Champions League 2016: Live Stream, Odds for Wednesday's Round of 16 Fixtures
Chelsea’s supporters will be hoping their team can conjure a special European atmosphere under the Stamford Bridge lights on Wednesday when they welcome Paris Saint-Germain, seeking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the UEFA Champions League.
Zenit St Petersburg are in a similar position to the Blues. The Russian side were edged out 1-0 by Benfica in the first leg after a late goal, but the Petrovsky Stadium is a very difficult venue to take a positive result from, making this a massive test of the Portuguese outfit’s credentials to go far in this competition.
With the kick-off times staggered, fans will be able to watch both of these finely poised ties. Here are all the key streaming details, the match odds and a recommended bet for each match.
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| 5 p.m. | Zenit vs. Benfica | Evens | 12/5 | 11/4 |
| 7:45 p.m. | Chelsea vs. PSG | 8/5 | 12/5 | 8/5 |
Odds listings via Odds Shark and Oddschecker, and accurate as of Tuesday, March 8.
Matches can be streamed via the BT Sport website (UK) and FOX Soccer 2 GO (US).
Chelsea to Qualify (2/1)
For the third successive year, Chelsea will host Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of a Champions League tie—and for as many times, the tie is precariously set.
The Blues will feel buoyed after John Obi Mikel’s away goal at the Parc des Princes, but goals either side of that from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani give the French champions a vital lead.
Still, there are reasons for Chelsea to be confident as they gear up to overturn a deficit against the Ligue 1 leaders.
As BreatheSport noted ahead of the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City, Chelsea have performed well under interim boss Guus Hiddink:
"Guus Hiddink's PL record at Chelsea:
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) March 2, 2016"
WWWWLWWDWWWWWDDWDDWDDWWW
Hit ❤️ if you think they should keep him! pic.twitter.com/0UHPPRtUeb
He’s an experienced manager when it comes to these sorts of tussles, and you can guarantee he’ll have thought meticulously about how best to set his side up for this one.
The opposition could be in better shape too. There are concerns about the fitness of Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi; as we can see here courtesy of Goal's Liam Twomey, they've not exactly been at full throttle in preparations:
Additionally, there have been some signs of PSG taking their foot off the gas in recent weeks in Ligue 1—they've lost to Lyon and drawn against Montpellier in their last two league matches—and once a team shifts down a couple of gears, it can be different to move through them once again.
With Matuidi and Verratti set to miss out, that’ll have a destabilising influence on the visitors; Thiago Motta and Adrien Rabiot are fine players but not to the standards of the aforementioned pair.
Those factors—coupled with Hiddink’s refreshing impact on this Chelsea outfit—will see them edge through in a tight clash.
Artem Dzyuba, Zenit: First Goalscorer (5/1)
Although Zenit were narrowly beaten in the first leg by Benfica and unable to secure a key away goal, they’ll still be confident of mounting a rally in the second leg, having previously excelled in the competition this season.
Indeed, the departing Andre Villas-Boas steered his team to six wins from six matches in the group stages of the competition, and their star man during that spell was burly forward Artem Dzyuba, who will be seeking to pose an awkward test for the visitors’ defence on Wednesday evening.
Here is a look at the kind of threat the forward will pose Benfica as Zenit seek to work their way back into the tie:
Dzyuba may not be the most glamorous forward, with his team-mate Hulk showcasing a greater propensity for eye-catching goals. But the 27-year-old is the focal point of this Zenit attack and for a team who are adaptable in their approach, he is a major asset to Villas-Boas’ plans.
As WhoScored.com noted earlier in the season, the forward has been one of the most dangerous players in the final third in the Champions League in 2015-16:
Additionally, Benfica will have to call upon a makeshift defence for this one, with centre-backs Luisao and Lisandro Lopez injured, while Jardel is suspended.
To cap off these issues for coach Rui Vitoria, experienced goalkeeper Julio Cesar is also out and as a result, Zenit will surely seek to utilise their star centre-forward with an avalanche of crosses into the box.
Dzyuba has done well to rattle some solid defences in this competition so far and with a patched-up Benfica back line to go at, expect him to get Zenit off to a fine start.
