Ultimate Guide to Champions League Round-of-16 Week 3: The Battle at the Bridge
After a one week break, we’re into the second legs of UEFA Champions League last-16 action, with most of Tuesday and Wednesday's matches balanced on a knife edge as the quarter-finals loom tantalisingly close.
Three of the four upcoming games see the sides separated by just one goal, but how will they get on second time around?
Here’s the ultimate guide.
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Tuesday, March 8
Wolfsburg (3) vs. (2) Gent, Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, 7.45 p.m. GMT / 2.45 p.m. ET
Down and out at 3-0 down in the first leg in Belgium, how important will Gent’s two goals in the final 10 minutes of the first leg be come the final reckoning here?
Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly struck to punish a perceived sloppiness from Wolfsburg. Nonetheless, the Bundesliga side should continue to traverse uncharted territory and finish the job off here.
Two goals in the opening 17 minutes from Julian Draxler and Max Kruse—both of whom also scored in the first leg of this tie—got the job done against Borussia Monchengladbach in the league on Saturday, ensuring Dieter Hecking’s men approach this clash full of confidence and expecting to become the sixth German club to play in the last eight of the Champions League.
A Belgian team hasn’t beaten German opposition in this competition in the last 15 attempts, and with the weight of away goals counting against them, it would be a huge surprise if Gent were to change that here.
They've had a wonderful run, but it looks as though it'll end on Tuesday.
Prediction: Wolfsburg 2-0 Gent (5-2 on aggregate)
Real Madrid (2) vs. (0) Roma, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, 7.45 p.m. GMT / 2.45 p.m. ET
Going into the first leg of this clash in Rome, Real Madrid had remarkably lost their last eight two-legged ties against Italian opposition, but that looks to be a run that won’t reach nine.
Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and, crucially, Jese four minutes from time gave Real a 2-0 win in the Italian capital, which pretty much secured a sixth successive quarter-final appearance for the Spanish giants, who warmed up for this clash by crushing Celta Vigo 7-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Roma were also impressive last time out, beating Fiorentina 4-1 at home on Friday to solidify third place in Serie A, but even they must know they have next to no chance of repeating their 2008 feat of knocking Real out in the last 16.
With La Liga all but in the hands of Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane will see the Champions League as his best chance of achieving tangible success in what is still an uncertain period in the Spanish capital. And with Ronaldo—who has a remarkable 12 goals in seven European appearances this season—seemingly on a one-man mission to rewrite the history books, this clash only looks like going one way.
He is going to score, and Madrid are going to win.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Roma (5-0 aggregate)
Wednesday, March 9
Zenit Saint Petersburg (0) vs. (1) Benfica, Petrovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, 5 p.m. GMT / 12 p.m. ET
The stoppage-time winner from Benfica’s Jonas in the first leg has set up this clash nicely, with the Portuguese giants heading for Russia seeking a fourth quarter-final appearance.
In Zenit Saint Petersburg, though, they will be facing a side that was one of the most impressive outfits in the group stage, with Andre Villas-Boas seeking to take the Russian outfit further than any team from that country has been in this competition before, as well as enhancing his own reputation before leaving the club at the end of the season.
Averaging just 43 per cent possession in their seven Champions League matches thus far, per UEFA.com, must of Zenit’s success has been based on hitting opponents on the break, and so they are likely to find it tough against a Benfica side that will sit back and look to defend that narrow first-leg advantage.
Missing the suspended Domenico Criscito—who was sent off in the first leg—and former Benfica midfielder Javi Garcia, Zenit will have to get on the front foot quickly if they are to extend their club-record run of four successive Champions League home victories.
An early goal will perhaps be vital, and if they can get it, then they should eventually have enough to progress.
Prediction: Zenit St. Petersburg 2-0 Benfica (2-1 on aggregate)
Chelsea (1) vs. (2) Paris Saint-Germain, Stamford Bridge, London, 7.45 p.m. GMT / 2.45 p.m. ET
The tie of the round comes at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will be seeking to build on their crucial away goal in the French capital as they welcome Ligue 1’s runaway leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.
Guus Hiddink, per BBC Sport, quite rightly claimed the tie was still 50-50 despite Edinson Cavani’s late winner in the first leg. But what isn’t equal is the form and momentum of both teams.
Chelsea stuttered to a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday—the latest in a series of solid if underwhelming displays under their veteran Dutch coach. And even though PSG have remarkably gone two league games without a win (a crisis as far as they are concerned), they are still a massive 23 points clear at the top of their domestic table.
Stamford Bridge was the venue for one of their more impressive European displays of recent years when they ousted the Blues on away goals despite playing most of the match without the red-carded Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season, with Marco Verratti in particular turning in a remarkable midfield display.
Perhaps they won’t need as much effort to beat Chelsea this time around, with Ibrahimovic seeking a first Champions League knockout victory on English soil.
The super Swede will be key to the visitors’ efforts as they seek to become the fourth team after Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United to knock Chelsea out of the Champions League on more than one occasion, and they’ll be confident of winning on the night as well as on aggregate.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain (2-4 on aggregate)
