Champions League 2018: Live Stream, TV Info, Schedule for Last-16 Ties
The chase for European football's biggest prize gets under way again this week, as the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League begins.
It's a knockout stage that is packed with so much to enjoy, too, with a number of heavyweights thrown together. Ties between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as well as Barcelona versus Chelsea wouldn't be out of place as a final; at least we get to see them play twice here.
The first legs of these encounters are naturally vital, as the 16 sides remaining in the competition get reacquainted with Champions League football.
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Here's the schedule for the first set of fixtures and a closer look at a couple of matches to come this week.
Champions League, Last-16 Schedule
Tuesday, February 13: Juventus vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Tuesday, February 13: FC Basel vs. Manchester City
Wednesday, February 14: FC Porto vs. Liverpool
Wednesday, February 14: Real Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Tuesday, February 20: Bayern Munich vs. Besiktas
Tuesday, February 20: Chelsea vs. Barcelona
Wednesday, February 21: Sevilla vs. Manchester United
Wednesday, February 21: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. AS Roma
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), ESPN (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport App (UK), Watch ESPN (U.S.)
Juventus vs. Tottenham Hotspur
After falling at the final hurdle in this competition last year, Juventus will be hungry to go one further. But they will be facing a Tottenham Hotspur side that is getting more accustomed to the demands of Champions League football.
The Italians have been in strong form as of late and are in a major battle for the Serie A title with Napoli. Up top, they have a forward in red-hot form in Gonzalo Higuain. However, it's at the back where they've been most impressive lately, as these numbers from football writer Colin Millar show:
Juve have been streetwise in this competition in recent years, with head coach Massimiliano Allegri guiding them to two of the last three finals.
Spurs, by contrast, have little experience when it comes to this type of football. Ahead of this campaign, their young side have appeared daunted in the face of big-name opposition, although strides have been made this term; they beat Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at home, and they earned a draw and a win on the road against those sides, respectively.
And while Juve have Higuain, Tottenham have Harry Kane. Bianconeri star Sami Khedira praised the Spurs forward ahead of the game, per BBC Match of the Day:
It will be intriguing to see how manager Mauricio Pochettino sets Tottenham up on Tuesday, as Juventus are a force to be reckoned with on home soil.
The Bianconceri have a number of injuries to contend with and may find a robust Spurs defence tough to break down. But they will eventually find a way through in an even game.
Prediction: Juventus 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Real Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain
The highlight of the last 16 is the showdown between champions Real Madrid and one of the big favourites for glory this season, PSG.
For Real, their season effectively hinges on getting through this tie. They are 19 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and out of the Copa del Rey, and a bad result at the Santiago Bernabeu would leave manager Zinedine Zidane and his star men under huge pressure.
As of late, their form has been so inconsistent, although Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes is backing Los Blancos to come through:
Based on the way PSG are playing at the moment, Real will need to make major improvements or at least hope their opponents have a significant off night on Wednesday.
Unai Emery's side, led by attacking talisman Neymar, have been irrepressible in recent outings. The Brazilian, with 18 goals and 11 assists in La Liga, has been the big star, although Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler are all adept at changing the course of a game.
Per OptaJean, no team on the continent can cope with the attacking firepower they possess at the moment:
Given the defensive issues Madrid have had recently, PSG will be confident of putting their stamp on the game in the final third at the Bernabeu.
Champions League knowhow will surely show for Los Blancos, and the Madridistas should get an improved display as a result. However, it's tough to see this version of Real getting the better of the Ligue 1 giants in their current state.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain
