The UEFA Champions League returns this week, with a quartet of round of 16 first legs taking place split across Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here are our betting tips for this week’s round of 16 first leg action.
Champions League Betting Tips - Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 February
UEFA Champions League Acca of the Day
Manchester City half time/full time
FC København vs Manchester City
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain to win
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad
Bayern Munich to win and over 2.5 goals
Lazio vs Bayern Munich
At 12/1, a £10 bet would return £131.94
UEFA Champions League acca of the week- 13 & 14 February
Copenhagen vs Manchester City betting tips
Manchester City continue the defence of their Champions League title, with pretty much everyone making them overwhelming favourites to cruise through.
Pep Guardiola’s team ended the group phase with maximum points, scoring exactly three times in all six matches as they swatted aside Crvena zvezda, RB Leipzig and BSC Young Boys.
More recently, the Sky Blues made it ten wins in a row in all competitions on Saturday, with two late Erling Braut Haaland goals downing Everton, as they continue to be unstoppable in the second half of the season.
So, the Citizens will be hoping to leave the Danish capital with a commanding first leg advantage.
As for Copenhagen, they’ve got through to the Champions League knockout stages for only the second time in their history, dumped out by Chelsea back in 2011, hoping not to exit at the hands of English opposition again.
Already this season, Jacob Neestrup’s side came through three rounds of qualifying, dumping out Breiðablik, Sparta Prague and then Rakow Czestochowa, before, against all odds, finishing second in Group A.
The Lions had just one points on the board after three matches, but beat Manchester United 4-3 at home, drew 0-0 in Munich and then defeated Galatasaray 1-0 to advance.
Given that the Superligaen, in which they are third, goes on a two-month winter break, returning this weekend, this’ll be Copenhagen’s first competitive fixture for 63 days during which time Man City have played 12.
Just last season, they did hold Manchester City to a goalless draw at Parken, which’ll given them hope, although this did come just six days after a 5-0 group phase spanking at the Etihad in the reverse fixture.
So, a routine away win seems likely.
Manchester City half time/full time
1st selection
Both teams to score NO
2nd selection
Erling Haaland to score anytime
3rd selection
At 12/5, a £10 bet would return £34
Copenhagen vs Manchester City Bet Builder
RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid betting tips
Elsewhere on Tuesday, record 14-times champions of Europe Real Madrid continue their quest for la Decimoquinta in Saxony.
These two clubs met in last season’s group phase, with los Blancos winning 2-0 at the Bernabéu, only to lose 3-2 in the reverse fixture, meaning they’re very aware of how tough a trip to Red Bull Arena can be.
This season, Carlo Ancelotti’s team cruised through their group, winning all six matches, beating Union Berlin, Napoli and Braga, with Dani Ceballos’ last minute strike at Olympiastadion preserving the perfect record.
Meanwhile, in La Liga, having hammered second-placed Girona 4-0 on Saturday, Vinicius Junior breaking the deadlock with a rocket before Jude Bellingham scored twice, they’re now five points clear at the top.
So, after already picking up the Supercopa, a 36th league title seems likely to be heading their way, with this trip to Saxony, potentially, the start of another long Champions League knockout phase adventure.
As for RB Leipzig, their recent form suggest they’re unlikely to spring a surprise, especially over two legs.
Marco Rose’s team have won just one of their last six, losing three on the spin immediately after the winterpause, held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg on Saturday, with Loïs Openda missing a late penalty.
In this competition, die Roten Bullen won all four group games against BSC Young Boys and Crvena zvezda, but lost both home and away against run-away group winners Manchester City.
Nevertheless, this is Leipzig’s fourth appearance in the Champions League knockout phase, ousting Tottenham at this stage in 2020, en route to the semi-finals, but losing both subsequent round of 16 ties against Liverpool and Man City, steamrollered 8-1 on aggregate 12 months ago.
Thus, Real Madrid will fancy their chances of leaving Red Bull Arena in a commanding position.
Real Madrid to win
1st selection
Both teams to score
2nd selection
Vinícius Júnior to score anytime
3rd selection
At 6/1, a £10 bet would return £70
RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid Bet Builder
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad betting tips
Turning our attention to Wednesday night’s action, this promises to be, possibly, the tie of the round.
Paris Saint-Germain have only ever reached one Champions League Final, beaten by Bayern in 2020, while they’ve crashed out in the round of 16 five times in the last seven season, including both of the last two.
Three of their last six two-legged knockout phase exits have come at the hands of Spanish clubs, Real Madrid twice and Barcelona one, so will les Rouges-et-Bleus expirence an unwanted sense of déjà vu?
Luis Enrique’s side certainly didn’t have it all their own way in the group phase, winning only twice and sneaking through on the final matchday, courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Westfalenstadion that could’ve gone either way.
Domestically, PSG are unbeaten in 20 matches, very much on course for another Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions treble, but this will be a serious test of their European credentials.
Real Sociedad, in contrast, certainly aren’t Champions League regulars, featuring in the group phase for only the third time this season, coincidentally enough having previously done so in 2003 and 2013.
Two decades ago, la Real did get out their group, ousted by Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16, although their best-ever run came back in 1982/83, defeated by HSV in the European Cup semi-finals.
As they seek to replicate that stand-alone achievement, Imanol Alguacil’s team came through their group unbeaten, finishing above last year’s finalists Inter by virtue of goal difference, after both meetings were drawn.
Since then however, los Txuri-Urdin’s La Liga form has dipped, winning just one of their last eight, while six of their last 13 matches in all competitions have actually ended 0-0, scoring only eight times in these outings.
La Real would certainly settle for another scoreless draw at Parc des Princes, but PSG seem likely to claim a first leg lead.
Paris Saint-Germain to win
1st selection
Both teams to score NO
2nd selection
Kylian Mbappé to score anytime
3rd selection
At 15/4, a £10 bet would return £47.50
Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad Bet Builder
Lazio vs Bayern Munich betting tips
Three seasons ago, these two clubs met in the same round of the same competition, with Bayern Munich winning 4-1 in the Eternal City and then 2-1 in Bavaria, while an even more one-sided victory is expected here.
Bayern Munich, as always, sailed through this season’s group phase unbeaten, winning five of six matches, most memorably beating Manchester United 4-3 at home.
Not as always however, is the fact the 11-in-a-row Meisterschale champions are second in the Bundesliga, now five points adrift leaders Bayer Leverkusen, following Saturday’s humiliating 3-0 defeat at BayArena.
This was der Rekordmeister’s third league defeat of the season, really emphasising their defensive frailties, suggesting Thomas Tuchel’s team are far from capable of going all the way in the Champions League.
Having said all of that, Lazio’s own issues mean they’re highly unlikely to knock out the six-times European champions.
I Biancocelesti did manage to beat Cagliari on Saturday but, given that they’d only won five of 12 Serie A outings beforehand, Maurizio Sarri’s side are still down in eighth, outside the European places.
In the group stages meantime, la Aquile weren’t particularly impressive either, beating Celtic twice and Feyenoord at home, with this enough to see them snatch second spot.
So now, Lazio are seeking to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2000, with their only appearance at this stage since then that aforementioned hammering at the hands of Bayern.
This is likely to be high-scoring, but the away side are likely to leave Stadio Olimpico in a commanding position.
Bayern Munich to win
1st selection
Both teams to score
2nd selection
Over 3.5 goals
3rd selection
Harry Kane to score anytime
4th selection
At 5/1, a £10 bet would return £60
Lazio vs Bayern Munich Bet Builder
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