Midweek European Madness
After getting both our Champions League tips right last night, it is time to see how we will fare this evening.
A San Siro Return
After netting a perfect haul of Champions League group stage points, Liverpool would have been looking for a decent draw in the Round of 16 and once the initial pairings were declared null and void, the Merseyside men were eventually tasked with another trip to Milan.
Because after already earning a victory at the San Siro this season, the same outcome will be on the agenda for Jurgen Klopp this evening and with the red and black half of the city now disposed of, it is time for Liverpool to turn their attention to Inter instead.
Of the teams that Liverpool could have been matched with in the Round of 16, Inter is arguably at the tougher end of the scale and although there are not necessarily any easy draws at this stage of the competition, another visit to Lombardy was not what the Anfield outfit hoped for.
With that said, Liverpool are going to have to deal with big name opposition from here on in and if they are to complete the road to Saint Petersburg at the end of the season, Inter will be the first hurdle that they must clear.
While going into tonight’s encounter, there is something of a neat symmetry when it comes to the two clubs involved – or at least in terms of their respective league positions and with them both lying second before kickoff, it shows the magnitude of this upcoming tie.
A magnitude that will only be bigger if Liverpool’s come unstuck in the first leg and with no away goals rule to tilt the tie in their favour, manager Jurgen Klopp will have to decide on how brave he and his players want to be.
Which is why this could end up being a rather cagey affair at the San Siro and although backing the 1-1 draw at odds of 6/1 seems tempting, plumping for a total of under 2.5 goals at odds of 11/10 at bet365 is where the smart money should go.
Red Bull Salzburg Give You Wins?
With Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg being considered as one of the rank outsiders of this season’s Champions League, the last thing they would have wanted is a pairing with Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
However, that is exactly what they have been given and although they are the dominant force in their own version of the Bundesliga, tonight sees them go up against a side that constantly rule in the roost in theirs.
Although I earlier said that there are not necessarily any easy draws at this stage of the competition, Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann will be delighted with the pairing that he and his cabal of superstars have been given.
While even though the opposition will be perceived as one of the easiest possible options, that does not mean that Bayern will look to compete in a relaxed manner. Instead, this will act as the perfect opportunity to show the continent what they are all about.
After winning the 2020 edition of the Champions League, the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller will aim to wrestle back what they think is rightfully theirs and at current second favourites, it would be foolish to overlook a second outright success in three years.
However, if they are to make it to Russia in May, they must first deal with a two-legged affair against another member of the Red Bull family and after getting the better of Leipzig recently, they will hope for the same outcome against Salzburg this evening.
While when it comes to the hottest tip of this Champions League night, backing Bayern to lead at both half time and full time at odds of Evens with bet365, may be one of the easiest chances to double your money in quite a while.
