After a weekend on which Barcelona took total control of La Liga with their 1-0 home win over Atlético Madrid, Napoli’s chances of dethroning Juventus as Serie A kings took a heavy hit with their 4-2 home defeat by Roma, and the champions-elect of Germany, England and France – namely Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain – all added three more points to their copious totals, the rather less predictable UEFA Champions League makes a timely return with the first four second-leg matches in the round of 16.
Two of the ties are already settled in favour of Liverpool and Manchester City, who both bring huge, virtually unassailable first-leg leads back to the north-west of England. But the matches in Paris and London promise intrigue and excitement galore, with the European dreams of either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid and Tottenham or Juventus set to turn to dust this week.
Here’s a preview – with predictions – of all four games:
Tuesday – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (1) v REAL MADRID (3)
Neymar might have been sent off by a less lenient referee in the first leg at the Bernabéu. Instead the world’s most expensive player misses the game through injury, a broken toe bone, subsequent surgery and a less than encouraging prognosis suggesting that the match against Marseille in which he sustained the damage to his foot will be his last in a PSG shirt this season; and that – horror of horrors – he might not even be fully fit to play for Brazil at the World Cup.
Parisians are doubtless bemoaning the fact that of all the games Neymar might miss, it had to be this one – the very contest for which PSG’s Qatari owners paid Barcelona a sheikh’s ransom to lure him to the French capital last summer. On the bright side, the man set to replace the Brazilian, ex-Real Madrid winger Ángel Di María, is not only a highly experienced European campaigner – man of the match in the 2014 Champions League final, no less – but also in excellent form.
Furthermore, PSG have won every game at the Parc des Princes this season, and have scored 76 goals in those 19 victories – an average of four per match. They also overcame Madrid the last time they lost the first leg 3-1 in the Spanish capital – in an absolute humdinger of a game at the Parc des Princes in the quarter-finals of the 1992/93 UEFA Cup. I remember it even now, with Antoine Kombouaré sensationally heading in the goal that made it 4-1 on the night deep into stoppage time – and this just after Iván Zamorano had dramatically brought the aggregate scores level at the other end.
An encore 25 years on would be something else.
Prediction: PSG to dominate and maintain their perfect Parc des Princes record with another win, but Madrid to squeeze through thanks to a 12th goal in this season’s competition from the irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo. 2-1
Tuesday – LIVERPOOL (5) v PORTO (0)
With a 5-0 lead, Liverpool can afford to take it easy at Anfield. The Kop will be baying for another victory, but they would probably not be too disheartened to see man of the moment Mo Salah – 11 goals in his last ten games – and maybe one or two other key players either kept in reserve on the bench or rested completely given that the Reds’ next fixture is a Saturday lunchtime kick-off away to Manchester United in the Premier League.
Porto’s record in England is nothing short of woeful. They have played 17 games in the country and lost 15 of them, winning none. They beat Sporting 2-1 at home last Friday to remain undefeated and top of the league in Portugal, but Sérgio Conceição’s side were ripped apart by Jürgen Klopp’s team in the first leg and will be aware that Liverpool’s last home game in the Champions League was also somewhat one-sided – a 7-0 mauling of Spartak Moscow.
Prediction: Liverpool to extend their aggregate advantage but at the same time keep some of their powder dry for Old Trafford. 2-1
Wednesday – TOTTENHAM (2) v JUVENTUS (2)
Tottenham were brilliant in Turin three weeks ago. They have not lost in ages and have gone 15 games unbeaten at Wembley, winning all but two. But this is the big test for Mauricio Pochettino and his players. Can they build on that outstanding first-leg display in which they came from 2-0 down to score twice against a defence that has conceded just one other goal in their last 20 matches?
Juve have won their last three fixtures 1-0, and that scoreline will also be their objective against Spurs.
The return of that scampish, skilful left-footer, Paulo Dybala – who scored the stoppage-time winner against Lazio in Rome on Saturday – gives Tottenham a new factor to concern themselves with, although the indications are that he will be a direct replacement for Juve’s double goalscorer of the first leg, Gonzalo Higuaín, who is doubtful with an ankle injury.
The onus will be on Spurs to dictate the game, as they did for the most part in Turin. Scoring first will be their priority, and with all their key attacking talents fit, available and – with the exception of Dele Alli – in form, it would be no surprise to see them going hard at Juve from the off, even if at the back of their minds they know that a clean sheet will guarantee their safe passage to the quarter-finals.
It promises to be an epic encounter, with the outcome of the tie in the balance until the very last kick.
Prediction: Juve have the European pedigree, but Tottenham have two precious away goals, which could prove crucial. It will be tight, tense and terrific to watch. 1-1
Wednesday – MANCHESTER CITY (4) v BASEL (0)
Poor Basel. Demolished 4-0 in their home stadium three weeks ago, they have played just twice since then – another couple of games were postponed - and lost them both 2-0. Now they have to take on arguably Europe’s most accomplished team in a stadium where the hosts have won 19 of their 21 matches this season, drawing the other two (and winning one of those on penalties).
It’s a thankless task for the Swiss champions, but then again, as prospective lambs to the slaughter, they have nothing to lose. Anything less than another thumping by Pep Guardiola’s relentlessly efficient side will be considered a success. While City will surely rack up another victory, the size of it could depend on the personnel that Guardiola elects to deploy. Even then, his squad is so strong that Basel, like Arsenal and Chelsea in recent days, can expect to be parked in their own half chasing shadows for large parts of the evening.
Prediction: Another easy win for City, with possession stats pushing close to the 75% mark. 3-0
PSG were hugely disappointing in the end and were lucky to get away with the scoreline they did. Even with 11 men they just looked lethargic and out of ideas. Madrid did what they needed to and little more - that's not a criticism; it just means that Zidane knew what approach he wanted and the players delivered. Given their terrible domestic season it was quite an achievement to make it look so easy, but they were helped along the way by a PSG side who, if you'd been trapped in a cave for the last ten years, you'd assume were still a mediocre, none-too-wealthy side by European standards and who had somehow lucked into a last 16 for which…