UEFA Champions League, Duke-UNC and More to Watch This Week

Must-Watch: More UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League round of 16 rolls on this week with two more matches apiece Tuesday and Wednesday. All four matches will kick off at 3 p.m. ET and stream on B/R Live, with one each day also broadcasting on TNT.

Pre-match coverage on both platforms will feature the one-hour B/R Football Matchday Show. At the end of each day’s action, the B/R Football Post-Match Show will be on TNT, while B/R Live will have postgame press conferences from each manager.

Got it? Good. Let’s jump into the matchups.

Tuesday, Feb. 19

Liverpool (+100) vs. Bayern Munich
Watch on B/R Live, TNT (UK: BT Sport)

This matchup is almost crazy to have in merely the round of 16 with these two heavyweights. Last season’s UCL runners-up Liverpool clash with German power Bayern Munich in what could easily be a final. In fact, FiveThirtyEight projects Bayern and Liverpool with the fourth- and fifth-best chances, respectively, of the last 16 teams to win the tournament.

If you like offense, this tie is made for you, as Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski led all scorers in the group stage with eight goals, sending one into the back of the net every 67 minutes. Arjen Robben also added a couple stunners, and the pair make the German side dangerous in any opponent’s final third. Oh, and for good measure, Bayern’s last line of defense is Manuel Neuer.

For the Reds, they bring one of the best and fastest attacking trios in the world to the table, with Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane combining for six goals in the group stage.

The English side will have to take advantage of the first leg at home at Anfield because their home and away splits in group play were significant. At home, Liverpool went 3-0-0 and outscored their opponents 8-2, while away, they went 0-0-3 and were outscored 5-1.

You can be sure both teams are aware of this, so it will be interesting to watch how the game plans develop and how the first leg unfolds, with Liverpool knowing it likely will need a heavy cushion of a lead heading to Munich for the second leg.

Lyon vs. Barcelona (-150)
Watch on B/R Live (UK: BT Sport)

Favorites to win the Champions League crown, Barcelona get a favorable draw for its round-of-16 tie, facing French side Lyon, to which the Catalans have never lost in six previous meetings. These teams met at this stage of the competition in 2009, with Barcelona advancing 6-3 on aggregate.

Lionel Messi has scored three goals in four career games against Lyon and will headline Barcelona’s attack in this first leg, as his side look to take another step toward European glory after last season’s shock upset to AS Roma in the quarterfinals.

Lyon has a mountain to climb in this matchup, but their form of late has been good, going 4-0-1 in the last five matches including a win over PSG earlier this month. And the French squad has already done some giant-killing in this Champions League campaign, winning 2-1 at Manchester City on Matchday 1 and drawing with the Premier League leaders on Matchday 5. In fact, Lyon is yet to lose in European play this season after earning five draws in the group stage.

Could they find a way to finish even with Barcelona in Leg 1 and then rely on some away-goal magic in the second leg to pull off the upset?

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Atletico Madrid (+170) vs. Juventus | Preview
Watch on B/R Live, TNT (UK: BT Sport)

Another heavyweight matchup fit for much later in the tournament than this current round. Atletico Madrid and Juventus likely will produce two intense, entertaining legs of soccer. Both teams have come agonizingly close to lifting the trophy in recent seasons.

Atletico lost the final to Real Madrid in extra time in 2014 and on penalties in 2016. Then Juventus lost to Real in the final the following season and in the semifinals last season. The Champions League final this season is at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, giving the Spanish side even more motivation to make it back to that stage of the competition.

But in the way of accomplishing that task is Atletico’s top Champions League nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, who while with Real Madrid, scored four Champions League goals against the city rivals over two seasons and added the title-winning goal during the penalty shootout in the 2016 final. Now starring for Juventus, Ronaldo has scored 22 times against Atletico in all competitions during his career.

Diego Simeone’s side is known for supreme defensive organization and physicality, and the emergence of Antoine Griezmann as a world-class striker has turned Atletico into a well-rounded power. Griezmann and the Atletico offense should be buoyed by the arrival of striker Alvaro Morata on loan from Chelsea. Morata has excelled in past Champions League competitions both with Real Madrid and, of course, Juventus.

The test for veteran center back Diego Godin and the rest of the Spanish side’s defense will be how much pressure it can withstand from the likes of Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi, while also effectively countering and forcing the Juventus back line, led by Giorgio Chiellini, to make strong defensive plays of its own.

Scoring first is critical for Atletico, which is built much more to protect the lead and squeeze the life out of an opposing attack rather than play catch up. On the other hand, a first goal from Juventus, especially as the visitors, will significantly open up play for the remainder of the tie.

Schalke vs. Manchester City (-360) | Preview
Watch on B/R Live (U.K.: BT Sport)

On paper, this is the most lopsided fixture in the opening round of the knockout stage. Schalke have struggled to find consistent form throughout the season, only managing to win consecutive matches twice in the 2018-19 campaign over a span of 28 matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, Manchester City have only lost five matches out of 39 total and is tied for first place in the English Premier League.

There are a couple of players to especially watch in this match. First is Manchester City star Leroy Sane, who is facing his boyhood club for the first time since leaving Schalke in 2016 for a reported transfer fee of over $42 million. He scored 11 goals in 42 appearances for the German club, including this fantastic finish against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

On the other side, 18-year-old Rabbi Matondo could make his UCL debut for Schalke after being transferred from Manchester City for a reported fee of over $12 million just last month. He made his debut for Schalke in a losing effort against Borussia Monchengladbach on Feb. 2 but seems eager to solidify his spot in the starting lineup in due time. Watch as he discusses the details around his move.

