B/R Experts: Big-Game Predictions, April 18-20
An incredible week of football begins with a delicious slate of European football. The Champions League and Europa League combine to bring us some of the biggest clubs in world football commencing battle in the second legs of the ties they began last week.
Our writers—Dean Jones, Adam Digby, Lars Pollmann and Karl Matchett—have tackled the tough task of predicting the scores in all the major matches.
Can Barcelona produce another spectacular comeback? Digby isn't so sure. Can Leicester City produce another spectacular upset? Matchett has his say.
Leicester City vs. Atletico Madrid
1 of 8
Leicester might feel rightly proud of their achievements in Europe this year, and to an extent also about keeping Atletico Madrid down to a single-goal lead from the first leg, but any expectations they have of mounting a comeback are going to quickly dampened.
Atletico aren't just a good side, they are a team comfortable with sitting back, with surety in their tactics and defensive ability, with the absolute belief that a marginal lead for them is worth two or three goals for other sides.
They also have world-class attackers who can tear apart lesser sides on the counter, and that's what is in store for the Foxes, whose adventure ends here.
Prediction: 0-1
First scorer: Yannick Carrasco
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
2 of 8
In big games, the margins are at their finest. The first leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid again proved that proposition.
Had Arturo Vidal converted a wrongly awarded penalty in stoppage time of the first half to make it 2-0 for the hosts, the way back would've been incredibly hard even for a side as skilled in coming from behind as Los Blancos.
As it happened, the Chilean skied his attempt, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two minutes after the break, Javi Martinez saw two yellow cards in three minutes and the Portugal international hit the winner with his 100th European goal.
It leaves the Bavarians with a herculean task at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they've only won twice in 11 attempts. Even if Robert Lewandowski returns, the fitness of centre-back duo Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels remains questionable. With Martinez suspended, Carlo Ancelotti could go into the game without a natural central defender on the pitch.
His former pupil, Zinedine Zidane, has fewer problems to solve, even though Pepe and Raphael Varane are set to miss the game, while Gareth Bale is out with a calf issue, per Sport.
Real know a goal or two may be all they need, and who would bet against them in this scenario?
Prediction: 2-2
First goalscorer: Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona vs. Juventus
3 of 8
Having established a commanding lead in the first leg, Juventus must now do what Paris Saint-Germain couldn't and finish off Barcelona.
It will not be easy, of course, with Sergio Busquets' return from suspension sure to improve the Blaugrana midfield and the vast expanses of Camp Nou to exploit.
However, if any team is well-versed in killing off such ties it is Juve, with their defence conceding just twice in nine Champions League outings this term and already boasting seven clean sheets.
Look for another smart approach here from the visitors, while Barca will understandably throw caution to the wind in pursuit of the goals they need to progress.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Luis Suarez
Monaco vs. Borussia Dortmund
4 of 8
Lost in the (warranted, of course) attention to the terrorist attack on Borussia Dortmund last week was the fact that the Black and Yellows were quite harshly done by in the game against AS Monaco.
Kylian Mbappe was a good yard offside for his first goal, while Sven Bender may well have avoided scoring in his own net if not for Radamel Falcao stepping on his foot.
With Mbappe's second strike the result of a brutal lapse in judgement by Lukasz Piszczek, all three goals for the visitors were avoidable.
The fact that Dortmund have a fighting chance for the second leg is testament to their strong reaction to the attack on their lives, especially in the second half of the first leg.
They followed it up with a fairly comfortable 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday, a game which allowed head coach Thomas Tuchel to look ahead, as key players such as Marco Reus, Julian Weigl and Ousmane Dembele played fewer than 90 minutes ahead of the second leg on Wednesday.
Monaco had more problems in a come-from-behind win over lowly Dijon FCO in Ligue 1, but they can point to their strong home form in the Champions League this season—having not lost any of their six matches in Stade Louis II to this point.
The return from suspension of midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko balances the loss of Fabinho, who will serve a ban of his own on Wednesday.
The first leg showed the two teams are on a similar level, so fine details should decide the match. Monaco have the attacking talent to score enough goals to reach the semi-finals, but so do Dortmund, who will fight for their Champions League dream.
Prediction: 1-2
First goalscorer: Marco Reus
Genk vs. Celta Vigo
5 of 8
With Celta Vigo 3-2 up from the first leg and having rested several key players at the weekend, the advantage lies with the Spanish side despite the two away goals for KRC Genk.
While the Belgians will feel they have the capacity to trouble Celta once more—particularly having scored 10 goals in their last four games—there's still a huge amount of firepower available to head coach Eduardo Berizzo, with Iago Aspas and John Guidetti in particularly good form of late.
It might go to the wire, but Celta should still progress to the Europa League semi-finals barring a complete meltdown at the back—which isn't unheard of in this team.
Prediction: 2-2
First scorer: Jean-Paul Boetius
Schalke 04 vs. Ajax
6 of 8
It says a lot about the state of Schalke 04 in 2017 that the best thing about their first-leg performance at Ajax was the fact they only lost 2-0 against a team full of inexperienced players.
The Ruhr side were torn apart by the likes of Justin Kluivert, Bertrand Traore and Amin Younes, a former Germany youth international and, if not for a spectacular day at the office for goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann, the tie would've been over after 90 minutes.
As it stands, there is little to suggest Schalke can turn things around at home, especially after an abject performance at relegation-threatened Darmstadt 98 on Sunday, a game they lost in the 93rd minute.
Ajax, meanwhile, took care of business after an early scare in a 5-1 win at home against Heerenveen. They haven't been particularly strong on the road in Europe this season, however, winning just one of five attempts in the Europa League. An early lead for Schalke could prove a dangerous situation for a side as young as Peter Bosz's.
Given Schalke's minute margin for error, though, one goal may be all Ajax need.
Prediction: 2-1
First goalscorer: Guido Burgstaller
Manchester United vs. Anderlecht
7 of 8
The win over Chelsea on Sunday could prove to be the most defining moment of manager Jose Mourinho's Manchester United career so far.
United's formation, line-up and style of play took everyone by surprise. The 2-0 victory—and standout performances from Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford—has given this side new belief at exactly the right time.
Any self-doubt that may have crept in when Anderlecht scored a late equaliser in the first leg of this Europa League tie has now been swept aside. It is difficult to imagine United not winning this game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored five goals in the competition this season and will no doubt return to the starting XI with a semi-final spot up for grabs.
Anderlecht managed a 1-0 win at Oostende at the weekend but, after managing one shot on target in the first leg against United, they are going to have to soak up pressure and then prove effective on the break in order to secure a famous European night.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Besiktas vs. Lyon
8 of 8
A crucial away goal from Ryan Babel has given Besiktas hope of making it through, but the truth is they should be in control of this tie. A horrendous mistake by goalkeeper Fabri (a Cruyff turn in his own box) allowed Lyon to turn the game on its head as they scored two goals in two minutes.
The French side now have all the belief and the momentum, but both teams scored from set-piece plays in the first leg and similar tactics could decide this tie. There is hope for the Turkish side in that they have plenty of attacking options capable of turning a game.
This is not a team built to sit back and defend, so the current 2-1 deficit may suit them. Cenk Tosun, Ricardo Quaresma and Anderson Talisca have been the three players most regularly involved in goals this season and will need to rattle Lyon's back line early to ensure the Ligue 1 side can't settle on their lead.
Prediction: 2-0
First goalscorer: Cenk Tosun
