter-finals?
Porto
Juventus
34
VOTES
Game 4: Sevilla vs Borussia Dortmund
Date: 17/02/2021
Location: Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla, Spain
Currently sitting on the outside of the top four of the Bundesliga looking in, Borussia Dortmund are fully focused on getting a win away from home this Wednesday. With the expectation of a Champions League appearance next season as well, Dortmund must either win the tournament to secure their spot or climb the Bundesliga table and finish in the top four.
With a Champions League match against Sevilla looming, the Germans need a win in order to try and turn their season around. However, after a 1-0 win in La Liga over the weekend, Sevilla is rolling. Currently on a 9 game win streak including their impressive win versus Barcelona coming just last week.
Over this streak, Sevilla has prided itself on a lockdown defense that completely neutralizes its opponents' attack. The Spanish side has allowed only 1 goal in their 9 recent wins and are currently on a mind-boggling 7 game clean sheet streak. Sevilla’s defensive unit this season has been incredibly consistent with no major injuries, allowing the team to develop as a unit. Now as they hit their stride, goalkeeper Bono and key defenders Joules Kuonde, Diego Carlos, and Marcos Acuna hope to be able to keep Erling Haaland quiet during their Champions League clash.
But even with their recent defensive dominance, keeping Erling Haaland quiet is a tall task for any defense. The young superstar scores in the blink of an eye and can explode at any moment. With his blazing pace and incredible touch, Haaland overwhelms defenses and puts the ball in the net. This season he has scored 23 goals in 23 games (6 in 4 games in the Champions League) including a game-saving goal in the 81st minute to sn**ch a draw versus Hoffenheim over the weekend.
With Borussia desperately needing a win, they hope that Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, and the young talent around them can crack the code of Sevilla’s stellar defense and emerge with a victory away from home. The team is looking to build momentum into the second leg of the Round of 16 and throughout the rest of the season and with a loss, getting through to the next round of the Champions League might be a bridge too far.
Who will qualify for the quarter-finals?
Sevilla
Dortmund
33
VOTES
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