Also, keep an eye on Schalke's two American players in Weston McKennie and Haji Wright. McKennie is the name most U.S. fans will already be aware of. The Texas native appeared in four group-stage matches, assisting a goal and scoring a crucial late winner against Lokomotiv Moscow on Matchday 2.

Projections for the entire Champions League round of 16

Watch This: Duke-North Carolina

This week's stellar Champions League slate is probably the only thing that could force the best rivalry in college basketball out of the Must-Watch section of the newsletter, especially given how good North Carolina and Duke are this season. But here we are, with a mega ACC showdown Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN from Cameron Indoor Stadium on Duke’s campus. Game Center.

Both teams are coming off double-digit weekend wins and are separated by just one game at the top of the ACC standings. Duke returned to the No. 1 spot in the AP poll after Tennessee lost to Kentucky over the weekend, while UNC stayed put at No. 8.

The Tobacco Road rivals have played a number of high-level common opponents this season: Against Kentucky, Duke won and UNC lost. Against Gonzaga, UNC won and Duke lost. Against Louisville, Duke won on the road with the biggest second-half comeback of the Mike Krzyzewski era, while UNC suffered its biggest home loss of the Roy Williams era but then rebounded to beat the Cardinals on the road.

Against Virginia, the third team fighting for the ACC crown, Duke won two close games and UNC lost a tight one.

The players to watch for this edition of the rivalry are on opposite ends of the experience spectrum. Seniors Cameron Johnson and Luke Maye lead the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding, with Maye developing into one of Carolina’s most important players in every aspect of the game.

For Duke, the freshmen tell the story, with RJ Barrett fresh off just the fourth triple-double in Duke history, Zion Williamson having one of the most efficient seasons of college basketball history, Cam Reddish growing into the role of go-to clutch scorer, and Tre Jones running things as the engine on both defense and offense. The teams meet in Durham on Wednesday and again in Chapel Hill in just a couple weeks.

More to Watch This Week

NBA Returns

With the All-Star Game in the books (more on that in a bit), the NBA season resumes on Thursday night. On TNT you can catch a big battle at the top of the Eastern Conference with Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks at 8 p.m. ET followed by Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30, with both teams just outside of the playoffs in the current standings.

There are four NBA League Pass games on B/R Live you can watch out-of-market featuring the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat. To watch NBA League Pass on B/R Live, go here.

Europa League Second Leg

The final 16 teams of the UEFA Europa League will be decided by Thursday night, and if the first legs of the round of 32 are any indication, we’re in for some thrilling return legs this week.

Here are all of the scores from the first leg:

Every UEL match will air on B/R Live. Second legs begin with one match on Wednesday and finish with the remaining 15 on Thursday. Here’s the full second-leg schedule, with all kickoff times Eastern:

Wednesday:

12 p.m.—Sevilla vs. Lazio (Watch)

Thursday:

12:55 p.m.—Arsenal vs. BATE Borisov (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Valencia vs. Celtic (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Zenit vs. Fenerbahce (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Napoli vs. Zurich (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Villarreal vs. Sporting CP (Watch free)

12:55 p.m.—Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Salzburg vs. Club Brugge (Watch)

12:55 p.m.—Dinamo Zagreb vs. Viktoria Plzen (Watch)

3 p.m.—KRC Genk vs. Slavia Praha (Watch)

3 p.m.—Dynamo Kyiv vs. Olympiacos FC (Watch)

3 p.m.—Bayer Leverkusen vs. Krasnodar (Watch)

3 p.m.—Real Betis vs. Stade Rennes (Watch)

3 p.m.—Inter Milan vs. Rapid Wien (Watch)

3 p.m.—Benfica vs. Galatasaray (Watch)

3 p.m.—Chelsea vs. Malmo (Watch)

The draw for the round of 16 will be on B/R Live at 7 a.m. ET on Friday.

NBA All-Star Weekend Catchup

2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte delivered and then some, beginning with the rising stars of the league putting on a show Friday night.

All-Star Saturday Night featured plenty of fun and goofing around, but at the center of it all were some great displays of skill, athleticism and a little luck, as illustrated by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum winning the Skills Challenge like this:

The Curry brothers participated in the Three-Point Shootout in their home city, but it was Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, a late invitee, who went first and put up a huge score to advance. And then he held off Steph Curry to win the title.

While Steph made 10-straight threes to begin his final round, his best performance of the night came via his fashion choice, as he wore the same style jacket from when he joined his father Dell the last time the All-Star Game was in Charlotte.

The Slam Dunk Contest had some ups and downs with lots of missed dunks, questionable scoring, and plenty of celebrity cameos. But it cannot be denied that eventual champion Hamidou Diallo brought the house down performing this insane dunk over Shaq with a "Honey Dip" (entire forearm in the rim) at the end, with a Superman shoutout to finish.

The final part of the show, Sunday’s actual game, brought some incredible highlights from the best players in the world. Easily the play of the night came when Giannis Antetokounmpo dunked a bounced alley-oop from Curry that went so high it was out of the camera frame.

In his last All-Star Game, Dwyane Wade said his only goal was to get one last lob to LeBron James, and boy did he.

Fellow legend Dirk Nowitzki, in likely but not yet officially his last ASG, brought some vintage Dirk magic, splashing three three-pointers in a row during one first-half stretch.

Team Giannis was running Team LeBron off the floor for most of the night, but in late in the 3rd quarter and early in the fourth, Kevin Durant, LeBron’s first overall pick two years in a row, took over, pouring in 31 points on the way to MVP honors. Durant becomes only the sixth player ever with a regular-season MVP, two Finals MVPs and two All-Star MVPs.