Champions League 2016: Round-of-16 Leg 1 Live Stream, TV Schedule, Predictions
The 2015-16 UEFA Champions League will finally return on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the first legs of the first four matches of the round of 16 will immediately serve up some mouthwatering ties.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will again meet on Europe's biggest stage, while Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane will make his international debut against an in-form AS Roma.
Benfica and Zenit Saint Petersburg are Champions League regulars, and Gent, who shocked everyone by surviving the group stages during their tournament debut, will look to continue their unlikely run against Wolfsburg.
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Here's a look at this week's schedule along with TV and live-stream information and some predictions:
| Tuesday, Feb. 16 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | PSG vs. Chelsea | BT Sport 2 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (USA) | BT Sport Player, Fox Soccer 2Go | 3-1 |
| Tuesday, Feb. 16 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Benfica vs. Zenit | BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports 1 (USA) | BT Sport Player, Fox Soccer 2Go | 1-1 |
| Wednesday, Feb. 17 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Gent vs. Wolfsburg | BT Sport 2 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (USA) | BT Sport Player, Fox Soccer 2Go | 1-2 |
| Wednesday, Feb. 17 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Roma vs. Real Madrid | BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports 1 (USA) | BT Sport Player, Fox Soccer 2Go | 1-1 |
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea
PSG and Chelsea have become well-acquainted in the last couple of seasons, as the two teams have met in the Champions League on several occasions. Just last year, Les Parisiens knocked the Blues out in thrilling fashion, and they'll be expecting a similar outcome this time around.
While the Ligue 1 champions have continued their outstanding domestic form since then―they lead the French league by 24 points―Chelsea are suffering through a miserable season and will not qualify for next year's Champions League unless they can win this year's edition.
The Blues did beat Newcastle United 5-1 in their last Premier League outing, but afterwards, interim manager Guus Hiddink told reporters that match may have hurt Chelsea's chances against PSG, per the club's official Twitter account:
Hiddink also said PSG were able to rest their players while he could not, even though the Blues have little left to play for in the Premier League and could easily have omitted some stars against the Magpies.
Per the official PSG Twitter feed, Les Parisiens haven't lost at home in their last 31 matches, and given Chelsea's lack of consistent form and the hosts' dominant run, that shouldn't change on Tuesday.
PSG look like one of the best teams in Europe right now. But they haven't been tested outside of Ligue 1 in some time, and some fans may point to the lack of opposition they face in France.
Tuesday's match will tell us a lot about Les Parisiens and whether their excellent form is good enough to take them deep into the tournament.
Prediction: PSG's form is legit, and they should cruise to a clear win over the Blues.
Real Madrid vs. AS Roma
Elsewhere, Zidane's Real Madrid will travel to Italy to take on a Roma side that have suddenly discovered their best form after a poor run of results.
They've won their last four Serie A matches since losing to Juventus, and in January addition Stephan El Shaarawy, they've found a creative winger who can tie their promising attack together.
Los Blancos will provide the Giallorossi with a tough challenge, as Real have yet to lose since Zidane took the reins, but where this tie looked one-sided just three weeks ago, the Italians will now fancy their chances.
Real have looked excellent under Zidane so far. But they've mainly beaten up on some of La Liga's lesser clubs, and the Frenchman is yet to be truly tested by an experienced manager with a strong squad. New Roma manager Luciano Spalletti is just that, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:
Spalletti is a fantastic tactician with an impressive track record, and Roma enter this tie knowing full well that most fans expect them to get hammered by Real.
While Los Blancos are rightly favourites to advance, the Giallorossi will play without any real pressure on their shoulders. Don't be surprised if they hold their own against the Spanish giants.
Add to that the fact Gareth Bale missed Real's match against Athletic Bilbao and is not expected to feature against Roma, per Agence France-Presse (h/t BBC Sport), and the threat of an upset becomes even more real.
Prediction: Real take care of business in the second leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu but not before Roma make their life difficult at the Stadio Olimpico.
