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The Champions League is again however who’s in form for the final 16 as a number of star names go head-to-head?
Porto vs Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo heads again to Portugal with Juventus
- First leg: February 17, Estadio do Dragao (8pm)
- Second leg: March 9, Juventus Stadium (8pm)
The group information:
Porto are set to be with out attacking midfielder Otavio once more however Jesus Corona returned from suspension in opposition to Boavista final trip and may preserve his place alongside Mateus Uribe within the center.
Juventus will probably be with out injured duo Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Bonucci however Aaron Ramsey has returned to health in time to characteristic.
The shape:
Juventus missed the prospect to shut the hole on the prime of Serie A after a 1-0 defeat to Napoli, whereas Porto have been held to 4 successive attracts in all competitions.
What to look out for:
Porto had been Cristiano Ronaldo’s first opponents within the knockout phases of the Champions League, 17 years in the past. He final confronted them for Manchester United in 2009, scoring the one aim of the sport to take his aspect by to the semi-finals. That in actual fact has been his solely strike in six conferences with Porto; you may wager the evergreen star will probably be out to finish a mini aim drought again in his homeland.
View from the camps:
Porto defender Pepe: “Juventus have top-class gamers. In my view, they have the perfect participant on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo. We realise it’ll be very robust however I count on to win.”
Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo: “The Champions League is a singular competitors. There are such a lot of groups preventing to win, everybody needs it, and it actually will depend on which second you are in if you face groups. It is vital to be mentally prepared. Porto are completely different to us. Within the league they’re extra attacking, whereas in Europe they’re extra cautious. We attempt to play one other manner, however typically we additionally need to defend.”
Sevilla vs Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland is again on the Champions League aim path
- First leg: February 17, Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan (8pm)
- Second leg: March 9, Sign Iduna Park (8pm)
The group information:
Sevilla will be capable of name upon Jesus Navas, who has been handed match after a fortnight on the sidelines with a hip drawback.
Borussia Dortmund have Thomas Meunier again of their squad after the participant missed the final 4 video games because of a knee damage. Thomas Delaney didn’t fly to Spain with the remainder of the squad on Tuesday, together with his spouse anticipating the start of their first little one.
The shape:
Sevilla’s relentless run continued with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Huesca – their ninth successive win in all competitions. Borussia Dortmund proceed to stutter domestically against this. Their title hopes have lengthy been dashed however a 2-2 draw in opposition to Hoffenheim final trip means their Champions League qualification probabilities stay in peril.
What to look out for:
Can Erling Haaland sustain his stellar Champions League goalscoring file? The Dortmund hotshot has netted in all of his appearances within the competitors to this point this season and has bagged 16 objectives in 12 video games in Europe’s prime membership competitors total, simply surpassing the 20 video games it took Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roberto Soldado to achieve that mark.
Haaland was the person who snatched a degree in opposition to Hoffenheim however he berated himself afterwards for lacking a number of first-half probabilities and warned of his intent to make amends. Sevilla, beware.
View from the camps:
Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui: “That is the largest sport of the season to this point. It is the knockout phases of the Champions League and we’re up in opposition to a terrific group with certainly one of Europe’s most prodigious attacking skills. Dortmund are able to attacking in some ways, each in possession and in transition.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic: “Our clear aim is to achieve the following spherical, we are going to do all the things we are able to. When issues do not go nicely, we now have to stay collectively – like a household.”
Developing…
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Manchester City
0:25
Manchester Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola says individuals laughed when he urged Ilkay Gundogan might be used as a striker, following his two objectives within the 3-0 win over Tottenham
- First leg: February 24, Puskas Enviornment, Budapest (8pm)
- Second leg: March 16, Etihad Stadium (8pm)
What to look out for
Prepare to listen to quadruple and Manchester Metropolis in the identical sentence once more. Streaking clear on the prime of the Premier League, within the EFL Cup ultimate and FA Cup final eight, it is time for the highlight to show again onto the trophy that has to this point eluded Metropolis however Pep Guardiola’s aspect are purring with 16 wins in a row in all competitions.
Kevin De Bruyne might return in opposition to a Gladbach aspect in effective kind themselves; how will Guardiola match the Belgian and in-form Ilkay Gundogan in the identical midfield? “It won’t be an issue, I promise you!”.
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea
Luis Suarez scored 16 objectives in his first 17 video games for Atletico
- First leg: February 23, Nationwide Enviornment, Bucharest (8pm)
- Second leg: March 17, Stamford Bridge (8pm)
What to look out for
There will probably be no Diego Costa – the previous Chelsea ahead continues to be searching for a brand new membership after leaving Atletico in January – however Luis Suarez is one other acquainted face with earlier on the subject of the Blues. The ex-Liverpool participant, who infamously bit Branislav Ivanovic throughout a 2013 conflict with Chelsea by which he additionally scored a late equaliser, has been the impetus behind Atletico’s title tilt, scoring a league-high 16 objectives.
Chelsea had been the final group to beat Atletico on their very own turf in European competitors – again in September 2017 – however to repeat the trick, they might want to preserve Suarez quiet.
Lazio vs Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich received the Membership World Cup
- First leg: February 23, Olimpico (8pm)
- Second leg: March 17, Allianz Enviornment (8pm)
What to look out for
Bayern warmed up for the knockout stage of their Champions League title defence by lifting one other trophy on the Membership World Cup. The holders have gone virtually two years with out defeat within the Champions League, have failed to attain solely as soon as of their final 27 matches and have received 16 of their final 17 video games within the competitors with an total aim distinction of +48.
That appears ominous for Lazio, however each side have forwards in lethal kind. Robert Lewandowski has scored 31 objectives in 33 Champions League video games for the reason that begin of the 2017/18 season – greater than another participant – however Lazio’s Ciro Motionless has eight in his final 9 Champions League begins and outscored Lewandowski throughout Europe’s prime leagues final time period.
Atalanta vs Real Madrid
Eden Hazard is again in coaching after a muscle drawback
- First leg: February 24, Gewiss Stadium (8pm)
- Second leg: March 16, Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium (8pm)
What to look out for
Actual Madrid are 5 factors behind La Liga leaders Atletico (having performed two video games extra) and are out of the Copa del Rey and Spanish Cup. It is crunch time now for Zinedine Zidane. Zidane’s aspect got here again from the brink to achieve the final 16 as Group B winners however all eyes at the moment are on their European problem, with stories in Spain claiming the Frenchman’s job is on the road.
One other man below scrutiny, Eden Hazard, might return after his newest damage setback. His boss will hope he can lastly discover health and kind.
Final 16 outcomes to this point…
RB Leipzig 0-2 Liverpool: Salah, Mane put Reds in control
Mohamed Salah is congratulated after giving Liverpool the lead in opposition to RB Leipzig
Barcelona 1-4 PSG: Mbappe hits hat-trick in big win
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his aspect’s second aim in opposition to Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick impressed Paris Saint-Germain to an emphatic 4-1 victory at Barcelona within the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Champions League key dates
Spherical of 16 first legs: February 16/17/23/24
Spherical of 16 second legs: March 9/10/16/17
Quarter-final and semi-final attracts: March 19
Quarter-finals first legs: April 6/7
Quarter-finals second legs: April 13/14
Semi-finals first legs: April 27/28
Semi-finals second legs: Might 4/5
Last: Might 29 (Atatürk Olympic Stadium)
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