The first playoff round in the Champions League was full of surprises. However, winners do not have the last say until they confirm their qualification for the remainder of the knockout phase if they lose in the second round. Each of the playoff teams will face a team of the Top 8. Giants will fall, but which one will exit the tournament first?
Top Champions League prediction №1. Real Madrid vs Manchester City 19.02.2025
In the first leg, this fixture was already a must-watch. Although Real Madrid will be favoured by betting odds as they will host the second leg at the legendary Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the tie is far from over. Only one goal separates the two teams, as Manchester City could not keep their lead in the second half.
Real Madrid’s doubts continued in La Liga as they were held to a draw at El Sadar against Osasuna (1-1), which means that they could lose their spot as league leaders if Barcelona defeat Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
⚽️✔️🔄🥅 pic.twitter.com/CPsSrVuFc7
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 16, 2025
More importantly, Real Madrid are likely to face a “different” Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team crushed Newcastle (4-0), inspired by Omar Marmoush’s hat-trick. Another player that was also often mentioned after the match is midfielder Nico González. Since Rodri’s injury, the team lacked an efficient duel winner at the heart of the midfield: Pep Guardiola himself baptized him “Mini Rodri”.
Although Manchester City might have had their best game of the season against Newcastle, the clash against Real Madrid will be more difficult at the Santiago Bernabéu. This is the stadium that witnessed dozens of comebacks through different player generations. Manchester City will need to watch out for counter-attacks, especially with a Jude Bellingham who was given the opportunity to rest after being sent off for saying “fuck off” to the referee.
Pick: Real Madrid to win (+115)
Top Champions League prediction №2. Feyenoord vs AC Milan, 18.02.2025
Feyenoord surprised fans in the first leg with a 1-0 win over AC Milan but will now have to travel to Milan to secure progression to the next stage. The Dutch team were held to a goalless draw by 10th-placed NAC Breda in the Eredivisie, highlighting their inconsistency.
The victory against Milan was considered impressive given that Feyenoord recently sacked their head coach, leaving the interim manager to figure out how to set the team up against Milan. Pascal Bosschaart is expected to remain the coach for the second leg.
This is what we stand for! ❤️🔥#feyacm • #UCL pic.twitter.com/DKbMeADg0u
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) February 12, 2025
Unlike their opponents, Milan took care of business with a 1-0 win over Hellas Verona. Ex-Feyenoord striker, Santiago Gimenez, was the only scorer of the night. The fans expected the South American to step up against his former team, which he failed to do in the first leg.
Expectations are also big for Rafael Leão, who could not score despite having opportunities to do so as he fumbled his movements in the final third. He is undoubtedly one of the team’s most important threats in the attack, but needs to work on his shooting and movements in the penalty box.
Pick: AC Milan to win (+217)
Top Champions League prediction №3. Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven, 19.02.2025
Juventus are favourites on paper, having won the first leg 2-1 in Turin. However, the team has struggled offensively throughout the season, rarely scoring more than one goal per match. Head coach Thiago Motta has struggled to implement his ideas in this squad, complaining he did not have enough attackers. The club reacted by enabling the loan of Kolo Muani, who was unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain as he struggled to adapt under Luis Enrique.
Sliding into the new week like ⛷️😆 pic.twitter.com/AsZvBfFKiY
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 17, 2025
Muani has proven to be a good pick, as he has been involved in the team’s chance creation. Juventus have looked more mobile and fluid since his arrival, but doubts persist about whether the team can or should rely on his brilliance to bail them out of the midfield’s system failures. Kolo Muani assisted the only goal of the encounter against Inter (1-0) this weekend, but failed to score himself.
PSV have proven to be a strong side in the Europa League but have often struggled in the Champions League. A one-goal deficit means the game is far from over, especially as they will host the return leg. They will be able to count on Ivan Perišić, whose experience is valuable to a relatively young squad. PSV also demonstrated they can function as an attacking side, defeating Liverpool (3-2) in the group stages. However, their defense seems to be a problem as they conceded a 2-2 draw against third-placed Utrecht in the Eredivisie.
Pick: Juventus to win (+190)
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