First Leg Result: 3-1 to PSG
Aston Villa has their work cut out for them in the second leg of their quarterfinals tie against PSG, needing to turn around a two goal deficit.
PSG will enter this fixture with an air of confidence, as they search for a 17th straight win on the road across all competitions, and consecutive victories in England after claiming a 2-0 victory at Anfield in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, the Villans have gone 17 competitive fixtures without defeat at Villa Park (11W,6D), and are searching for a fifth straight home win.
With Villa chasing down a two-goal deficit, I think we’re going to see an open game of football, with scoring opportunities materialising at both ends of the ground.
Lets back both sides to score, over 2.5 total goals and a shot on target from Ousmane Dembele.
First Leg Result: 4-0 to Barca
The Yellow and Black have a four-goal mountain to climb following a disastrous display in Barcelona.
History suggests this mountain is too high to conquer, with just one of the previous 160 sides facing the same deficit progressing through to the next round, and that side was Barca in 2016/17.
Like PSG, Barca are 16 games without defeat on the road (13W,3D), an impressive run which includes a 3-2 victory in Dortmund back in December.
Dortmund’s home record is less than inspiring, with just three victories from their last 12 games at Signal Iduna Park.
Barca have won their previous three meetings with Dortmund, with each game seeing over 3.5 total goals scored.
First Leg Result: 2-1 to Inter Milan
Of all four quarterfinals, none are more evenly poised than Inter vs Bayern.
The Italian giants broke Bayern’s 22-game unbeaten home streak in the UCL, with Frattesi scoring an 88th minute winner.
Munich will enter the return leg with a belief they can turn this tie around, and history backs them up, with the Germans winning all three UCL ties against Inter at the San Siro, all without conceding.
Despite losing the first leg, Bayern generated twice as many scoring opportunities than Inter, and over the totality of both legs I believe they’ll put more chances away.
First Leg Result: 3-0 to Arsenal
The Gunners have one and a half feet in the Semi-Final following a dominant 3-0 display against the current champs in the opening leg.
Real has pedigree when it comes to turning around UCL deficits, progressing through 25 knockout phases following defeat in the 1st leg.
That assignment will be difficult to execute against an Arsenal side who have built their success on the back of an extremely organised defensive unit, conceding no more than two goals in all competitions this season (49 Games).
Real Madrid have a knack for pulling off Champions League miracles, and even though we’re heading into easter, I think the Spanish juggernauts will need more than a touch of magic to get over the line here.
Madrid to win, but Arsenal to keep it tight.